Gale: Yellow Brick Road (2026)

[bunniefuu]

- Welcome home, Emily.

Dorothy.

Just

- Make sense.

It's open.

Don't tell me that's what I think it is.

- And a good morning to you too.

- I've not had my

coffee yet. You want a cup?

- What? No champagne?

It's a celebra... Don't

- Say it.

- Okay. I wouldn't dream of it,

- But thank you for dropping by.

- You're welcome, my

dear. I'm not just your

agent, I'm your friend.

Although I'm not always sure in what order

- The ideas are coming.

I'm working

- Well.

Working isn't the same as working.

- The ideas are coming.

- Publishers have a short

memory and Francis. Well,

- I'm not taking the Francis job.

It's not my story.

- Okay, you're right.

But it is a job. Work.

- Something will come

- Well as your agent

I hope so. But

as your friend, happy..

- No, George!

- Emily.

This isn't healthy. This, this, this.

The avoidance. Life moves on. It goes on.

Whether we like it or not.

I worry.. Emily.

I, I just, I wish you could love yourself.

- Look, I've got a busy day.

I just want it over with.

- Okay.

- Emily.

Don't wait until you disappear.

- It's my birthday today.

- I know.

It was her birthday

when..

I know

- I have her

things still unboxed,

- Hidden at home.

It's been 20 years since

she, it's hard for us

to put ourselves in someone else's shoes,

but until we can understand

them, we can't forgive them.

Are the dream journals

helping?

I don't know.

Who's Dorothy? That name

hasn't come up before.

I don't know.

Well, they're

changing.

The dreams.

That's progress.

I don't want them to change.

I want them to end.

We have to confront our

fears to move away from them.

And right now, what you're

most afraid of is yourself.

Small steps.

And the mirrors?

The last we spoke, you'd manage

to at least use them in your car.

What about when you're at

home? When you're alone?

It isn't a common condition.

Spectro phobia, but it is known,

which means that it's treatable.

Have you been practicing

your breathing? The mantra?

No.

It can help Emily.

It can take you out of your head

and bring you back to what matters.

I don't know what matters.

You matter.

Are you ready for today's session?

Yes.

Okay.

Now,

the same as always.

Take a deep breath,

that's it.

And another

relax.

Sink Slowly into the chair, aware of

who you are and everything around you.

You're safe. Do you believe

that, that you're safe?

Yes.

Good.

Now, think of that place, the place

that we've been to before.

The place where you feel the safest.

Your own place.

Only you know this place.

Lock that into your mind.

Safe.

Are you there?

Yes.

Now we'll begin.

1, 2, 3.

Stay in that place. Safe and secure.

Nothing can hurt you

there. What can you see?

It's here again.

What is Emily?

The mirror.

Let this stay a safe place.

Go to the mirror.

I can't.

Okay. We'll come back into the room, then

safely and slowly

let it all fade away.

You can open your eyes.

See?

- Emily!

Emily. Wake up. Come back

into the room. Emily.

Emily, wake up. Listen

to my voice. Come back.

- Repeat it. Repeat your

mantra. I'm home. I'm safe. I'm

- Home.

I'm home. I'm safe. I'm

home. I'm home. I'm safe.

I'm, I'm home. I'm safe. I'm home.

I'm safe. I'm home. I'm safe.

- What a great birthday

This is.

- Small steps.

Am I going crazy?

Stay away from Oz.

What?

- Begin at the beginning.

- Dorothy.

- Welcome to the Wamego Home

for the differently minded.

Our reception is closed for the evening.

Visiting hours are Monday through Friday

by appointment only.

Please call back between 8 A.M. and...

- Must say we are quite

surprised to get your voicemail

even more surprised to see you here today.

All visiting is strictly

by appointment only.

I drove through the night.

How do you know Dorothy?

- I don't exactly.

- Then why are you here?

- I found this.

What is it?

A book.

- Ms.

Laughlin.

I am presuming you didn't drive

through the night just to be

deliberately obtuse.

Ms. Laughlin.

It was my mother's.

- Was?

The name Dorothy...

It's in this book.

So is the

phone number for this hospital.

- Can I see?

- It's at the back.

- That's our number. Except it's not.

What do you mean?

It's an old number.

It was disconnected a while ago,

- But it directed me to

your answering machine.

- I can't see how that's

possible.

Well I'm here.

- What about Dorothy?

- Why is she important to you?

After all, it's just a

name in the back of one

of your mother's old sketchbooks.

- Is there anybody by that name here?

- I can't give out patient information

unless it's to a family

member, a relative, next of kin.

There's nobody by the

name of Laughlin here

that I can tell you.

- What about Gale?

- How do you know that name?

- It was my mother's,

it was her maiden name.

I took my father's last name.

You know who I'm talking about? Don't you?

Did you know her?

Who?

My mother, Elizabeth.

No.

But you know the name Gale.

- Dorothy's been all but mute

for nearly 20 years since I've known her.

She can't have said more

than four words to me,

and I've been her primary

attendant longer than anybody.

