“We need to get home,” reminded Sebastien, after a quiet moment. “Everyone’s probably going nuts worrying about where we are.”
The twins rolled their eyes in agreement to his assessment. The trio scurried toward the Jacoby campsite and as expected, a group had gathered at Arnon’s trailer. Four figures rushed them with instant questions, and visually deflating sighs of relief.
“Where on earth have you been?” demanded Uncle Arnon, standing next to Kanda. “You were due home half a day ago and were about to put together a search party!”
“Why are you all covered in mud?” asked Sebastien’s mother, Kay, when Arnon finally took a breath.
The three took turns explaining, each filling in parts left out by the other, including meeting Jae.
“I’m surprised you didn’t see him run by,” said Colin. “He was right ahead of us.” The adults shook their heads. None of them had seen Jae.
“Well, regardless, it wasn’t the day we had planned,” said Meghan. “And finding the right road back took way longer than we thought… but if you could have seen Colin…” she started laughing.
“It was quite a sight,” agreed Sebastien, patting Colin on the back. Everyone laughed. The adults possibly harder than the rest of them as they relived the youngster’s story.
Colin joined in, but with a shake of his head. Always me, at the butt of every joke…
“You must all be starved,” said Kanda after the laughter subsided. “We’ll grab you some food.” She motioned for Sebastien’s mother, Kay, to follow her into Arnon’s trailer kitchen.
Arnon sank into a chair by the fire; the twins had never seen such relief wash over him. Sebastien’s father, Milo, patted Arnon’s shoulder, and set to stoking the fire in the pit. The twins, as exhausted as they were, could not help but feel the pat on the shoulder had some hidden meaning they did not understand. Especially when a minute later Arnon disappeared into the trailer, and hushed whispers escaped an open window.
The twins grew more suspicious when Milo ordered them all closer to the fire, to warm up. The fire pit was too far away to overhear what they were discussing inside the trailer. The hidden conversation did not last long however, as minutes later they all exited, serving a late dinner.
Once warmed and fed, the Jacoby’s guests decided to head home. After a round of goodnights, the twins watched as the Jendayas and Kanda faded into the night.
“I think we should make it an early night tonight,” their uncle said, while putting out the fire. “You guys look exhausted. That was quite a day you had. Oh… and don’t think for a minute you’ve gotten away without a lecture. It all turned out okay, but how many times have I told you guys… life jackets?”
“Sorry. We were so excited we forgot,” said Meghan.
He looked at Colin. Normally the prepared, responsible one.
“I didn’t even think of it, until I was sitting on top of a moose in the lake.”
Arnon nodded, holding back a laugh, poorly.
“Damn, I’d give just about anything to have seen it.” He looked at them both sternly. “That doesn’t mean you’re not in trouble though!” His voice came out in amused haste. “No more boat trips unless I see you leaving with life jackets securely on.”
“From the campsite all the way to the lake?” moaned Meghan.
He nodded.
“That’s so… ugh,” she groaned. “Why don’t they make black life jackets? Why do they all have to be bright orange?”
Colin rolled his eyes.
Arnon shook his head.
“Just make sure I see them securely wrapped around you before you leave this site. Or no boat. And no lake.”
“Yes, Uncle Arnon,” they each agreed somberly.
Meghan sighed. “I’m pretty beat. I think I’ll clean up before bed though.” She sauntered into the trailer. Colin and Arnon followed a minute later, in a sudden scurry to get inside when Meghan let out a scream.
“What is it? Are you hurt?” asked her uncle, worried there was some overlooked injury.
“Why did someone not tell me how terrible I look?”
Both the Jacoby men rolled their eyes. And sighed.
“We did fall into a lake, Sis. Remember?”
Meghan did not hear him. She hopped into the bathroom, too concerned with pulling mud-caked weeds from her tangled hair and washing the dark streaked makeup off her face.
