The Cold Smolder

Sweat started dripping down Franklin ‘Mouse’ Finbar's forehead as he dragged his backpack up an almost vertical hill in the scorching sun. This would have usually caused Finbar to curse and complain but today was a special day; it marked the one year anniversary of him overcoming his weakness for cake.

‘I can’t wait to celebrate tonight baby,’ joyfully exclaimed Finbar to himself.

At the top of the hill, Finbar was greeted by an impressively strong physique of a man known in the Jumanji world as Dr. Smolder Bravestone.

‘Your bag is looking a little full there Mouse,’ stated Bravestone.

‘Oh yeah, I had to squeeze in a few extra things.’

Finbar opened up his backpack and took out a bag of flour, some icing sugar and a carton of half broken eggs. He then removed Bravestone’s boomerang which was covered in egg yolk with flour all over it; Bravestone held it up and dropped it.

‘Oh my bad man, guess there was a hole in that bag of flour. I’ll pick up some more eggs later for the bad-ass cake I’m baking.’

‘Don’t worry about it - but hey Mouse, why you baking a cake? Are you celebrating something today?’ asked Bravestone with a gigantic smile on his face.

‘Wow, you remembered? That is so cool. You know I was worried all this morning if anyone would even care. I know, it sounded silly when I just heard myself saying that.’

Bravestone’s smile soon faded.

‘One whole year man, I’ve been able to eat cake for one whole year.’

Finbar was unaware that with every word he said, he was annoying Bravestone more and more.

‘I’m going to make the best cake you’ve ever seen brother.’

Finbar looked down and started putting his ingredients back into his bag whilst talking to who he thought was Bravestone, but when he looked back up - nobody was there.

‘Doc? Where you at man? This ain’t no time for hide and seek. Hello? Damn it man, you were meant to give me a piggy back down this damn hill,’ shouted Finbar to nothing more than air.

It took Finbar almost an hour until he made it back to camp. He was in an aggravated mood but that soon changed when he caught a quick glimpse of Professor Sheldon and Ruby Roundhouse carrying a basket of muffins.

‘Screw that Jabroni Bravestone, my real friends are here for me,’ said Finbar to himself.

Finbar spent the rest of the afternoon in a cabin located in a secluded part of the forest baking a velvet cheesecake with extra raisins buried inside it; he knew Bravestone had formed intolerance to raisins over the years. When evening arrived, Finbar made his way back to the camp awaiting to be surprised by his friends – and he was not disappointed.

At camp, Sheldon and Ruby had left the muffins on a tree log with presents beside it whilst hiding in a bush ready to creep out and shout –

‘SURPRISE.’

Finbar had already spotted them in the bush, but still put on a performance to show his friends his shock.

‘I can’t believe you guys remembered man. I am so emotional right now,’ explained a teary-eyed Finbar to his friends.

Finbar put his cake down but before he could explain his happiness more, Ruby quickly grabbed him and forced him into the bush.

‘Shhhh, I think I hear him coming,’ whispered Sheldon.

A look of confusion covered Finbar’s face; Bravestone entered the camp with a similar look of confusion. Ruby and Sheldon leapt out from the bushes.

‘SURPRISE.’

At first, Bravestone let out a loud girlish scream but it didn’t take long for him to realise that his friends had planned him a party.

‘You think we would forget your birthday? No way, not on my watch,’ explained Ruby. ‘We got you presents and muffins and – ‘

‘Oh wow a new boomerang,’ excitedly howled Bravestone after unwrapping his present.

‘Yeah, and even Finbar baked you a cake,’ informed Sheldon.

Finbar emerged from the bushes; he was not happy and his face didn’t hide it.

‘Oh thanks buddy. Listen I’m sorry about earlier, I gave you the cold shoulder because I thought you forgot my birthday. But I appreciate this cake man, I mean it looks awesome.’

Finbar took out a knife from his backpack and handed it to Bravestone. He was smiling at the thought of the cake making the big guy violently sick. It wasn’t until after four or five bites that Bravestone noticed the raisins.

‘Oh god, are there raisins in this?’ asked Bravestone in a panic.

‘You put raisins in the cake? You know he’s allergic to thwm,’ shouted Ruby.

‘Wait, hold on guys... I feel fine. Actually, I feel great. I guess I’ve overcome this and grown stronger. This is amazing.’

‘Yayyyy, we can now celebrate two things today – your birthday, and you overcoming a weakness,’ announced Sheldon.

‘This is the best birthday ever,’ declared Bravestone.

Finbar stood angrily in disbelief, and promised himself that he will never celebrate that day ever again.

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