Her world. It was in her drawings.

She would scribble

and draw the same kind of

things over and over again.

Always at night,

always in complete darkness.

And then two days ago, she stopped.

What happened two days ago?

The night shift found her,

sat on the edge of her bed,

banging her heels together,

repeating the same four words

over and over and over again.

We don't get to her right away.

It's only when she wakes another resident

and they pull their alarm cord,

her ankles, her heels.

She bangs them together. So hard. So much.

Why does she do that?

We don't know.

But she says it's the

only way she can keep

her safe.

- Her?

- I will give you some

time, but I'll be close by.

- Dorothy,

- Do you know who I am?

My name is Emily.

You wrote about me?

You wrote my name?

Dorothy.

I found this in my mother's things.

It brought me here.

It brought me to you.

Do you recognize it?

How long have you been trapped here,

- Dorothy, stop.

I'm safe. I'm home.

I'm safe.

Are you there?

Stay.

Away.

- From.

Oz.

Emily, are you alright?

I heard screaming.

- Take me home.

- Oh, not now.

Ugh!

Okay.

- Are you kidding me?

- Mrs. Appleton sent me out.

This is the beginning.

- What?

- What did you say?

There's

a storm coming.

Forecast says, it's a big one.

- My car won't start.

- Mrs. Appleton says,

you can come back inside.

You can stay here.

We have guest rooms

for visitors traveling from far away.

- It's an old building.

Has memories.

Just in case.

Eric.

- The beginning is always dark

until we walk far enough

towards the light.

- Ugh.

- You shouldn't be in here.

You should go back.

- My room is, I I'm locked out.

This key you gave me. It, it, it doesn't.

Dr. Appleton lied.

She, she took my book,

my, my mother's book.

She knows who she was. Who

I am. My mother was here.

- Go. Go.

- Why are you out of your room?

- I..

My mother, you did know her.

She was here!

- All medical details at this

facility are confidential.

I told you that.

I am afraid your behavior

is unacceptable.

Emily.

I'm leaving.

Your car won't start.

Remember?

I'll call a cab.

At this time?

I am afraid it's safer

and more practical for you

to stay here. As we agreed.

- We didn't agree anything.

Eric?

- I found him in C

Corridor, Dr. Appleton.

- What have you done?

Emily

You're clearly not feeling well.

It's been a stressful journey.

I think it's best that you

return to your room to sleep.

I don't want to..

Stop!

meddling with things,

that don't concern you.

Let me help you sleep.

No.

No!

Let me go!

This is for your own

good Emily.

Trust me.

- Emily!

She went that way! Over there!

Leave me alone!

Help! Help me!

- The true friends may

not be anything like me.

They may be part of me or all

of me,

put together by misery.

- A little misery makes us

appreciate a little happiness.

- Patches.

Patches?

Is that your name?

This was my mother's.

Where am I?

- What was that? Who

was that? Go. Go. Where?

- Where are we going?

I, I don't, what does that mean?

- A a, a path, road?

Home?

Until we walk far enough

towards the light.

- No, stay back.

I mean

it. Stay back!

I just wanna go home.

What do you want from me?

Help!

Help me!

- Wait. No, no, no. Don't, don't leave me.

- Dorothy?

Is that you, Elizabeth?

No, no. It's Emily.

Elizabeth was my mother.

Remember?

What's going on?

Is this, am I back?

- Where is it you think you've been?

I I, I don't know.

You shouldn't have come if you didn't know

where you were going.

This is a place for Gales.

It's always been a place for Gales.

A place we've cherished,

protected and loved.

At least we used to.

I tried.

Elizabeth tried.

- I am not Emily. Gale.

- I'll never let my life be the end.

- I'll die before I let that happen.

Tell me what's going on!

You have all the answers you need.

Answers?

Answers?

These aren't answers.

They're not even questions.

They're, they're crazy.

That's what they are. That's

what she left me with. Crazy.

I should just destroy it.

Destroy whatever's left of her.

She left me.

Why should I stay

following in her footsteps

down the same road as her?

Why can't I just give up like she did?

- She didn't give up. Not on you.

She always had faith

that you would find your way.

Find my way to where?

The best way to find yourself

is to lose yourself

because then you know

what you are looking for.

Find her. Find her

before she does.

Find who?

- I don't understand.

This is part of your treatment, Emily,

to bring you back.

Back?

back home.

You're still here, still under hypnosis.

No.

Yes.

Listen to my voice.

I'm home?

You're safe.

Do you believe that?

Come home, Emily.

This is your safe place right here.

To take small steps,

You have to put one foot

in front of the other.

No,

- No, no,

- No, no, no, no, no,

- No, no.

There are no good witches Emily.

- I'm home. I'm safe. I'm home.

I'm safe. I'm home. I'm safe.

I'm home. I'm safe. I'm home.

- Emily, you're clearly not feeling well.

I think it's best that

you return to your room.

Open your eyes Emily.

- What?

What's, why

- Am I here? Why am I

- Restrained?