“Ahhh!” she screamed, again. She exited the bathroom, jumping around like a crazy person. “Get it off me!” she demanded, pointing at the hairline on the back of her neck. “Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!”
“Well stand still so I can see,” ordered her uncle.
Colin’s stomach turned when a second later Arnon located the object of her horror.
“That sure is a doozy!” he winced, gently plucking a severely blood-bloated leech from her neck. He opened the trailer door and heaved it into the woods, being sure to wash his hands afterward.
Colin washed his too. He had not touched it, but he had been close enough.
Meghan proceeded to grow more agitated by the minute and disappeared into the bathroom again. Before showering, she did a full body search for any lingering bloodsuckers. Thankfully, she found none.
After bathing she rested at the kitchen table, make-up-less, losing herself in a thought. She sipped on hot blackberry cider, a specialty of her uncle’s.
Colin took his turn in the bathroom. After finding the still attached leech on Meghan, his uncle had done a search on him but found nothing. Colin did a once over in the shower, just to be sure.
Back in the kitchen, Arnon sat across the table, watching Meghan intently, trying to grasp what she could possibly be thinking. He called her name, but she did not hear him.
“Meghan,” he said loud enough to catch her mind.
“Sorry, d’you say something?”
“I was wondering about your dream last night. Wondering, actually, if that has ever happened to you before?”
Meghan had almost forgotten about the previous night’s fiery dream, and the hairs on her skin felt instantly singed at the mere memory of it.
“It was some stupid dream about me and Colin, and another little girl, who was caught in a fire.”
“A fire. That would be scary.” He lifted his eyebrows, leaning forward.
“And was that the first time you and Colin have ever shared a dream?” he asked intently.
Meghan gasped, speechless. She imagined her face must have given away how stunned she was, because her uncle continued without waiting for an answer.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you. You did not honestly think I wasn’t aware of your talent did you? What kind of uncle would I be if I hadn’t seen it many years ago?”
“How long ago did you figure it out?” she stammered.
“Not long after you came to live with me, actually. You were both so little then,” he reminisced. “You probably don’t remember this, but the two of you had this special language you spoke, just between the two of you. I could never understand what you were saying. But one day, about a year after, you just stopped. I noticed little things after that. One or the other of you would respond to a question, or joke, and I was quite certain I had heard nothing said from the other. I caught on pretty quick.” He winked at Meghan.
“You’re right, Uncle Arnon. I do not remember that at all. I really don’t even remember the exact moment that Colin and I realized we were different, and that not everyone could speak to each other through their minds, like we could.” She paused and added, “I’m sorry we never told you about it. I guess it seems silly now. We always thought you might be angry, or think we were freaks or something.”
“Freaks! Never!” he insisted. “And do not be sorry, either. I have always been impressed with the way you two kept the secret. And believe me, there are people out there that would unfortunately think you are freaks.”
Meghan nodded in agreement.
“So,” Arnon continued. “Was that the fir
st time sharing a dream?”
“Yeah, it was. Why do you ask? And how did you know Col was in my dream?”
“Curiosity mostly, wondering how your talent will develop. And Colin was clearly spooked, I sort of assumed,” he chuckled, adding more seriously, “You haven’t told anyone else about your secret have you?”
“Only Sebastien,” she answered honestly, with a tinge of guilt. “He kind of guessed one day, a couple of summers ago. Don’t worry though! He’s never told anyone else.”
“I assumed as much,” Arnon replied knowingly.
Meghan still had the look of shock on her face as Colin came out of the shower. His eyes darted back and forth between them.
“What?” He reached for his head. “Did I forget to rinse the shampoo from my hair again?”
“Would you prefer to do the honor or should I?” Meghan asked, amused. Uncle Arnon put out his hand in a gesture for her to go ahead. “Our secret,” she announced, “is out.”
Colin fell backwards, his towel nearly falling off. After regaining his composure, he stood with the same flummoxed expression as Meghan had had, only minutes before.
