AUTHORS NOTE: WARNING this story contains Slavery, Female on Female affections. Revolution, War, Violence and Language in later chapters.
The sky was gray, one could hardly breathe the air was so thick around the run-down buildings.
Within a large gray building, through the heavy metal door, over the dirt and hay of the pens filled with filthy animals, past the charcoal encrusted boiler room stood two people.
A boy, who stood with an Older man. They both look into a large cage. The boy, an expression of pity. The Old man, a look of annoyance and disgust. They both seemed to think hard at what was before them as the clock slowly ticked above their heads.
tick
tock
tick
tock
tick
tock
Painfully the sound did echo within the large room, no matter the boxes and cages that lined the floor and ceiling, all filled with different goods.
"This ends today," These words also seemed to echo within the walls, "Either we sell it today or it's off to the cliffs, it is. No point in keeping goods no one wants."
The boy looked at the old man, a look of shock and horror written on his face. "This is unthinkable!" he said, "tossing her away like some picked carcass! Does she not breathe? Does she not bleed?"
"She is but a slave, an item, an object for the use of ones with money and power. Do not waste your pity on something like this, why, it doesn't even have the decency to have the skin of one who is of mortal blood! A devil, it is." He glanced at the cage once more, "What man would wish to waste precious time on a tainted slave? Bad for business, I say!"
The boy looked within the cage, and traced a cross on his chest with his hand. "Be she Human or Devil, may the Unnamed God have mercy on her soul."
"It's soul?" Then the old man did laugh, "What soul could ever reside in one as green as a lizard?"
The two left and neither noticed as the small child within the cage cringed, letting out a soft hiss as tears fell, leaving long purplish-black burns upon green cheeks.
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Residents, Travelers, Business Men, Land Owners, Tourists, and Vacationists-- there is one common home for each of these groups;
The Market Place.
For everyone has something that someone else wants or needs, no matter what, no matter when. It is a fact of life which has been acted upon for as long as Man has walked the lands.
The green glow of the large city was entrancing, but to none more so than a young blonde, by the name of Galinda Upland. One of her tiny hands was held by her Mother's soft, delicate one and the other in her Father's large, rough, strong one. Her eyes soak in all the glory of the city, though the sky above them was gray, it seemed that bad weather was unable to touch the beauty and majesty of the emeralds.
"So beautiful, do you think so, my dear?" Her Father asked her Mother.
"Yes, indeed it is. And such wonderful stores! Oh, how large they are!" Her Mother replied as she looked to the long line of stores upon stores. "And such a selection, my, it is like heaven!"
Her Father chuckled and looked down at her. "What about you, My little Galinda, how do you fancy this city?"
"It's really pretty!" young Galinda Upland laughed, a big smile on her pretty face. "Can I get something too, Popsical, can I? Can I?"
Both her parents laughed, her Father answered, "Of course, anything for my little girl." He patted Galinda's soft blonde curls and Galinda responded with an excited squeal, much to her parents amusement.
They came to a stop where a large crowed had gathered. Her mother seemed to grow slightly uncomfortable. She always got this way when her Father went to the place where the people stood on stage and then other people would raise signs and then the people would walk off.
Her Father noticed this and gave her Mother a kiss, "Dear, why not go and finish your shopping when I take care of business here, Hmm?"
Her Mother instantly smiled, "With pleasure, my love." she said. Galinda giggled in between them as they connected their lips in another kiss.
"Momsie, Popsical, you two are so silly!" Galinda didn't understand the concept of kissing and thought it looked funny, her Mother simply blushed and smiled, patting Galinda's head.
"Alright, settle down now, Settle down!" the fat man on the stage called to the murmuring crowd. "We are going to start in a few moments, those of you buyin' please take this time to sort out ya're tags."
Galinda's Mother had wanted her to join her, but Galinda wanted to see the people walk onto the stage. Her Mother frowned, but let Galinda stayed with her Father.
One by one people of all heights and sizes walked up onto the stage, dressed in funny outfits that looked like a badly made quilt. Galinda giggled, she didn't understand that they only wore those clothes because they had no choice.
Her Father raised his sign with the number "68" on it a few times, and the fat man on the stage sometimes said, "Sold to number 68" other times he said "Sold to number 1" or a different number. Galinda didn't understand why, she just knew after her father went to these things he came back with a few people who then came home to live with them and work in the kitchen and stuff.
Galinda didn't know how much time had past, but her feet were starting to hurt and she asked her Father if she could sit on his shoulders. He smiled and lifted her up, placing her on his shoulders, making sure her dress didn't go over his head.
Galinda smiled widely, she had a much better view from way up here!
After a few more people went on stage then walked off the fat man cleared his throat. "Alright, the last one we have in stock today," he said, with that most of the people had already left, but the crowd was still had a lot of people in it. "Number 324,"
With that someone else stepped onto the stage...
Galinda's eyes widened.
It was a little girl that walked onto the stage and stood there, still as a tree. and as green as her Mother's gems.
No one placed a bid, everyone was staring. The young girl on the stage seemed like...well like she didn't feel at all, that is, until those brown eyes locked with her own. The green girl's face seemed to darken, or was it a trick the light made?
Galinda felt something in her tummy, and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She didn't understand this feeling, and she didn't care. She giggled wildly as she squirmed.
