"How do you suppose we cross?"
Melissa and company stood mere feet from the edge of Munchkin country where the blue grass gave way to the deadly desert. Way in the distance, a mere pinprick on the horizon was the Nome King's Mountain.
"I still say we build a flying machine," Melissa crossed her arms over her chest, "We just need to find materials"
"Where?" Hungry Tiger questioned, "There's very little around"
"There are houses," Melissa observed, the abandoned structures with vines growing out of the windows and down the walls, "There could be furniture, we could use that"
"Excellent idea," Richard nodded, "Let's get started"
From the nearby house they scavenged. Pushing two sofas and a bed together crafted the seating for the flying machine which Richard bound together with vines while Jack gathered several different things for the wings, not quite understanding wings, but Hoodude after some thought decided the handful of palm fronds would work best despite Melissa's skepticism.
"It needs a head, does it not?" Robecca said, inspecting their work.
"You know when I said flying machine I was picturing something a little more mechanical," Melissa declared, "But I suppose this was the best we could do"
"It needs a head," Jack agreed with Robecca, "So it can see where it's going"
"It isn't alive," Tik-Tok pointed out.
"Not yet," Richard beamed, "But we have the powder of life now.
"Powder of what?" Billina clucked.
"I think this will work," Hoodude managed to pull one of the game heads off the crumbling wall.
"What is that?" Melissa was taken aback by the green-furred head with curving antlers.
"The head of a gump," Richard affixed the head to the decided front of their machine before retrieving the powder from the basket, careful not to touch the glowing ruby slippers, "Would you do the honor?" he passed the nearly empty pepper shaker to Melissa.
"Okay," Melissa said somewhat reluctantly, making sure that the powder covered every bit of their machine.
They all waited.
Nothing happened.
"Jack, were there magic words?" Robecca turned to their pumpkin-headed companion.
"There might have been," Jack replied, "Though I haven't the slightest idea what they might be"
"What are we supposed to do now?" Tiger wailed.
"We think," Tik-Tok replied sensibly.
But, Melissa who wasn't one to be still ever unless she was pouring words into her journal paced about the crumbling structure with the pepper shaker still in hand. Turning it over absently she looked at in thought.
"Wait a minute!"
"Melissa?" Robecca nudged her, "What is it?"
"There's something written here"
"Can you make it out?"
"It's terribly faded," squinting Melissa moved to the cracked window, lifting the box into the sun, "I haven't the slightest idea what these words are" stumbling over the pronunciation Melissa tried to figure them out.
"W-where-where am I? AHHH"
"Melissa you did it!" Jack exclaimed drawing her attention to the Gump's now alive head.
"I think I've frightened him," Tiger said sorrowfully.
"Hey, hey," Melissa knelt before the strange creature, "It's alright ol' Tigger there won't hurt you, he's a friend"
"Some friend," the gump whimpered, "Where am I? Who are you? What happened?"
"I'm Melissa, my friends and I built you to fly us over the desert we er, brought you to life with the last of this powder"
"Fly? But, Gumps can't fly, the last thing I remember was walking through the forest, there was a loud noise and nothing"
"We should be off before it gets any later," Robecca glanced at the sun.
With great effort the newly revived Gump lumbered his way outdoors. The oddest thing, he decided, about being cobbled together was that he could feel the grass under the legs of the furniture his head now rested upon. Still unsure of this ordeal, he patiently waited for the others to sit. First in was the tiger who though large found he could curl up to make room, next came Tik-Tok with some help from Melissa and Richard who placed Jack on the couch next while Hoodude and Robecca climbed in. The only space left was a little one, on the bed forcing Richard and Melissa shoulder to shoulder once inside. Billina meanwhile, perched on Jack's head.
Now, that everyone was seated, the gump flapped his wings surprising everyone that they did, in fact, work despite how fragile they seemed.
"Where to?"
"Straight ahead" Robecca directed, "Please"
The flight was a long slow one. Leaving Melissa to leaf through her journal for clues. Had she written anything about Ev without realizing it? One cover to latest entry later and nothing to show for it, the teen dropped her journal back in the basket, fingers grazing the ruby slippers sending another tingle up her arm.
What the heck is going on? Stupid heels!
The flight was slow. On and on and on they flew with the sun beating down on them. Hours passed the sun began to set and they weren't even halfway there. Those who could eat finished the last of the provisions before settling down to sleep.
"Goodnight, Melissa"
"Goodnight"
...
"Be careful"
"What?" Melissa spun round and round the empty space trying to locate the source of the voice.
"I can't help you here, you have to find me"
Melissa had an inkling that she knew the voice but she just couldn't place it. Still spinning, she caught sight of the ruby slippers in the middle of space, pulsing with the same red light.
"You have to wear them, you have to find me"
"But-"
"Melissa"
"Melissa"
"MELISSA"
...
Melissa snapped awake with a sharp inhale, "What's going on?"
"The ropes are breaking apart!" Jack panicked.
"What?" she sat up.
"There is no reason to panic," Richard said calm as could be, "We just have to retie the ropes, we're almost there"
"Okay," Melissa shakily nodded, seeing Robecca, Hoodude and Tik-Tok already working on the other side.
"I'll help too," Jack declared.
"I'm not sure that's a good-"
He lost his head.
"Idea," Melissa rushed to grab the pumpkin only for the gump to tip, causing her to fall screaming.
"I've got you!" Richard tried to catch her by the back of her dress but she was too far out of reach, plummeting towards the thick forests alongside jack's head.
With a shudder, the gump fell to pieces and with him everyone else. Much too far apart to grab onto each other, Melissa barely managed to seize the basket which miraculously had stayed shut.
So they landed, scattered throughout the woods.
...
"Ugh, am I dead?" Melissa asked herself.
After the fall everything went black. Slowly sitting up she found the basket right next to her. Checking she found everything was still there. Her two journals, pencil and the ruby slippers which were shimmering in what little light found its way through the tree tops.
"Let me think," the teen got to her feet, "I'm in a wild country, possibly surrounded by man eating creatures and I have no idea where the others are this isn't good, not at all"
Each direction looked spookier than the last but Melissa knew she couldn't just stay there. With the basket on her arm Melissa chose a direction at random and set off hoping to find someone.
...
"She's here, right in the middle of the forest!"
"Perfect"
...
On on on, Melissa tramped through the forest, eyes searching for friend or foe. The forest was a thick mess, trees grew in strange curves that blocked the path, snagging vines and roots catching at her clothes and hair further slowing her down. All eerily silent but the prickling sensation on the back of her neck told her she was being watched, possibly stalked like prey. With no way to track the sun she had no idea how long she'd been moving or if she was any closer to the mountain. What was to happen if it became dark? What was she to do? The Ruby Slippers hadn't stopped glowing no matter how she shook the basket.
Where was everyone else?
...
HA! IT LIVES!
Okay, less than stellar chapter ending but I need to have a brainstorming session.
Review!
