A Mysterious Black Mask

Stephanie grinned at her brother. "You're not even half close to doing it," she smirked.

Matt whined. "How do you do that? I wanna learn how to wear a cape like that too!" he wailed.

Stephanie shrugged. "I learned myself, Matt. If you really want to know where I learned how to do it, it's in my favourite superhero comic, Batman." she batted her eyelashes dreamily.

Matt rolled his eyes dramatically, "You and your romantic Batman. I don't want to read your stupid comics. They don't even make sense." he poohed, fluttering his pink tongue at his eldest sister.

"Well, you don't understand him then. You - you, don't understand anything jerk." she snapped, hugging her Batman comic closely to her chest.

Matt smiled. "You're honestly insane."

Stephanie plucked a grape off the fruit bowl and sniggered. "Since when am I not insane?"

~~~

"Mum! The latest Batman comic came out! I need to get it!" she yelled, as she skipped back from school.

Mrs Green smiled. "Keep your fingers crossed for Easter then." she winked.

"I'm getting it for Easter!" Stephanie whooped, yelling up for joy.

~~~

Dusk arrived and the glimmering early morning sun rays bathed Stephanie's room with light. There were shining Batman posters drooped in every inch of the room.

Her alarm clock whirred. Stephanie stirred, as she tossed and turned groggily. Her vision focused on an open comic staring fixedly at her on a table. She sat upright. She knew what day it was.

She had to find her basket. Last year, it was hidden in the most obvious place imaginable. Under her blankets. This year it proved to be in a much more difficult place.

"Matt! Wake up! It's Easter!"

Matt groaned. "Ugh, go back to sleep Stephanie!" he mumbled and tossed over, his blonde hair flapping overdramatically over his forehead.

Stephanie stifled a giggle. "Get up lazybones. First to find the basket wins!"

That was quite enough to make Matt sit up.

They raced over the house, checking and turning the house upside down.

"Matt! Stephanie! What on earth are you doing?" Mrs Green cried, glancing at the house.

They smiled feebly. "Looking for our baskets," Stephanie explained as she opened Matt's room door.

"Found mine!" Matt yelled, clutching a weaved, brown basket.

Stephanie groaned. "Ugh!"

She was getting frustrated by now. Where on earth was her basket?

She quickly opened her wardrobe. Getting an instinct, she opened the study table drawer that held her precious Batman comics.

There, in the jumbled mess of comics, stood a brave weaved basket with a toy bunny grinning goofily at her.

She tore it open on her bed. Out came an enormous chocolate bunny, chocolate eggs, her favourite sweets and jelly beans. But the bottom of the basket was all she was interested in.

The latest Batman comic.

~~~

Stephanie belly-flopped onto her bed and flipped open the comic.

Something slid off, a metal black mask fell into her outstretched bony arms. Stephanie gasped.

She peered suspiciously at it. A glistening, shiny black mask lay on her palms. A Batman mask? Since when did comics have masks?

It was probably an extra package that came with it, Stephanie thought excitedly.

Eagerly, she staggered over to her mirror and wrapped it on. "I look exactly like Batman!" she cried happily.

Satisfied, she skipped into the living room. "Mum! Look what the Easter Bunny brought me!" she yelled, clutching the black mask.

A smile crept up Mrs Greens face. Her back was faced towards Stephanie and she was seizing a frying pan. A flowered apron drooped around her waist and her legs were skinny and gaunt. "Let me guess, another Batman comic?" she giggled.

Stephanie shrugged it off. "Yeah, but there's something way cooler. I got a black Batman mask with it!" she exclaimed, holding up her mask proudly.

Mrs Greens lowered her frying pan. She massaged her chin. "I don't recall getting you a mask...oh. I mean, I'm not sure that the Easter bunny meant to give you a mask, honey." she frowned.

Stephanie sighed. "But he did! Look!"

Mrs Greens pondered over the black mask. She shrugged and resumed her cooking. "Well, I guess it was the latest edition then," she grinned.

~~~

The school bus honked. "See ya tomorrow both of you!" the bus driver called, winking.

Stephanie waved. "Bye Mrs Willow!"

Matt grunted and fiddled with his new toy car. "Hey you two, how was school eh?" Mrs Greens asked, setting a plate of apple slices down.

"Apple? Again?" Matt wailed. "I wanted a Chocokins Bar!"

Mrs Greens frowned. "Healthy first," she ordered.

"Mum, guess what! My friends got the latest comics too, and they didn't get the black mask! I was the only one with it! Besides, something strange happened in the locker room. I was glad nobody saw me, because you will never believe this but, I actually floated in mid-air for about ten seconds! I kept on going to the cubicles to try it! It was like I was Batman, Mum! I was really flying!"

Mrs Greens nearly fainted. She looked at her daughter. "Stephanie did you feel tired at school today?" she asked, concerned.

Stephanie shrugged. "A little, but that's not the point Mum! I literally flew like Batman!" she cried.

Mrs Greens nodded. "You probably fell, asleep honey. You were most likely dreaming," she replied in disbelief.

Stephanie groaned. "No Mum!" she yelled.

"Look, I'll show you!" she said confidently.

Stephanie pulled out the black shiny mask from her glittery, black, Batman backpack. She stripped it onto her face.

Stephanie closed her eyes deeply and inhaled softly. her eyebrows twisted, making her frown. Mrs Greens watched her daughter with interest. "Stephanie, it's - "

"Look, Mum!" Stephanie shrieked.

Her legs lifted off the ground and a black, light began to surround her as she took off. Stephanie spread her hands like a bird and she began to flutter excitedly around the room.

Matt and Mrs Greens jaws' dropped. Mrs Greens was in utter astonishment. Matt gaped at his older sister. "No fair Mum! I want to fly too!" he wailed.

Stephanie's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Come and catch me!"