WE'RE RETURNING TO OZ PEOPLE!
Why?
I prefer Oz to Wonderland plain and simple so instead of swapping the cast of Oz to suit Melissa, we're writing a sequel that stars Melissa!
…...
1899, Somewhere on the Kansas prairie:
Hunched behind the old lofty barn with peeling paint Melissa worked in her book, trying to match the pictures with what she had written.
The Nome King and his son continued the war on the land of Oz, all they felled became nothing more than statues. The Queen was already missing one by one her allies were foiled made to serve the nomes, their will snatched away.
Soon, all would be in service to the Nomes.
Underneath these words were a series of pictures. Each grim depicting the war of Oz.
The nomes steadily marching to the capital city.
The Queen missing from the palace.
Her husband nothing more than mindless stone.
"Melissa!"
Startled the sixteen-year-old dropped her book, pencil becoming lost among the grass. Standing she turned to face Jenny who watched her expressionless.
"So this is where you've been hiding all day," Jenny declared, brushing wisps of hair behind her ears.
"Yes," Melissa shrugged. Beating the dust out of the gingham work dress she wore.
"Oz again?" Jenny questioned watching Melissa slip the book safely into her pocket, "Melissa we've talked about this-"
"I am not crazy," Melissa interrupted, "Just let me be"
"I never said you were crazy, Melissa you just have an overactive mind," Jenny sighed, "Will you please go collect the eggs for me?"
"Yes, ma'am"
The chicken coop was to the far left of the barn. Currently, the chickens were running amok as Toto, Melissa's newly rescued terrier puppy, chased them all over the place.
"No, Toto, Bad, Toto!" Melissa scolded, snatching up the wriggling dog, "Leave them alone!"
Toto whimpered apologetically worming his way out of Melissa's Grasp he darted to the house.
Blowing the hair from her eyes, Melissa set about her task but it wasn't long before her thoughts wandered, hands stalling while she stared pensively at the sky. It wasn't very long ago that Melissa was scrubbing the floor of the city orphanage, the floors gray and creaky. Being one of the oldest of the children she was expected to do most of the cleaning.
Melissa hadn't minded it was far better than listening to the others whisper that she was a lunatic.
The day Jenny had arrived she was polishing the stair banister, one hand resting protectively over her latest book.
Jenny had walked past, wearing a stiff blue dress buttoned to her neck, blonde hair pulled into a tight bun. She was being led by the head matron to the infant's wing.
"I understand you wanted a baby," the matron had been saying.
"Originally yes, but I've inherited the family farm I'd like a child to be able to help"
"I'm sure you'll find someone, let's go to the dormitory-"
"What about her?"
The matron sneered at Melissa, "Oh no, don't want that one, Miss Peterson"
Melissa dropped the rag she'd been using, turning to stare at the two women with a cross expression which only soured further when the matron added:
"She's not all there, she's always rambled about some made-up place and nothing else"
But Jenny ignored the older woman, stepping closer to Melissa with a strangely kind smile.
"What's your name?"
"Melissa"
"Do you want a new home?"
"Yes, ma'am"
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen years, three months and two days"
A mere hour later, Melissa was on a buggy bouncing toward the farm with every oz story safely tucked into her sack.
"OW," Melissa snapped back to the present, "Billina! Those are my fingers you're pecking at,"
The red hen clucked disapprovingly when Melissa resumed her task gathering every egg.
"You need to lay an egg soon or Jenny will chop you up for supper"
Then hen looked offended at the suggestion.
"It's the truth," Melissa gathered the rest of the eggs, carrying them back to the house in her apron.
There was no more free time for the rest of the day. Melissa helped with the milking, the mending, and everything in between. Every once in a while, however, Melissa's mind slid down memory lane, recalling the whispers, the ways of the orphanage.
She's a loon.
Stay away from her.
No, you don't want her.
After the days' work had finished Melissa swapped her work dress for her nightdress. Flipping her windblown hair out of her eyes she dragged herself into her bed despite knowing no sleep was coming.
…...
The stars were winking at her through the window. Melissa couldn't sleep, the feeling that something was wrong had firmly planted itself in her stomach and she couldn't shake it.
