Uncovered Project: Wonderoz Chapter Seven

Please let me know if you would like to see the rest of the chapter from Wonderoz! This is actually a complete story so I would love to hare the remaining chapters with all of you.

Chapter Seven: Dorothy

Dorothy laid on her bed staring up at the roof of the canopy where glowing stars hung down and reflected endlessly on the mirror walls. She wanted to sleep but couldn’t. Already she had watched as both Eye and Nick fell asleep before the fireplace.

Outside her window she heard the wild night air howl and beckon. Animals cried and snored, and Dorothy tried to count the different sounds she heard. But like the stars, they were limitless. 

She reached inside her basket and pulled Scarps out and hugged her to her chest. She closed her eyes. Deciding to try and sleep one last time before she got up and went to Alice’s room. And to her unaware surprise, she did fall asleep.

“Dorothy.” A voice beckoned through the fog of sleep. “Dorothy.”

In the calm of the tree house Dorothy looked down the ladder and saw Alice standing at the bottom, waving.

“Alice! There you are!” Dorothy slid down the ladder and grabbed Alice as soon as she was steadied on the ground. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“I’m fine. Really.” Alice pulled back and smiled. “I’m at the This Way That Way Cabaret.”

“A cabaret?” Dorothy muttered. “Where is it? Are you safe?”

“Its in the Giant Garden. And you don’t need to worry. The twins and the Caterpillar are taking really good care of me. They said I can work here until you find me.”

“Alice there is so much I have to tell you! You will not believe what I’ve found here!” Dorothy gasped excitedly.

“And I’m sure its all fascinating but I-” Suddenly, Alice started dissolving from Dorothy’s grip and spreading into the air like dandelion seeds.

“Alice?” Dorothy gasped and started shaking. “Alice!” Dorothy sat up screaming her name and facing what looked like a massive lion.

Dorothy whined. The Lion breathed. Dorothy screamed. The Lion screamed. 

Dorothy went to run to the other side of her bed and go for the window, but the Lion was running in circles, crying, and it ran out the door. Dorothy sat there in the window for a moment, heaving and thinking.

“Was that lion screaming?” She thought and stood up. She inched out of her doorway and watched as the Lion tumbled down the stairs in its panic.

Downstairs she heard Eye yell in horror and Nick shout something. Dorothy ran downstairs and saw the Lion hunched over in the corner with Nick’s axe held up in the air above its head.

“Don’t!” Dorothy shouted, sliding down the banister and landing between Nick and the lion. “I don’t think it wants to hurt us!”

Nick lowered his axe. “But that thing is a wild animal.”

“Not necessarily.” Dorothy caught her breath and turned to the Lion. “Are you here to harm us?”

“No!” The Lion cried. “I came here like I was supposed to.” It quivered and shook deeper into the corner. “I’ve never hurt anyone in my entire life.” He sniffled.

“Why are you supposed to be here?” Dorothy asked, kneeling before him.

“To save you.” The Lion hyperventilated. “It’s the last thing I saw.”

Dorothy reached out and brushed her hand through the Lion’s thick mane. “It’s okay now. We aren’t going to hurt you. Now, come out and tell us what you mean.” She helped him ease out from the corner and paw out closer towards them.

Dorothy saw Eye sitting on top of the mantel of the fireplace and then fall off onto the floor with a thud. Nick stepped back and eyed the Lion cautiously.

“What’s your name?” Dorothy asked, reaching into her basket and pulled out a piece of fried chicken.

The lion sniffed at the food. “My name is Flinch.” He carefully took the food from Dorothy’s out stretched hand and ate it in one bite. “I’m psychic.” He muttered and cleared his throat. “Or at least I used to be.”

“Is that what you meant earlier?” Dorothy was amazed. Back on the farm she only had animals, she’d never met an Animal.

Flinch nodded. “I saw you in a vision years ago and I knew I just had to come and help you. But…” Flinch swallowed. “But I lost my psychic powers and I am useless to everybody.” He quivered. “Especially myself.”

“They say when one with sight looses it they become a sorry, fearful creature.” Nick replied.

“And that is true, sir.” Flinch whimpered. “The Unicorn stole it from me.”

Dorothy stared in amazement. “Unicorn? But why would it do that?” She asked, setting her basket aside. “I thought unicorns were good creatures.”

“Ha!” Flinch laughed sarcastically. It was probably the closest he had come to roaring in a good while, Dorothy thought.

“Unicorns are the most manipulative, self-centered creatures in all of Wonderoz. Even more so than those vile monkeys.”

Nick cut in quickly. “We’ve gotten off track.” He folded his arms across his metal plated chest. “What did you see about Dorothy that had you come here?”

“That’s just it,” Flinch murmured, “I’m not sure. All I know is that I have to help Dorothy and protect her.”

“A coward like you?” Nick scoffed.

Dorothy snapped him a look. “He was good enough to come. Don’t be so mean!” She turned back and Flinch and smiled. “Sorry.”

“But he’s right.” Flinch blurted.

