Oz

Chapter Six

Not surprisingly, Glinda had passed out on the couch waiting for me to come out of the closet. The pointed hat is on the coffee table in front of her along with the ruby studded box she found for my heart. I take both of the treasures.

I put the hat on my head and the box in my cloak and scan the room. I spot a blanket on the arm of a rocking chair. Instinctively, I put it over Glinda so she doesn't get cold.

All the sudden I hear chittering from one of the windows. Not cautious at all, I open the window to find a little winged monkey. This monkey has a name.

"Chistery?" I whisper scooping him off his tiny feet, "You're so cold," his small body is shivering. The little china girl is sitting on my shoulder while we have this little reunion. I suddenly notice snow falling in the dark night of the Emerald City.

In just a few ticks of a clock, the brisk fall had turned into winter. Closing the window, I set down the exhausted little china girl next to Glinda, hoping the little girl would fall asleep. Glinda has red streaks down her face, it looks as if she had been crying.

I hurry out of the living room with Chistery shivering in my green arms.

I sweep out through the door out of the throne room and down three flights of stairs. The ice is slowly melting off Chistery's wings. Who sent him here? How did he get here? Those questions went unanswered as I crossed through the light of the Emerald City square.

I hand the monkey my hat as melting snow stings my face. I put my hood up. Something soft brushes against my cheek. A scarf. Wrapping the scarf around my head, I'm shielded from the snow. I slip through the north gates unnoticed by the sleepy guards. When I'm out of earshot of the guards. I start talking to Chistery.

"How did you get here?" I ask. I remember my feelings for Chistery, just not how we met. Some parts of our times together are clear, but some are hazy.

"Fog, dark forest, Follow M-Miss Galinda," Chistery states. Galinda? Should he mean Glinda? The poor monkey is shivering uncontrollably now, so I decide to stop under a tree.

I break dead branches off the tree and attempt to make a small fire, but in this weather my attempt is in vain. I take the scarf off my head and wrap it around the monkey and continue moving towards the west. (I saw where they had been looking for her on a map)

After a couple minuets we come to a split in the road. Dark forest or China Town. West or East. I run down the road to the dark forest. It's even colder in here, I think. I see where I had fell into this world. It's snowing through the hole I made in the trees, the thick tree canopy is blocking the falling snow everywhere else.

I run through the forest hoping to raise my body heat for Chistery. I run over pieces of straw as I reach the end of the forest. The left side of my face aches from where it hit the wall. We reach a graveyard and keep going west, through a gate. Someone built a huge castle where a whole lot of graves had been. The castle seems under construction.

I figure this where Theodora lives. I walk on top of graves to get to the main doors. I knock a couple times before it opens to reveal a large ugly winged monkey, "What do you want?" a girl's stern voice asks.

I do my best to act innocent, "Miss, I need a place to stay warm for the night in this cold winter."

"You came to the wrong place, I don't take visitors," I see the person who is speaking. She is at the top of a large staircase and green. A darker shade of green then mine.

"Please, we aren't welcome in the Emerald City. My poor pet and I will die if we can't stay," I put my hood down and snow stings my face harshly, "I'll melt if I'm out here any longer," I get gestured in by Theodora as she hurries down the stairs. The large doors close behind me

"Make yourself at home girl," A older voice says from somewhere in the room. Chistery shivers from underneath my cloak. I hold him closer.

"She has a weapon," the old voice states coming closer. It's an old woman with a broken green necklace on. I shake my head and pull a wrapped up Chistery out of his hiding place.

"It's my monkey, Chistery, he's very cold right now," I say cradling him in my arms.

"You can stay with us for tonight," Theodora leads me upstairs, "But you leave in the morning. There is a long corridor with ten doors on each side. She opens the third one on the left. Its a simple bedroom with a window, a small bed and a standing mirror almost as tall as me.

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks," I say as Theodora closes the door. I lock it and sit on the bed, planning my next move. I ponder for a couple minuets. Chistery is laying next to me playing with my scarf. My mind focuses on how he got here.

"Chistery, who is Galinda?" I ask. Chistery starts stuttering, "Use your words."

"Elphaba's friend school. Galinda Up-Upland. Elphaba gives book to Galinda."

"What book? Chistery, I don't remember," I unwrap him to get his little mind to focus

"Blonde. Dumb. Popular. Loves clo-" be gets interrupted by a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" a familiar male voice asks. Chistery seems to remember the voice too. I use my power to unlock the door and he comes in. A scarecrow!?

"Elphaba?" the man asks loudly. I remember him.

"Yero my hero!"