"What do you think is out there, Toto?" she asked the terrier snuggled just under her chin.
He licked her as if to say he hadn't the slightest clue.
"I don't know either," she quietly agreed as the door opened.
"Can't sleep?" Jenny asked carrying a lamp with her, lighting the small space.
"I've never been able to," Melissa continued to stare out the window.
"It's past one in the morning Melissa, can't you try?"
"I have, it's pointless"
Never had she been able to sleep through the night, not in the orphanage, not even on this quiet farm.
"Leave the lamp," Melissa asked when Jenny, face clouded in worry turned to leave, "I want to draw some more"
Jenny left the lamp on Melissa's bedside table. Once the door had shut, Melissa retrieved her book from its place under the pillow letting herself return to Oz, her hand struggling to keep up with the words and images flashing through her mind.
When at long last her eyes began drooping shut, Melissa turned to the window in time to see a shooting star whiz overhead.
"I wonder what's happened?"
…,,,,,,,,,
"I don't want to go to the doctor," Melissa declared stubbornly.
"I know, Melissa but we have to, he can help you sleep through the night, don't you want to?"
"Yes, I'd like to but I want to do it on my own, Jenny"
"You've tried, Melissa, go on and get ready or we're going to be late"
Melissa did what she was asked begrudgingly. Tucking her Oz book into her dress pocket. Jenny was still getting ready when she trudged downstairs so she went to wait on the porch steps. Her thoughts drifted to the unpleasant feeling in her gut, however, Toto's barking snapped her back to the present.
Yet again, Toto was chasing the chickens. His entire rump wriggling happily.
"NO, TOTO, NO!" Melissa shouted, shooing the dog away.
All chickens had scattered save for Billina who was pecking at something glinting in the sunlight.
"It's a key," Melissa observed, pulling it from the ground.
Tarnished as it was there was something intriguing about it.
"O-Z, Oz"
Is this real?
Melissa, it's time to go!"
"Coming, Jenny!"
…...
The doctor's office was a stuffy place. Dark wood, stiff furniture with lumpy gray cushioning. Melissa sat quietly as she watched the head doctor flip through her current stories.
"Tell me, Melissa," the doctor looked at her, "How do you come up with these ideas?"
"I don't they just happen"
"I see, so this queen comes from Kansas too?"
"She was sent for her protection"
"And this metal girl? How is she alive?"
"Alchemy, why are you asking me so many questions?"
"Melissa," Jenny chided, "Forgive her doctor, she didn't get enough sleep last night"
"No, no, it's fine, I know just the thing to help Melissa"
When the doctor stood to open the nearby closet, Melissa retrieved her journal, safely returning it to her pocket. Her face scrunched in confusion as the doctor proudly pulled the machine from the closet. Removing the glass covering allowed Melissa a better look at all the knobs, cords, and gauges.
"This will make it possible for you to sleep, Melissa," the doctor declared.
It looks torturous Melissa thought as she asked, "Will it hurt?"
"No, no of course not, it just manages electrical current, as I'm sure you know, it's the dawn of a new age. Two months from now it will be the year 1900, can you believe that?"
"Eh," Melissa shrugged.
With her interest lost the doctor turned to speak with Jenny about the wonders of electricity while Melissa stared at the machine in boredom. She was startled slightly by the sudden appearance of a face reflected in the glass covering the machine once more. Melissa shifted in her seat to glance out the window, where an eerily familiar girl stood watching, smiling when she saw Melissa who only frowned. The stranger waved hello while Melissa racked her brain for the answer to the nagging feeling in her gut that she knew the girl.
But where? The orphanage? This girl didn't seem to come from such a place.
"-just like the dreams you've been having, Melissa"
"Yes," Melissa nodded turning from the window.
When she glanced at the window again the girl had gone.
In the next ten minutes, she was turned over to the care of the doctor who was joined by the head nurse. A rather severe-looking woman in a stiff black dress.
