Beatrice spun inside the twister for what felt like forever. As soon as she thought she was going to past out, it spat her out and she landed in a sandy area face down. She had not the strength yet to raise her head. Although her body told her she was out of the cyclone, her mind kept spinning and failed to release her from her massive dizzy spell.

She wasn’t sure how long she remained that way but eventually she felt something kneading her back. It felt like…paws. That was when she finally lifted her head and slowly peered behind her. That bizarre animal she rescued was staring straight at her with purple tented marble-shaped eyes. This creature so peculiar yet…the most adorable thing she had ever laid eyes upon. He had a long bushy tail that was red and orange on one side, the same color that was on his head and back, but was completely black on the other, matching the color of his stomach, legs, and paws. He whimpered at her and kneaded her back again. Was this his way of checking to see if she was alright?

When she felt stable enough, Beatrice moved and slowly rose to a kneeling position. “Are you okay?” she asked it, worriedly.

Seeming as a response to her question, the animal squealed softly and walked around in a circle once before extending his gorgeous wings briefly and jumping in her lap. Well, he was definitely a friendly…uh…whatever the heck he was. “What are you?” she whispered again. The animal squealed affectionately as he nuzzled his head against her belly. “Uh, you don’t have to thank me.” She only assumed that was what he was doing but she petted him anyway. Oh, wow! His fur was way softer than it looked. He would definitely make a great cuddler. “I’m glad you’re okay” she smiled at him and he purred and stretched a wing in delight. Hang on…something else was not right here. A few seconds ago, the two of them were experiencing an intense ride in the core of a massive storm. How on Earth did they get indoors and why were they dry?

When Beatrice patted the top of her head, it was no longer slicked down by rain but was completely dry and back to its original bouncy body of spiral curls. Neither were her clothes clinging to her skin like before. Same thing applied to the animal. Beatrice was now able to see just how thick and beautiful his coat really was. Was he simply just a random concoction of the world’s cutest baby animals? Beatrice figured that even though this was strange, the outcome could have been a lot worse for the both of them. Still…somehow her mother knew she would in up here because she had let it happen. Should she be angry with her? Should she be feeling betrayed? For whatever reason—probably the fact that she knew her mother would never do anything deliberately to harm her—she wasn’t angry or hurt at all, but she also wasn’t thrilled about being here either. Speaking of, where is…here?

As she looked around, Beatrice saw that she was in the middle of what looked like it used to pass for an indoor playground. To her right were a set of swings. Half of one swing was barely hanging on the pole while its other half lied on the ground miserably. The swing next to it was fully attached to its stand but its seat was completely covered in what appeared to be ashes some dark murky substance. To her left were several slides. Two of them were crumpled into individual piles as if a giant suddenly decided to take a stroll in here and crushed them. The remaining ones were covered in more of that strange grimy substance.

It didn’t take Beatrice long to realize that she had landed in what used to be the playground’s sandbox. The thing was, it wasn’t golden sand she was sitting in. The sand possessed a depressing gray tone. Ready to get away from this place, Beatrice started to stand up but was taken by surprise as her four-legged companion climbed up her body and around to her back. He rested his black front paws on her right shoulder and waited for her to lead the way. “Um…I’m guessing you want a ride?” The creature blinked at her and held on to her tightly.

She stepped out of the box and turned in a circle to take in her surroundings some more. While looking up, she saw a hugged white letter with bright lights on its edges. It was hanging high in the sky and it was the letter “O,” but it looked like there used to be another letter inside of it but was broken off a long time ago. Or maybe the tornado that brought her here tore it off. “I don’t suppose you know what that means, do you?”

The animal squealed in response.

Beatrice looked over her shoulder at him. “Can you understand me or are you just making noises at the right moments?”

He squealed again and she had no idea what that meant. However, she figured it was safe to assume that anything was possible now. After all, he wasn’t even your average animal.

