First things first. Oz belongs to Baum. Not me. Got it? This story is based on Baum, the movie we all know and love, and the cartoon movie "Journey Back to Oz" that somehow found its way into my house, and my own weird mind.

The sky over Kansas were as gray as the land. Gray...and bare.

"I'm glad Auntie Em and Uncle Henry aren't alive to see this." Dorothy held a whimpering Toto closer. "It would break their hearts."

She gazed at what was once her home and sighed. A large SEIZED sign covered the front door. If only it had rained this would have never happened. But it hasn't rained in years. She looked up into the sky and closed her eyes. The only storms we have gotten were storms of dust.

Dorothy sighed and picked up her carpet bag and turned away. She felt sick inside, a terrible gnawing feeling in her stomach, and this time it wasn't from hunger. I have no home. She realized. The one thing that I wanted was taken from me. Why did this have to happen to me? She stopped walking, feeling ashamed of herself. There are others in worst situations than I. I only have to worry about Toto and myself. Many other girls my age are married with children. They have to take care of their family when their husbands have no jobs. She glanced over her shoulder. Or farm.

Dorothy pulled her uncle's large overcoat closer around her and continued on. She could feel the train ticket she had bought with the last of her money in the pocket. It would take her to California. From there she wasn't sure what she was going to do. Were would she stay? She didn't know anyone in that state. What would she do for money? She has had teaching experience but who could afford to send their children to school in this day and age? But what choice do I have? I can't stay here. She thought sadly. It was times like this she wished that Oz was really real. And she lately has had a lot of those times. She still believed in Oz after all these years, but a certain amount of logic develops when you grow up. She just wasn't sure that Oz existed. But my students did. She smiled for the first time all day, remembering the children begging her for more stories about Oz, never knowing that Dorothy and "Miz Gale" were one in the same. I hope that they remember the stories I told them in these dark days.

Dorothy was so lost in thought that it took Toto's frantic barking to wake her up. She jerked her head up, paying attention to her surroundings just in time. For a huge wall of brown was moving toward her at an alarming rate.

"Dust storm!" She screamed in fear, her eyes wide. She was helpless, this part of the country had no shelter, no rocks, trees, and certainly no homes.

She quickly put Toto into her bag, mutter apologies, to keep him safe. She fastened a cloth around her mouth, and ran.

But it was a futile action. The dust storm overtook her in a second. Dust blew mercilessly at her body, creeping into her hair, clothes, and lungs.

Taken with a coughing fit, Dorothy was only briefly aware of the fact that the storm had lifted her off her feet. It didn't swirl her around like a tornado. It shoved her forward, hard. She felt herself bumping the ground before being lifted again. The sound of the rushing wind was deafening. Her heart fluttered with fear, she had heard of dust storms killing grown men. What chance did she have?

The storm ended as suddenly as it came. Dorothy crawled to her knees, coughing violently. She felt around for her bag and let her dog out. "You okay Toto?" she asked as she removed the cloth from her mouth and the grit from her eyes. A disgruntled yip reached her ears.

Dorothy sat up straight, wincing a little as she did so. "We're lucky to have landed on such soft grass and-" She stopped suddenly. Grass? She looked down. Yes, she was sitting on a soft carpet of vibrant green grass. It went far into the distance were it met up the trees and mountains. The color hurt her eyes but she didn't care.

She slowly stood up, her mouth hanging open at the beauty. It was by chance that she had to turn around to grab her bag. She instantly dropped it when she saw it. It not even a dozen feet away from her. It was a road. A brick road. A YELLOW brick road.

"Oh my god." Dorothy felt tears well up in her eyes. "I don't think were in Kansas anymore Toto!"