beatrix bobbit and the flooded forest

"Bea wake up!"

"Not now, Sybs," Beatrix groaned. She pulled her blue quilt over her head. "Did you spill water?"

"Nope," Sybil leapt onto the bed, making Beatrix feel dizzy from the sudden movement. "It's coming from outside."

Sybil giggled, and Beatrix groaned louder. "It's raining?"

"Come see, Bea!" Suddenly, Beatrix's quilt was ripped from her head, eliciting a third groan. Reluctantly, Beatrix reached for Sybil's hand and allowed herself to be pulled from the bed and over to their lone bedroom window overlooking the yard.

Beatrix gasped, rubbed her eyes and looked at Sybil who was grinning. She stuck her tongue between her two front teeth.

Moonlight rippled across a pool of water that now covered their whole yard. Beatrix couldn't see exactly how far it stretched.

"Where did it come-" Beatrix began but stopped. "Oh."

"Gemma is totally behind this," Sybil's sleep tousled hair bobbed while she nodded.

"I guess I could work on a spell..."

"Or we could have a swimming party!"

A grin spread across Beatrix's face as she shushed the Mrs. Bobbit voice inside her head saying that one could not simply swim in an unregulated body of water.

"Get your swimsuit on! I just learned a new warming charm from Broomstick Betsy. I can't wait to use it," Beatrix was already throwing off her sleeping cloak and rifling through a pile of clothes for her swim cloak. A gift from Aunt Pan.

In a few swift leaps, Sybil was dressed in a lavender swim suit with a turquoise swim skirt and combing her hair out of her face.

After Beatrix fastened the three clasps of her black swim cloak, they tip toed creakily down the stairs and to the front door where Penny was curled up.

"What do we do?!" Sybil whispered, staring at the rabbit shaped obstacle in their plan.

Beatrix sighed and bent down to gently slide Penny away from the door when they heard a grumble followed by a, "Cookies, Jack, dear."

"Quick!" Sybil squealed. Beatrix tucked Penny in her arms, and wrenched open the front door. As soon as they stepped onto the top stair, they were wading through cool water.

Glancing around, Beatrix grabbed an empty plastic planter and a broken garden hose from the side of the house and chanted her newly practiced spell to heat them. After both objects felt warm to touch, Beatrix gently placed Penny inside the pot, and offered the hose to Sybil.

"If you keep a hand on the hose, you should stay warm," Beatrix said.

They both took a breath, and leapt off the front steps and into the deeper water. Beatrix held onto the pot while she kicked, both to stay warm and keep Penny from floating off. Sybil was splashing gracefully beside her, weaving the hose effortlessly through the water like a ribbon as she swam.

When they got to the edge of the yard, they paused, breathless with excitement, and rolled onto their backs to look up at the sky.

"I don't care what Gemma's plan is, this is so fun," Sybil said.

Beatrix was inclined to agree, though still suspiciously so. Suddenly, a shadow flitted across her view of the moon.

Then, a shout and a splash.

Beatrix immediately reached for her wand, and pulled Sybil closer to Penny's pot.

"Gemma?" Beatrix called, though the voice hadn't sounded like Gemma at all.

"Uh, no, it's Callum," the voice replied and Beatrix relaxed a bit before swimming towards his voice. After a moment, they found him bobbing along in the water and reaching for a broomstick that hovered just above his fingers.

"What are you doing here?" Beatrix asked, flicking her finger at the broomstick so it lowered towards Callum's outstretched hand.

"I was practicing my broomstick riding when I saw water and went to check it out," Callum replied cheerfully. "I thought I was dreaming. Turns out, I wasn't! Wow, does Mrs. Bobbit know?"

Beatrix and Sybil exchanged a sisterly look, then shouted, "NO!"

"I figured," Callum grinned. He was gripping the broomstick floating above his head tightly to stay afloat, while Beatrix and Sybil treaded water with their respective gardening equipment.

No one was quite sure what to do.

"Let's keep swimming to see how far this goes," Sybil offered.