“Don’t worry, Col. He figured us out ages ago, even before we did.”
“I thought we hid it pretty well,” said Colin.
“That’s what I thought, too,” replied Meghan dryly. She sent Colin a transcript of the last few minutes’ conversation. Arnon seemed to understand this and gave them time to finish.
“To be honest,” started Arnon, when it looked as though they were done, “I’ve heard of twins having a secret language only each other can understand, but… I think you guys are a little different, so…”
“So we shouldn’t go telling people about it,” guessed Colin smartly.
Arnon smiled. “Since Sebastien knows, that’s fine. He’s a good friend, and I do not think it’s something he would ever use against you.”
“Sebastien, never,” Meghan defended. “Besides, what do Colin or I have that people could hold over us, other than telepathy?” she added sarcastically. “And it’s not with just anyone, only the two of us.”
Her uncle replied with a silent, but disquieted gaze.
“We will, of course, be careful regardless. Because like you said, not everyone is as cool and understanding as you are.” She got up and gave her uncle a quick hug. Before she could let go, Arnon gave them one last warning.
“I know you are both careful, but just remember that both Sebastien and I guessed, so others could, too.”
“We will do our best, Uncle Arnon,” insisted Colin.
Meghan nodded in agreement.
Colin joined Meghan for a hot blackberry cider before heading to bed. It was a relief to have their secret out in the open; they had always felt guilty for not telling their uncle, but had honestly feared the consequences.
Meghan finished her cider, moved a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, emptied the trash, and washed up a few dirty dishes. As she finished, Colin dropped his empty mug in the sink. She frowned, deciding to leave it there until morning.
“Off to bed now both of you. Long day tomorrow.”
“Long day?” they asked in confused unison.
Their uncle stuttered before changing his phrasing.
“What I meant to say is, it has been a long day today, and we all have a whole new day to get through tomorrow, which will be longer than today if we do not get our rest after a long exhausting day like today.”
The twins eyed him, distrustfully, but went off to bed.
“Are you starting to get the feeling Uncle Arnon is up to something?” asked Meghan.
“Maybe he was nervous about admitting he knew our secret.”
“Yeah, probably. Or maybe it’s our birthday party!” squealed Meghan, instantly sidetracked by the idea of presents. “I wonder what he’s planning.”
“Night, Sis,” sighed Colin. He could sense by her wandering thoughts that discussing any topic other than birthday presents would be a useless endeavor.
“Yeah, night, Col,” she whispered back. She fell asleep minutes later dreaming of what wonderful gifts Sebastien would buy her.
Meghan’s excitement leaked into Colin’s subconscious while sleeping. He opened the block, just a little, allowing her happiness to envelop him. It was a pleasant way to fall asleep.
Shortly after, Colin jumped awake, remembering the previous night’s fiery dream.
“No. I have to keep the block in place! No repeats of last night!” he whispered, determined. “We have to keep our dreams to ourselves, if nothing else.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Meghan and Colin waited at the secret path’s edge for Sebastien. It was the first day of the Blue Moon Festival, which only took place during a summer that happened to have two full moons in one month. Mainly, the festival attracted tourists, but locals could often be spotted weaving through the crowds, too. It was a grand festival, with food, music, a flea market (Colin’s favorite) and a few old carnival rides no one was ever sure were safe to ride, but did anyway.
While they waited for Sebastien, the twins wandered down the camp road toward the gypsy camp, hoping to catch Jae and say goodbye one last time. He was nowhere in sight.
Footsteps scraped across the gravel behind them. Hoping it was Sebastien, they spun around, but rather than their friend, the twins were accosted by two tall stacks of packages. In attempts to avoid crashing into the twins, the two people carrying the packages jumped out of the way, causing the packages to fall and scatter all over the camp road.
An older, steely-faced and unfamiliar young man stood by a familiar one; the familiar face began anxiously picking up his scattered packages.
“Hey guys, sorry,” said Jae, sounding distressed.
