Finding Alex | TLOS

Ch.17

Red felt as if her head was cracked open. She had never experienced such a hard fall in her entire life. Not even when she was a little girl and started following Jack up the beanstalk. 

"Red?" Someone was shaking her. "RED?!"

Red's eyes opened and she looked up to see Morina, who had gotten up and was shaking her shoulders. "What do you want?" Red asked, letting her head drop back in her neck.

"Look there!" Morina cried, and pointed towards a little village filled with tiny little creatures. They were little humans that wore lots of armor. Some had unique colored faces, like orange, or green. 

"What ARE those?" Red cried, feeling squirmy. She hated orphans, never mind other little humans. 

"They look disgusting," Red shivered. 

Morina laughed. "I'm not sure what they are," she started. "And I agree with you, they're purely gross!" 

"Hello," Said a soft voice, and Morina and Red turned to see a fairy in a poofy pink dress arrive beside them. She had pale skin and curly blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. She held a silver wand, that Red thought didn't look real. 

"Are you lost?" She spoke softly, with no trace of sarcasm or anger or anything, for that matter.

Red stared at the fairy for a second, before she leaned towards Morina and whispered, "Does she always talk like that?"

Morina snorted. She tried to hide her giggles. "Yes, we're lost," she finally said to the fairy.  "We're trying to look for...a flock of flying monkeys?!"

The fairy smiled. "Oh that's just magnificent," said the fairy.

"Why?" Red asked. "Are you trying to find them too?" She was hoping so, because maybe she could ask where the fairy had gotten her dress. It was purely magnificent, a beautiful pink that Red just adored. 

The fairy laughed. "Oh no," she giggled again. "Just follow the yellow brick road, and you'll find the monkeys in no time."

"Oh, thank you!" Red cried, and dropped to her knees in a bow. "Thank you...?"

"Glinda. Glinda the Good Witch." Glinda said, and shook Red and Morina's hand. "Have a nice day!" 

Red smiled, and got back up from her position on the floor. "Well, thank you, Glinda." she said. "Have a very nice day to you too,"

Red hooked her arm through Morina's and they walked silently along the yellow brick road.

****

Not long after Red and Morina had been on the yellow brick road, did they hear a strange clanking noise coming from the corn fields.

Red stopped in her tracks. "What's that?" she asked, worried. "I'm scared, Morina." she clutched her stomach, afraid that she was going to throw up at any moment. This trip will be terribly hard without Charlie, Red thought. How was she going to survive without him? 

Morina smiled, and touched Red's arm. "We'll be okay," she replied with confidence. "I'm sure someone's just lost, like we were a few minutes ago. Maybe we can be this person's good witch-" Before Morina could finish her sentence, she was knocked to the ground by a flashing piece of hay. 

"AH!!!!" Shrieked Morina and Red at the same time. M

Morina scurried up and she and Red started running for their life down the path.

"Wait! Don't leave me! I need help!" 

Morina turned back to see that the flying piece of hay was actually a farm scarecrow. She narrowed her eyes at the scarecrow. "Who are you?"

"Oh, well I'm the Scarecrow, of course." The Scarecrow smiled. "I was wondering if you could help me."

"What do you need help with?" Morina asked. She wasn't sure she knew how to do anything right, let alone help someone.

"Well, first off, where are you heading?" the Scarecrow asked. 

"We're off to find the flock of flying monkeys. Not sure where they are, but Glinda the Good Witch said we'd find them by following the yellow brick road." Red said excitedly.

"Oh well, do you by any chance know if the flying monkeys know any magic?" the Scarecrow asked excitedly.

Morina and Red shrugged in unison. "We're not sure, but they might." 

The Scarecrow's eyes dropped. "Oh, well, thanks for listening anyways."

"Wait, but what do you need help with?" Red asked, curious. She stepped closer to the Scarecrow, not at all scared like she had been before.

"Ah, no, it's silly," The Scarecrow said, and Morina thought she could see a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

"Just tell us," Morina urged. "Please? We want to help!" 

The Scarecrow smiled. "For you, I suppose I can make do," he rubbed his hands together. "I want to wish for a brain. I've wanted a brain ever since I could wal-well, I can't walk. Ever since I opened my eyes! It's all I've ever wished for on my birthday." 

"You mean you don't have a brain?" Red asked, going back to her usual self. She believed that was gross, and didn't want anything to do with the Scarecrow until she figured out why. 

"Nope," the Scarecrow said. "In here," he pointed to his skull. "Is just all hay." 

"Why do you want a brain?" Morina asked. "I'm sure you'll do just fine without one. I mean, you can talk."

"I want a brain because I want to feel. I want to feel how it's like to think, to dream. It's all I've ever wanted, and I'm not going to stop until I get it!" the Scarecrow said, determined to get its brain. 

Morina and Red glanced at each other. "Maybe the flying monkeys DO know magic! We can take you, if you're willing to help us when we need it." Red suggested.

The Scarecrow immediately brightened up. "That'd be just lovely! I just can't wait for the day when I get my brain! Oh I hope the flying monkeys know magic, I hope, I hope, I HOPE!"  the Scarecrow said giddily. 

He continued to hop along the yellow brick road, singing happily to himself. Red and Morina grinned at each other, glad they had made just one person finally happy. Even  if he wasn't exactly human.