Dorothy put her hand gently on the side of his muzzle and smiled. “It took you courage to come here and see me, did it not?”

Flinch’s cheek grew warm under her hand and he gulped. “Well that’s only because-”

Dorothy stood up and turned to Eye and Nick. “Is it okay if he goes with us?”

Eye and Nick looked briefly at each other. Then Nick turned and put his hand to his chest. “This is your journey, Lady Dorothy, you may bring along whomever you wish.”

“I just don’t what of what use I’ll be to you.” Flinch muttered.

“Don’t keep putting yourself down like that.” Dorothy laughed. “You’re a Lion. King of the Beasts!” She picked up her basket. “And after all, you said yourself that your vision told you to help me.”

“True but-” Flinch stopped and dropped his paw. “I’ll do what I am able then.” He sighed, defeated.

Nick moved away from the living room. “Alright then. Breakfast for three.” He said with a smile to his voice.

Dorothy went back towards the stairs. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna get ready.” She said and skipped up the stairs, unaware she was being followed.

“Dorothy?” 

She jumped at the sound of someone calling her name and she spun to look at Eye, standing at the top of the stairs.

“I something wrong Eye?” Dorothy sighed, feeling a bit agitated with him.

“Oh uh…” Eye hesitated. “I um…” He rubbed the back of his head and took a quick breath. “Do you mind if I use the restroom first?”

Dorothy arched her brow then grinned and laughed. “Yeah.” She giggled. “Go on ahead.”

Eye laughed softly.  “Sorry. Didn’t mean it to sound so dissuading from the facts.”

Dorothy stepped aside. “Its okay. Go on.” She said then stepped into her room.

The inner workings of a man are more complex than people like to joke about. Especially a man whose brain is somewhere else outside the scope of his mind. But within the few hours he had known her, Eye had fallen in love with Dorothy. For him, it was a first sight thing. The moment she ran into the cornfield and scared away the crows, he knew what Dorothy was to him. But he couldn’t tell Dorothy that. He may not of had a brain, but that Eye Dunno was no fool. 

And despite his lack of brain, his heart was working hard to make up for that. And as I delved deeper into Eye, looking for some clue as to who, or, what he was I began to think that perhaps I did recognize this boy. Picture him in finer clothes, his hair neat and trimmed and a shade blonder. There was a beauty to him I knew. But in my own mind I couldn’t fit all the pieces together. There was a piece missing.

While I was watching Eye, I barely noticed Dorothy sneak away into Alice’s room and close the door behind her. Alice’s room was nothing but a duplicate of Dorothy’s except it was a light shade of blue with flecks of pale purple and pink. 

There was a bowl of little candies on the bedside table, each wrapped in different colored foil. All of them had small print on the front reading: Eat Me. Dorothy took a handful and shoved them into her pockets. She walked around the room to admire the little knickknacks and to find anything that would bring back some hidden memories. 

There was a smaller version of the family portrait that hung in her own room, so she took it and placed it in the basket as well. There was a tiny tea set with mice painted on it. There were little dolls and stuffed animals. Then there was a small charm bracelet. Dorothy picked it up and examined each charm. 

There was a silver pouch, a belt, a picture frame, a little book, a clock, a green gem, a pair of shoes, and a tiny writing desk that opened up and had a small pearl inside and on the back there was carved a raven.

Dorothy sat down on the edge of the little bed and looked out the vine covered window towards the forest. 

“This Way That Way…” She murmured under her breath, recalling her dream. She clutched the charm bracelet in her fist then took it and placed it around her wrist. She got back up and started searching again. 

Underneath Alice’s bed she found a photo album. So, she sat on the floor and went through the pictures, hoping her childhood memories would come back. There were mostly photos of her and Alice as little girls, running, playing, dressed up in ball gowns too regal for little girls. 

There were a few of Ozma and Nick, more of Nick than anything. Then, there was a young man with them. Mostly he was seen with Dorothy. He was noticeably older than Dorothy was. He looked like an awkward boy but there was an air of confidence in his eyes Dorothy found attractive. His flaming red hair was curly and tied back with a green ribbon. On his head was an oversized top-hat. In some pictures he stood slightly aside form Dorothy as she posed. In another one, he held Dorothy is his lap as they read a book together. 

In another picture, Dorothy noticed Alice with a little blonde boy about their age. At first, she couldn’t tell if the boy was actually a boy or girl he was so pretty. But the clothes and his posture gave him away as a beautiful boy. He was normally dressed in red suits and uniforms and always seemed so pensive in the face. Alice seemed rather offended by him in the photos, but Dorothy was always beside him somewhere, smiling at him, poking him, or pulling him in someway. No way was Dorothy going to let someone act sour around her, even as a child.

Then, the photos ended and Dorothy went to place the album into her basket. But something strange happened. Something was pushing back against the album. Dorothy went to pull it out, but something was pulling it back in. Dorothy reached in with her other hand in to see if it was stuck and a hand grabbed onto her wrist and the bracelet pulled her into the basket.