As being the daughter of one of the richest families, Galinda Arduenna Upland, she was expected to be born a week ago. Her mother, Larena Upland, is still laying on the bed as she squeezes the living life out of her husband, Highmuster Arduenna. The mother's face is flushed, drops of sweat drip down her face. Silence fills the room but soon was interrupted by the grunts and screaming of the mother.
"The baby is coming out!" said the midwife as she is watching for the baby. She could see a slight glimpse of the baby's head. The wife screams in pain as she clunch harder on the father. "Almost there! I can see the head. Now the face!" The wife could hardly make out what the midwife was saying.
The ongoing grunts and screaming of the wife fill the room. The father comforts the wife as the midwife tries to ease the pain of the labor. Soon after, the baby girl is out, the midwife cleans the blood off the baby and wraps it around with a warm, pink blanket.
The midwife hands the baby to Larena who's still recovering from the painful labor. The father smiled at the sight of the baby.
"What should we name her?" the father asked when the baby is in Larena's arm.
"Galinda," Larena suggested as she smiles down at the baby girl.
"Galinda? That's an unusual name," Highmuster replied.
"I know. She's an unusual baby," Larena responded with.
"Galinda it is,"
"Galinda Arduenna Upland, that's a good name," the wife smile at the baby as it slowly drifts off to sleep. "Thank you," The wife looks up to the midwife who is cleaning everything up.
"Of course, m'lady!" The midwife gives her a smile and the wife returns the smile.
The baby's eye flickered open and it's pale blue eyes look around the room and then it directs its eyes at its mother. The mother looks down at Galinda and smiles then hands it to her husband.
The father holds the baby in his arm, as the baby exams the father's facial feature.
"She has your eyes," said Highmuster who is looking into Galinda's pale blue eyes.
"And she also has your nose," Larena responded with a chuckle. The father looks at the baby's nose and it came to a point.
"Yeah," the father responded back also with a chuckle.
Later that night, Galinda is in a cradle, Larena's sitting on the couch by the lit fireplace and Highmuster was reading The Daily Oz
"Oh my god!" Highmuster gasped at the news he's reading on the first page.
Larena looks up at Highmuster. "What?"
"The ruler of Oz had a child yesterday. It's a she." Highmuster responded.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Ozma, Princess Ozma," Highmuster read the paper.
"Wow, that's cool!" Larena replied then looks back at the cradle where Galinda is in seeing that she's fine so she goes back to the lit fireplace.
As the sun sets on the horizon, pink and orange colors fill the sky. Galinda's fast asleep, yet her legs were being alive. Her legs twitch and twist along with her body. Larena peaks at the cradle and notice Galinda's feet going everywhere. She gets up, and goes to the pink-yellow cradle and pick up Galinda in her arms and sway Galinda in her arms.
Larena knew from the first moment when she had the birth of Galinda that Galinda would be a ruler of something, Larena also knew that Galinda would also be a leader of a club or other things. Larena smiles down at Galinda who's sound asleep, like all babies when they're firstborn.
✵ ✵ ✵ ✵
On a Sunday afternoon, the wind is right, the leaves dance with the wind. Highmuster who is at home and Larena sat on the porch with Galinda on her lap, with the pink blanket wrapped around her, Larena could hear noises from a far distance. It sounded to her as if someone's calling for help and or screaming. Larena looks down at Galinda hoping the Galinda couldn't hear the noise and luckily Galinda was asleep. Larena stood up, went inside and placed Galinda in its cradle. Then she went outside and advanced towards the noise.
The closer she was the louder the noise is. She could now identify the voice as a female, it's a high pitched, screechy voice but soft.
The noise echoes through the forest. The forest is denser then Larena remembers as a child growing up at the very same house Galinda is now living in. The tree's high enough to touch the beautiful blue sky with very few clouds. As being a child, raised and born in this forest, one thing Larena would always remember is that animals of sorts(ex. talking tiger, leopards, wolves) would roam around the forest and or they would come and go.
The moment when Larena could see the figure who is making the noise, she came to a halt. It's an older teenager, with her long dark brown hair hanging, she wore a blue striped yellow blouse and long skinny blue jeans. Larena noticed that there were some scratch marks on her face as if a wolf came up to her and scratch her.
The girl stared at Larena for a few seconds before muttering something that Larena could not make out.
"Excuse me? I can't understand you," Larena spoke up trying to lean in.
"Help," The girl squeaked still staring at Larena.
"Are you lost of something honey?" Larena aksed advancing towards her with caution.
"M-m-my parents..." The girl looks down with her sad green eyes staring at the ground. "I can't find 'em"
"Oh, honey. You're lost and confused I bet," Larena advanced next to the girl. "What's your name honey?"
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Wane," The girl replied still looking down on the ground.
"Well, nice to meet you Elizabeth," Larena smiled at Elizabeth who is now staring at her and not the ground.
"My name is Larena Upland."
"Nice to meet you, Miss. Upland," Elizabeth smiled back at Larena.
"Please do call me Larena,"
Elizabeth nodded.
"Now follow me and I can help you find your parents," Larena replied and started walking.
