Flashback 8: A Long Flashback
by Schammielynn
Age 7 became age 8, 8 became 9, 9 became 10… and so on. Life seemed to go on normally until age 12. I joined middle academy, the next level for students. Being top of the class, Aly and Oswin often bragged about me to their friends, most of which didn't have children of their own. I became more comfortable in my own skin. But I was still the same Essie.
Terrence was 14, nearly 15. Technically, by standards of the orphanage, he was done with school. But his curiosity and desire to fill his mind with as much as possible drove him to apply for the next level of education at his level as well. Despite this, we were still enrolled in different schools.
The reason age 12 made such a big impact on me is because I met the Wicked Witch. She had made Aly and Oswin's life hell, which I'd never known until this year.
I suppose those 5 years prior that passed between age 7 to age 12 didn't have anything exceptional. I made a few close friends, the girls I sat with at lunch all those years ago. Aly and I rarely fought, Oswin and I were distant but we still considered each other family. For whatever reason, the parental terms didn't feel appropriate for Ally and Oswin. "Mother" and "Father" to me were still the munchkin parents, as that was how I was raised. But I still considered Aly and Oswin as my parents. Most people didn't question how I ended up in the wizard's household. I was glad, because the explanation was the worst part.
Upon entering middle academy, all students were required to attend a week-long retreat to the Maraude Mountains Camp facilities. They were well-kept, typically resort-like accommodations in the mountains. The experience was supposed to teach us independence and responsibility.
And Aly did not want me to go.
We were seated around the dinner table and I was poking at the things around my plate after I'd brought up the topic. The camp down payment was due and I needed to get it in. If you didn't go, you were basically shunned by your classmates for the rest of your middle academy years. It was detrimental to your schooling; or that's the way the teachers and upperclassmen put it.
"I just don't think you need to be going to something like that." she said. This sort of counter argument was given no reason. I had no idea why she was so against it.
"I already have it planned out with my friends, you know. We'd all be in the same cabin." I added shyly. 5 years and I was still absolutely terrified to defy Aly's wishes.
"It's a part of growing up, Aly," Oswin added. "And it's a once in a lifetime chance. She'll love it. And it's completely safe."
Aly rolled her eyes and looked up, "Guess I'm just not ready for you to be growing up yet. Alright, alright. I'll get the money in an envelope after dinner."
I smiled at her, "Thanks Aly. Don't worry. I won't do anything dangerous."
When we left over the summer, Terry, Aly, and Oswin were all there to see me off before the transportation.
"Wish you could come with me," I looked bashfully at Terry. I knew of many boys in my class that were stumbling through their awkward stages. For whatever reason, Terry had graced his way through it and, while he'd always had a desirable appearance, his tween to teen aging was being good to him.
"I do too." he replied "But we've got our own sort of camp in a few weeks for the orphanage boys and I'm a group leader. We'll have our own sorts of fun in the good ole' Raudies."
"Of course you will. The Raudies…" I said with an awkward smirk. I knew Raudies were the slang term for the mountains, but I definitely felt like an outsider when I didn't use that term.
He laughed and gave me a hug. "Don't run into a tree, Ess. Have fun."
"Thanks, Terry."
I moved over to Oswin and he gave me a one-armed hug and told me to have a good time and remember my manners in the middle of the wilderness. The transport pulled up while he was talking, and I snapped my head back to look at the big green device. Girls and my friends were already piled on, waving for me to go on.
"Aly?" I looked at her, her eyes red and her dark hair falling in wisps around her face.
"Go on, or you'll miss the transport."
"It's only a week," I said with a smile and threw my arms around her. Somehow, now that the time had come, a simple week seemed so much more. I'd never been away from Aly and Oswin for more than a day or so. I squeezed a little tighter and then pulled away. She was more teary-eyed than she was before. And I couldn't say anything much other than, "Love you all."
And I hopped on the transport and I was off.
