Dorothy In the Land of Monsters
Page 51
As I look out over the vast expanse of gray prairie battered and harrowed by the cyclone, I see the place I’ve lived for the last four years in sharp focus for the first time. Even before the cyclone came, the land here had been dying, and the people who work this dying land try so hard to keep it alive under such wretched circumstances, desperate to make it yield something.
Today, the sky is as gray as it always is, and the land is gray, and the grass is gray. Shades of gray paint the landscape before me. Even though it looks like the land is grieving after a cataclysmic disaster, for the first time, its beauty is plain to me. The gray shadow I carried with me has disappeared. Tragedy no longer taints the lens I see the world through, and for that I will be forever grateful to Oz and the magic that brought me there. I may face hardships again, and I will grieve again, but never again will I let it darken my entire world.
Like Oz, life is full of beauty and horror. Whether you’re in the magical realm or the so-called civilized one, you can look at the world around you and see both things at almost any time. But what being in Oz taught me is that no matter how horrific a situation may be, no matter how devastating or scary or chaotic, there is still always beauty in the colors of it all, even in the grays. As I look back on the last four years of my life, on everything that led me to the place where my life changed forever for a second time, I might think I wasted too many crucial years perceiving my world through a lens that leeched the color from everything I set my eyes on, but now I can forgive myself for my mistakes and maybe even be grateful for the trials I’ve faced. After all, a rainbow only comes out when it rains. The most spectacular rainbows are set against a backdrop of a half dark sky where gray clouds hover and rain batters the surface of the earth, but the horizon is clear and bright—a pure, radiant blue surrounding a shining golden sun. When I’m in Oz, that rainbow is who I am—a vivid, radiant spectrum of colors with a clear bright landscape ahead only made more rich-hued and vibrant by the darkness that lies behind it.
“Here we are,” he says as he turns down the long drive that leads to the Elder Farm.
In the distance, the much larger house sits unharmed by the cyclone. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry sit laughing on the porch with the Elders. Billy is there with a pretty girl by his side. They’re holding hands. Everyone seems just fine. Happy even. A breath of relief leaves me when I see it.
As I look at them now, one thing is clearer than ever—Oz is my home, Nick is my home, and that land of monsters is where I belong. Toto too. So, I’ll take the next few days to stock up on everything we’ll need to survive life in a land riddled with monsters, and by the week’s end, I will leave this realm behind for one filled with magic—I will return to Oz for good. And when I do, I know from a place deep in my soul, for the first time in a long time, I will be home.
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END OF BOOK ONE
Acknowledgments
L. Frank Baum created the wonderful world of Oz, a tale that has shaped our culture since it was first published on May 17, 1900. Copyrighted in 1899, the first book in the series is now one hundred and twenty years old, written before women had the right to vote in the United States by the husband of a committed suffragist. L. Frank Baum married Maud Gage, daughter of Matilda Joslyn Gage, and when they lost their infant niece, Dorothy Louise Gage, to illness in 1898, Baum created the character of Dorothy Gale to help his wife deal with the grief, to bring a smile to her face, and give life to a little girl who lost hers. The result was a groundbreaking story that has made a significant impact on our society.
It’s been one hundred years since he passed, and his story lives on showing no signs of ever fading into pop culture oblivion. He created a piece of literature that broke norms with a young female heroine who slays witches and tames lions, and back then, that was bold. The story still resonates today, so it’s no wonder that when I was pregnant with my daughter and having a bevy of crazy dreams every night, one of them was Oz themed.
As most pregnant women can attest, dreams during pregnancy can get weird. From the time I was a child, I always had strange dreams where I’d travel to other planets or fall into a puddle and end up in an underground world, but my dreams during my pregnancy felt like they weren’t my own. All except one.
I was on the set of a Bollywood movie. It was a remake of The Wizard of Oz but with vampires, and I don’t just mean it was a vampire version of the story, but in this production, the actors were actual vampires. Although they were nice, friendly, asking me questions about the script, something in me knew they were real vampires and at any minute they could attack. The dream was utterly creepy with a macabre, blood-covered Oz on a massive stage on a studio lot somewhere in India.
When I woke up, the predominant thought in my mind was that despite the myriad of odd dreams I’ve had in my life, this one was, by far, the oddest. A minute or two after I awoke, I got a call from my closest friend, Lucie, and I told her about the dream expecting her to marvel at the strangeness of it with me. Her immediate response was, “You have to write it.” Instantly I thought someone had to have done it before, so I looked it up and sure enough no vampires had been to Oz yet. As I thought about the original story, it all came together with every paranormal element slipping into slots as though they were ordained to be there.
And that was it—the story poured out of me like it was a gift from L. Frank Baum himself, or my unborn daughter, or the magic storybook in the sky where I get so many of my ideas. So, for that, I want to thank my daughter for the bizarre dreams I had while I carried her—you will always be my greatest accomplishment in life. I love you more than the multiverse.
