Chapter 2
Elphaba looked on in envy as Frex fussed over her new sister. Sister. How funny was fate- her Mother had died and was replaced with a weak, squawking thing that Elphaba would no doubt be forced to serve. Despite her father's wealth and power, Elphaba was treated no better than a servant by the rest of Munchkinland.
Elphaba was ordered to dust her West Wing corridors, the least visited place in Colwen Grounds. The corridor was blanketed with dust and every corner was covered with spider webs. Faded white sheets were thrown over the ancient furniture and the portraits, formerly lacquered and framed with heavy gold, were eaten by mildew. The carpets had long since faded to black and the fine velvet curtains crumbled at the slightest touch.
As she gloomily dusted the skirting boards, she felt a twinge of something… like the scent of flowers on a summer's day or the gentle rays of a spring sun. She paused and pressed her hand against the wall, where she first felt it. Her mood lifted like rain clouds being blown away.
She lighly pushed against the wall and lept back in shock as the wall started to break open. Centuries of dust and dirt rained onto the ground as the wall split open to reveal… a library.
Secret passageways were common in houses like Colwen Grounds, which were built centuries ago to withstand attacks from enemies. However, hiding a library in your house was most peculiar.
Elphaba grabbed a broomstick to jam open the passageway in case it closed and entered into the library. Tentatively, she examined one of the books.
' Magick Most Potente'
It was written in Old Ozian, a language which has been extinct for centuries.
Curious, Elphaba opened the heavy tome. The ink was fresh and the pages clean as if it has been just written yesterday.
Contents: Alchemy, Demonology, Familiars, Curses, Runes
Magic had all but disappeared in Modern Oz. Where dragons used to roam, flocks of birds take their place. The Familiars stopped appearing whenever witches tried to summon them and the last Wizard had died five centuries ago, during the Great Ixian Wars.
Since the end of the Ozma's rule, Elphaba heard that most of the remaining witches had fled through the Impassable Deserts and settled elsewhere, where the Wizard's men couldn't find them. The current Wizard himself was shrouded in mystery and no citizen could get close to him because he was always surrounded by politicians and noblemen.
Unable to help herself, Elphaba thumbed through as many books as she could.
' Potions for Common Ailments'
'The Book of Bannishments'
' Herbs and Cauldrons: My Hedge-Witch story'
Why did this magical library appear to her of all people?
If she were the only one who could access it, then maybe she was magical?
Suddenly, all her magical outbursts made sense. She was not a freak or a devil as her Father was so fond of saying.
No- she was special and she finally found a way to control it.
Elphaba pocketed a slim volume- 'Basic Spells'-and left the library, taking her broomstick with her as the walls closed behind her.
The bells rang for dinner but Elphaba ignored it. She was not hungry for food but for knowledge.