beatrix bobbit's witch camp reunion

It was a cloudy night with only a sliver of moonbeams illuminating Beatrix Bobbit and her black rabbit, Penny. They were both up way past their allotted bedtimes, but Beatrix couldn't sleep, and had thus rustled Penny from her peaceful slumber for company.

The reason Beatrix couldn't sleep was a piece of sturdy black paper clutched between her fingers. An invitation to a Witch Camp Reunion. Beatrix should have been excited to return to Witch Camp for the weekend, but she'd made no progress in spells which was dampening her mood greatly. Only Penny hopping around the garden in delighted circles lifted her spirits.

"Oh Penny, why can't I do any spells?" Beatrix sighed as she surveyed a neat row of sticks lined up at her feet. She'd spent the better part of the past two days searching for her wand. So far, she'd had no luck.

When she lamented to Broomstick Betsy about her wand desperation, the silver-haired woman had unhelpfully replied, "Your wand is waiting, you only need earn it."

"But how?!" Beatrix had waved her hands around until she caught sight of her reflection in the windows and saw how very like Mrs. Bobbit she looked.

Now, the clouds shifted in a warm breeze that fluffed Penny's tail and sprayed petals from Mrs. Bobbit's prized Chrysanthemums, tickling Beatrix's bare feet. Beatrix stood in her long black nightgown and listened to the soft melody of the wind:

Bea Bea

Little witch you be

Come with us to find your wand

In the forest before dawn

With a flourish, the wind circled around Beatrix, nudging her onwards into the smell of fresh pine trees.

"Go back to sleep, Penny. I'll be back soon," Beatrix waved to Penny who hopped through the bunny sized door Mr. Bobbit had installed only last week.

Beatrix smiled as she followed the wind into the forest, enjoying the feel of springy moss on her feet. The wind became less insistent inside the trees, but Beatrix held a finger up, waited, and followed a winding path along the stream.

While she walked, she remained ever alert for The Wand. She noticed a family of possums hanging from a branch, two owls and a fox that trotted alongside her until the stream fed into a large pool. The moss was thick here, but the trees were sparse and the sky reflected in the smooth water clearly.

"Here? In the water?" Beatrix asked the wind.

It responded by rippling the surface of the pool in a steady rhythm of waves until something appeared. Bright yellow, orange and purple fish began leaping from the pool in a circular formation, moving closer and closer to the shore. Beatrix padded towards the water, until she saw what the fish were circling.

A woman with purple skin and wavy green hair braided with silver stones and vines was gliding to the shore. Her amethyst eyes met Beatrix's wide ones, as she gracefully lifted herself onto a flat rock at the edge of the pool.

"Hello, Beatrix," the woman's smile glinted brightly.

"Are you, I mean, are you a mermaid?" Beatrix asked, though the woman had no tail; she was wearing a pair of lavender leggings.

"A mermaid? Not quite. I am a Water Witch called Kendra, but we haven't much time if you are to earn your wand before dawn," the woman responded, tucking fresh flowers into her braids.

"Yes, please, yes, I'm ready. What do I need to do?" Beatrix begged.

"Come with me, then," Kendra extended a purple hand with pointed silver nails.

Beatrix clasped the woman's hand without a second thought, and followed her towards the water until a shrill shout carried on the wind.

"Beatrix? DEAR? Where are you?" Mrs. Bobbit shrieked.

"PENNY ALERTED US, SHE IS VERY WORRIED," Mr. Bobbit shouted.

"Beaaaaaaaaaaa!" Sybil sang.

"Your wand is waiting," Kendra said as Beatrix paused.

"Can I just let my family know?" Beatrix asked, but Kendra merely shook her green braids.

"Beatrix! Please!" Mrs. Bobbit shouted.

With a glance at Kendra, Beatrix let go of her hand and ran towards the sound of the calls. The spongey ground wound into sharp pine needles as she wove through the trees, dodging bats and birds.

"OWWWWWWWWW!" The cry arrived on a sharp gust of wind, and Beatrix picked up speed until she ran so fast her feet hovered above the ground.

"I'm coming!" Minutes later she found her family crouched around Mrs. Bobbit's pale head. "What happened?" Beatrix asked breathlessly, allowing her feet to touch back down right where Mrs. Bobbit writhed on the ground.

"Her ankle got twisted," Mr. Bobbit's face was drawn as he clutched Mrs. Bobbit's hand.

"It made a bad noise," Sybil was stroking Mrs. Bobbit's hair gently.

"Can't you do something?" Mr. Bobbit asked with pleading eyes.

"I can't...spells aren't...no wand..." Beatrix was rambling incoherently. Mr. Bobbit passed Mrs. Bobbit's hand to Beatrix and thudded over to a tree with bright red leaves. He snapped off a twig, and thrust it at Beatrix.

"Oh, this isn't how it works...but I'll try, I'll try," Beatrix took a deep breath and noticed the feel of the rough twig between her fingers. She rolled it over in her hands several times while she thought desperately of a Healing Spell for Mrs. Bobbit.

Suddenly, the twig warmed in her hands, and Beatrix, on a hunch, tapped it lightly on Mrs. Bobbit's swelling ankle and felt a surge from the contact.

"Ouch, I hope that didn't touch the floor," Mrs. Beatrix sighed through closed eyes. When she peeked them open, she said, "I'm glad you're okay, Beatrix, dear."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'll fix you, I promise."

The twig was still surging in Beatrix's hand, and at once the words came to to her. She rolled up the sleeves of her nightgown, and stood over Mrs. Bobbit. Then, waved the twig as she said:

Sticks become wands

Not from the pond

But when the spell is pure

And sure

Heal my mom's pain

Let nothing remain

Nothing happened at first, and Beatrix nearly let the twig drop until it began emitting brilliant blue waves of light that covered Mrs. Bobbit's ankle.

"Ooooh," Mrs. Bobbit exclaimed, and relaxed her tensed face as the blue light soothed her pain. When the light was gone, her ankle was no longer swollen.

"How do you feel, Judy?" Mr. Bobbit asked, helping Mrs. Bobbit up from the ground.

Mrs. Bobbit dusted off her floral pajamas, and took a step. When she didn't collapse, Sybil cheered and jumped around. "I feel marvelous," Mrs. Bobbit said with a small smile.

"Well done, Beatrix. Simply splendid!" The clapping came from Broomstick Betsy who'd arrived via broomstick with Kendra, the beautiful Water Witch.

"Broomstick Betsy? What are you doing here?"

"You earned your wand, I'm here to celebrate, of course," the older witch replied.

"But I don't know how..." Beatrix glanced between Broomstick Betsy and the charcoal wand in her hand.

"You only needed to earn it from someone with magical blood. Broomstick Betsy had enlisted me to help, but it seems someone else was better suited to the task," Kendra answered, while adding pine needles to her extravagantly decorated braids.

"Didn't Dad hand you the twig?" Sybil asked.

All eyes turned to Mr. Bobbit.