Ready?” the Wizard asks.

We all nod.

The hot-air balloon looks awesome. It’s huge and multicolored. Below the balloon is a big basket that we’re supposed to stand in. I have no idea how hot-air balloons work, but I’m glad Robin and the Wizard do.

Before we climb into the basket, I take off the ruby slippers and hand them to Dorothy. “Do you know what to do?”

She slips her feet inside the sparkly shoes.

“Just click your heels together three times and tell the shoes where you want to go. They’ll take you in three steps,” Glinda explains.

“Got it,” Dorothy says. Then she pauses. “But … are we sold on the plain red?”

Huh?

“Do you want me to change them to something else?” Glinda asks.

Dorothy smiles. “I kind of like the checkered pattern on Penny’s shoes. Do you think you could do that?” she asks.

“You have excellent taste,” Penny tells Dorothy, who blushes.

Glinda laughs and waves her wand toward the shoes.

They’re now checkered red and black. But still glittering.

“Wow. Thank you!” Dorothy says.

“Looking good,” I say, and give her a hug. My eyes tear up. “It was great to meet you.”

“You too,” Dorothy says. “Thank you all for helping me.”

I look at Dorothy in her blue-and-white gingham dress, braids — and checkered red-and-black slippers — with Toto in her arms.

Perfect.

Ruff! Prince barks good-bye to Toto.

Ruff-ruff! Toto barks back. He leaps out of Dorothy’s arms and runs right over to Prince. But they don’t fight. Instead, Prince leans against Toto. Aw, is Prince giving Toto a hug? I think they are sad to say good-bye. They’ve come so far together — from not getting along, to working together to save us all!

Dorothy scoops up Toto again and closes her eyes. She clicks her heels together three times. “Take me home,” she says. “Take me home. Take me home.”

Poof!

And she’s gone.

Glinda closes her eyes and opens them three seconds later. “Dorothy and Toto are already home! I saw her safely land and run into her aunt’s and uncle’s arms.”

Whew.

“Ready?” Bob the Wizard asks, sweeping his arm toward the hot-air balloon.

“Ready!” I say as Frankie, Robin, Penny, and I — carrying Prince — get in the basket of the balloon. I sneeze. I really am ready to get home and into bed.

“You’re good, Robin?” Bob asks. He gave her a brief review before to make sure she knew what to do.

“Great,” Robin says. “The hot-air makes you go higher. And cool air makes you go lower.”

“Exactly,” the Wizard says.

I wave down at the crowd as the balloon starts to rise.

Glinda, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are all waving and smiling.

I wave at the Munchkins and the Winkies.

And then suddenly we’re flying up, up, and away. It’s not scary like when the flying monkeys captured us, or when the tornado lifted Robin’s tree house. It feels peaceful and easy, like we’re floating on a cloud.

We sail over the Emerald City and I see the yellow brick road below us.

I look out on Oz and smile. This has been an amazing adventure!

But then I freeze.

Because standing right there on the yellow brick road …

Is GLUCK.

He’s not in disguise: He looks like himself — white-blond choppy hair, ice-blue eyes. And I can see the black wings on his back!

No!

“Robin, can you go any higher or faster?!” I cry. “I see Gluck!”

“What’s that in Gluck’s hand?” Frankie asks, straining to see.

We all look.

“It’s a bow and arrow,” I say.

“What is he doing with a …” Robin asks, but her voice trails off as we see what he’s up to. He pulls the bow back and the arrow comes flying right toward us.

Nooooo!!!

“Good-bye, suckers!” Gluck shouts into the sky.

We all scream and duck down into the basket.

But the arrow goes right into the balloon, tearing a hole right through it.

“Oh, no!” Frankie cries.

The balloon suddenly starts to zigzag in the sky. We all hold on for dear life.

“This is bad,” Robin says. “Really, really bad.”

The balloon starts to drop. And tilt. Suddenly, we’re floating down instead of up. We’re descending faster. And faster.

“Guys, hold on to the side!” I scream. “We’re going to crash into that field of red flowers!”