"I'm in," Callum said, urging his broomstick towards the forest where the water continued to reach. "What spell did you use to make this happen?"

"It wasn't me," Beatrix smirked, and began kicking towards the canopy of dark trees. Pine needles rained down on them when they entered the forest. The smell of damp spring blooms was sweet, despite the ominous hoots and rustles and Callum's incessant teeth chattering.

Beatrix did a lap around a trunk before swimming up beside Callum and placing the same heating charm on his broom.

"You're welcome," she said when the blue tinge left his skin.

"You could've done that sooner," he grumbled.

"Does anyone want to play a game?" Sybil asked.

Though her voice was bright, Beatrix could hear the uncertainty beneath her words. They had already swam so deep into the forest now, everywhere they turned they were surrounded by trees sprouting from the water and the fast beating of wings.

Not exactly the most joyous swimming party.

"What sort of game?" Callum asked.

Beatrix continued swimming onward, searching for the tree where Sybil had left the stone. But, it wasn't where she thought it should be.

"We could race back to the house?"

"Or you could play with me," a high-pitched voice spoke in a tone that made the water swirl.

"Did you hear that?" Callum asked. Both hands now gripped his floating broomstick.

"You brought me a new play thing?" Gemma said.

Beatrix twirled round and round in the water searching for Gemma's familiar green skin and blinking gemstones. "Bored with me already?"

"You are a bit dull, flopping around in the water like degenerate seagulls. When there's so much more to see," Gemma taunted.

Abruptly, Gemma cackled and a branch snapped overhead. Beatrix looked up in time to see it hurtling towards Callum and Sybil.

She pointed her wand at the branch, and watched it explode into small shreds of singed bark just above their heads.

"Who is that?" Callum's small eyes darted from side to side.

Gemma still hadn't shown herself. Beatrix assumed that meant she was planning a larger reveal.

"I did what you asked!" Sybil squealed.

The rustling of leaves and branches overhead grew more frantic. Beatrix swam to Callum and Sybil, instructing them both to grab hold of his broom.

"Don't let go!" she yelled. The water began rocking around them, back and forth so steadily Beatrix thought she might be sick. After a few rocks, though, a large wave formed behind them.

Sybil and Callum turned together.

"It's gonna crash on us," Callum gulped.

"No way," Sybil responded with a tight nod.

"Thanks, Sybie," Beatrix said. Beads of cold sweat ran down her forehead while she pulled the broomstick back so that they were reversing up the height of the wave. It was like riding a slide backwards.

When they got to the top, Beatrix called, "Ready?" and let the wave begin to crash, surging them forward. Beatrix navigated the broomstick mostly without incident. Callum took a few twigs to the face.

As the wave broke at the edge of the forest in bubbly white foam, Beatrix charmed the broomstick to pull them towards the front door.

None of them immediately released their tight grip on the broomstick when they were deposited on the damp front step. Their breath was coming quick, but their faces were bright and wet.

"Gemma's still out there," Sybil said half in awe.

"What is Gemma?" Callum asked, looking between the two sisters.

Before they could answer, the front door flew open to reveal an extremely disheveled Mr. Bobbit donning a pink floral robe.

"Morning, Dad!" Sybil said cheerfully, even with the sky still black above them.

Mr. Bobbit grumbled.

"We took Penny out for some fresh air," Beatrix splashed to the front door and tipped the pot to pull Penny out. Then, she stood, dripping in her swim cloak and handed the still dry rabbit to Mr. Bobbit.

He grumbled again, but as he turned to go back inside, his face was nuzzled in Penny's fur.

"What now?" Callum asked.

"We come up with a plan to find Gemma," Beatrix replied, opening the front door for Sybil.

"Oh goodie!" Sybil cheered.

"Wanna come in for cookies?" Beatrix asked.

Callum grinned, and followed the two sisters inside. When the front door clicked shut, a green fin flipped near the edge of the forest before swimming off laughing so fiercely the forest shook.