Dorothy: The Darker Side of OZ v5

by Scott Stanford

  Deciding to sit on the floor Dorothy looks at the yellow bricks to notice how clean they are, without a single crack, and not a trace of black ooze crawling between the stones. Resting she keeps a watch at the top of the bank in the distance, waiting to see Scarecrow and the lion. Unable to hear a sound from the river at first Dorothy quickly stands, incapable of keeping still as abruptly the lion bounds from the distance. Smiling at him she looks to the sky, watching the stork-like creature carry Scarecrow as he screams, ‘Not my eyes! Not my eyes!’

  Flying through the air and hovering in the sky above Dorothy the creature holds the scarecrow as he struggles, flailing his limbs as his saviour wheezes, ‘Throw my silver to the ground or I will drop him,’ through the side of her mouth. Throwing money to the yellow road the pieces roll along the floor and the winged creature swoops in, dropping Scarecrow as he lands on his feet and she aims for the silver. Peeking at the pieces and collecting them in her mouth she greedily glares at the girl. Running to the scarecrow Dorothy wraps her arms around him, asking, ‘Are you okay?’ as he pats his worried burlap sack into shape, ‘Was so scared the bird would take my buttons!’ She watches him touch at his chest, trying to push the broken ribs back into place and hold in the straw as he mumbles to himself, ‘Bird, so scared, my eyes, so scared.’ He tries to stretch the dry skin over his wound but Dorothy knows it won’t reach, it’s too badly torn and instead she buttons up his jacket. Quickly looking at his back to see the hole she sighs, unsure of how to cover it as she tries to comfort the traumatised scarecrow by pointing out to the crisp green grass, the blossoms and scarlet poppies in the distance. Looking out at them Scarecrow mumbles incoherently, but as his buttons fill with the bright colours of the land his voice slowly fades and a fragile, ‘How…how pretty!’ eases his trauma. Dorothy watches the scarecrow run ahead of them, sure that he’s trying to avoid thinking of the stork as he speeds to the field.

  Standing tall amongst the big yellow blossoms he spots blue, white and even purple ones besides great clusters of poppies. With the deep scarlet catching his eye he coos, ‘Oh my, how beautiful,’ plucking one and skipping back to Dorothy as he hands it to her. She glistens with, ‘Thank you,’ as she looks into his eyes, care free and child-like again as if he’s already forgotten about being stranded on the river. Then she looks at the amazing colour of the poppy, sniffing at its spicy scent as she feels herself light headed and stumbles to the floor.

  Reaching for her with concern the scarecrow asks, ‘Are you alright?’ and she nods her head, still lightly struck by the scent as she smiles at his obscure face, stroking at the burlap sack as she sways, ’Fine, just fine.’ Picking the young girl up the tin-man takes the flower from her hands and throws it away as Scarecrow looks sad, confused as the tin-man warns, ‘You must be careful with the poppies…’ Even though the lion hears the metal monster’s voice he doesn’t listen, and instead looks out to the amazing colours and the thick carpet of grass. Unable to contain himself he bounds out to the field ecstatically, as the tin-man continues, unaware of the lion’s absence:

  ‘…They are not normal flowers, they’re deadly, their scent can put you in a coma if you smell them for long enough.’

  Far in the distance the lion runs through the poppy fields, smiling at the bright colours as soon he notices how few blossoms there are the deeper he runs. Still he swipes at the heads of poppies without a care as he feels the soft grass beneath his paws and dances in the field. The creature’s been caged for so long, deprived of such sights he never thought he’d see again, and he runs with no fear as suddenly his friends see him in the distance. Calling out to him, their voices are unheard he breathes in the poppies spicy scent, feeling happy, euphoric until he notices something in the grass. Standing still his body starts to weaken and he looks to see bodies, not a few but dozens, all dead in the field of poppies.

  With a burst of energy he runs back, desperate to get to the yellow road as he feels his body grow heavier, his limbs harder to move. Still he pushes through, rushes past the poppies and crushes them under his paws as he looks to Dorothy, getting closer and closer until he can’t fight the poppies affect any longer. With his legs buckling and eyelids heavy he falls to the ground, crashing with a thud as he churns up the grass and lies unconscious.

