beatrix bobbit's almost half birthday

Mrs. Bobbit hummed to distract herself from the dreadful black icing that now coated her hands. She was frosting a Black Velvet Half Cauldron Cake for Beatrix's thirteenth half birthday.

"If only there was a spell to ensure I'd never have to make black icing again," Mrs. Bobbit sighed, then looked at the rabbit perched on the kitchen table beside her. "No offense, Penny, dear. Your fur is lovely."

Penny merely twitched her ear, which brushed Mr. Bobbit's hand while he snored at the kitchen table. He jerked away at once coughing and looking around wild-eyed for Penny. Once he found her, he nestled into her head muttering about bad dreams and giant hungry birds.

Mr. Bobbit creaked as he got to his feet and hopped across the white tiles until he retrieved a carrot from the fridge. When he sat back down, his mustache flicked up at the corners while watching Penny nibble on the cold carrot.

"What smells so good, I'm starving," Mr. Bobbit grunted and squinted at the misshapen cake in front of him. "Oh no. Not black icing again. Can't we have something more appetizing?"

"Oh Jack, dear, trust me, I know, but Beatrix was very specific. However, a little pop of strawberry pink wouldn't hurt."

"Yes it would!" Beatrix's voice somehow projected into the kitchen from all the way upstairs.

Mr. Bobbit peered closely at the cake then suddenly recoiled. "I can't decide what's worse. The continued witch nonsense or the black icing."

Mrs. Bobbit laughed so hard it turned into coughing. Mr. Bobbit patted her back before taking Penny outside to finish the balloon art installation he was working on. Mrs. Bobbit had been dubious of what was really occurring in the garden. More likely, it seemed an excuse for Mr. Bobbit to nap uninterrupted with Penny. But, he had procured a large amount of balloons regardless.

The dubious nature of Mr. Bobbit's art installation gave Mrs. Bobbit an idea. She tiptoed quietly to the sink to grab a bowl of strawberries. Just as she was about to plop the first strawberry into the icing, a loud POP and cloud of purple smoke distracted her.

Beatrix plucked the strawberry hovering in Mrs. Bobbit's hand and finished it in one bite. Mrs. Bobbit had the sense to make a face once her heart stopped pounding, "Ew, Beatrix, dear. You ate the leaves!"

Eating leaves, for Mrs. Bobbit, was a lot like laying in leaves. She simply found the experience at risk of too much dirt.

"They're good for you," Beatrix grinned. "Every witch knows."

"Goodness, Beatrix, dear. Are witches in the habit of eating leaves?" Mrs. Bobbit waved her hand across her forehead and accidentally smeared it with black icing.

"Leave it! It suits your inner witch," Beatrix booped Mrs. Bobbit on the nose like Penny, eliciting a startled sneeze, then trotted outside to the garden. "When will Sybie be back?"

Mrs. Bobbit turned to the red bird clock on the kitchen counter and gave it a light tap. Followed by a harder tap and a sigh. "Soon. Will you see if your father needs any help on his balloon art installation?" Mrs. Bobbit felt her hair frizz from the thought of all those balloons.

Beatrix tucked her wand inside her half birthday cloak, and skipped out to the back garden. Though she didn't see Mr. Bobbit, she did hear him grumbling to Penny about static electricity from the field behind the house.

Beatrix considered appearing in front of him in a cloud of smoke. But something at the corner of the forest caught her eye. A single emerald green gemstone winked from the top of a rock. As if beckoning her.

Drawn to the gemstone, Beatrix retrieved her wand and ran towards the forest. Breathlessly, she picked it up to examine it for secret notes or signs from Gemma. It was only when she set it back on top of the rock that she saw what she was looking for.

There was a whole path marked by multi-colored gemstones. They were laying in pine needles and moss or on top of branches or logs or rocks. Beatrix could see them twinkling even in the darker depths of the forest.

Though she didn't want to miss a moment of her half-birthday, especially since the tradition had been her idea, she also didn't want to miss the chance for a half-birthday adventure. Or to see Gemma. It had been two weeks since the photo bomb incident. As she now referred to it.

Beatrix glanced back over her shoulder. Mrs. Bobbit was in the window blowing her nose, Mr. Bobbit was snoring behind the house and Sybil still wasn't home. Without another thought, Beatrix kicked off her half-new boots and ran to the next gemstone.

She quite enjoyed the feel of her cloak flying behind her as she hopped over rocks and through spongy moss following the path of gemstones. Leaves got stuck in her braid and birds buzzed overhead until she left the cover of the trees and arrived at the tall green grass that led to the green lagoon.

It wasn't the lagoon itself that gave Beatrix pause. Though, it was too still. Even so, a large silver rock jutted out in the middle of the water. The tip of that rock was coated in the largest blue gemstone Beatrix had ever seen.

"That's not your present!" Gemma's voice called so loudly the lagoon water began to ripple and wave.

"Then what is my present?" Beatrix shouted back. She didn't bother wondering how Gemma had known it was her half birthday.

"Come see," Gemma said, as the waves in the water grew more frantic.

Beatrix ran down to the shore. Her feet were already green and brown and sore from running barefoot. Holding up her cloak, Beatrix stuck her foot in and felt near instant relief from the cool, clear water. She stuck her second foot in, sighing in pleasure, and bracing herself for more adventure...=until she heard Mrs. Bobbit's voice from beyond the forest.

"Beatrix, dear! Please come home quickly before your half cauldron cake melts," Mrs. Bobbit screeched, frightening the birds.

Beatrix looked back at the water longingly, before begrudgingly turning back to the forest and following the path home. Once she arrived, she was greeted with a hug from Sybil in the garden and a surprisingly eager Mr. Bobbit.

"Come see," Mr. Bobbit grunted, tugging her sleeve until she walked around the house to see what had been occupying much of Mr. Bobbit's time these past days. Against the wall was a giant black rabbit made entirely of balloons.

"Jack, dear," Mrs. Bobbit said.

"I love balloon Penny!" Sybil beamed.

"It's perfect," Beatrix threw her arms around Mr. Bobbit, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. Though, she had no idea what the tears were for.

"You think I did her justice?" Mr. Bobbit was looking from Penny to the balloons with twinkling eyes too.

"Yes, of course, Jack, dear," Mrs. Bobbit sneezed. "Now, we simply must eat the cake now, come on."

Mrs. Bobbit ushered Beatrix, Sybil, Mr. Bobbit and Penny inside, where they all grabbed forks and ate from the currently imploding cauldron cake. They couldn't risk cutting into it, which greatly upset Mrs. Bobbit.

After opening her half present, Beatrix snuck outside while everyone was cleaning up. Her hand reached into her sleeve to retrieve her wand.

But it wasn't there.

A loud boom echoed from the middle of the forest, near the lagoon. And Beatrix knew then, where her missing wand was.