real.”
“Oh crap!” Meghan suddenly blurted out. “Colin, do you realize what time it is?”
“You don’t think Uncle Arnon is up yet, do you?”
“No, but we had better not take any chances. If he wakes up and finds out we are not in bed…”
“We are grounded for the rest of our lives!” Colin finished, already getting up to depart.
“Look. It is kind of our fault that you are stuck here, Jae.
Whatever you need, we will do our best to help, until the second moon,” insisted Meghan.
“Absolutely!” added Colin in agreement. “Will you be safe here, in the wagon alone?”
“I am fine here. Once you two leave, I will make the wagon vanish again. No one from the camp will even know I am still here. It’s just one month. As long as the Scratchers stay away, I’m golden!” he smiled, wistfully.
“We will come back and check on you tomorrow then,” advised Meghan, as they departed the wagon. Colin waved goodbye and as they stepped onto the ground, the wagon dissolved into nothing, vanishing before their weary eyes.
The twins tiptoed their way home. Thankfully, Uncle Arnon’s snoring told them he had not awakened during their absence. They covered up the secret escape hatch on the floor. Colin put Magicante on the bookshelf and the twins climbed into bed. Both were exhausted, and yet found they could not sleep.
96
Giving up, Colin sat up, leaning on his elbows. “Sis,” he sent wearily, sensing she was also still awake.
“Yeah, Col.”
“If I had to wager, I would bet that these last few days did not actually happen.”
“I thought we had already figured that out, when you pinched me and I punched you, and we were both wide awake.”
“I know, I know, but magic. I can’t believe it’s real. Even crazier though is that I got this book today,” he said, stroking the cover as it sat on the shelf. “Maybe I was meant to buy it, so we could help Jae?”
“I am not sure we helped anything. We got him stuck here,” argued Meghan.
“Jae did not seem overly worried. His family must be though.” As the twins lay back down, sleep finally came.
Visions of dark shadows and bright lights filled their dreams.
Colin awoke three different times, believing for sure that he had heard Scratchers in the distance. Meghan reassured him that this time, she thought for certain it was just an owl, and begged him to go back to sleep. After the third time she yelled into his mind, “We have to get up soon enough as it is, Col, go back to sleep already!”
‘Soon enough’ did come too early for the twins. In the blink of an eye, the smell of brewing coffee infiltrated the trailer. The twins, as tired as they may have been, were eager to see Jae.
“How are we going to work out the Sebastien factor?” asked Colin. “Can we tell him? I hate the idea of lying to him.”
97
Meghan had not thought about Sebastien. So much had occurred since they had seen him the evening before.
“I guess we will have to feel it out, plus, I don’t think it’s our decision to make, its Jae’s.”
“I suppose you’re right. We should come up with a story as to why Jae is here. Adults are bound to be suspicious…”
“And ask questions,” Meghan finished his thought. “And he cannot stay hidden in the wagon for the entire month.” She then looked directly at Colin with her warning face.
“You better not blow this, Colin! Make something up!
Lie! We cannot tell Uncle Arnon or Sebastien, at least not for now.”
“Why do you always think I will be the one to ruin everything?” he spat back.
“Because, Colin Jacoby, you have never successfully told a lie in your entire life! You always give yourself away.”
“I can’t help it. I’m not a professional liar like you!” Meghan gasped, and then sighed. Yes, she told a few fibs here and there, but it had saved her hide along with Colin’s on numerous occasions. She hid her thoughts from him, embarrassed that she felt mortified by what he had said. I
“Oh crap!” Meghan suddenly blurted out. “Colin, do you realize what time it is?”
“You don’t think Uncle Arnon is up yet, do you?”
“No, but we had better not take any chances. If he wakes up and finds out we are not in bed…”
“We are grounded for the rest of our lives!” Colin finished, already getting up to depart.
“Look. It is kind of our fault that you are stuck here, Jae.
Whatever you need, we will do our best to help, until the second moon,” insisted Meghan.
“Absolutely!” added Colin in agreement. “Will you be safe here, in the wagon alone?”
“I am fine here. Once you two leave, I will make the wagon vanish again. No one from the camp will even know I am still here. It’s just one month. As long as the Scratchers stay away, I’m golden!” he smiled, wistfully.
“We will come back and check on you tomorrow then,” advised Meghan, as they departed the wagon. Colin waved goodbye and as they stepped onto the ground, the wagon dissolved into nothing, vanishing before their weary eyes.
The twins tiptoed their way home. Thankfully, Uncle Arnon’s snoring told them he had not awakened during their absence. They covered up the secret escape hatch on the floor. Colin put Magicante on the bookshelf and the twins climbed into bed. Both were exhausted, and yet found they could not sleep.
96
Giving up, Colin sat up, leaning on his elbows. “Sis,” he sent wearily, sensing she was also still awake.
“Yeah, Col.”
“If I had to wager, I would bet that these last few days did not actually happen.”
“I thought we had already figured that out, when you pinched me and I punched you, and we were both wide awake.”
“I know, I know, but magic. I can’t believe it’s real. Even crazier though is that I got this book today,” he said, stroking the cover as it sat on the shelf. “Maybe I was meant to buy it, so we could help Jae?”
“I am not sure we helped anything. We got him stuck here,” argued Meghan.
“Jae did not seem overly worried. His family must be though.” As the twins lay back down, sleep finally came.
Visions of dark shadows and bright lights filled their dreams.
Colin awoke three different times, believing for sure that he had heard Scratchers in the distance. Meghan reassured him that this time, she thought for certain it was just an owl, and begged him to go back to sleep. After the third time she yelled into his mind, “We have to get up soon enough as it is, Col, go back to sleep already!”
‘Soon enough’ did come too early for the twins. In the blink of an eye, the smell of brewing coffee infiltrated the trailer. The twins, as tired as they may have been, were eager to see Jae.
“How are we going to work out the Sebastien factor?” asked Colin. “Can we tell him? I hate the idea of lying to him.”
97
Meghan had not thought about Sebastien. So much had occurred since they had seen him the evening before.
“I guess we will have to feel it out, plus, I don’t think it’s our decision to make, its Jae’s.”
“I suppose you’re right. We should come up with a story as to why Jae is here. Adults are bound to be suspicious…”
“And ask questions,” Meghan finished his thought. “And he cannot stay hidden in the wagon for the entire month.” She then looked directly at Colin with her warning face.
“You better not blow this, Colin! Make something up!
Lie! We cannot tell Uncle Arnon or Sebastien, at least not for now.”
“Why do you always think I will be the one to ruin everything?” he spat back.
“Because, Colin Jacoby, you have never successfully told a lie in your entire life! You always give yourself away.”
“I can’t help it. I’m not a professional liar like you!” Meghan gasped, and then sighed. Yes, she told a few fibs here and there, but it had saved her hide along with Colin’s on numerous occasions. She hid her thoughts from him, embarrassed that she felt mortified by what he had said. I
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