  Not too far from the yellow road Dorothy screams to him, ready to run into the field but Scarecrow stops her and the tin-man looks down, unsure why she’s so upset. Still, he throws his axe to the ground and walks steadily into the field of poppies, approaching the lion and grabbing his tail, dragging him back to the yellow road and dropping him to the floor. Sure that this is what a man with a heart would do he watches Dorothy dive to her knees as she strokes the lion’s mane with horror in her eyes, whispering, ‘Wake up, wake up.’

  Feeling warm breath push through his mouth, and placing a hand against his chest as he breathes heavily the young girl screams, ‘What do we do?’ and the tin-man bluntly answers, ‘Nothing.’ With his playful expression fading the scarecrow gently holds his hands in front of him, looking concerned at the lion as he wonders, ‘He looks peaceful, but that’s not good is it?’ Looking to the two of them worrying over the lion, the young girl’s eyes start to glaze and the tin-man says bluntly, ‘He wasn’t in the field long enough to suffer the full affect, he’ll wake soon.’

  Looking at the lion in deep sleep Dorothy runs a hand along his snout gently then pats his face, looking up at the tin-man as she stumbles in her words, ‘What…what if you’re wrong, what if he doesn’t wake up?’ and the tin-man replies with no sympathy, ‘Then he’ll die in his sleep.’

  18

  Walking along the yellow road again, the tin-man carries a sleeping lion as Dorothy persisted. After a while his arms slowly weaken, and they find a small spring and rest as the lion sleeps unaware. Stroking him again and whispering in his ear hoping he’ll wake up, Dorothy rests with the lion for an hour before sitting next to the spring.

  Swilling her face and cleaning pieces of gravel and dead insects from her hair she tries to scrape the mud from under her nails but finds it too much effort. Her dress is stained and tatty, skin almost tanned with dirt and her teeth feel uncomfortably slick. First she eats a juicy peach, resting by the small spring with the others as she cautiously sits next to the water, fully aware of what could be lying deep inside. Then pulling at a leaf she wipes it along her teeth and swills her face once again, refreshing her eyes as she looks to the hefty lion as he starts to move.

  Rushing to his side she rubs a gentle hand along his snout and the scarecrow watches, smiling as the sleepy lion raises his head and yawns. Rubbing a paw along his face he stretches, ‘I should have been afraid of the poppies shouldn’t I?’ but Dorothy doesn’t answer him. Slowly standing on all fours, then up on his hind legs the lion stretches with a huff and brushes his body against her as she smiles, looking at his eyes in relief. Then within no time, they all continue along the road of yellow bricks.

  The insects are fewer here, the air fresher as Scarecrow searches for small flying things, ready to crush their wings as he looks out to the beautiful carpet of green with a smile. The deadly poppies still lurk amongst the grass, clusters of them besides odd fruit trees and a few hidden alongside the road. They wait ready to catch unexpected travellers as Scarecrow forgets how dangerous they are and tries to pick one up. Quickly Dorothy stops the silly scarecrow and points to the beautiful crimson carpets that spread along the lush fields, telling him it’s better to watch them than to touch, and his buttons widen. Following the road as it bends they look out at the path ahead in surprise, feeling they’ve finally found civilization after trekking the dark forest for so long. A village waits ahead of them, and both Dorothy and the scarecrow’s eyes widen having never seen a sight like this before. Beautiful green grass carpets the land, painted green fences guide the way, and small homes, huts and farmhouses are all covered in the same emerald tone, glistening in the sun.

  Passing through the village with buildi
ngs surrounding the yellow road, the gentle calm that Dorothy started to feel from assuming she’d found civilization soon fades. The path is empty, houses locked and curtains closed as not a single sound travels through the air. Soon they find themselves deep in the village and Dorothy notices there’s not even a breeze, nothing but empty houses as the lion stays close to her side, whimpering, ‘I’m scared.’

  Walking behind the girl Scarecrow looks around the village with a curious glare, admiring the green houses as he spots a window, the curtain inside shaking as a pair of eyes peer from behind them. He smiles unthreatened, and as they continue he looks at the concentrating Dorothy and spots another window, but this one’s without a curtain as he makes out a shadowed figure deep inside. Without a worry, and admiring the glistening green he starts to sing to himself, skipping with his jagged body as Dorothy holds his wrist, whispering, ‘Shhh!’ Nodding his head and tilting it to the side, confused he keeps quiet.

