After a little discussion with those in the chatroom I now have my cast. Like my last one, the beginning is fairly small but it's only the introductory. Things will get bigger, and grander, like last time. Those who have seen the movie, the opening isn't exactly like that of the movie. A bit too creepy I think, for Mac to go in for electro shock therapy.
~*~
Chapter 1: The Key
Mac lay awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. How long had it been since he'd gotten a good night's sleep? Ever since the tornado had struck Fosters, and he and Bloo had been caught in the middle of it and off guard. There they had huddled in a room of Fosters, waiting out the storm. That's when, he thinks, he and his friend had been transported to this fantastic, magical land known as Oz. Where scarecrows talked, tin birds rusted and lions were scared of their own shadows. Coming back from it, he felt it must have been a dream brought on by a bump on the head he had received from the storm. But he had found those glasses, the souvenir that Bloo had gotten which made them late catching that darn balloon ride back home with the rabbit, who turned out to be a version of Mr. Herriman.
Rolling over he stared out the window, glaring at the moon that was peeking in through the window. It was past two o'clock in the morning now. He'll be a wreck for school tomorrow. Suddenly he saw a star shoot right across the night sky, and vanish into the horizon. Still being a child, and still believing that wishing on stars more or less came true, he made a wish. But being the rule is if you tell it, it won't come true, I won't say what he wished for.
The next day, Mac was making his way down his apartment's stairs to the ground below when he heard the all too familiar wailings of a certain yellow imaginary friend. A door was kicked open, and Cheese came running from the apartment that was Louise, waving his arms madly in the air as if impersonating a certain green muppet frog. He stopped as he hit the railings and stopped, wheezing. Louise hurried out after him. "Cheese!" she scolded like a little mother, shaking her finger at him. "Don't be stupid, Mum says we gotta dress nice for the photo 'n you hafta look nice!"
It was then Mac realised Cheese was actually in clothes. They didn't look right on him at all, polka dog scarf, blue pants too long in one leg and a red shirt. He looked irked to be wearing them, but instead of voicing his anger he just chewed on the scarf.
"Hey Louise." Mac said, being neighbourly even if he didn't like Cheese that much.
"Oh hi Mac!" Louise replied, helping Cheese to his feet. It had only been a week ago she'd gotten her retainer off, and it had improved her teeth 100%. "It's photo day," she said, "'N Mum doesn't want him naked in the photo. I said it's stupid, cuz he's naked all the time but you know Mum's."
"Oh yeah, do I know..." he cast a weary glance over his shoulder to his apartment, even if his mother wasn't home.
"Goin' to Fosters huh?" she asked,
"Yeah, Bloo says there's this hen friend who doesn't talk camping out in his bed 'n he wants me to chase it off. Besides, I go there every day anyway. Later Louise!" with that he waved his neighbour off, and began his walk across town to reach Fosters. He knew the walk off by heart, moving around hedges, houses, narrow street ways until he saw the large shadow of the mansion fall over himself. Grinning he began to cross the street, when a shout made him stop.
"YOU BRAT, GET OFFA MY LAWN!!" he turned, to see it was Old Man Winter at his porch, shaking his clenched fist at the perpetrator who had tried to step on his lawn. It was Phil, one of the flying unicorns that normally took up residence in the Fosters stables. But what was he doing out here?
"Ey, buddy," Phil snapped back; for being a pure white unicorn with rainbow coloured hair he was in no way a lady horse, or even a gentleman horse. He spoke with a thick New York accent. "I was flyin up there 'n my wing hurt so I figger best to land then crash so shut yer yap!"
"Phil!" Mac hurried over to him.
"Oh Mac, 'ey guy! Cin you believe that jerk?" he moved a wing to Old Man River, who was still shaking his fist and throwing expletives. "Fella steps on his lawn 'n he's off his rocket."
"Yeah I know, just ignore him. C'mon, I'll take you to Frankie so she can check your wing."
"Thanks very much."
But as Mac was leading Phil away he saw something sparkle on the grass of Old Man River's front lawn. Blinking he made his way over to it, ignoring Old Man River's shouting still. "Dagnabbit don't people respect well grown lawn anymore?!" and picked up the item. It was a key, a very old, well worn key with dirt and mud covering it. Phil trotted back over, lowering his head to peer at it.
"What's that?" he asked,
"A.. key I think." Mac mumbled, turning it over in his hands. He cleaned some dirt off, and picking up a stick he poked a hole in through some of the dirt that fell away. What met his eye wasn't what he was expecting. A large 'O' topped the key, with 'Z' within the 'O'. Oz. "...Oz." Mac read aloud.
"Oz? What's that, some kinda band?" Phil inquired, turning to leave, ruffling his wings at Old Man Rivers who was still prattling on. "C'mon Mac, let's get someplace you can check that lil' thing out without the noise pollution."
Mac led the unicorn around to the stables, ensuring him he'd go tell Frankie about his wing hurting. Making his way up to the house he spotted Bloo, who seemed to be occupied with something of more importance. A game of 'freeze when I say so', a game Bloo had come up with a while ago. His victims so far were Eduardo, Coco, a few other various imaginaries including EuroTrish and even Red. He'd allow the group to do as they please, jump up and down, talk, make wild gestures or whatever but as soon as he yelled 'STOP' they had to freeze, no matter what. Whoever twitched or blinked first lost. He decided to leave the guys to it, since he had to find Frankie.
But on the way towards the house Mac stopped short, for he heard something that sounded like a cry for help from further away. He looked to the near by imaginaries, but it seemed they were too occupied. Eduardo's tail had twitched, so Bloo declared him out and Eduardo was putting up an argument since sometimes his tail did as it wanted and he shouldn't be blamed, or loose, because of his tail.
Walking towards the noise, Mac finally came to a small stream making its way through the Fosters property. But as Mac stood there watching it, wondering just how long it had been here since he certainly didn't remember seeing it here before, it suddenly began growing wider and wider. The calls for help seemed to be coming from the water itself. Was someone drowning? He couldn't tell, since as soon as he edged closer an actual arm shot up from the water and grabbed his ankle, pulling him in. Mac wasn't even given a chance to call for help since the water was so rough, and fast, he was tumbling over and over within the watery depths but every time he thought he was about to drown the water seemed to sense this, and lift him up for a good helping of air, scream, then dive back down again.
After a few minutes, Mac finally ran into something in the water. It was a coop, apparently, or at least a box with pieces of wood missing. Climbing inside he clung to the planks of wood, hoping and wishing this river would calm down soon and he'd be able to get the heck out of here. But the river didn't calm down, or slow. If anything it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger... so big, until... it was the ocean.
To be continued