Chapter Text
It was a twister.
Dorothy hadn’t seen anything like it before… The sky had been blue when she’d gone to Professor Marvel- not a cloud one in sight. It was only after she’d run home, sweet Toto in her arms, did the panic set in.
The wind rushed around her, sending debris and dust her way- it got in her eyes, forcing her to tilt her head down as she ran, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. She thought she could hear her Auntie Em calling for her, but over the howl of the wind, she wasn’t certain.
With one great push against the wood and glass, Dorothy ran into the house. There was no one in sight. The cellar . They’d already gone into the cellar. Dorothy gripped Toto tighter to her chest, running back outside. The twister had gotten closer still, the wild gusts picking up heavier objects. It threw them at her, knocking her off balance as she tried in vain to open the cellar door… but it was not to be .
She had no other choice but to go back inside the house.
Even that wasn’t safe. The moment she got into her room, her window blew in; All Dorothy could feel was pain. The glass shattered against her face, small shards etching themselves into her eyes- she could feel the blood start to run down her cheek. Everything faded from view.
And then you're sailing through space.
You don't know up from down.
Dorothy was spinning… and there was nothing she could do about it. A beautiful blend of voices replaced the wicked wind. She much preferred the new sound- dainty… and light. It was easier to listen to in order to mute the pain.
And you feel a little strange.
From all that spinning 'round.
The world was no longer dark. Through the red hue that covered her vision, which was strangely clear- a far cry to the blurred haze seconds prior , Dorothy could see the chaos that spun around her outside. It was nothing like she had ever seen. Colored lights whirled around her, while she looked down at a strange contraption, broken down in a tangle of burned lumber and splintered wood. Various bodies littered the ground.
And everything you loved,
And everything you dreamed,
Everything in Dorothy wanted her to jolt back from the window, but she found she couldn’t move. Playin’ possum, her Auntie Em would tell her. Frozen. Stuck peering at the dead sleep restlessly on the dirt. It was like something wanted Dorothy to keep watchin’... she had no other choice.
And everything you feared,
And everything that seems so
Oh, so terrifying.
A new scene appeared before Dorothy, swirling along with the twister she was swept up in. A cow flew past her window- replaced soon with a wagon wheel that spun endlessly in front of her eyes.
It's far behind on the ground.
Like our far-from-the-city-little-itty-bitty-pretty hometown.
Her home. Auntie Em. Uncle Henry. The farmhands… the farm. Toto. Toto! Where was he? Oh, her precious Toto…
Just a teeny, tiny dot on a wee blue ball-
And we've all been spinning,
All been spinning…
A gust of wind rattled the frame and shattered window pane- minuscule shards of glass swirled around Dorothy in a tiny cyclone, mirroring the twister she’d been caught in. The gale outside turned… angry . It was the only way Dorothy knew how to describe the furious gusts and howling winds and mangled debris…
Round and round and round…
And round and round…
It all stopped at once. The wind, the house… Dorothy’s breath . And suddenly, she felt weightless. Everything was falling. She was falling. Her hand graced a fluffy limb, and she pulled- Toto’s comforting weight pressed against her chest. Together, they spun.
Round and round-
And round and round and round…
And round and round…
The house landed with a sickening crack, sending her careening to the floor. Pain exploded in her eyes, while her vision blurred, beginning to fade completely. Everything went dark.
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Dorothy was surrounded by voices.
“Oh my god is she alright?” A higher-pitched, nervous-sounding girl murmured. It was overlapped by a much gruffer, lower tone. “What happened to eyes?” A boy asked. “Mischa- It’s not nice to point out physical flaws.” Another higher-pitched voice responded, but this one sounded fake… overly nice .
At least Dorothy had a name to go by. Mischa.
A lofty, smooth voice of another boy replied. “You should take your own advice, Ocean.” Another name. Ocean. Dorothy had never heard a name like that before… nor had she ever heard the name ‘Mischa’, either. Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice- a soft-spoken boy.
“Guys… She’s waking up…” He murmured.
Dorothy jolted when a cold hand touched her face. Another joined it, cupping her cheeks. Her face was tilted up. “Are you alright?” This voice was much different than the others. It was a girl’s, but it was honey-toned and echoed around her in ways that sent chills up her spine.
“I’m not sure…” Dorothy whispered. Her hands cupped the ones cradling her face, slowly climbing their way up the girl’s arms. The cloth that ran under Dorothy’s fingertips felt wiry… and soft? It contradicted itself in the most pleasant way- a delicate lace sleeve, she decided. “What’s your name?” The girl asked.
“Oh. How rude of me.” Dorothy stilled, her voice wavering nervously. “I’m Dorothy Gale.” Her fingers continued their search, seeing for her when her eyes couldn’t. There was a collar, made of the same lace as the sleeve it seemed, but stiffer. Starched and pressed. Dorothy made haste to gently trace the girl’s face. “What is your name?” Dorothy asked.
“Jane Doe is-” Dorothy’s thumb graced something tough and thick along the girl's neck. It was the oddest thing Dorothy had ever experienced- the skin on one side of it was cool, but the skin on the other was frigid. The girl, Jane , had stilled completely- even her introduction had stopped.
Dorothy drew her hands to her chest in an instant. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me. Please forgive me…” There was no reply. Dorothy’s fingers gripped at her skirt, tangling in it. She suddenly missed the feel of fur under her fingers…
“Toto! Where’s Toto?” She asked. The low, gruff voice responded. “The dog?” He asked. Dorothy nodded.
“Dog is fine.” Someone leaned down, and a flurry of paws scrambled about, Toto’s nails scratching against the wooden floors. “Toto and Dorothy Gale…” Jane’s voice chimed at her side. “Very nice names.”
The cool hand returned to Dorothy’s face again. “Your eyes are bloodied. Do they hurt?” Jane asked. Dorothy remembered the pain when it happened, and recalled how her vision cleared before going completely dark. She hoped it wasn’t permanent . Dorothy poked at a closed eyelid- there was no pain. How odd.
“No… I remember that there was pain, but there isn’t anymore… Does it look bad…?” She asked, trailing off. The same lofty voice from before filled her eardrums. “You’re taking the whole ‘not seeing’ thing much better than I thought you would. If it were me, I would be pissed. Just sayin’.”
Odd word choice aside, Dorothy supposed he had a point. She was taking this surprisingly well. “I suppose when you’ve experienced as many exciting new things as I have in one afternoon, happenings like this become rather dull in comparison.” She replied.
“Uh huh…” The boy responded.
Dorothy felt Toto settle in her lap, licking at her chin. “May I ask who the rest of you are?”
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In a land much farther away, a door swung open.
“Well, out of all the odd things to have happened in the past day, I suppose this isn’t the worst; I could almost say this is pleasant… if a bit too colorful for my taste. Oddities aside, I find myself missing the game that was sure to be ahead of us. A shame really. It would have been quite an exciting twist. What do you think, Virgil?” Karnak droned to the rat, who was balanced on his crystal ball.
A taller, blue-dressed figure stood out from a crowd of much smaller people. She blinked a few times, tilting her head in puzzlement.
“Hello?”