Elizabeth followed behind Larena as they go through the dense forest.
Every couple of minutes, Larena would peek over her shoulder to check that Elizabeth is not lost and is okay.
The more they got to the center of the forest, the denser it became. I don't remember coming this way, thought Larena. Larena looks around, seeing the trees, bushes, and animals. Then something caught her eyes.
A flying monkey.
The monkey's flying above the tree line. Its brown wings expanded from its back, the tail hangs as the body flies through the air.
"Stay close to me," Larena muttered to Elizabeth who's still behind her. She steps a little closer to Larena who is eyeing the flying monkey.
Hoping the monkey won't see them, Larena picked up the pace and kept her eyes forward.
Everything was going well, Larena could see her house until Elizabeth stepped on a stick which then made a loud crack sound that echoes through the forest. Larena and Elizabeth came to a sudden halt and Larena turns to face Elizabeth and gave her a glance that said, what did you do?
Elizabeth shrugged.
Larena eyed the sky but didn't see the flying monkey. She looked around. Nothing. No sight of the flying monkey. But then she could hear the wing soar above her.
Silence fills the forest until a loud thump came from Larena's back. She turned around only to be stared by the flying monkey's brown eyes.
"Who are you?" The monkey's voice boomed through the forest.
"Larena Upland," Larena replied stepping closer to Elizabeth who is now staring at the flying monkey.
"Upland?" The monkey repeated.
"Yes," Laren replied. Without having the monkey noticing, Larena takes out her wand from her back pocket.
"Interesting,"
On cue, Larena points her wand at the monkey who is surprised and started to take off only to be stopped in mid-air. With a flick of Larena's wand, the monkey's body to twitch along with the wings. With such a force, the wings itself detached from the monkey's back and fell to the ground. The monkey screamed with agony. Then the brown fur on the monkey disappeared to reveal a boy. The boy was tall, skinny and handsome, thought Elizabeth. The boy is wearing brown shorts and a brown t-shirt.
Larena cautiously advanced towards the boy with her wand pointed at the boy.
"Who are you?" Larena asked.
"Caesar," The boy replied looking around.
"Who transformed you into the flying monkey?" Larena eyes the boy.
"I was transformed by the Wicked Witch of the North-East," Caesar looks at Larena.
"I thought the Wicked Witch of the North-East was just a myth," Elizabeth stepped in front of Larena now to face Caesar.
Caesar directed his eyes to Elizabeth. Then he shakes his head in disagreement. "Everybody did. Nobody would believe me when I told people that the Wicked Witch of the North-East was not a myth and she was alive,"
"Then how did you became... that?" Elizabeth asked.
"I was her apprentice for Sorcery. She took care of me as if I was her son. Then one day, she took me into a room, had her spell book next to her. I thought she was going to show me a new spell, but the next moment, I was... that,"
"Well, I need more information about the Wicked Witch of the North-East," Larena said. "And I need to find Elizabeth's parents."
Both Caesar and Elizabeth followed Larena to her house. They went through the living room, Larena checked on Galinda and she's sound asleep. Larena guided Elizabeth and Caesar downstairs to the basement looking.
The basement's a large room filled with spell books, history books, potions and much more.
"Wow!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she looks around the room. Light fills the room as Larena went to a bookshelf to find a spellbook. "You must be a Witch, Larena."
"I am. I'm the Good Witch of the East," Larena finally found the book she was looking for. The book was large with golden binding around the book with the title 'Sorcery for Advance.' "Please don't touch anything, Mr. Caesar," Larena said with her back facing Caesar.
Caesar places his hand on his hips. He walks around with amazement. He has never in his life ever encounter so many books and potions.
Elizabeth stares at Larena who's flipping through pages. "What are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for a finding spell or potion," Larena replied not looking up at Elizabeth. "Aha!" Larena found the right page and started to read over it. "Elizabeth, I need a string of your hair, please. Here's a scissor." Larena hands Elizabeth a metal scissor.
Elizabeth takes the scissor and cuts a string of her hair.
Larena waves her wand in the air, a large cauldron hovers above the air and lands on the table in front of Larena and the book. Larena raps the wand on the cauldron. Suddenly, the cauldron begins to fill with water. Then Larena waves her wand again in the air and powders of such begins to advance towards the cauldron and it pours itself to the cauldron.
The cauldron begins to bubble and change colors. Larena takes the string of Elizabeth's hair and drops it in the cauldron.
"Come here, Elizabeth," Larena commanded.
Elizabeth followed her command and stood next to Larena looking down at the cauldron.
The cauldron begins to shake, then the top of the water changes to an image, two people, male and female, standing in the middle of the forest calling out the word 'Elizabeth.'
"Mom! Dad!" Elizabeth leans in more. "Where are they?"
"In the center of the forest," Larena replied.
Elizabeth starts for the door only to be stopped.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Larena eyed Elizabeth who turned around to face Larena. "There's going to be flying monkeys and the will capture you if they spot you"
Caesar looks down at the ground finding himself also by the door.
"Fine, then will you come along please?"
"Yes, but I have to know more about the Wicked Witch of the North-East first," Larena directs her eyes to Caesar.