Chapter Five

If I Only Had a Brain

From: The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

"I have a feeling we're not in Louisiana any more," Lori said as she looked about her. Everything was so bright and colorful, especially after being at Le Chat Noir which was so dark it was practically black and white. Here, there were lovely patches of greenery, with beautiful flowers and tall trees all about. A singing brook of startling blue water rushed and sparkled nearby. And through it all ran the yellow brick road.

Lori was simply enjoying the beautiful scenery when the most startling thing happened. She looked up in the sky and there, floating towards her was a big, colorful bubble. The bubble shimmered and bobbled, turning every color of the rainbow as it came closer and closer. At last the bubble turned a bright shade of pink, just as it settled to the ground right in front of Lori. Then the bubble disappeared, revealing a beautiful woman within wearing a pink gown with the most enormous skirt Lori had ever seen. Really, it was like six feet wide.

"Now I know we're not in Louisiana," Lori said, slightly shaken. "And now I really feel underdressed," she added, glancing down at her camisole and short-shorts.

"Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" The beautiful woman asked.

Lori was startled by the unusual question. "Who me? I'm not a witch at all. Why, I'm a writer!"

"Oh, I see!" said the woman. "And are you a good writer, or a bad writer?"

Lori thought before answering. "Well, I'm not sure," she said uncertainly. "I mean, I get enough reads I guess, but hardly anybody ever votes or comments, so... Look, can we not talk about Wattpad rankings? I'm Lori Ellis, and I just want to go home."

Suddenly the woman's entire attitude changed dramatically. No longer suspicious she said, "Lori, sweet thing, is that you? It's me, Wendy! Wendy Nelson!"

Lori was so overjoyed she started to cry, then nearly knocked poor Wendy over in her rush to throw her arms around her. "Wendy, I'm so glad it's you!"

After a long hug Wendy held Lori at arm's length and took a good look at her. "Just look at you girl!" she said. "You're so much younger than I thought you would be. And aren't you just the prettiest little thing?"

"Oh, well actually I don't really look like this. This is Adele, from Alys' story," Lori had to confess.

"Is that so?" remarked Wendy. "Well still, it's a very good look for you."

"Uh, thanks. I guess," Lori replied, unsure how to respond. She then continued with bubbly enthusiasm, "I'm just so glad you found me Wendy! I've been having such a difficult time. I was trying to write a story when I was sucked into Wattpad, and I've been trying to get home ever since."

"Tell me about it," said Wendy. "Believe me, when I get home I am destroying every copy I ever wrote of The Wonderful Wendy of Oz!"

"But everything is okay now," enthused Lori. "Because I just know, you're here to tell me that I've had the power to go home all along! Am I right?"

"Oooh, I'm sorry Lori," Wendy said shaking her head, and giggling briefly at the unexpected rhyme. "I could tell you that, but you just wouldn't believe me."

"Seriously?" said Lori. "Yes I would! I would so totally believe you, Wendy! Please don't fool around. Just tell me what to do!"

"All you need to do," Wendy told her, "is follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road, all the way to the end."

"What? No, seriously!" said Lori, but she was too late. Wendy had turned back into a giant pink bubble and was floating away.

"Follow the yellow brick road... Follow the yellow brick road... Follow... Follow..." Wendy's voice trailed off as she floated over the horizon.

"You get back here right now, Wendy O. Nelson!" shouted Lori. "I am not going to stay here, following some stupid yellow brick road all the way to the stupid end! How far does this stupid road go, anyway?" Then Lori blushed as she realized, "Oh. It stops right over there."

Lori followed the yellow brick road all the way to its end, about twenty feet. But it also went just a little bit further, through a large stone archway. The archway looked very old, like something out of a museum exhibit on ancient Egypt. It was formed from thick stone, and runes and glyphs covered every square inch. Not that Lori would know a rune from a glyph. But it was covered with something which she had no idea what it was.

It looked innocent enough, so why was Lori's spidey sense working overtime?

"Okay, so obviously I'm supposed to go through the arch," said Lori. "I mean, what are my options? Stay here hanging out with Munchkins and probably eat way too much candy, or trade that for the prize behind door number one?"

Lori stepped through the arch, and the world turned very bright...

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A/N: Where could I be going next? If you've read the story, then you will have figured it out already! Join me tomorrow night for the next installment of Ellis in Wattpadland titled, "Oh Please Let It Be the Restricted Version!"