beatrix bobbit and the returned sister

"What are you staring at, Bea?" Sybil bit her bottom lip and tilted her head. Her wispy pale braid flopped over one shoulder.

"Nothing," Beatrix lied, and cast her eyes away from her sister. She couldn't help it. Ever since she and Callum had found Sybil in that lagoon above the cave, she'd been worried about her.

Though, Sybil was acting almost entirely like herself. Except she'd had her ears pierced when Beatrix found her, and refused to take out the sparkly purple stones. Beatrix had tried, unsuccessfully, to cajole them from her ears with a spell while she was sleeping.

That was the other thing, Sybil seemed immune to any of Beatrix's witch magic. Every time Beatrix caught a blink of the purple stone, she saw Gemma's sharp teeth as she and Callum...

"Beatrix, dear, you've been on the same page for the past hour. Are you feeling alright?" Mrs. Bobbit put a hand on Beatrix's forehead then sighed. "I never know what kind of hot I'm feeling for...why don't you go rest for a bit while I take Sybil to dance."

Beatrix's heart skipped. Sybil hadn't been back to dance yet. She didn't want to leave her, even with Mrs. Bobbit. No telling what Gemma was plotting.

But she was tired. The nighttime watches and protection potion practicing had taken so much of her energy. So, she mumbled, "Alright," and didn't even bother to pick up the bottom of her cloak as it dragged across the floor.

"Beatrix, dear, wait," Mrs. Bobbit's voice made Beatrix pause. Like she had for the past few days, she suddenly found herself wanting to tell Mrs. Bobbit everything that had happened.

"Here," Mrs. Bobbit was huffing and holding out a pink frosted cookie, "a little sugar might help too."

"Bye Bea, feel better!" Sybil pranced past Beatrix and to the front door, when she turned and grinned to show off the gap between her teeth, the purple earrings glittered tauntingly.

"Bye Sybie," Beatrix mumbled before traipsing up the stairs to their shared bedroom. She collapsed on her purple quilted bed, resting her head against the awkwardly shaped broomstick pillow. She closed her eyes for a moment, and soon drifted into a fitful sleep.

...

"Maybe the ribbon wasn't Sybil's..." Callum whispered. They'd been walking for so long, Beatrix had lost track of where they were in the forest. It had been forever since they stopped hearing Gemma's snores in the narrow tunnel they were walking in.

Water dripped from the overgrown moss ceiling and Beatrix's boots squelched unpleasantly in the damp mud. But she wasn't 't ready to give up.

"It was a clue," Beatrix repeated, as much for herself as for Callum.

Callum's shoulders sagged slightly, but he didn't sigh or stop walking or threaten to leave her. Even though this was not the adventure he had hoped for.

"Thank you for staying," Beatrix put a hand on Callum's shoulder and tried to force her lips to turn up in some sort of smile. Smiling without Sybil was almost impossible.

Callum returned her smile with a wide grin. Then, his brows knitted together while he squinted to a spot above Beatrix. Suddenly, he started jumping up and down over and over.

"What are you--"

"Got it!" Callum's fingers scraped the top of the moss ceiling, coming away with a clump of fuzzy green dirt and...

And small slice of pink ribbon.

"How did you even see that?!" Beatrix felt tears sting her eyes as she joined Callum in jumping up and down. Then, without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck and smashed her nose into the side of his jaw.

"Sorry, I was," Callum's cheeks burned.

"Same, I mean, me too," Beatrix stammered. She swatted a hand against her own burning cheeks and thought briefly of Mrs. Bobbit, the way she never could tell how hot was too hot.

She'd be able to tell now, Beatrix thought.

"So," Beatrix tried to recover from the awkward moment. "We need to go through the ceiling of the tunnel?"

"I guess we could start digging but we don't even know where it goes,"

Beatrix opened a pouch in her cloak, and carefully retrieved a shiny red rock. It was already burning hot in her fingers as she threw it as hard as she could up to the ceiling. Then, she grabbed Callum's wrist and shouted, "RUN!"

They dove.

The red rock exploded. Dirt and smoke filled the air as the ceiling collapsed.

"After a few moments, Beatrix pushed herself up and took in the damage. A large mound of dirt lay on the ground below a wide opening that showed spindly branches and trees bending forward above them, and a sparkly dark sky beyond.

"I'll have to tell her it worked," Beatrix smirked, thinking of her Witch Camp roommate.

"Tell who?" Callum dusted himself off and came to stand by her side.

"Come on," Beatrix leapt lightly onto the dirt mound. In another leap she was standing outside at a spot in the forest she'd never ventured to before.

Beatrix spun around. Getting her bearings. When she saw it.

An emerald pool sat between a grove of evergreens. And in the middle of the pool was a raft made of branches, and a pink ribbon waving like a tiny flag.

There, lying on the raft with her eyes closed, was Sybil. Beatrix choked and darted forward.

"Wait for me!" Callum called from right behind her.

They ignored they sting of the branches as they ran straight through the trees and waded into the cold water. Sybil's tutu was filthy, Beatrix noticed, as they approached the raft, but otherwise she looked unharmed.

As the water got deeper, Beatrix began swimming frantically until her fingers touched the flimsy branches holding her sister up. Callum popped up beside her soaking wet and pink cheeked.

"Let's get her to shore," Callum said. They both swam around to the other side of the raft, grabbed hold and started kicking. It wasn't easy work, and when they got to the pine needle covered shore, they were both out of breath.

Together, they dragged the raft onto the shore and Beatrix fell to her knees beside Sybil, who still hadn't awoken.

Then, an owl hooted overhead, and Sybil's eyes shot open wide.

...

Beatrix shot up in bed and ran to the window. She grunted as she pulled it open and stuck her head outside into the darkening night.

But she saw nothing.

She shook her head and was returning to the comfort of her bedroom when the flap of wings startled her. This time, she saw it. A great white owl perched on a tree, staring right at her.

The old hooted.

Beatrix cleared her throat. "Is there something--"

But she was interrupted by Mrs. Bobbit's voice from downstairs, and tiny footsteps on the stairs.

"Later," she mouthed, and ducked back inside to swiftly shut the window just as Sybil pranced into the bedroom.

Beatrix tried to hide the worry from her face, but it was unsettling to see the owl again. The owl who had seen what happened next. Beatrix knew she needed to call Callum, too.