  Moving next to the tin-man the young girl asks, ‘What do you know about this village?’ and his mechanical voice groans, this time quieter than before as he answers, ‘Only that it’s close to Emerald city.’ Then she asks the lion the same question, watching him shake his head, quivering, ‘Nothing,’ as they walk through the village.

  Soon the sun starts to fade and Dorothy feels nervous, wondering where they’ll rest for the night. They walk as the dusk creeps in front of their eyes, and a sudden shrill comes from behind the emerald houses. Turning in panic Dorothy looks out to the buildings, wanting something to catch her eye as the cowardly lion whines.

  With their eyes glaring through the evening sky the sly shrill comes again, playful and menacing as the scarecrow looks to the girl, asking ‘What’s wrong Dorothy?’ She doesn’t look at him, just answers, ‘That noise,’ as she stares beyond the yellow road to hear the scarecrow giggle, ‘It’s just the people Dorothy!’ With a lump in her throat she looks at his face, almost dumbfounded as she asks, ‘What people?’ to which the scarecrow smiles, ‘The hidden people.’ Grabbing at his wrist as the strange noise creeps along the air again she sternly orders, ‘We have to move, Now!’ as darkness spreads over the sky and their bodies shuffle quicker.

  Swiftly the strange shrill stretches from one side of the road to another, lurking behind each house, first beside, then in front of the travellers. Dorothy looks up to an empty house in her stride, barely making out a body and a horrid face in the window. Panicking she moves even quicker, feeling the smooth yellow path under her feet as she stares into the distance, amongst the cold stark houses to see one with a light. Getting closer she’s unsure what to do, whether to run past or beg for shelter. Confused she can’t decide, and as they get closer she can hear the lion mumble in fear and peers beyond the lit house, seeing nothing but darkness. Making up her mind she points, ordering, ‘Quick, to the farmhouse!’ as the light suddenly extends from a single room to the whole house, and the front door opens.

  With the creeping shrill surrounding them Dorothy feels a cold breeze down her spine, and reaching the house they rush to the front door, standing on the lit porch as they look out to the dark empty village. With the strange sound still ringing in Dorothy’s ears she looks inside the house with a knock on the open door, noticing it’s no different from the farmhouses in Kansas.

  Moving smoothly through the kitchen an elderly woman greets Dorothy, wearing a thick black fabric that covers everything but her old pale eyes. Almost out of breath but trying not to pant as she speaks Dorothy asks, ‘Can we please come inside?’ and the woman looks at the girl’s company, asking, ‘Is the lion tame?’ as she replies, ’Oh yes, very tame!’ Nodding her head slowly the old woman’s throat creeks, ‘Of course, you are welcome to shelter and food,’ as she walks back into the kitchen.

  Nervously stepping inside Dorothy doesn’t trust the house, but would rather be indoors than out as she hears a voice call to her from another room. ‘Guests? Come in here,’ echoes through the house, and Dorothy turns to check her friends are still behind her as she makes her way into the other room. Not wanting to alarm Dorothy the tin-man closes the front door, looking through the glass out at the darkness, tense and wondering if their hosts are Undesirables.

  Walking into the living room Dorothy looks to an elderly man as he sits on a small sofa, wearing the same type of black garment as the woman, and only leaving his eyes visible. His voice crackles like burnt plastic, ‘My what strange company!’ as the lion huddles next to Dorothy and the scarecrow looks to the old man with a smile, ‘How odd you look!’ Quickly stopping the scarecrow from saying anymore at the risk of offending their peculiar hosts Dorothy apologises, ‘I’m sorry for my friend, he has no brain,’ to which the man sits silently at first then says, ‘Sit!’ As they all crowd into the room and take seats the old-man looks unthreatened by such guests, and simply asks, ‘Where are you going?’ to which Dorothy replies, ‘Emerald city, to see the wizard.’ The man’s laughter pulls like a choking animal and the girl looks at him blankly, noticing an odd liquid drip from the bottom of his black cloth as he creeks:

  ‘The city is full of…amazing sights, though I doubt the wizard will see you. Word has it, he lets no one in his presence, not even his servants. He simply stays in his castle, though if you did see him you may not even know it! ’

  Confused, wanting to ask about the village she walked through Dorothy finds herself intrigued by talk of the wizard, asking, ‘What do you mean?’ as the man’s sick laughter starts again, and he continues with a gasp:

  ‘The great wizard can change his appearance. To some he may be beautiful, and others ugly, man, animal or beast. He will only show you what pleases him and nothing else. No-one has ever seen the true face of Oz!’

