Note: Thank you guys so much for reading! Each chapter will be followed by a flashback to Essie's life just like in OUAT. I would love your feedback on the story and what you think thank you. ~Eva
Essie Flashback #1:
By Schammielynn
"Essie, go play with the other children," Mother pushed me towards the playground encouragingly with an irritating look on her face. I looked back to find her rubbing her temples as if she couldn't wait to get rid of me. Unwillingly, I stumbled into the flower shaped, brightly colored slides and jungle gyms.
One of the other children looked at me with more disapproval than I assumed a child could muster, "What are you doing here, Bigfoot?"
I felt my face turn red and took a couple steps back before I stumbled into the playground pebbles.
"Earthquake!" another child yelled, and I felt the sting of tears burn my eyes.
"Leave me alone," I choked out.
"Essie," My mother snapped and grabbed a hold of my ear while I was still on the ground. "No child of mine is going to be found playing in the dirt like some pig."
"I'm not your child," I grumbled.
She gasped as if I had discovered the next revelation and dragged me off the playground by my ear. "Just wait until your father hears about this!"
~~
My Munchkin mother always told me that my real mother gave me up and had me banished to Oz, Munchkinland to be precise, because I was always a problem. From birth, I wasn't wanted. And this was something Mother always made clear. Not only that, but it was also very obvious I wasn't a Munchkin. Human children don't exactly blend well with Munchkins. It was on that day, after the playground incident, that I had pushed my Munchkin mother over the edge with my misfit appearance and lack of ability to fit in. It's about the only detailed scenario I remembered with my Munchkin parents, although I'm well-aware of the fact that they abused me for household work and took advantage of my intellectual growth spurt, which happened earlier than those of the Munchkin children. They also used me to get more money from the officials. By the time they got rid of me, they probably had enough to live on for quite some time. Officials were generous in the donations to my Munchkin parents for them to take care of me, although none of it was spent on me. I didn't mind, usually.
Following the playground incident, Mother rushed me home and gave me a good spanking for deliberately making myself a social outcast.
"Elsa," she sighed, "What are you going to do with you?"
"We should just drop her off at the Wizard," Father spat. "He'd know what to do."
"Travel all the way to the Emerald City?!"
"They'd probably pay decent money for the child."
"Hmm…."
"Purebred human from the Enchanted Forest? Think about it, that's worth more than gold! Not an Ozian!"
I knew my future was at stake, and that I could potentially wind up more alone than I already was. I wasn't ready to face that, but I wasn't about to protest. So, before I could even blink, they had my few outfits in a suitcase, and our miniscule carriage packed for the Emerald City.