I took a seat with Flora. Out of all the group, she and I probably got along the best because we both realized that it wasn't necessary to talk all of the time nonsensically. But we talked when there were things to be said, and shut up when we had to.
She implied that most every other one of the girls had the same teary farewells from their parents. But she also told me of all the great activities that were on our agenda. I was just shy of being overeager. While I hated to leave behind my three favorite people, this was all so new to me.
When we arrived after an hour long journey, they had us gather around in the center of the campsite. Girls were on one side, and boys on the other, but the center was the common gathering, including a playground and a Nets field. The teachers gave us directions of the campgrounds, showed us to our cabins, gave us our designated teacher officer, and split us off into groups. My friends and I were in the groups we chose. Flora and the other two, Delilah and Sarah, all wound up in a group together. Along with a few other friendly cabin mates whom I vaguely knew from school, I was pretty pleased with my group.
After the introduction hour, we played a big group game of Nets. Because of my built up skill from playing with Terrence, I was usually first picked on the team.
"Essie! Come be the offender for us!"
I ran over and we played until dinnertime. And while I still felt a sense of division while at camp, I'd never felt like I belonged more among my peers.
When day 5 came, I was still having a blast. My friends and I passed various team building exercises with flying colors. For the art challenge, Delilah was our creative thinker. She was always fast with improv or anything that involved being creative.
In canoeing, Flora and myself managed to get out the the loveliest part of the lake almost effortlessly while other people got stuck in bushes and rocks. Sarah excelled in the tactical survival sorts of tasks like fire building and rope making. Flora, although quiet, was extraordinarily intellectual and often blew everyone away as far as thinking about things or learning lessons went. And my miniscule level of athleticism that came from Nets and years of traipsing around with Terry helped win many games and relay races.
It all sort of went by in a blur. While I couldn't have been happier, the individual moments were overshadowed by one of the most horrifying experiences that might have ever happened to any of those kids in that camp. Except for me.
I had given up Nets for the day. My feet were killing me from running around and catching butterflies earlier in the field, and I was way more in the mood for joining Flora on the swings than I was for pummeling through kids to get a ball into a net.
"Only two more days. Have you heard who's in the lead for the girls groups?" I asked Flora. I knew the answer, but I liked starting conversations I knew about so that I could contribute later.
"Us, I think. But Teresa's group is getting really close. They must have kicked it into gear yesterday with the challenges."
"I know! Teresa is super fast. I wasn't expecting that. She should be playing Nets. But even that gets old after a while."
"Tell me about it!" Flora exclaimed. She was usually either net protector or defender because of her attention to where the ball was about to go. This resulted in a lot of bruises. But she was tough, when she wasn't taking a break.
We still had lunch coming up in 15 minutes, so most everyone was lounging around the center waiting for food. It was hot outside. Warm season made our clothes damp and the air thick. We weren't allowed to swim unless it was a designated activity for the day, but it was always welcome when we did. The weather had been hot and humid all week. I preferred the cold, but it was bearable. The camp staff and the teachers did a good job keeping us cool. n fact, they'd been doing a good job of just taking care of us and teaching us responsibility.
Being as I was an "independent," out here with all these people my age, we weren't allowed to talk to people from home. There were no communicators, or letters, or even carrier pigeons. I only missed Aly and Oswin and Terry when I was by myself. When I went to bed at night and woke up first in the morning, the comforting sounds of palace life or the greetings and goodnights of Aly's weren't there to greet me. I knew I'd see them soon enough though, so homesickness wasn't an issue for me except for the late hours of the night.
On lunch duty, preparing the tables and getting the food together, was one of the boys cabins that day. A few of them came walking over towards us through the clearing to let us know that lunch was ready.
That's when it happened.
Bursts of green smoke popped in the middle of the camp center. A gust of wind and hot flames sent Flora and I backwards and I screamed in pain and terror as the swingset flew over and crumbled to pieces of broken pipes on top of us. For two seconds, Flora and I met the same horrified gaze, and then shifted our eyes back to the source. Green smoke still lingered as the buildings were ablaze and campers ran away from the destruction.
