It had been just the six of us at one point with some others trailing in and fading out as quickly as they had come. But then slowly, tragically that number dwindled down to five, four, three, two, one…and then none. Technically if we are counting by living human beings then there are three (maybe even four if you believe rumors and that nonsense) of us left but I don't speak with them anymore, not after what happened. I can't even say that if they passed me on the street that I would recognize them anymore.

It had been too tragic, too hauntingly frightening for us to even recall the events that had happened those odd number of years ago. It was in the past now anyways, gone forever, faded away like a distant nightmare.

But I still remember and I can bet my lucky stars that they do too. Now I don't know about the rest of them but I feel an obligation to tell the world what had happened, to tell the world and educate it so a thing like that would never happened again. The world needs to hear this story, no matter how tragic, how horrifying it truly is.

Otherwise, it will just go to waste, vanish into thin air like it never happened and we mustn't let things like that, our own past disappear…

The Charmed Circle neighborhood had been constructed just outside the Emerald City. With views to die for, houses as big and large as the people who owned them, rock stars and movie stars around every corner, and barons and heiresses I was completely and utterly surprised to find myself stuck in the middle of it with my modest sized house. My house was a gift from the Margereave Tenmeadows who had known my late father and had given it to me when he found out of my father's untimely death. Wedged between mansion after mansion on Green Light Street I found myself fascinated by the extravagant wealth and luxury my neighbors lived in. Though I knew not one person I found myself judging the people that lived there based on the outside of their homes.

A magnificent castle of a mansion stood proudly to the right of my humble house with lace curtains draped behind every window, which seemed like hundreds, fresh white paint covered the exterior and shone like rows of pearly teeth. Golden etching seemed to be in the corners and lines of the house giving it the appearance that it was outlined in gold. Whoever lived in this mansion was wealthy, carefree. It was probably owned by a young heiress and her suitor or husband who spent their nights counting their endless piles of money and participating in frivolous activities that were mainly kept to the bedroom.

The house to the left of mine was old fashioned, with a low roof and simple wooden paneling but its simplicity made it all the more beautiful, at least to me. I imagined an elderly couple living out the last years of their life together in that house.

To the back of my house was a stone castle. A literal castle from the times of Ozma that outstood the face of time, moss overgrowing on its edges, the stone outer-face of it giving off a cold brutal look to it. A hunter, I believed, or a reclusive heart-broken young man could live there.

I couldn't have been more wrong in my imaginings for on my first night there I soon came to find out the true identity of the three houses and the inhabitants of each, forever linking myself to them whether I had wanted to be connected to them or not.

At nine o'clock that evening the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of my new neighborhood was disturbed and broken when all of a sudden it seemed like everyone turned on their lights and blasted sweet jazz music through the air. Many people, all who looked like they lead very different lives, gathered and clustered into each other's houses noisily and boisterously clamoring and shouting. It was as if the neighborhood had come alive with light, music and dancing. I stared out my front window, a glass of whiskey fresh in my hand, onto the scene right in front of me. Women in short skirts, dresses, and revealing tops hung on the arms of their escorts prettily. Men dressed up in suits with ties and shiny shoes.

I quickly realized that this neighborhood was home to the rich and the wealthy, something that I was definitely not. Shadows and figures of people that were complete strangers to me moved about in the night traveling from one house to the other. I couldn't deny that I was curious, captivated by the strange behaviors and customs that were now a part of my life. Did they do this every-night? Why did they throw such grand parties?

All these questions buzzed around in my head and I had no answers to satisfy them with.

Suddenly someone knocked on my door and it startled me greatly. I shakily put down my glass on a nearby table, stumbled over the numerous boxes of my unpacked things that I had spent all day organizing, and opened the door.

"Hi there, cutie. You must be the new guy," purred a woman with hair as black as night and eyes that twinkled like the stars.

"Boq," I stammered out nervously, not sure what else to say, "My name is Boq."

She smiled warmly as she adjusted her black dress that was too short on the bottom and too low on the top, "And how are you liking the neighborhood so far, Boq?" she asked, seductively looping an index finger on the inside of my collar and pulling me closer to her.

I laughed nervously at her question and her actions, "It's… it's very interesting," I said loud enough for her to hear my words above the music.

"That's what you get when you come to Green Light Street here at Charmed Circle. Everything is always interesting," she emphasized that last word and looked around his house at the three adjacent homes with a queer look on her face; which faded quickly.

"What's your name?" I asked after a pause, not bothering to ask her what she meant by her previous statement.

"Milla," she answered with a smile, "Just Milla if you don't mind."

Her finger tugged on my collar until I was mere inches from her. I laughed nervously, not sure of what she was about to do to me. To my surprise and relief, all she did was pull me out of my house and into the streets.

"Come on, let's join the party," she said with a mysterious smile and wink towards me.

This is the product of seeing The Great Gatsby movie twice and wanting to write a Wicked fanfic inspired by it. I'm going to torture you all with Gatsby related fics until I become disenchanted by the movie. Which might be for a while...

Hope this was at least interesting for you all to read! I'm really excited about this fic so there will be more soon!

Bubble

Oh and ps. I uploaded a new chapter to The Main Attraction when the email alerts were down and no one has read it. :(