What are Ozlandish Writings?

From July 2010 to December 2014 we ran OZLAND PICTURE STORIES as described below. Sadly though the number of writers reduced over the years and we decided to call it a day. We leave these as a record of the good times we had.

Are "You" ready to challenge your writing skills? Then participate in our OZLAND Picture Stories writing series at The Ozland Art Gallery.

Each month a new picture will be picked, from our OZLAND Artist of the Month collection, with different themes. Your goal is to write a 500-1000 word... poem... essay... or story about the picture picked. This is a chance for you to challenge your writing skills each month. Story can be written in ANY genre... sci fi... romance... ghost... fantasy... fiction... non-fiction... biography... mystery... historical... whatever your writing genre... feel free to experiment. Send your writing inworld to Sven Pertelson as a notecard to have it included on the web site. We meet at the The Ozland Art Gallery each Wednesday at Noon and 6pm SLT to read the latest submissions on voice. More Information


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mysterious Lady - by lillian Morpork

It was a constant subject of converstation and speculation. The Seven Men in the top corner discussed it often. Clock and Dragon wondered and pondered it. Morna Meredith and Moon talked about it, after Moon first mentioned it. So did Angel Bright and Bucephalus Pegasus. And Dectective tried to investigate it, only to be blocked by the swirling, tornadic winds, full of dark dust. The parrots and Seal didn't talk about it at all, and the others wondered why.



Where was the body that belonged to those shapely, female legs clad in fancy stockings and high heeled pumps? No one had ever seen her, so they called her Mysterious Lady. Then one night, there was a sudden shaking of the picture ,and the legs moved. Everyone was so shocked they they were momentarily blinded, and the next thng they saw was the legs disappearing into Car.

Car had never moved. His lights had stared dully, blindly, out of the picture. The engine had remained silent. Until this night. No sooner had the legs disappeared, than the lights blazed brightly, the engine roared to life, and Car shot out of the picture, swooped around, and sped off down the yellow brick road. Shock held all in the picture in frozen silence.

Then Angel Bright and Bucephalus Pegasus shook their heads, looked at each other, and went flying off in pursuit. They flew at top speed, like a pair of shooting stars, and soon Car was in sight. For a while, they flew a bit behind and above, waiting to see where the Mysterious Lady was going. As they flew on, they heard a lovely contralto voice singing "I'm off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!" About half an hour later, they saw a green glow ahead , that soon disolved into a City. A Green City.


"Oh," said Angle Bright,"that must be The Emerald City that I've heard about. She is going there. I wonder why?" After a moment's thought, she said "I'm going to fly down beside her, and see if she'll talk to me."

Dimming her light, Angel flew down, and moved up beside Car. One window was open, and when Angel reached it, she saw the Lady. She was about twenty three, with dark brown curly hair held back by a blue band. Her face was oval shaped and lovely, with cornflower blue eyes, and she wore a pretty dress in the same hue.

"Excuse me," Angel said to the Lady. "I'm Angle Bright, from the picture. We have all been wondering about you. All we ever saw was your legs. You are a complete mystery to us. Will you tell me who you are, and why the tornado winds always blocked you from sight?"

Lady glanced at Angel, and smiled. "I'm happy to see you, Angel Bright. My name is Dorothy. I have been blocked there for a very long time. Once, as a child, I was caught up in a tornado, and taken to Oz. After the Wizard helped me return home, I gew up. One day an evil magician put a spell on me, and locked me in the picture, with the tornado to keep me from seeing or being seen. The quake broke the spell, so I escaped. Now I'm going back to ask the Wizard if he can once again send me back home. I hope he can, and can take me back to the day I was bespelled. I was to have been wed the next day.I would be so happy if I could have my life back."

"Oh, Dorothy, I'm so sorry." Angel' voice was sad. " I will do all I can to help the Wizard. Perhaps, between us, we can do it."

"Thank you!" Dorothy whispered, gulping back a sob.

It was not long before they were in the city, and approaching the Wizard's castle. Dorothy parked the car, and they all mounted the steps. As they approached, the big doors opened, and a booming voice greeted them.

"Welcome. Come forward and state your request." it said.

They did, and the Wizard thought for a while, conferred with Angel Bright, and then turned to Dorothy.

"We can do it, my dear. And we can draw legs in the picture, so there will be no blank spot. And Angel, Pegasus and I will return Car to his spot. No one need know you are no longer imprisoned there."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Dorothy cried. She hugged and kissed them all, tears of happiness running down her cheeks.

And so it was done. Dorothy made a beautiful bride. She lived a long and happy life. Her six children grew and became productive, upstanding citizens of Kansas.

And the picture looks just the same as always. And everyone except Angel and Pegasus continue to speculate about the Mysterious Lady.

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