beatrix bobbit and the rescue mission

Beatrix tried to keep the smile from her face while Mr. Bobbit huffed behind her. He was attempting to carry Gemma upstairs after she'd very suddenly fallen asleep at the dinner table.

"I think, Jack, dear, the couch is fine," Mrs. Bobbit said at last. "She's looking a bit ill, poor Sybil, dear. All that motion can't be good for her."

Mrs. Bobbit had been looking a bit ill too, ever since Gemma had slurped down her drink and collapsed against the table, emitting roaring snores. "Sybil never snores," Mrs. Bobbit had said stunned.

And she won't ever again once I bring the real Sybil back, Beatrix thought. Before her rescue mission could get going, though, she needed her parents to go to bed.

"Dad, Penny seems traumatized. Maybe you should take her--" Mr. Bobbit carefully laid the fake Sybil on the couch then practically lunged for Penny who was plopped in Beatrix's hands. "Maybe you could both go on to bed. I'll stay with Sybie," Beatrix tried.

Mr. Bobbit grunted and shuffled towards their bedroom. Once he'd disappeared, Beatrix could hear him singing softly about sweet carrots and crisp leaves. Mrs. Bobbit was hovering over the sofa trying to pat her pale hair down.

"I hate to leave her," Mrs. Bobbit sighed, then padded over to Beatrix. "Beatrix, dear, come get me if she needs anything?"

Beatrix threw an arm across her mom's shoulders for a quick hug, then gently led her towards the bedroom.

"I'm sure she'll be all better in the morning," Beatrix closed the creaking door, and returned to the yellow sofa where Gemma continued to snore so loudly the floor vibrated. Then, Beatrix retrieved a Lightening Feather from her cloak and tucked it behind Gemma's cold ear.

When she bent down to hoist her up, she found Gemma truly was light as a feather. But so cold. Beatrix walked quickly to the front door and down the steps. Once outside, she turned around the corner of the house and smiled at the bubbling pool that had formed in the garden. Pink foam coated the surface of the moonlit water.

Beatrix whistled once and waited. A few moments later, a figure bounded out of the trees dressed in an orange wetsuit and carrying a foam noodle and blue backpack.

Beatrix sighed. "What's with the wetsuit and noodle?"

"You can't have a water rescue mission without them!" Callum grinned brightly, then furrowed his brow at the fake Sybil slumped across Beatrix's shoulder.

"But we're going...the noodle will...never mind, we need to go," Beatrix turned and surveyed the foamy pink water. She saw Callum's orange suit reflected when he came to stand beside her. "Thanks," she turned to face him.

He hadn't asked any questions or doubted her claims when she came to him earlier for help. He said he'd be there, and he'd do whatever she needed for Sybil. Beatrix wasn't always sure how non witch friendships were supposed to go, but she knew this one was sturdier than any spell.

Callum tapped her shoulder and offered her a child's sized swim mask. Beatrix felt the smirk but refused to let her lips comply as she took the mask between her fingers before trying to slip it on her head. Once it was on way too tightly, Beatrix stepped into the water. With her eyes open, she saw Callum sink down to join her. His eyes looked funny behind his own mask, but Beatrix didn't let herself dwell on how hers must look.

They spun in the pink water until Callum garbled something in iridescent bubbles and Beatrix saw what he was pulling her towards. There was a tunnel, just as Beatrix had suspected when Mr. Bobbit told the tale of the mysterious gemstones appearing in a hole in the garden.

Of course, they had been planted by Gemma, and Gemma needed a creepy hidden tunnel to lay her sneaky traps.

Beatrix pointed up and kicked to the surface with Gemma still passed out over her shoulder.

She rummaged in her pocket one final time and found the two sticks of Air Gum. She handed one to Callum and put the other in her mouth. "I'm not sure exactly how long these will last, but keep your mouth closed and chew when you need to take a breath through your nose."

Callum gulped, but after an encouraging smile, put the gum into his mouth.

"Ready?" Beatrix mumbled between closed lips.

Callum nodded, his damp black hair flopping.

Then, they dove.

This time, they swam with purpose towards the narrow circular tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, the water began to rush faster, carrying Beatrix and Callum and Gemma with it. Beatrix glanced back at Callum once and saw a mixture of terror and excitement glinting in his eyes, before the rush of the water sucked them with such force, it was all Beatrix could do to hang onto Gemma and not bang into the roots dangling from the sides of the tunnel.

Beatrix turned in circles and tried not to think about her gum beginning to dissolve. She clutched Gemma and forced her eyes to stay open.

Callum crashed into her, then was pulled away, then frantically reached for her hand. Just when she touched his fingers though, his eyes got round and huge and Beatrix turned in time to see the tunnel ending at a waterfall.

They cascaded over the side. The tunnel having spit them out into the stream of water that ended in a clear green pool that glimmered with red and blue and purple gemstones.

The water was crisp and the force of the landing made Beatrix accidentally swallow her gum. Quickly, she kicked to the surface, ignoring the hum of the gemstones, and sucked in her first gum free breaths.

Callum's head shot up next to her a second later.

They swam to the patch of dirt next to the pool, and Callum helped her pull Gemma from the water. Immediately, Beatrix bent down to check that Gemma really was still sleeping.

Loud, watery snores shot from her nose. Beatrix recoiled, then wondered if the potion was too good before taking a look around their underground cave.

Suddenly, Beatrix realized the flimsiness of her plan. She'd believed if she could find where Gemma had been holed up she could leave those stones, she'd find Sybil.

A sob caught in the back of her throat, and Callum placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Then, Callum began jumping up and down and ran to the dirt coated wall. He sprinted back in such a blur, Beatrix couldn't see what he was holding until it was right in front of her.

A pink ribbon. Just like Sybil always wore in her hair.

She had been here.

"The mission continues," Callum saluted, and started walking towards one of the branching pathways.

The groan of Gemma's snores and dripping water were the only sounds as they disappeared down a dark tunnel.