Born: There's a New Witch in Town

Chapter 1

                                                                                                   Chapter 1 - The Metamorphosis of The Good

     In the east the sun began to set. The last glimmers of day were being swallowed by night and the shows of yellow to deep hues of purple added a sense of wonder to the evening. The people of Oz began to quit their jobs and go home to their familes. In the west the moon rose once again, glistening brightly in the dark night. The moon's light shone brightly on the yellow brick road. It was most beautiful at night, the road reflected the light creating a sort of Golden Haze. The road led to the Emerald City of course, as well as other significant locations. One of them being the home of Glinda the Good (Witch of the North). She lay in bed, old, tired, dying. A few munchkins stood by her side as well as a farm girl, full grown into a farm woman. 

        Glinda the Good looked at the farm girl and shed a tear. "My, my, how you've grown." She gave a cough and continued, "I've known you since you were a munchkin youreself."

        "Glinda don-" The farm girl spoke holding back the tears. She didn't want Glinda to see her cry. The girl, now a woman remembered her adventures with the woman, who used to be so full of life, jokingly self-centered, and giddy, now lying on her deathbed. She thought how could one so beautiful look sad on their dying day

        "Ssh ssh, it's okay child," another cough, "I don't want you making such a fuss for me."

       "What about the Ozians? Will there be another Good Witch? Another Wicked one? What am I tell the people of Oz?" 

        "Tell them.... tell them I died unworried for the future. I assume there ought be others, to answer your question, if one is to be born good and wicked, then only time will tell." Explained Glinda. 

       The girl stood quiet and stared at the elegant woman. The munchkins, quietly wailing, fetched The Good another glass of water. Glinda raised her hand motioning them to stop. She shook her head and closed her eyes. Glinda's face began to glow, with each passing minute, she began to look younger and younger. She grew more and more beautiful with each passing moment, the metamorphosis stopped and Glinda was an infant. The glow grew brighter, forcing the witnesses to cover their eyes. As quickly as it came, the glow dissappeared. The girl and the munchkins looke at the bed, only to find it empty. Glinda, the Good WItch of the North, is dead. 

       The munchkins stepped quietly out of the house leaving the farm girl alone. They jumped on their small cart and drove back to their hometown. The golden road still emitted a golden haze now at an angle for the night was turning into day. The trees began to move with the wind, which grew stronger and stronger. The clouds quickly covered the sky making the moon and haze dissappear. The Munchkins were used to strange weather, for it was Oz and sorcery still existed.

       Strange weather was often blamed on students of the college, practicing their sorcery and of course, not getting it right just yet. Sometimes trees would turn into flowers, and flowers would fly away with wings because of a child born with natural magic. The people of Oz were used to it, for this had gone on for centuries.

     "Hopefully a tornado won't bring another house, there's no Witch for it to crush," joked Piper, the munchkin driving the cart.

      Bip, the other munchkin chuckled and lookeked up at the sky, "Probably some students, always is you know." As Bip said the last word, a scream came from a cottage, branching off a dirt road from the yellow brick road. The screams were of a woman, Piper stopped the cart, like the nosey munchkin he is, and listened. 

    "Murder?" Assumed Piper.

    "Violence?" Replied Bip.

    "PUSH HONEY! PUSH!" Yelled a man from the cottage.

    "Labor!" Piper exclaimed. "Oh joy, a birth of a child, on such a sad day however."

    "A bitter sweet day."

    "Indeed. Well we should continue back home." Piper commanded the horses to walk onward, and so they did.

    At the crack of dawn an old munchkin man had gone outside to get the daily newspaper. As he did, he saw Piper and Bip making their way along the road. He wiped his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinated and looked again, this time they were closer. With excitement the old man yelled, "THEY'RE BACK! THANK OZ, BIP AND PIPER AND BACK!"

    "Hurray!" One shouted. "Hoorah!" Screamed another.

   The only two who weren't enlightened were Bip and Piper. They stared at each other, as if telepathically arguing who would give the news. All the citizens ran, cheering and crying tears of joy, toward the duo. One little munchkin girl, of about twelve (out of all the munchkin population) asked, "Why are you so sad?" 

   The two looked and Piper slowly stuttered, holding back the tears, "G-Glinda..... She's g-gone..."

   "Gone where? Vacation?" Asked one.

   "No you fool, she's dead!"  He replied. He grabbed his little handkerchief and began to cry in it. All the other munchkins did the same with their hakerchiefs, dresses, shirts, coats, their friend's shoulder! The whole town was filled with the wails of the littles people, the vortex of the red and yellow brick road covered with droplets of tears. For weeks the folks of Munchkinland wept, news spread throughout Oz within days, and soon enough a public funeral was held for the dear old Glinda the Good.