Dorothy watched the horizon for the telltale speck in the sky that would take her to a life of leisure.

No more endless sweltering hours spent under greasy half-broken machines.

The speck appeared in the far distance. She watched it slowly expand for several minutes as she thought about the life she was leaving behind.

Her friends and her family.

Well, the only family she had left.

After her parents died, her mother's sister took her in and treated her just like she was one of her own. That was the problem, she thought, as she inspected the black mire that stubbornly refused to be scrubbed out from the deep recesses of her fingernails.

Dorothy was born in Emerald City. Born into a life free from want or need. The dirtiest she ever got was when the rains came and mud caked the bottom of her handmade boots.

At least that was before her parents went to a late night thousand dollar a plate dinner to support their favorite candidate -- and never came back. She wondered if entering the child welfare system would have been better than moving to Kansas City and working on Aunt Em's farm.

She dug at the grease under her thumbnail. It would have been cleaner, she thought.

The speck expanded and was now recognizable as an airship, complete with the Knight family crest painted on the side of the rigid envelope that contained the gas cells giving the airship its lighter than air flight ability. It was still far enough away that she could barely make out the gondola mounted on the underside of the rigid frame.

The security doors to the airship platform chimed and she spun around as they opened. Out of the darkened hallway stepped her closest friend in Kansas City since fourth grade. Like her, Amanda had lost her mother when she was very young and she had never known her father. Aunt Em became family to more than just blood relatives and always had several children living with her and helping out on the farm.

"Amanda!"

Amanda rushed over and hugged Dorothy.

"Oh my God Dorothy, I can't believe out of all of us, you're the first one to finally get out of Kansas."

"I know."

Amanda held her at arm's length. "And to Emerald City no less."

Dorothy performed a mock curtsy. "Don't forget becoming the future Mrs. Benjamin Knight."

Amanda's smile faded slightly. "How could I? We both met him at the same time."

Dorothy laughed. "You were the first to get a date with him."

Amanda stopped smiling. "You were the first to get a second date."

Dorothy punched her friend's shoulder playfully. "Don't start that again. We both tried for him."

"And he picked you."

Dorothy's smile stretched from ear to ear. "And he picked me."

"That wasn't how it was supposed to happen."

Dorothy frowned at her childhood friend. "You're being a little dramatic, don't you think?"

"There was a plan, Dorothy."

"What are you talking about?"

Dorothy felt the sharp object thrust into her side as her closest friend whispered in her ear. "Don't make me kill you. As soon as the airship docks, you will invite me to come with you."

Dorothy looked at her. What was she doing?

As the gondola lined up with the platform, Amanda slipped the revolver back into the folds of her cloak.

Dorothy's eyes searched her best friend's face for something, anything, that explained why she threatened to kill her.

She found nothing.

Amanda's face was devoid of all emotion.