Beatrice rubbed his head and eventually veered her attention towards a completely destroyed staircase, leaving her with no way to get upstairs if she wanted to. She suddenly went rigid when she heard the animal growl. When she peered down at him, she noticed that he was looking towards their right. She quickly trained her eyes on where he was looking at and gasped when she saw a person poking their head out from behind a wall. The stranger was about thirty feet away and the room was very, very dim; therefore, she couldn’t make out any distinct features.

Before she could say anything, the stranger uttered a word that caught her by surprise. “Dorothy?” It was a young man’s voice and not one she recognized.

“Who are you?” she asked him.

The man fully removed himself from behind his hiding spot and gracefully approached her. “Don’t you remember me? I’m Rolin, the Munchkin.”

She frowned in confusion. “Munchkin?”

As he came closer she took in his strange clothing. He wore a body suit with colorful artwork and abstract patterns all over it and a cap to match. “Yes. Munchkin. You’re in Munchkin Land, or at least…what it used to be.” Rolin glanced around the room with so much heartbreak in his eyes before turning back to her. He asked her hopefully, “You do remember, don’t you?”

Beatrice was suddenly taken back to those millions of bedtime stories her mother told her as a child. No. Freakin. Way, she thought. “Munchkin Land? As in…” It took everything in her power to say it. “Oz?”

Rolin’s face widened in delight. “Yes!” He jumped up and down and clapped excitedly before reaching out to hug her. He quickly jumped back when the animal hissed at him. He gasped in fear. “What happened to Toto? He looks…different. Is he sick?” Worry filled his tone. “Miss One could probably fix him, if you like.”

Beatrice was too shocked by the idea of where she ended up to answer him. Oz? She couldn’t recall every Oz story her mother told her but there were certain places and people in them that she knew she would never forget about, no matter how old she was. Certain characters, for example, had held her attention more than others, such as: the Lion, Tin Man, and…oh…the Scarecrow. Could this mean… they were all real? Had her mother really ventured out to Oz and had all of those adventures? And was she really here now? She suddenly recalled the last few words her mother told her. “You’re finally going to get to see him, just like you’ve always wanted….Send him my love, along with the rest of them.” Oh. My. Goodness. Beatrice had left New York and was in Oz.

“Dorothy?” Rolin studied her curiously. “You don’t look the same either. Are you sick too?”

She shook her head but before she could state who she was, a sudden cold breeze surrounded them, making her feel very uneasy. The animal clung tighter to her back for warmth and whimpered in protest at the change in temperature.

Rolin’s eyes grew wide in fear. “Oh, no” he whispered. “It’s back.”

“What’s going…”

Rolin covered her mouth with his hand and looked around the room frantically. “Shh, we can’t let it see us. We have to go, now. Come on, Dorothy and Toto.” He took her by the arm and led her towards the wall she first saw him standing by. He quickly peeled back a piece of the graffiti on the wall that was in the shape of a person wearing similar attire as him, no doubt it was the image of another Munchkin. It opened up like a door and revealed a deep tunnel. “Climb in, quickly!” He ordered urgently.

Not liking the way she was feeling about this sudden drop in temperature, Beatrice complied. Before leaving the neglected playground, she took notice that a large shadow was beginning to engulf the area and was slowly making its way towards them.

“We must leave before the shadow touches us!” He cried.

That was all Beatrice needed to hear before climbing completely inside.

Rolin made it in and the nick of time and closed the hidden door before he would have been touched. He let out a breath of relief. “That was close.”

Beatrice let out a breath too. They were now in a tight confined space that only allowed room for crouching. On top of that, she couldn’t see a thing.

“Just keep straight. It only goes one way.”

She began moving with caution and felt the young animal climb off of her. He was moving forward with a much faster pace. Obviously, he had no problems seeing in the dark. She could hear Rolin crawling right behind her. “What would have happen if we were touched?”

Rolin gulped. “It’s called the Sleuth. If it sees you, so will he.”

“He?”

“The dark warlock, who’s also known as Wickus the Wicked.” Rolin shivered at the thought of him. “He’s a terrible being. He’s the one who destroyed our land.”

Beatrice kept crawling forward but was extremely puzzled. She had no recollection of a dark warlock. She remembered stories of Evillene but not of this Wickus person. “Why would he do that?” Poor Munchkins, she thought in astonishment.

