Of Mice & Magic: Book 1 Ravenspell

CHAPTER 1: Minor Miracles

Miracles occur right under our snouts every day. We just don't look closely enough to see them.

—Rufus Flycatcher

Benjamin Ravenspell's mother Mona liked to put things off. She never paid her taxes until the tax agents beat down her door. She could go months without mopping. And she never bothered to cook dinner—period. Instead, she'd just waste away and waste away until hunger drove her to throw Ben in the car and then race to the nearest fast food restaurant.

Which is how nine-year-old Ben Ravenspell found himself eating at McDonald's at midnight on Christmas Eve.

The speakers overhead played "Silent Night" as Ben's mom scarfed down Chicken McNuggets and asked, "So, honey, what would you like Santa to bring you tomorrow?"

Finally! Ben thought. He'd been waiting for weeks for her to ask that question, but she had put it off and put it off—as usual.

"Mmmph." Ben tried to clear a French fry from his throat, then he

blurted, "I want a pet!"

His mom's eyes grew wide in surprise, and her face went as red as a pomegranate. She coughed up a chicken McNugget.

It arced right over the table and plopped onto some bald guy's neck. The fellow grabbed it, eyed it suspiciously, and then plopped it in his mouth.

"But, but," Mom sputtered, "I thought you wanted a baby brother!"

Ben thought back. He had wanted one last year on his birthday, but that was forever ago. "Not anymore."

His mom shouted hysterically, "What if it's too late to change your mind?"

Ben knew then, that he wouldn't get a pet for Christmas. His mom probably had a baby already hidden in her closet. All she'd have to do is wrap it in gold foil and shove it under the tree.

Ben explained, "Colton, who lives down the street, asked for a baby brother—and the doctor gave him a sister! All she does is stink up diapers and suck on stuff. She leaves a slime trail wherever she goes. The kids call her the 'Rug Slug.'"

"Okay," Mom said, as if searching for some way to change his mind. "What kind of pet would you like? You know that I'm allergic to cats and dogs."

Ben shouted, "Could I get a mammoth?"

"Mammoths are just pretend, hon," Mom said reasonably.

"Well, I want something cool. I want a pet that I can play with and talk to, one that will be my friend."

"We'll have to think about that," she said, which was her way of putting him off.

#

As he tried to sleep that night, Ben heard his parents downstairs under the Christmas tree. Ben always wore a football helmet to bed and took a baseball bat with him—just in case a monster invaded his closet. So he removed his football helmet, laid his baseball bat by the bed, and sneaked to the top of the stairs.

"What are we going to do?" Mom asked Dad. "We've tried for a baby for months. And now he's changed his mind."

"I'm glad he changed his mind," Dad said. "If we had a baby tomorrow, he'd get bored with it in a week—and we'd be stuck with another kid."