Emily, who do you

think you are?

- What?

- What?

Who is it..

What?

How do you think you know me?

This place?

- I, I, Dorothy,

- My, my mother.

I, I, you, you told me.

You,

- Your name is Dr.

Appleton. You, you kept my

mother here, Elizabeth

and Dorothy,

- And now me?

What?

Why would I want to

keep you here?

Well then let me go then!

My name is Dr. Appleton.

I am a psychiatrist.

Your psychiatrist, Emily.

- My psychiatrist?

No.

Dorothy's...

Not..

- I don't have...need a psychiatrist.

I've been treating you here

for the past six years.

Emily, you suffer from

something commonly known

as displacement syndrome.

- No, no, no, no, no.

I, I, I came here, I, I came here

to visit Dorothy.

I, I, I ca I came here.

I, I found you from, from my

mother's. My mother's book.

From your mother's book?

- Yeah.

This

is your book, Emily.

This is part of the treatment.

Every drawing, every sketch, every word.

It has been created by you.

Dorothy.

She died Emily.

Three months ago.

- No, no. This is, this is a,

this is a lie. This is a lie.

This is all lies.

- My mother's file.

I found it.

It's all you, Emily.

- The pages, the torn pages I

found, I found

- The torn pages.

You tore them out, Emily.

You tore them out and hid

them in other patient's rooms

and accused them of conspiracy.

You did this with Eric.

Eric?

Now, he even went so far

as to steal his room key

so you could perpetuate your fantasies

by hiding it in his room.

This book is your book.

Your mother died 20 years ago.

She had a history of mental illness,

self-harm, delusions.

She's gone.

She k*lled herself.

No.

You try and piece her piece everything

together again and again and again.

No!

But eventually

it always falls apart.

I've been here to look

after you this whole time.

Now I'm afraid we're running

out of things to try.

We need you to come back, Emily,

to come home and stay.

There is one thing that we need from you.

Emily, before she died, Dorothy,

she had a pair of shoes.

They were important to her.

Important to her family.

Her family would like them back after all.

One simply can't take

them without consequences.

Can they?

- You need to get dressed.

Eric.

No.

I'm, I am

- Sorry.

I'm sick. I need to stay here.

- Eric,

Get dressed.

- You need

to find your way home.

- Home?

Eric.

I am home.

I'm where I'm meant to be.

- Begin at the beginning.

Eric.

- I'm not who you think I am.

You're wrong.

Hurry.

Hurry.

Welcome home. Emily.

- No, no.

There are no good witches.

Emily.

No,

- No, no.

You, you are not real. You

are not real. I, I'm just..

MAD?!

Madness would be kinder.

Why are you doing this?

Because this is my Oz!

My story!

I'm home. I'm safe. I'm h*..

- Enough!

Open it.

- Open it, and leave Oz to me.

Leave and go home.

Open it and let your

life be the end.

Take the last small step.

- No...No!

- I knew you'd find me.

- It's okay.

- Why did you leave?

To protect you.

From what?

From us.

I don't understand.

You've seen it now.

You can only hide from

yourself for so long.

Am I crazy?

I never wanted you to carry

this burden too.

Then why leave?

How is dying protecting me?

Because I promised myself I'd die

before I let this place take you too.

- I will never let my life be the end.

I'll die before I let that happen.

- One simply can't take

them without consequences.

Can they?

- This is where your story ends,

Emily Laughlin.

You should have stayed away from Oz.

You should have listened to

Dorothy

Dorothy.

- Eric?

You found your way,

home.

- Dorothy, my mother.

My nightmares.

It was you, wasn't it? All of it.

Why?

- The crown separates royalty

from peasants.

Everyone knows who they are when they know

who the crown belongs to,

and yours belongs to me.

- I don't need a crown to

know who I am.

I'll end you.

- Emily Laughlin.

- The best way to find yourself

is to lose yourself

because then you know

what you are looking for.

- Emily GALE.

NO!

There's no place like home.

- So is the drama of your birthday well

and truly behind you now?

Is it safe to talk?

- It's safe.

As your agent, I must say.

I am surprised to hear from you so soon.

Have you had any more thoughts

about the Francis job?

- No. I've got my own story.

- Let me say as your

friend, I never doubted you

for a second.

- I wish my agent felt the same way.

Come over to see it later?

I've just got a few errands to run.

- Yeah, I can't wait.

- Oh, and George, the cake's still here

and so am I.

Yeah.

- Yeah, you are.

- The sun makes a difference. The light.

- It always does.

What do you see now?

Pain.

- Her pain.

My pain.

Our pain.

But not a pain that can't be confronted.

That can't be beaten.

I can see it now.

I feel

You feel..

Ready.

There's still a long way to go,

but I feel I can at least

now start down that road.

And what road is that?

I dunno yet.

And that's okay.

Thank you.

- Today,

today is the day.

- I made it.

- I'm sorry.

- I'm sorry for not finding you sooner.

I don't fully understand. Not all of it.

Not yet.

- But I promise now I'll try.

Bye.