“Because he wants us as his slaves. He’s already captured half of us and took up the throne at Emerald City. He has to be the wickedest of them all in order to override the powerful wizard of Oz. We had no choice but to hide from him. Luckily, Scarecrow found this hideout for us and hasn’t left our side since.”

Beatrice’s heart skipped a beat. Something about Scarecrow always appealed to her in her mother’s stories. Butterflies had begun to erupt deep down within her as she thought about actually meeting him. If he was with the Munchkins then where were the Tin Man and Lion?

“You mean Scarecrow is with…” Before she could finish her question, Beatrice’s four-legged companion yelped as he fell down the steep dip that was in their path. It was so sudden that she had no time to catch herself before falling into it as well, screaming loudly.

The tunnel poured them out into a big spacious area and Beatrice heard several gasp at her sudden arrival. It looked almost as if they were underground. As she peered around, more people dressed like Rolin but with slight variations on their body suits, and some wearing dresses over them, huddled around her in amazement as they mumbled.

“Who is she?”

“Is that Dorothy and Toto?”

“That can’t be Dorothy and Toto.”

“Look at her eyes! Dorothy’s eyes were darker.”

“But that’s Dorothy’s face, isn’t it?”

“That’s definitely not her hair.”

It was hard for her to keep track of who all were talking as they surrounded her as if she were a new exhibit on display at the museum. She watched them all with frantic eyes as she remained on her hands and knees. The creature quickly hopped on top of her left shoulder and squealed at the crowd.

They simultaneously stepped back in surprise but didn’t scatter. It only triggered more mumbles.

“Is that Toto?”

“I remember him being nicer.”

“And why does he look so much like a FlyMam?”

Beatrice glanced at the animal standing on her shoulder. A FlyMam??? Was that what this creature was called?

Rolin appeared shortly after them but instead of screaming he was laughing happily as he landed in the wide opening area. “That part is always so much fun to me!” He stood up and brushed the dirt off of him.

“Rolin, who is this?” A young girl asked in a voice that sounded like it would be perfect for singing.

Beatrice’s Munchkin friend turned to the girl in disbelief. “Don’t be silly, Angeline. This is Dorothy.” He quickly turned to another Munchkin. “Quickly, go tell the others that Dorothy has but returned.”

Beatrice shook her head. “Wait a minute, I’m not—“

“How did you get your hair to curl like that?” A female Munchkin queried in pure fascination as she wrapped a curly lock around her finger and studied it.

“Uh, it’s been this way since I was born.”

“I don’t remember it looking like that” and boy Munchkin complained.

“Yeah, I remember it being a short cute afro like mine” one girl said as she affectionately patted her head as everyone laughed.

“But I’m not—“

“And what’s with Toto?”

Ugh! Were the Munchkins always this overwhelming? They wouldn’t even let her talk!

“Are you here to help us, Dorothy?”

“Will you kill Wickus the Wicked just like you did the wicked witches?”

They all asked together with so much hope,“Will you?”

Talk about massive pressure. She’d only been in this world no more than an hour and already they wanted her to kill someone. Did she have what it takes to walk in her mother’s shoes? “Um…” was the only word she could muster for a while and all the Munchkins watched her in confusion. “Listen, everyone. There’s something you all should know. I’m…” She would have finally finished her sentence if weren’t for who had just joined the huddled. The sight of him left her speechless and her heart doing backflips in her chest.

The crowd of Munchkins slowly parted to make room for him as he walked closer to her. Those big dark brown eyes never left her as he slowly stalked forward with caution. Both of them eyed each other with mutual expressions of confusion, hope, wonder, and intrigue. She couldn’t believe it. Was this a figment of her imagination?

**

Scarecrow watched the mystery girl in awe. Was this really Dorothy? No. It couldn’t be. She looked like her in some ways but not enough to convince him. Her skin complexion was about the same as Dorothy’s but her jet black hair was no longer short and in a curly afro; instead, her hair was bigger, thicker, and full of tiny curls. And those eyes…those were NOT Dorothy’s eyes. This girl had hazel ones. She was a lovely sight but…she wasn’t his Dorothy. However, he couldn’t shake the pull he felt towards her. Had they met before? And why could he even feel an essence of Dorothy radiating off of her? Who was this girl? And more importantly, why was she watching him in amazement as if she did know him but it had been years since they’d last crossed paths?

