The Wicked Witch Of The West

• Chloe Mifsud, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2018

The wicked witch had them all cornered. The lion was sulking, the Tin-man was standing still, and the scarecrow was hiding his face. Dorothy wasn’t ready to die yet, she was too young and innocent. There was only one way to get out of here alive, and that was to sacrifice the others and win the trust of the wicked witch. Dorothy grabs the torch that was hanging on the wall next to her and lights up the scarecrow. The scarecrow starts howling in pain. The lion picks up a bucket of water, but Dorothy yells, “BOO!” and the lion drops the bucket, wasting the precious water that could have saved the scarecrow. The lion sprints away and the witch’s henchmen chase after him. The straw was burning easily and soon enough, there was nothing more of the scarecrow. The Tin-man is still standing still from shock. Dorothy sees her opportunity and she shoves the Tin-man causing him to stumble backwards, trip over the bucket, and fall over the edge of the castle. A clatter of metal can be heard down below. Dorothy turns and faces the wicked witch. A devilish grin crawls onto the witch’s face. She is pleased with the performance Dorothy has done and she accepts her as her rightful partner.

Later that night, Dorothy and the witch are enjoying a feast. Dorothy calls in one of the witch’s henchmen and he brings over a bottle of red wine. She pours two glasses. She makes a toast and together they drink. The witch’s stomach then starts to rumble and gurgle. White foam starts to form at the corners of her mouth. Dorothy sits there, sipping her red wine and watching the witch struggle. Just before the wicked witch drops dead, she casts a curse on Dorothy. First, Dorothy’s nose starts to grow long and thin. Then her teeth start to rot and fall out, her nails start to grow and sharpen, her hair grows thinner and coarse, and her clothes start to wither away and turn into a dirty, ripped, black gown. Moles start to form on her face and lastly, her skin turns a mouldy green. Dorothy is shocked as she realises that she is now the new wicked witch of the west.