How would you like it?...

After Freeing Scarecrow from the post holding him in place Dorothy, Toto and her new yet strange friend followed the The Yellow Brick Road a while longer, singing and skipping along with a single idea keeping them moving; “Get to the Emerald City, find the Wizard.” Of course skipping and singing takes more energy then simply walking and talking, and being human with biological needs like food and water and rest, Dorothy soon slowed. As she and her new friend followed the path through an apple orchard Dorothy decided that a quick snack break wouldn't hurt. She reach out to pick an apple, as she plucked it from the low hanging branch one of the tree's limb quickly came to life and snatched the apple rom her and slapped her hand. "What do'ya think your doing?" Dorothy jumped in suprise and tried to explain herself. "Well we've been walking a long ways and I was hungry and..." a thought suddenly struck her. The tree...was talking. "Did you say something?" a couple of tree joined, in all talking at the same time, confusing the duo before her original conversationalist brought her attention back to the point. "How would you like it if someone came along and picked something off of you?" Dorothy looked to her new traveling companion to explain herself to him, "Oh dear, I keep forgetting I'm not in Kansas." The Scarecrow nodded before adding in a slightly annoyed way, "Come along Dorothy, you don't want any of *those* apples." Striking a bit of pride from the tree about the quality of his apples the tree's rebuttal came, "Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?" Scarecrow theatrically shook his head and responded, "Ooooh no. It's just that she doesn't like the little green worms." there were many insults an enchanted apple tree of Oz couldn't take, but that was among the highest of disrespects. Insinuated that it's apples were infected with worms, the idea! The orchard would show these meandering, trespassing, thieving, hooligans what quality apples were.

The tree made a grab for the girl but Scarecrow put himself in the way to save her. 'My plan is working!.. he thought gleefully, Soon she'll have all the apples she can carry.' This was where is plan went sour unfortunately (no pun intended). The tree made short work of the straw man, pulling him apart like warm bread and tossing his limbs about. Dorothy shrieked at his dismemberment but quickly calmed as he reassured her. "Don't you worry about me Dorothy, I don't feel a thing, it won't take much to put me back together." But as she was focused on him another tree seized her with it's roots. They wrapped around her ankles as the branchy arms pushed on her shoulders and forced her to her knees. She dropped her basket and Toto barked furiously at the attackers but not quite sure what to do. The little dog began gnawing on one of the roots around her legs. "Ouch, you little mutt." A root snapped at the dog but the little thing was to smart and too quick, avoiding the attack. The tree kept trying to whip the dog as Dorothy watched. "Run Toto, get Help!" The little dog understood and quickly ran down the yellow path at high speed until he disappeared from sight. She gave a small smile knowing he wouldn't let her down. That was not, however the end of her troubles. A leafy hand wrapped around the bottom of her face and forced her to look forward again. Terrified she complied and looked at the tree in front of her tossing the apple she picked up and down menacingly. "So you were hungry huh? Though you'd stuff your face with our apples. Then when they were denied to you you thought to make fun of us. Well we run this orchard, no farmers or ranch hands here. No one to interrupt since no one comes through here. They all know better, except you. So...". The tree leaned forward with three of it's branches coming down to point at her. "You want Apples? We'll give you apples."

A wooden hand under her jaw pulled her mouth open as an apple was shoved into her face. The hand on her jaw forced it closed around the succulent juicy apple as the satisfying crunch of the first bite filled her mouth. The sugar sweet water and the crunchiness of the skin played a symphony of deliciousness across her tongue. These were exquisite apples, but anyone who has ever eaten an apple

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