Chapter 12

Dorothy and Emily made their way to market. They walked in silence; Emily looked off into the horizon while Dorothy pondered about revealing the truth to Emily.

"Nice day isn't it?"

Dorothy looked at Emily, surprised at the break of silence. She then looked up at the sky.

"Not a cloud in the sky."

"Awful lot of crows out"

Dorothy then noticed it as well. There were a large amount of crows around them. Some flying, some on posts. The crows seemed to follow Emily and Dorothy the entire walk to the market.

Outside of the store were children anxiously awaiting Dorothy. When they saw Dorothy and Emily coming their way, they ran towards Dorothy asking for stories of Oz. Emily looked at Dorothy and rolled her eyes. "If you must…I'll get everything then"

Dorothy smiled and kissed Emily on the forehead. "Now, which story would you like to hear today?"

"Tell us about the munchkins!"

"The munchkins? Alright then" Dorothy sat down, the children sitting in a circle with her.

Emily looked at Dorothy from the store and shook her head

"What's the matter Emily?" George asked from behind the counter

"Oh...nothing George, it's just…those stories…she really thinks they're real"

"You don't believe them?" George asked

"You do?"

George was silent for a moment.

"You believe that there's some place called Oz, that she went there and fought witches and met wizards and talking animals, scarecrows and met a man out of tin?"

"I don't think it matters whether it really happened or not. What matters is that she loves her stories, and so do the children"

"Bunch of hosh posh if you ask me"

"No one did Emily"

Emily glared at George and handed him her shopping list. As George turned to get the items, Emily looked on at Dorothy and the children. She knew those stories in and out. She remembered Dorothy telling them to her as a child, about the Land of Oz, the tin man, lion and scarecrow. Whenever Dorothy told her of the witch, she would get nightmares and end up sleeping with Dorothy through the night claiming that the witch was going to come back and take her away. But as Emily grew older, she stopped listening to the stories, stopped believing in childish things, like Oz.

"Here you go" George handed over Emily's basket full of food.

"Thank You" Emily said, leaving her money on the counter and walked towards Dorothy. She could hear the story as she approached the circle.

"So that wicked witch sent her guards after us until they surrounded us. Then the witch confronted us all, and began to threaten the scarecrow. Then she took that broom lit it on fire, and then put it on the poor scarecrow's arm. Well I couldn't let him burn so I took a pail of water from nearby and…"

"Mom?" Emily interrupted. The children groaned and Dorothy looked at Emily surprisingly.

"Yes Emily?"

"It's time to go"

The children groaned even louder.

"But Dorothy, it's the best part!" The other children chimed in, wanting to hear the ending.

"But we need to go…"

"Oh Emily, let me finish the story for them, get a head start home" Dorothy said, pleasing the children. Emily said nothing and began to walk back home.

It was almost dark by the time Emily arrived back at the house. Brian had already left, his work finished for the day. The house was empty and silent except for the creaking of the floorboards. Emily sighed and put the groceries away. She knew Dorothy wouldn't be home for at least another hour. That was the way every trip to the market went. Emily would get the groceries, Dorothy would tell the children stories, and Emily would be stuck home alone to cook dinner. Again.(there would be a song here…but I cant find one that fits the mood, I will find one eventually and add it in)

Next Morning

"Emily?" No response

Dorothy walked up the stairs towards Emily's room.

"Emily?" Still no response.

Dorothy slowly opened the bedroom room and peeked inside. Emily stood by her window, looking outside.

"Emily?"

Emily turned around and smiled.

"Yes?"

"Happy 18th Birthday!" Dorothy then proceeded to hug Emily as tightly as possible. "18 years! Can you believe it! 18 years old!"

"Thanks…Mom" Emily said, gasping for breaths in between words.

"So I have an entire birthday breakfast waiting for you downstairs, so hurry and get ready before it gets cold"

"Okay, then you'll tell me about my father right?"

Dorothy stopped abruptly. "Your father?"

"Remember…my 18th birthday…"

Dorothy smiled "Oh yes, of course"

"Well?"

"After breakfast"

Emily nodded with approval and turned back towards the window.

Dorothy looked sadly at Emily as she closed the door. For now, she was her daughter. But once she told Emily the truth, she wouldn't be just her daughter anymore. Dorothy tried to push these thoughts aside and walked back downstairs.

About 10 minutes later, Dorothy could hear Emily running down the stairs. She sighed and placed the food at the table. Emily came into the kitchen, all smiles of course. She sat down immediately and began to shove food in her mouth.

"Calm down Emily, chew your food for God's sake"

"The quicker I eat, the sooner you have to tell me about my…"

"Just take your time" Dorothy interrupted

Emily paused. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Dorothy smiled weakly "I'm not hungry" Dorothy then went to her room and grabbed the wooden box she had taken out the day before. She slowly opened it to make sure everything was inside it, slammed it shut and sat on her bed, contemplating what she should do.

"Mom? Where'd you go?"

"Coming!"

Dorothy held the box behind her back as she went back into the kitchen. Emily stood at the sink, washing the dishes from breakfast. Dorothy was about to turn around and put the box away but Emily had already seen her out of the corner of her eye.

"Mom?"

"Let's sit at the table"

Dorothy sat at one end of the table, and Emily did the same. An awkward silence then filled the house. Emily was about to open her mouth to speak, but Dorothy then broke the silence.

"I want you to know, that I have always loved you, and always will."

"I love you too mom, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything"

Dorothy took a deep breath and began to explain the story of how she went back to Oz to the point when she found Emily on her doorstep.

More silence filled the house.

"Well?"

"Well! Look, it's a great story and all, but you didn't have to go that far to avoid telling me"

Dorothy sighed. She expected this much from Emily.

"It's true"

"There's no proof"

Dorothy put the box on the table.

"Who said there was no proof?"

Emily leaned over the table and took the box. She placed it in front of her and stared at it.

"Open it"

Emily sighed.

"I don't know if I want to. There's no going back after I do"

Emily unlocked the box and slowly opened it. Inside was a green blanket and a necklace with a green crystal on it.

"That's the blanket you were wrapped in. And you were wearing that necklace."

Emily looked at Dorothy, puzzled.

"And this stuff proves…"

"You not really my daughter. I'm not your real mother. You aren't even from here. You're from Oz and somehow you ended up here with me. I've raised you as my own since."

"And you never told me this because?"

"Because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you"

Emily too up and went over to Dorothy.

"You will never lose me"

Dorothy smiled and hugged Emily tightly.

"Now then"

"I'm just going to go in my room and think."

"Of course, go ahead"

Emily took the box and walked upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her.

Dorothy looked up the stairs and sighed.

"It was time"