Chapter 4

Dorothy peddled her bicycle through the dirt road, which led to town. She passed by what used to be Mrs. Gulch's house. It was now dark and boarded up with signs posted that said, "do not enter". Dorothy sighed as she rode past it. She had secretly hoped that what she did in Oz did not affect the people who looked like them back in Kansas. The strange thing was that it only seemed to affect Mrs. Gulch. It was always a mystery to Dorothy but at least she wasn't here to spread the hell that she did.

Dorothy finally arrived into town. She hopped off her bike and walked into the food store. As she walked in, the large man behind the counter smiled and greeted her with a hearty laugh

"Dorothy! How nice to see you!" He bellowed

Dorothy smiled at him.

"Hi George"

She then continued down to the ice boxes, were there was all the cold stuff

"It's been a while since you've come down here, how's your Aunt?" George asked her from behind the counter

"Oh she's doing well, for her age anyway" Dorothy replied grabbing a carton of eggs and a bottle of milk

"Well, she sure is lucky to have someone like you watching over her" George said and walked over to Dorothy and took the milk and eggs from her

"I'll just put these on the counter"
Dorothy nodded to George

"Thanks"

Dorothy then went to the other side of the store where she found various cans of food, and spotted Toto's favorite. She grabbed a can and then walked over to where the bread was and grabbed a loaf

"I won't grab too much today, that way you're guaranteed to see me sooner or later" Dorothy said and smiled as she walked up to George's counter.

"Well you had better come back, when the school lets out, the children always run over 'ere and ask me if ya here today, and then I gotta turn them away 'cause you ain't."

Dorothy blushed and smiled

"Well you tell them I'll come here when I can"

"Oh Dorothy you should see their faces light up when you tell your stories of that Oz place. They love it. Not to mention my business has doubled since you told those stories"

George then took a paper bag and put the food inside it. When Dorothy pulled out some money to pay for it, George refused to take it.

"It's the least I can do, use that money for yourself"

After Dorothy insisted over and over that he should take it, George firmly said

"I'm not taking that money, now get before I kick you out myself"

He then added a smile and winked at Dorothy

"Thank you" Dorothy said taking the bag and walked out

"Come back soon!" He yelled out at her

Dorothy put the bag in the front basket of her bicycle and was about to get on when she then saw that across the street, there was a man in a long trench coat watching her. Dorothy ignored him and got onto her bike and rode further into the town. She always liked to see all the vendors on the street and to see the displays in the windows, but it seemed that everywhere Dorothy turned, the man in the coat seemed to be there. It was starting to creep her out, so she started peddling slightly faster. The man then appeared at the end of the road, blocking Dorothy.

"where ya going in such a hurry?" The man asked

"please get out of my way" Dorothy said getting off her bike and walked towards the man. The voice seemed awfully familiar.

"do I know you?"

The man chuckled and removed his hat, which revealed thinning white hair and a wrinkled face

"you don't remember me? Oh who can blame you, it's been three years after all...and this world made me age quite a bit."

Dorothy gasped and went closer to the man. She did indeed know him

"The Wizard?"

The man chuckled again and nodded

"not so much of a Wizard anymore, in Oz, I didn't age at all, but coming back here brought some years on me, but you, you still look beautiful, just like when you went to Oz, except you are much more mature and you're defiantly not a child anymore" He said and touched Dorothy's cheek

Dorothy smiled and gave him a hug

"I missed you, I thought I would never see you again"
The Wizard smiled weakly and pulled away
"I've come to you because I heard your wishes, and you really want to go back don't you?" He asked

Dorothy nodded and then realized something

"If you're not magical, then how did you get from there to here so quickly?" She pointed out

"I was the Wizard of Oz yes, but I'm not any longer. And when I returned here, I had nothing, so I technically don't exist in this world"

Dorothy then put on a confused face but the Wizard quickly rephrased his words

"I don't exist in this world, only in Oz. So right now, you're the only one who can see or hear me, because you believed in me and that I was the Wizard of Oz."

"I'm so sorry" Dorothy said

"There's no reason to be, after all, you're the only reason I exist to you, because you believe that I am here, talking to you, which right now is a good thing, because I'm here to help you"

Dorothy sighed

"Help me with what?"

"With something that is about to come into your life. Dorothy, your life is about to change forever, and whether it's for the best or the worst, it will happen, and I will be here to guide you through it"

Dorothy shook her head

"I don't understand...."
"you will soon, you will, I'm going to grant your wish to go back to Oz, but you are only going because you have a responsibility there"

"a responsibility? What..wait!" Dorothy yelled at him

"Good luck Dorothy" was all the Wizard said before Dorothy disappeared in a green cloud.

The Wizard chuckled lightly and added quietly

"You're gonna need it"

And with that, he disappeared into thin air.