A Peculiar String of Bizarre Dreams

Chapter 34: Click. Click. Click.

The Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow huddle around me with concern.

"Thank  you for coming to my rescue!" I say brushing away dirt from my jeans. "Sir Lion, you were so brave. While I was sinking in the quicksand, you  didn't panic or back down, you simply tore my cage down, bravo!" Turning  to the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow, I say, "And Mr. Tinman, you put all  your good meaning emotions into convincing your friend to help me, well  done! Scarecrow, without your bird friend I wouldn't be alive. You're  all so very kind."

As  the three friends smile proudly at me, I turn towards the eagle and ask  Scarecrow what he calls his friend. "Lara," he tells me.

"Thanks Lara, for getting me out of there," I pet the feathers on her back and she screeches back in appreciation.

"Isn't she just like Dorothy?" The Cowardly Lion gushes.

"She's  perfect! Don't you think, Scarecrow?" The Tin Woodman excitedly jumps  about in all his metallic-wooden glory while Scarecrow merely smooths  down his frown and replies, "She's fine."

I  study the path ahead of me, and realize that the Wizard's palace is  only a few feet away upon the hill, "I have to go see the Wizard. Would  you like to join me?" I decide to invite them.

"No,  we've seen enough of him. He appears differently to each one of us  anyway, you should go by yourself. Tell the gatekeeper, you're our  friend and he'll let you in," The Tin Woodman replies.

I nod a few times, "Thanks again, then! I should keep moving. I want to get my work done before nightfall."

They  don't ask me about my work, they just stare at me with sudden  melancholy. Then altogether, they embrace me. Scarecrow puts an awkward  arm around my shoulders while the other two crush me from the sides.

"Good luck! May you find all the courage you need," The Cowardly Lion thunders at me.

And with that, I continue walking along the yellow brick road. Cedar trees unsurprisingly made out of papier-mâché lead up to the mansion. The sky is now entirely dark and all traces of the sun have disappeared.

Moments  later, an iron gate arises out of the concrete before me. I walk closer  and gaze through its iron mesh. Tiny lamp posts stand brightening the  looming mansion. Before I can find a doorbell or a gatekeeper, the  entrance springs open.

A  man clad in an oversized blue gown covered with white stars walks  out. He wears a matching pointy hat and an equally pointed black beard.

"How  can I help you, young lady?" He asks me in a soothing regal voice,  dispensing away with any from of greeting; he gets straight to the  point.

"Hello, I'm Jemma. I believe you might be the Bijou Maven of this realm. I'm here to ask you for a gemstone."

His  thick brows cloud over his dark eyes, "Ah, I'm sorry, you have the  wrong person, Jemma. I'm a sad excuse for a Bijou Maven. All I do is  tricks and illusions. The Good Witch of North is who you're looking  for."

Disappointment showers over me. I trekked all the way up here to see the Wizard and now I have to find my way back to see Glinda the Good.

Noticing  my apparent distress, the Wizard interjects, "Oh, don't you worry, I've  got Dorothy's ruby slippers. She dropped them the second she teleported  back to Kansas. It's too dark for you to be traversing through these  mischievous lands on foot. Click their heels together — thrice — and they'll take  you straight to Glinda." Without delay, the slippers mysteriously appear on the ground.

"You  don't need to remove the shoes you presently wear, the slippers will mold together to make one pair for as long as you need," he gestures  for me to slip my sneaker-clad feet into the slippers. I obey his  instructions and — lo and behold — I'm wearing my sneakers but it seems  like I'm only wearing the ruby slippers.

I beam at the Wizard and his dark eyes crinkle back at me, "Thank you, I hope this works."

He  nods, "It will, don't you worry," he reassures me. "The slippers were  the Witch's gift for Dorothy to begin with. You're only returning them  back to her."

I click the heels together. Click. Click. Click. And almost instantly, I'm caught in a whirlwind.

A  while later with windblown hair, I land softly in another place out of a  child's craft corner. Papery white stars, playdough green trees and  soft plushy birds surround me. The brown-yellow ground is illuminated by a  sprinkle of fireflies. And in the center of my vision, I see Glinda the  Good sitting on a grand maroon deewan. She is young and beautiful, as  described in the books. Her blonde curls fall down her shoulders and her  kind blue eyes gradually come to rest on me.

"Jemmalyn.  I see you've borrowed the ruby slippers a poor darling left them  behind. I believe their magic cannot be sustained elsewhere. The  slippers chose to stay in this realm."

I  remain anchored for a few moments, disoriented and hypnotized by her  porcelain beauty and effortless conversation. Standing there, I recall  from the Oz books that Glinda is over a thousand years old, that it's  her goodness which makes her look younger.

"It was really nice of the Wizard to give them to me. I don't know how else I would've found you," I finally say.

I walk closer towards her and she smiles at me. She raises her hands  towards me and I meet her outstretched palms half-way. They are warm and  at once therapeutic; I let my hands rest in hers.

Unbeknownst  to me, a stone appears in my palms. I peak through and gasp when I see the most  beautiful gemstone. Navy and violet, it's almost black;  and across its surface are pale blue and white flower-like patterns.

"It's  called Chrysanthemum. It brings luck with opportunities and courage  alongside joy," she says, soft as a whisper. After a pause, where her  blue eyes pierce into my molten ones she continues, "Tell Yuna, she  doesn't need to be afraid anymore."

Right then, a remarkable truth dawns upon me: The universe conspires to make sure Glinda the Good has the warmest smile and she glows as bright as the fireflies.