"Popsical, That one, I want that one! Oh please, please, pleeeease Popsical! Can we buy her? Pleeeeeeease?" she begged her Father. Her Father looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes up, to look at her.
"Oh... dear wouldn't you rather a new dress or some toys? There is a big toy store just around the corner and we could get you a doll! Doesn't that sound fun?" he said with a light tone.
Galinda shook her head. "No, no." she said, pointing to the green girl. "Her, please."
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"Come on, you." the old man said to the green girl. She glanced up, the burns long since healed. She frowned, feeling fear come into her heart.
This wasn't the first time she had walked onto the stage, had watched as people seemed disgusted, some amused, some amazed, some of them laugh, some of them gasp.
She wasn't scared that she would be bought.
She was scared that she wouldn't.
No one ever attempted to buy her,
No one.
She knew her place, she knew because of her skin, she was in this dress of rags. She knew because of her skin, that she was regarded as a beast. She knew all this.
She was a slave, an object of use and nothing more.
She shook her head, an object of use? No, no one ever bought her, even though she had to work her days away working in the boiler room along with much older boys. Those boys always received green paper, money, all she received was scraps and more work.
But she had a name, although no one called her by it.
Her name was Elphaba.
She didn't know her mother or her father.
She was told they sold her once she was born, since her green skin was not becoming of a someone with rights, with freedom.
She had often found herself wondering if one day, she would grow out of this shell like a caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly. But obviously, she wasn't going to be living long enough to find out.
She stepped onto the stage, her hands tied behind her back, her green skin smugged with the charcoal of her cage and her black hair messy and unseemly. She didn't show what she was feeling, no, that would be something one did if they had a soul.
She didn't have a soul, so why was it her place to show emotions? It wasn't. She seemed cold and unfeeling to those around her, they told her so themselves. Why should she prove them wrong?
She took a breath, facing the thinning crowd. She wasn't surprised when they looked disgusted, her eyes drifted out of boredom and trying to will herself to calm down. But when her eyes locked with blue ones she froze. she felt her heart beat a bit faster, she felt her cheeks grow hot and her tummy... float? what did they call it... "butterflies" Elphaba never understood what that meant.
Now, she understood. Then the blonde girl seemed to squirm and Elphaba raised an eyebrow, confused. Then she stiffened as the girl pointed at her.
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"Pleeeease?" Galinda begged, doing her best pout that was humanly possible.
"Alright, Alright." he sighed in defeat, a small smile on his face and Galinda clapped, "Yay!" she squealed.
He lifted his sign and the Fat Man seemed surprised, but called out his bid. They waited, but no one challenged Galinda's Father's offer. Finally the Fat Man slammed down his mallet on the desk.
"Sold, to Number 68. That's it for today,"
With that all the crowd left, all murmuring and taking glances at Galinda's father. Elphaba stood there for a moment, shocked. She was so shocked, she and had to be pushed into the right direction before her feet moved. After she was seated her binds were cut and she rubbed her raw wrists.
Galinda wiggled until her Father let her down, and she raced up to where the new people coming to live with them sat. All of them had their heads lowered and were quiet. But Elphaba's head shot up when she saw the small blonde rushing towards her.
"Hi! What's your name?" Galinda asked, a wide smile on her face.
Elphaba just stared at her for awhile, had this girl just asked for her name, or was her mind playing tricks?
"...I'm Elphaba"
"I'm Galinda! You're gonna live in our house now!" she said excitedly, almost bouncing up and down. "We have a really big back yard, and we have a lot of kitties and puppies and a pool and a lake and a boat and a terrace and a reeeeally good cook, and lots of other stuff!" Galinda stopped almost on a dime, and Elphaba was amazed at the speed this girl could change her actions. "Your skin is so pretty! Can I touch it?"
Elphaba was, needless to say, shocked and confused. Was this girl colorblind or something?
"Um...yeah." she said quietly, "I guess..."
Galinda reached out her hand and gently ran her tiny fingertips over emerald green skin. Elphaba felt that odd feeling in her tummy again, and so did Galinda. But Galinda continued to gently touch the skin.
"Galinda!" Galinda's head shot up and turned to the sound of her Mother coming over. "Galinda, there you are! Honey don't run off like that--you gave your father and I a fright!"
Galinda rushed over to her mother and giggled, hugging the woman's waist. "I'm sowwy Momsie, I wanted to see my new thingy!"
"Thingy?"
Thingy was Galinda's word for "Servant" or Slave, as the proper word would have been. But her mother didn't like slave, so they called them "Servants."
Galinda pulled her mother over to Elphaba, Her Mother froze as she looked at Elphaba.
"Your father bought her for you?" She sounded shocked.
"Yes! I asked, she's pretty! Oh, Momsie. Please don't make him send her back, please? I promise I'll take care of her!" Galinda said cheerfully.
Galinda's mother looked at Galinda, and then took a breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, dear...Alright you can keep her. But she's getting her shots before you touch her, understand? It looks like they didn't care for her very well," Galinda's mother then mumbled something and took Galinda's hand and walked off, Galinda looked over her shoulder and waved at Elphaba.
Elphaba felt her face darken as she managed a small wave back.
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AUTHORS NOTE:I have edited this from the original version since I wrote this a while ago and my writing has since improved. I didn't change a lot, so it's still kind of odd. But maybe when I have more time I'll go through everything and fix the mistakes and move words around so they make more sense. Please read and review and no flames please.