“It’s a wonder you could walk at all, carrying all that,” said Meghan.
“Let us help you the rest of the way,” insisted Colin, already picking up a package.
The unknown young man, dressed in a casual sports jacket, had already picked up his packages and was leaving Jae behind. He said nothing, but eyed him with a stern coldness as he walked by. His gaze lifted, grazing Meghan. She noted hints of suspicion and distrust.
Ugh. I hate him. Could she really know this, so soon after meeting someone?
Yes. Meghan could tell just from one encounter that she loathed him. He must be a miserable person, she decided.
The young man scowled. Meghan lifted her chin in silent defiance. He tossed Jae a last silent warning and disappeared around the corner.
“Is that boy always so friendly?” questioned Meghan hotly.
“Ivan? He’s not so much unfriendly as all about business.”
“All about business?” Colin repeated.
“Hates wasting time, always working, that sorta thing.”
“Well. Never mind him,” said Meghan. “Let us help you get back, Jae.”
“No!” he replied hastily. “I mean, thanks, but I got it. Really.”
“Are you sure? ‘Cause it’s no bother,” she said.
“No, I’ll be fine. I gotta hurry though. They will be expecting me back by now.”
The twins piled the last packages back onto Jae’s arms.
“I hope you didn’t get into trouble yesterday for getting home so late,” said Colin.
“Yesterday?” he appeared deep in thought. “Oh, that. Um, it was… okay.”
The twins were not entirely sure they believed him.
“Sorry I can’t hang longer,” Jae added tiredly. “So many things to do today.” He trudged toward his campsite. “Maybe our path’ll cross again sometime.”
“Yeah, maybe,” shouted Colin.
“Good luck, wherever you go next,” Meghan hollered.
“Thanks. Same to you,” Jae echoed back.
“Wonder where they are heading with such a big group?” she asked.
“Can’t imagine,” replied Colin. “It must be a ton of work. It’s a lot with only you, me, and Uncle Arnon. There must be t
wo hundred of them all together.”
Sebastien materialized from the secret path. “Hey guys.”
“Finally,” said the twins in unison.
“Sorry. Got held up helping my dad with something.”
The twins forgot about Jae and his caravan, and the trio headed into town. Their uncle and the Jendayas were going to join them later.
It was about a mile walk down a winding country road, which opened up to a sunny clearing about halfway to the town. The thick pines gave way to birches and maples, surrounded by vast, blueberry bush covered fields. The surface of a small lake shimmered in the distance as the trio walked passed a graveyard, which indicated their arrival into the town of Cobbscott, Maine.
Music streamed through the breeze, followed by the hum of a crowd behind it. They quickened their pace, and Meghan, wanting to make sure her hair and clothes were just right, said aloud, by accident, “Hope I look okay.” She did not get the response she expected.
“I think you look great!” said Sebastien, grinning. It fell a bit, and with a stammer he added, “You were not talking to me, were you?”
Colin did not wait for the two of them to get over their awkwardness. He continued onward, making a nasty face at Meghan as he passed by.
“Not exactly,” admitted Meghan, blushing. “But, thanks.”
“I meant what I said. You always look great! Though, I’m especially partial to when you wear slimy lake plants and leeches in your hair.”
She humpfed and hit him in the shoulder. They hurried to catch up with an outwardly annoyed Colin. As soon as they were in Cobbscott, they went directly to the music. A rock band played, so they listened and danced. After a full set of music, Colin sent Meghan a thought saying he was bored and was going to the flea market. She noticed agitation in his voice.
“We’ll find you later, okay?” she said. Meghan sensed him throwing angry thoughts at her and called out, “Now what?”
Sebastien threw a questioning gaze her direction.
“Oh, not you. Colin, mad at me again.”
“For what? Something I couldn’t hear you guys arguing about?” he asked, slightly miffed.
“Well, yes and no.” She stalled, not wanting to admit they were fighting over his attention.
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