Suddenly, I saw a figure from the smoke. I tried to stand and see if anyone needed help, or if there was something that could be stopped, but I was pinned by the swingset.
"So quaint…" a voice said in a sickeningly sweet tone. I had a terrible feeling in my gut and gulped back a dry lump in my throat.
The voice heightened in condescending volume, "Where is the one who calls herself Essie?"
She practically hissed my name and I shivered.
"H-here…" I whimpered.
Drifting on the cloud of green smoke, she planted herself in front of me. If Flora hadn't passed out by now, she was probably close to wetting herself. I knew I almost was.
"YOUUUUU." the voice belonged to a woman whose face was as green as the Emerald City itself. Her red hair and extravagant black dress only seemed to make her look even greener.
"Who are you?" I stammered.
"Don't recognize me? Mummy and daddy didn't tell you?"
"M-Mummy?" I coughed and tried to sit up as more smoke and dust infiltrated my lungs. Suddenly shots of ice came sputtering out of my fingertips. "Whoever you are… please, please stop this!"
She cackled, "Of course I won't stop this. Any of this! If anything it will worsen as you come of age. Hm… They thought they could escape my wrath by adopting a foreigner, did they?! Well won't they be surprised when they find out that Zelena, Wicked Witch of the West, has discovered you. You'll pass on that message, won't you?"
I stared at her blankly and I felt the swingset press harder and harder into my bones. Flora sputtered next to me.
"Won't you?" Zelena snarled menacingly again as she pressed the metal against me as much as she possibly could.
Suffocating, I nodded, hardly understanding why I was the target. As the swingset began to lessen the pressure, Zelena glared at me and every camper that wasn't unconscious from the blasts of fire and smoke.
"Let it be known this day and forever more! I declare war on Oz! I am the rightful ruler of this land. And nothing, not even a mere magical adopted child can stop me! DO YOU HEAR THAT OSWIN DEAR?! I'M COMING AFTER YOU!"
And as quickly as it came on, she left.
"Flora!" I gasped. "Flora are you alright?"
She looked at me weakly and nodded, "Yeah. I think so. If we both push we might be able to get out of this."
I did as she instructed and we shimmied out from underneath it's iron pressure. Campers everywhere were hugging one another, crying, hugging teachers, calling for teachers. The whole cafeteria building had been completely engulfed in flames minutes ago, and was now fine. I worried that someone may have been seriously injured, or worse dead.
The rendezvous point for danger was an underground activity center. Most people didn't know about it because it was meant for emergencies only. It was filled with the most basic of idle time-killers for the sake of children being at the camp. One of the few teachers I noticed ushered everyone in there. They sent other teachers around to cabins to make sure nobody had run back, and then those teachers checked for unconscious or hurt students. Emergency services were called immediately, and parents would be phoned. We would be returning home as soon as worldly possible.
Nobody tried to explain what had happened. And nobody, not even Flora, would talk to me. I sat alone in the corner, feeling cold air flare around me. I wondered if there was a vent somewhere, or if perhaps it was just cooler underground.
I declare war on Oz. I am the rightful ruler of this land. And nothing, not even a mere magical adopted child can stop me.
Those words floated around in my mind. War? On Oz? Did Oz even do war? Battles? I never remembered learning about those things in history class. And rightful ruler? Oswin was the wizard. How could anyone be more rightful than that? And the mere magical adopted child… was that me? How was I magical? I was a give-away baby from the enchanted forest. If I could use magic, wouldn't it have happened by now? And shouldn't I have been able to stop Zelena from hurting my friends?
"Essie?" A voice snapped me out of my daze and I realized I was crying steadily in my corner. Flora was next to me in an instant. "You alright?"
I shook my head. I wanted to go home. I wanted my family and Terrance.
I wanted answers.