“Scarecrow,” she crooned his name with disbelief and wonderment.

He quickly took a step back and widened his eyes in surprise. Maybe it was her after all. “Dorothy?” he asked hopefully. Had she returned to him? Returned to Oz?

The girl slowly got on her feet without taking those hazel eyes off of him. She spoke as if she was in a trance. “I’m not Dorothy.”

That crushed him so badly he could not hide the despair on his face. Dorothy was never coming back. He lowered his head and let that first tear slide down his cheek. When the girl spoke again, Scarecrow bolted his eyes back up at her again and everything around him went still.

“My name is Beatrice. I’m her daughter.”

Whoa! He was not expecting that!

The Munchkins around them gasped before taking a step back and mumbling some more. They watched on with merciless curiosity.

Her daughter? Had it been that long for her to have gotten married and have a full grown daughter? No way. It had only been a little over twenty years since Dorothy left Oz. That was nowhere near enough time. Even if she did have a child, the girl should still be a toddler. Unless, the same rules in Oz didn’t apply in her world. “How can that be?”

His question seemed lost on her for a moment. “Are you asking how can Dorothy have had a daughter?”

He nodded speechlessly and couldn’t stop himself from exploring every detail of her features. There was no denying that this was Dorothy’s blood.

The girl looked uncomfortable for a moment as she scratched her head and shifted her weight between each foot. “Um…I’m not sure if I want to be the one to tell you where babies come from.”

Scarecrow widened his eyes in surprise. “I am already erudite on the subject of offspring production.” He noticed a small smile forming at the corner of her lips. Scarecrow came so close they were only a foot apart. She didn’t back away but she held her breath out of surprise and anticipation. He tilted his head to the side and peered at her inquisitively. “Why are you laughing?”

“Uh, I guess I’m just impressed. My mother used to always tell me that you had a very intelligent way of speaking and she was right.”

He gasped. “You mean, Dorothy has…mentioned me?” He poked himself in the chest.

Beatrice nodded. “More than anyone else.” Her eyes were going all over his features the same way he was doing with her. Clearly, they were both equally fascinated with one another. “Um,” She stepped forward, allowing them to be much closer. They were now almost chest to chest.

Scarecrow stilled with uncertainty but didn’t back away.

She slowly lifted her hand out towards his face but then hesitated. “Could I…”

She wanted to touch him. “Oh...um, okay.” He took her hand in his and brought it up to his jaw, allowing the tips of her fingers to caress him there. It was a light touch but it had his heart speeding in a strange way.

Beatrice gasped at the feel of him beneath her fingers and her reaction made him nervous. Was it a result of amazement or repulsion?

**
“I’m sorry” he said shyly and started to pull away from her. “The material I’m made with isn’t very satisfying.”

“No, it’s not that” she touched his arm to stop him from pulling away and got momentarily distracted by his candy cane-colored sleeves. He was just how her mother used to describe him. “I think you’re amazing.”

He looked truly touched as he whispered, “Really?”

She beamed at him. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

Their moment was gone when the ground had begun the shake violently.

All the Munchkins around them screamed and tried to keep their balance.
Beatrice’s animal or…FlyMam immediately took cover in her arms as Scarecrow held on to her arm to steady her.

It wasn't long before it was over, but the Munchkins were still panicking.

“It’s okay, everyone” Scarecrow cried in a calm voice. “Just keep calm and keep your voices down. There will be no raids tonight, for obvious reasons. Please go back to your casualties for now.” When they disassembled, Scarecrow peered up at the roof above them. Although he wore a strong face for the Munchkins, it was obvious that he was worried.

“What is it?” Beatrice queried, looking above them as well, causing the creature in her arms to do the same thing.

“Something is above us and I’m hopping it’ll leave before it finds us.”