"Now, behave yourself, Melissa," Jenny instructed, "Do everything the doctor and the head nurse tell you to. I'll be back tomorrow and then we'll go home"
"Yes, ma'am," Melissa nodded, keenly aware of the ice-filled stare the nurse was directing her way, "Will you please bring Toto when you come and get me?"
"Yes, of course, I will"
Since Melissa wasn't yet comfortable with hugs Jenny settled for squeezing her hand before departure.
Once Jenny had gone Melissa walked briskly behind the nurse as she was taken from the formally stiff front parlors to the bland creaky back halls where doctors in identical lab-coats pushed creaky wheeled cots through the halls. She was quickly shown her room which was as bland as the rest with an uncomfortable-looking bed next to an unused, dusty desk.
"You'll stay here until we come get you," Said the nurse, "You may have a nap if you wish"
Then Melissa was left alone. Climbing onto the bed she watched Jenny leave, wishing she'd turn around.
I'm not crazy.
How many years had she said that? Still staring out the window, pretending she didn't know the answer her mind began wandering again. Thoughts half-formed floating through her head until to her great surprise there was a reflection in the glass of the window. Jumping down from the bed Melissa found the same girl from earlier. Melissa had half a mind to ask how she'd gotten in there but something told her she would never know. It was admittedly spooky how she tended to appear and disappear, made even worse by the haunting sadness lingering on her face and the way she was so pale against the white frock she wore.
"Why did she bring you here, Melissa?" the stranger asked.
"Because I can't sleep and I write stories about a fictional place, people think I'm crazy"
"You're just creative"
"Wow, that's a first," Melissa pushed the hair from her eyes, "Who are you?"
The stranger opened her mouth to respond only to be cut off by a distant scream, "I'll come back later"
without another word, she disappeared into the hall. Confused, Melissa went to follow only to stop short seeing a new journal and pencil on the desk. Concluding the stranger must have left them for her, Melissa sat down with nothing else to do.
Where had the queen gone? There one day and gone the next? Her beloved country falling to ruin...
…...
Hours later Melissa was roughly yanked back to reality by the horrible squeaking, screeching of wheels coming closer. Thinking quickly she shoved the journal into her dress along with the pencil just as the door opened.
"would you like to go for a ride, Melissa?" asked the nurse though it was more of an order.
Upon sitting on the gurney she was ordered to lie back.
"I'd prefer to sit up"
"What did your mother tell you?"
"Jenny said to do everything you told me"
"So lie down"
Begrudgingly Melissa did so, growing suspicious when they strapped her down. Biting her tongue she watched the overhead light fixtures sway while listening to the thunder rumble outside.
"Hello, Melissa, how are you?" greeted the doctor when she was finally pushed into the room.
"I would be a lot better if I wasn't tied down"
"Don't worry it'll be over quick enough"
Listening to them prep the machine, Melissa wanted to bolt from the room.
If I have to tip this whole thing over I will! She swore to herself just as the power went out.
Without the crackling of the machine behind her, she could hear the moans and wails coming from somewhere beyond the room.
"I'll see to that, you check the generator"
Great, they're gone. Now how do I get out of here?
Fidgeting Melissa struggled for a way out of her binds which were bringing up things she'd rather not remember. As luck would have it, help arrived.
"Who's there?" she demanded when the binds began falling away.
"Quick, we have to get you out of here!" the stranger was back, pulling her up.
"What's that screaming"
"Patients who've been damaged, locked in the cellar, hurry"
the two sprinted down the hall, virtually unnoticed by the staff who were scrambling to deal with wailing patients.
"Hurry, hurry"
"Well"
They were spotted by the head nurse.
"RUN"
Melissa didn't need to be told to run, being dragged along by the girl into the storm. The rain-soaked her skirts, wind whipping her hair into her face but neither dared to stop not with the nurse screaming after them.
Don't stop, don't stop.
Plunging into the river, Melissa was yanked under, lungs filling with water.
"Here Melissa here,"
the storm was too much, Melissa happily scrambled into the open crate, shoved her way.
Cold, wet, and fearing for her life, the storm swept her away.
…...
To be clear I tried my hardest to find the name of that machine. I could not.
How'd you like the first chapter?