Heather and the Stormy Birthday

CHAPTER TWOA Blinking Green Gem Heather looked at her pets and her friend Edward, who all stared wide-eyed at the umbrella.Nanny Pippa’s eyes flashed silver. “Quickly, quickly!” she said to Heather’s parents. “Time for your other presents. Heather’s first adventure is about to begin!” Heather opened the gifts from her parents, which included a special waterproof Weather Journal and a phone with Wi-Fi so that Heather could research weather. “Now,” said Nanny Pippa. “I think you’ll know what to do. Are you going alone . . . or bringing a team?” She patted Fog on the head. Heather raised the umbrella, popping it up with a swish. Rain began to fall once again. Blizzard and Fog curled around her. Edward stepped forward and took her free hand. “We’ve been best friends for eight years, ever since we were babies,” he said. “Whatever’s happening, I’m in.” The four adventurers huddled together beneath the umbrella. Nanny Pippa giggled. The green gemstone flashed and sparkled. Heather pressed it firmly. Her entire body twisted. Swirling, whirling, twirling fast as a human tornado, Heather flew high into the sky. So did Edward, and Blizzard, and Fog. It was wild and wonderful and weird, and Heather’s heart flipped. Heather blinked, and then landed gently on a sand dune, along with Edward and her pets. The four looked at one another, stunned, eyes wide with shock and confusion. A storm raged. Wind whipped. Rain pounded down. Thunder roared like a monster. Ocean waves, angry and high, crashed before their eyes. Heavy dark clouds hovered over the ocean. “What a ride!” Heather shouted into the wind. Her hair was wilder than ever. Edward stared up at the ominous sky, then down at the ground. “Ugh,” he said, “My shoes are getting dirty. Look at all this wet sand!” “The magic brought us here . . . but where are we?” asked Heather. She wiped rainwater from her eyes.“The East Coast of the United States,” said a tiny voice coming from Heather’s shoulder. She gasped. “Blizzard! You’re . . . talking!” “What did you expect?” said a deeper voice from near Heather’s knees. “Like the lady said, it’s magic!” Fog nudged Heather with his wet nose. “Now, what do you think is happening here?” Heather thought for a minute, gazing at the waves and the sky. The beach went on for miles, with a few houses above the sandy shore. Trees whipped in the wind. “Here’s my hypothesis,” she said. “That means here is my scientific idea. I believe that we are in a superstorm.” “It’s definitely a super storm,” agreed Fog. “Wowie zowie!” “Hey, this is super-cool! A superstorm is a totally rare event.” Blizzard read from Heather’s new phone, holding it between his claws. “A superstorm is a strong storm that covers an unusually large area,” the lizard read. “It’s not a hurricane. It’s not a tsunami. But it can be destructive and dangerous.”