It had only been two days but it felt like weeks. Sat in the blackness. Neither of them talking, knowing it would suck what energy they had left away. Glinda looked grey huddled in a corner of the cell. Where she had remained after they had both given up on a plan to escape.
She was shaking. Sweating between hot and cold. Muttering away to herself about things completely irrelevant to their current situation.
Elphaba knew it was due to the lack of liquor being passed around her tiny body. But she also knew that Glinda felt Elphaba's weakness as well as her own.
She tried not to move as she lay on the bench. Every motion of her body made her feel dizzy. Which was one of the reasons she was laying down. It was a fear of collapsing.
They had received no water. No food. It felt like Morrible was just waiting for each of them to die. And Elphaba had the horrible thought Glinda looked like she would be the first to go.
Just as she closed her eyes, all this thinking was making her queasy. She heard their door open. Slowly she sat up feeling every single muscle working, trying to shift her to a sitting position. The guard placed two wooden bowls down on the bench next to her then saying nothing he left again.
She sat staring at the steaming bowls of brown mush.
It was meat.
She was a vegetarian but Elphaba knew she couldn't be fussy in this place.
She needed food.
Picking it up she slowly began feeding herself, gaining a little more energy with each mouthful. Once she'd finished her gaze shifted over to her friend. She hadn't even looked up when the bowls were brought in. She took the second bowl over. Leaning on the chilly wall, nudging the substance under Glinda's nose. But she refused to eat, instead muttering something about bubbles and uncomfortable dresses.
Leaving the food next to her she returned back to her original spot. Laying back down. Placing her hand on her belly, a position which was becoming automatic. It still only had a slight swell. But her mind kept reminding her of the child within.
If it was still ok.
"You still in their little man?"
She asked running her white hand over the child. Screwing up her face when she realized that she was talking to her belly. Making her move her hands from the stomach down to her sides.
She couldn't start getting all lovey-dovey.
Instead, having to make sure Glinda survived another day. Looking back to her surprise the blonde was slowly scooping at the substance. She smiled gently, trying to place her trembling spoon to her grey lips.
Within a few minutes, Elphaba was back at her friend's side spoon feeding her slowly. Never speaking she listened to Elphaba's encouraging words, about how they couldn't let horrible Morrible win.
Xxxxxxxxxx
They had thrown him into the back of a cart. Traveling for days, towards where he guessed was around the munchkin land area. Pulling him out and ramming several nails between him and a plank of wood. This had happened before, only last time he had felt every time the hammer had met a nail. Bursting through his hands as he was hung like a crucifixion. Once they had secured him they left.
He looked around. No life could be seen. The silence engulfed him. His mind drifted to the girls. Still in Morrible's grip. Probably deep inside one of the dungeons. She said her plans had changed when she found out about the baby.
There baby.
But what were they to start with?
What had they changed to?
The grey sky opened up. Rain began to fall. Soaking the hay inside his scruffy clothes. He had to rescue them. He had to try and get off the nails first.
Last time the strange girl had helped him down. So he hung there as the storm got worse. Waiting for someone to pass by and release him from the wooden plank.
Xxxxxxx
From then on they were given food and water. Elphaba's energy had increased, and after a night of throwing up, Glinda looked a little better than before. Elphaba couldn't help but be a bit suspicious.
Why had Morrible all of a sudden grown some sympathy to them?
"Could we not open the lock with magic?"
Glinda asked as they tried once again to work out how to escape.
"No, not unless you got a really good look at the lock before we came in"
"Nope..."
A rumble of thunder echoed around there cell.
"Do you think they found the book ?"
"Most probably".
She answered twisting her hands together nervously.
Glinda jumped down from the bench and began walking slowly around the perimeter of the dungeon. Biting her lips. Trying not to think of what she could do to both of them once the grimary was returned to her.
After all, it had made monkey's fly Fiyero a scarecrow, Elphaba's skin change and turned Boq into a tinman.
Elphaba, sitting hunched, was also trying not to remember all the other spells she had read since owning the book. Although Morrible had once told her that she could only read a few spells from it.
Just then something interrupted her thoughts. A sensation. A strange fluttering sensation was coming from her gut.
Glinda stopped walking and turned to Elphaba questionably. Placing her hand on her belly.
"Did you feel that?"
"Feel what?"
Elphaba asked. Choosing to ignore the feeling which radiated across her torso once again. She knew exactly what it was. The first signs that the child inside her was really there.
"Elphie? I can feel it too. The baby. I can feel that fluttering as well".
Both their hands were sitting on their stomachs. Elphaba was not sure whether to be delighted or scared.
The door unlocked with a clank. A guard came in, shackling each of them to the wall. Morrible steps in, her hands grasping the grimary. A smug look on her face.
"Well, would you look at what arrived this morning. I will have great fun reading it. Shame neither of you will ever touch this magical artifact again. Such a waste of both of your abilities".
Hugging the book with one hand she reached into her deep pocket pulling out a green bottle.
Glinda gulped.
She could feel her mouth begin to salivate at the sight of the gin.
She needed it.
Just when she had managed to get most of it out of her bloodstream all she wanted to do now was drink the sweet nectar.
Elphaba could see Glinda's eyes fall onto the bottle.
Morrible was getting into the blonde's head.
"Ignore her Glin! She's tricking you. You don't need it".
" Ah but you do don't you? It just tastes so good".
Glinda shook her head. Trying to leave her trance.
"No. No, I don't need it".
" Ok dear".
She grinned evilly.
"I'll just leave it here".
She placed the bottle next to Glinda's legs. Smirking Morrible looked to Elphaba.
" Don't worry Miss Thropp. I'll have my fun with you eventually".
Glinda's eyes were sat on the bottle. Licking her lips. She looked almost manic. Morrible stroked the book, her eyes examining Elphaba.
Just when she thought horrible Morrible was about to leave, meaning she could work on getting Glinda to ignore her urges, the guard came over to her uncuffing her from the wall and pulling her towards the door.
"No! Glinda!"
"Elphie! "
"Don't let her get in your head Glin! Don't trust her! Try and get out!"
They both tried to reach for each other as Elphaba was pulled out of the room. Leaving Glinda shackled to the wall. The bottle of gin within her reach.