Lucie, you inspired me with this story in so many ways, and you always encourage me when I need it most. When I freak out or hit a wall, you say the thing that gets me moving again. Even when you are going through so much, you are there when I need you, and I am so grateful to have you in my life. You are my dearest friend and I love you always. Thank you for your honesty, for your optimism, for making me laugh my ass off daily, for putting up with me, and just being one of my absolute favorite people.
And to L. Frank Baum (who I like to imagine as a wizard in an Oz-like afterlife), thank you for giving the world magic, adventure, and a pure-hearted female heroine when women were rarely the heroes in stories. The rich universe you created still resonates today and I can only hope that I will someday write something that will make even a fraction of the impact your work has.
To Craig, my husband, thank you for your support and encouragement, especially toward the end of my writing process. You really stepped up and gave me the time I needed to finish the book. Because of you, I could focus when I needed to most. Your optimism and belief in this book mean more to me than I could ever express in words. Thank you. I love you.
Dad, you gave me my love of fairytales and writing. It has shaped me in the most significant ways, and I couldn’t be more grateful. You’ve always been my biggest cheerleader, always believed in me, and I could have never had the courage to do this without you. I love you.
Mom, you are always there for me through everything and it means the world to me. Not only are you my mom, but you’re one of my favorite people. I can always count on you to be supportive and honest with me about my work—I appreciate it so much. You are an inspiration to me, and I love you with my whole heart.
To Bill, Charlie, Ji Sung, everyone in my family and extended family, especially those of you whose calls or events I missed because I was writing like a madwoman, thank you for being so forgiving, for bearing with me, and for all your support and kindness. Your belief in me means everything to me. I love you all.
To Krista, if I didn’t have you I would not have been able to write this book. Because you were there, I was able to relax, focus down, and write. You are a lovely person who my daughter adores and I am so grateful we have you in our lives.
Bianca, Dorothy’s fellow slayer of evil night creatures, we’ve been friends for over two-and-a-half decades and kn
owing you over the years has inspired me in so many ways, especially with my version of Dorothy. It is admirable the way you give so much of yourself to philanthropic endeavors. You are one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, giving your entire heart to your work and your passions. So many of our talks inspired the decisions I made in this retelling, and you gave me permission to have confidence in those decisions. I am so grateful for the encouragement you give me. It means a lot. I love you.
Maya, you are my oldest friend—we have known each other since we were babies; you were a bridesmaid at my wedding; you are my family. Your strength in the face of seemingly impossible mountains to climb inspired me to no end as I wrote this book. Just like Dorothy, you face the impossible and prevail, and there is so much of you in the heart of who she is that I have to thank you just for being you. I am honored to know you—you are the most resilient person I know, and I am so grateful you are my friend.
Giselle, thank you for your guidance and compassion throughout the final stages. You could have easily let me flail but didn’t. You and your team are awesome, and I cannot thank you enough for being so accommodating and kind—it gave me some sense of calm during such a crazy time.
I also want to thank all the bloggers who supported this book early on. You laid the groundwork for others to find it and I am so grateful.
And finally, thank you for reading this book. Without you, all this would be pointless. I hope you enjoyed it. There is more to come.
Letter to the Reader
Dear Reader,
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Thank you for joining Dorothy on her journey in Dorothy in the Land of Monsters, the first book of the Oz ReVamped series. I hope you liked it! If you did, I would be so grateful if you could take a moment to write a review, even if it’s only one line. Reviews are a great way to help other readers discover new series and new authors. If you could take a minute to post yours, it would be so helpful.
Thanks again for taking a chance on the first book of the Oz ReVamped series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it! The next book in the series, Dorothy in the Zombie War will be coming out in 2020. For updates and exclusive content, check out my website and subscribe to my newsletter.
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XOXO,
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Garten Gevedon
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P. S. Go to www.gartengevedon.com and sign up for my VIP email list for news about new releases and exclusive giveaways. Connect with me on social media and follow me on Amazon. I’d love to hear from you, so say hello with a message, a post, or a tweet, and I’ll always do my absolute best to respond.
About the Author
Garten Gevedon is an emerging author of sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, and magical realism who loves taking fairy tales and turning them inside out. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. You can visit her online at www.gartengevedon.com and connect to her on Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, BookBub, and Goodreads.
Also by Garten Gevedon
OZ REVAMPED SERIES
(Coming Soon)
DOROTHY IN THE ZOMBIE WAR
DOROTHY IN THE LAND OF EVIL
DOROTHY IN THE KINGDOM OF NIGHTMARES
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VIOLET, RED, AND BLUE SERIES
(Coming Soon)
HELMET HEAD
EAST OF THE SUN, WEST OF THE MOON