The train ride to Frottica was long and quiet. Galinda sat opposite me in our compartment, her startling though empty sterling eyes pouring into my chocolate brown ones. They never left mine the entire ride there. It almost felt as though she were looking past me – through me. Like she could see into my very soul. The longer her eyes bore into mine, the more uncomfortable I became. Never were the silences we shared awkward, but the look in her eye, and the hours of endless staring – I was positive her chest hadn't moved once the entire ride. If Galinda was breathing, it was sparingly and hardly noticeable. Something about this silence was different, almost pained. As came closer to Frottica, I could feel the tension in the room rise to an obscene level.

Finally, with five minutes left in the trip, Galinda's eyes tore from mine to look out the window at the rolling hills of her home. I examined her face, every contour. She seemed frustrated. Scared. My body moved instinctively the moment I caught this, to sit next to her. She did not acknowledge me. My hand reached out and took hers, and she laced our fingers together. Her hand was freezing, and I couldn't help but frown. How could someone so beautiful, with such a good heart be so tortured?

"Arriving in Frottica, next stop Pertha Hills!" The conductor's voice came booming through the compartment, and Galinda squeezed my hand in what I assumed was her own act of comfort.

"Elphie…" came her quiet, heartbreaking voice.

I knew she was warning me. Of what, I couldn't quite grasp. So I didn't respond. I didn't have to. As the train came to a stop, I rose to retrieve our baggage from the compartment above our heads. When we exited, I followed Galinda until we came to a stop in front of an extremely large black carriage, with golden curtains covering the windows.

Galinda let go of my hand and moved to hug the man standing in front of the carriage. He was a very tall man with stunning blond hair just like Galinda's, and wise blue eyes. As Galinda hugged him, he frowned. I knew immediately that he knew what was wrong with Galinda, and it clearly pained him to no end. When she returned to me and automatically linked our hands, he looked over at me. His eyes seemed shocked at first, but he recovered quickly.

"Is this the friend you mentioned in your letter, Linny?"

Galinda nodded and nudged me with her elbow. I found my voice and looked up at the man. "I'm Elphaba Thropp, sir. Pleasure to meet you," said I with a small bow. The man laughed and nodded.

"Hello Miss Elphaba, I am Galinda's father Henrik. I've heard plenty about you from my Linny. Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," said the man with a warm smile, and I smiled back with a flush. I hadn't known that Galinda ever spoke of our friendship to anyone.

I looked to Galinda, and she forced her mouth into a small smile, obviously straining her cheek muscles.

When the introductions were through, the three of us entered the carriage and prepared for the ride to Galinda's home. The first few minutes were quiet, Galinda still clutching my hand for dear life. I saw Henrik's eyes cast confused glances at our hands, and I noticed his surprised look when Galinda laid her head on my shoulder.

Finally, he spoke. "Linny, have you found any possible suitors? You are to be married within the year, you know."

I felt Galinda give a small sigh. "No father, I've not. Why is it necessary that I marry within the year? Should I not wait to fall in love?"

Her father seemed surprised. "Galinda, that could take years. Is there really no suitable bachelors at Shiz?"

"Of course there are, but none of them are for me father. They do not question, they do not think and they feel with their private areas."

I expected a reprimand from Galinda's father, but he simply laughed. "Now dear, I am sure you are overreacting. Not to worry, we will find you someone soon."

Galinda sighed again and leaned farther into me, but she did not press the matter. The rest of the ride was simply casual conversation about how her classes were going, my classes, how the dormitory situation was working, among other trivial things.

I could see as we got closer that Galinda became suddenly stiff, and even more unresponsive than she had ever been. Even her father seemed uncomfortable and sad. I could only look on in confusion. As the carriage drove up the path to her house, Galinda turned to me and looked me fiercely in the eye.

"Elphie," said she simply, and I nodded once again. The warning was stronger now. We exited the carriage, and as I tried to retrieve our baggage, Galinda's hand grabbed hold of my wrist and she shook her head. A man dressed in uniform with some sort of emblem stitched on the corner of his jacket came up and took the baggage from the compartment with a friendly smile.

I was led into the house by Galinda, her hand now crushing mine in a vice grip. She pulled me up the stairs with her father on our heels. I had no time yet to stop and admire her large house. She halted in front of a plain, white wood door and turned to me.

Her icy grey eyes were strong and firm, and told me that this moment was vital. I knew in a second that this moment would explain everything about the tragic mystery that was Galinda Upland. I squeezed her hand reassuringly – a way of telling her I understood. My blond companion looked at her father, who was behind us, briefly before reaching out and pushing the door open.

She pulled me into the room, and what I saw threw me off. It was a lavish room – an extremely plush-looking bed, soft carpets, elegant wall tapestries in various rich shades of garnet and gold to match the thick bedspread, and a glorious chandelier that hung magnificently from the ceiling. However, what through me off was the strange tik-tok thing that stood next to the edge of the bed. It wasn't a creature, it was a simple machine with various bags of fluids attached to it, and it was beeping incredibly slowly. As Galinda pulled me closer, I realized it. The strange object was attached to the arm of a woman.

The woman lying in bed looked strikingly like Galinda – even in her evident illness. She was sickly pale, like Galinda, with thick flaxen curls sprawled out on her pillow. Her facial features were soft and rounded, and her eyelashes were thick and black. Exactly like Galinda, with wrinkles around her eyes. Even the sunken cheekbones were the same. When I looked up at Galinda, her expression had changed.

Never before had I seen such a look of excruciating pain. Her forehead was creased, her eyes were glazed over and the dark circles under her eyes were a stark contrast to her pale skin. But at the same time, her pained expression was also determined. I watched as she reached out and took hold of the woman's small hand, and immediately I knew.

This woman was Galinda's mother.

My friend looked up at me. "Elphie. Meet my mother. Deleina Arduenna," said she, and I looked at her mother's face once again.

"Pleasure to meet you," said I softly.

"Momsie, this is Elphie – my best friend. She's coming to spend Lurlinemas with us," prattled Galinda. I watched as she explained to her mother who I was, even though it fell upon deaf ears. I simply could not bear to watch the scene in front of me. How long had Galinda's mother been in this condition? How much longer would the condition last? What caused this unfortunate event? So many questions were reeling through my head, though I knew that it was not the time or place to ask.

We stayed in the room a while longer as her father spoke briefly to her mother as well, and I watched, my heart breaking bit by bit, as he kissed her forehead and left the room. My companion stayed to stare at the woman a while longer, before quickly tearing me out of the room and down the hallway.

I was thrust into a large room so quickly that I had no time to acknowledge what it looked like. Galinda was immediately in front of me, the same dead look in her eyes I had seem a million times before – but this time there was a spark of something. A spark of madness, of craze.

"Elphie," began she, coming so close that her front was pressed against mine. "Elphie, I need you. I need help, I need you Elphie, please," begged Galinda, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around her stiff body. My questions could wait – right now, Galinda needed me.

She turned her head of blond curls to the side on my chest, and moved an arm from around my waist. She pulled far enough away from me to look me directly in the eye, and her fingers slid up my arm slowly. The sensation of her fingertips brushing my skin so delicately left my stomach in knots. As her fingertips came into contact with mine a jolt rushed through my body, and I knew the same jolt pulsed through her because, for just a moment, her steely grey eyes flashed a brilliant oceanic blue.