  Dorothy feels her skin crawl, a deep fear that the wizard may be as the rumours described him, and instead of being a great ruler he may be a tyrant or something worse. Her thoughts drift, crossing paths she’d hoped not to see and faces she’d never dreamt to encounter as the man asks, ‘What do you want from the wizard?’ Her mind still on a strange plane the girl doesn’t say a word, but the scarecrow smiles, ‘I want a…um…’ The tin-man interrupts as his deep mechanical groan grates, ‘He wants a brain, the lion courage, and I need a heart. Do you know if he’ll be able to help me?’ The old man rests in his corner, wheezing through the black fabric as Dorothy comes too, hearing, ‘The wizard has a throne of hearts, brains in jars and courage he feeds the dead. He can give you what you want, if he chooses to help you.’

  On edge Dorothy assumes the elderly man will ask her what she wants, so she asks a question quickly before one comes her way, ‘What’s happened outside, in this village?’ Silent for a second the man wheezes hesitantly, ‘It’s the poppies child,’ as unexpectedly the elderly woman slams a palm against the wall, silencing her husband as she obtains her guest’s attention. ‘Food is ready!’ she calls as the tin-man stands and Dorothy asks the elderly man, ‘What were you going to say?’ as he cackles, ‘I cannot child,’ and his wife strictly presses, ‘Food will go cold.’ Leaving the room Dorothy looks at the old man, the grey liquid dripping from beneath his cloth as she asks if he’ll be joining them for food, and he replies, ‘No, I’ll eat much later.’

  Walking into the kitchen and very weary of the house Dorothy looks at the table to see it spread with fresh meats, plates of bread and vegetables, and bowls of fruits and porridge. Hesitant the girl sits, asking the elderly woman, ‘Are you going to join us?’ but she sneers with, ‘Guests eat first, we eat later,’ as she takes a seat and watches her company for the night. Without hesitation the lion smells the meat, fresh from the bone and takes plenty in his paws before chewing ferociously. The tin-man and Scarecrow eat nothing, and as the woman’s eyes fix on Dorothy she simply takes a look at the porridge, lumpy and grey as she settles for a piece of fruit, hungry but cautious as she smiles falsely, ‘I’m not that hungry.’

  After sitting at the table for a while, and trying to avoid watching the hungry lion feast Dorot
hy stands and her friends follow suit. She thanks the elderly woman for her kindness then makes her way to the door, not wanting to go outside but worried about staying in the house. Watching her slowly move closer to the exit the elderly woman stares with her beady eyes, standing in-front of the door as she gasps, ‘You should not be out at night!’ Unsure of the old woman and trusting nothing about her Dorothy asks, ‘Why’s that?’ and the elderly woman hesitates at first, though quickly replies, ‘In-case you lose your way and stray into the poppy field dear. We have rooms ready for guests, come with me!’ Moving past Dorothy she walks upstairs, looking down to the young girl as she follows wearily, sure that the dark village’s outdoors would be a worse place to sleep than a cold room with a closed door. Following her host Dorothy walks into a rickety guest room to see a readymade bed, as she jumps slightly at the sound of the woman’s voice. Looking at the scarecrow’s back as straw pours from a large hole the old host taps, ‘Come with me, we’ll fix you up,’ and the scarecrow smiles, ‘What needs to be fixed?’ Turning to Dorothy and the others the woman ignores him, advising, ‘Sleep now, I’ll bring your friend up when he’s finished…,’ and just noticing the young girl’s silver boots the host stands still, then leaves in a hurry. Scarecrow follows the old woman out of the room curiously, and before Dorothy can say a word the door slams shut and the three friends stand in the cold bedroom.

  After some time Dorothy lies on the bed, waiting for Scarecrow to come back as the lion sleeps by the door and the tin-man stands in the corner of the dark room, still cautious of their hosts. Wondering if she should go downstairs, check Scarecrow’s all right Dorothy slowly drifts asleep even though she tries to fight it. Trying to stay awake, looking across the black room to a small broken porcelain doll on the floor she feels her eyelids grow heavier. Despite her struggle she soon falls asleep, waking sometimes to the sound of tapping glass and having nightmares of the distant shrill through the village.