Shifting (2 page)

“I don’t know. But we have to! The Scratchers follow these guys, so there must be a way!” she said decidedly.

With nothing more to say, they attempted to eat. They found bread for toast in the kitchen; it was dry going down their throats no matter how much butter they spread on it.

After hours of waiting, and not knowing their fate, the lock clicked open on the wagon door.

They sat down trying not to appear too eager and did not look up until they heard the familiar voice of Jae Mochrie.

“Guys, it’s me. Sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” he apologized, slumping down next to them.

“They wouldn’t let me come until after I’d met with the Viancourt.”

“I hope it wasn’t terrible, Jae,” said Meghan, concerned about their only friend in this unfamiliar world.

“It was like filing a report. They needed a list of anything I’d done that could have compromised our safety.”

The twins were horrified.

“Look, it’s not that bad. If I were in serious trouble I would not be allowed here.”

“What about us? Have they decided anything?” she asked cautiously.

“I’m not sure. I have to bring you to the court in thirty minutes, though. They held a private meeting after I left.”

“How far do we have to go?” asked Meghan.

“That’s hard to answer.”

“Where exactly are we?” asked Colin, hoping for a clearer picture.

“A place called Grimble.”

“Grimble? Where’s that?” Colin asked.

“It’s a bit hard to describe. Maybe I’ll get to show you around,” Jae said, attempting to sound positive.

“How far away from home are we?” Meghan then asked.

“It’s difficult to explain. When you go through a doorway you’re in another place.” None of this made sense to Meghan, but Colin had read many books about portals to other worlds.

“So, its not a matter how far,” he said, “but finding the right doorway to the right place,” he confirmed.

“More or less,” said Jae, catching on to their thoughts. “Unfortunately, from Grimble, there is no way back to Cobbscott.”

“You’re absolutely sure?” questioned Meghan, losing hope. Jae nodded.

8

“We better get going,” he said. “We don’t want to make the Viancourt wait.” The twins, though not eager to discover their fate, were desperate to get out of the wagon.

“It’s not far,” Jae told them, as they followed a fog-covered path.

“Are we going into a town?” asked Meghan, struggling to see Jae.

“Yes and no,” he answered, confusing the twins. The fog cleared enough to see a group of gypsy wagons lined up in a circle; as they climbed up the stairs to one of them, the twins’

attention was taken away by a ghostly shadow two wagons over.

“C’mon, we gotta keep moving,” urged Jae, reclaiming their attention. “Once inside we have a ways to go.”

“A ways?” questioned Meghan.

“You’ll see,” said Jae, with a slight smirk on his worried face. He opened the door and motioned for the twins to enter ahead of him. They expected to see the same thing they had in the other wagons, but this one was much different.

It was a small village. It reminded the twins of the old fishing villages they often visited off the coast of Maine. A few Gypsies hustled about, but mostly, it was deserted.

“What is this place?” asked Colin in a stunned voice.

Jae led them deeper into the village.

“This is Bedgewood Harbor,” he explained. “It’s a small replica of our real home, in the Bedgewood Isles, which is actually off the coast of Northern Maine.”

“So your real home is really in our world?” confirmed Colin.

“Yeah, it is,” answered Jae, as he directed them down a cobblestone street.

Two older, proper-looking ladies sat outside of a small brick building. A sign dangled over them: The Jackal Lantern. They wore 1930’s style dresses and sipped from delicate looking teacups.

“Those are the Jackal sisters,” said Jae. “They put out our local paper. And, whatever they’re drinking, it’s definitely not tea!” He laughed, nodding to the sisters as the trio walked by. The sisters nodded back, politely.

Moments later, it began to sprinkle.

“Our weather here is the same as on the real Bedgewood Isles. I’m not sure how it all works exactly. But it’s a small connection to home.” They had stopped in front of an ominous brick building.

“I can’t go inside,” said Jae, holding open the door. The look on his face said, I hope I see you again.

The twins stepped inside the building, gulping hard. Before they shut the door Jae explained where they needed to go.

“Take the winding stair up two levels,” he instructed. “Then take the staircase to your right and go down three levels.” His voice cracked at the end.

Colin wrinkled his brow. Why not just go down one level to begin with? Meghan heard his thought, but ignored it, dragging him inside. One lone picture hung on an otherwise bare wall.

“Nethanial Bedgewood, founder of the Svoda Gypsies,” read Meghan.

“I guess that explains why it’s called Bedgewood,” said Colin nervously.

9

Once up the two flights of spiral stairs, they reached a hallway leading to the right. A few steps away another staircase headed downward. Upon arrival they came to an archway, with a hanging sign.

Viancourt in session, do not enter!

“Great! It says not to enter. Maybe we arrived too late,” Colin said. They decided to take a seat in what appeared to be a small waiting room. The fireplace was unlit and the twins shivered as they waited. They hoped to catch a glimpse of someone who could tell them whether they should enter or wait.

They waited, silently, their minds still trying to comprehend all that had happened, when a pleasant voice came over a loud speaker.

“New incoming message. Please listen carefully. In the case of Meghan and Colin Jacoby, a decision has been reached. Please enter through the archway within the next thirty seconds.” The pleasant woman’s voice came over the distant speaker again, counting down from thirty.

Meghan grabbed Colin and dashed for the archway. As they passed through, an iron barrier slammed down behind them.

The building changed too, the walls now made out of wooden planks, like a ship. They stepped cautiously down the only corridor, stopping at a door. Streaks of light snuck through the cracks in between thick wooden planks.

The door creaked as it opened into a dimly lit room, made up of nine wooden desks. The desks were lined up in a semi-circle with a podium in front, which swiveled, to face an audience, or, the nine desks.

Behind the row of desks was an elevated chair, currently empty. Lanterns and candles were the only light in the room and a smaller desk sat off to the side. A man hunched over it, scribbling notes.

After seeing the twins’ arrival, he jumped up, guiding them to stand in front of the podium, in clear view of the desks. Only three of the chairs were occupied, two men (one being Garner Sadorus), and one woman. The twins assumed they were the Viancourt. The court examined the twins with great interest. However, not one of the three gave any indication as to what kind of decision they had made.

“Please stand for Banon Juliska Nandalia Blackwell.” The twins were startled as the man who had assisted them announced the Banon’s entrance. A door opened from the back and she elegantly strode into the room, wearing a long-jacket as before. This time, it was emerald green and simpler in style. She took her seat in the raised chair behind the court.

“You have come to a unanimous decision in the matter of the Jacoby siblings?” asked the note taker. The three court members answered “Yes” in unison. The man returned to his desk and began scribbling a transcript of the meeting. The one female court member, an older, rough looking woman, whose nameplate read, Tanzea Chase, was the first to speak.

“I have been led to believe that you lived with your uncle. Is this correct?” Her voice was cold and the smell of mothballs emanated from her direction.

Colin was shaking too hard to speak, so Meghan started.

10

“Yes, that’s true, our Uncle, Arnon Jacoby, Ma’am.” Meghan tried to be courteous and confident.

Tanzea Chase continued her questioning.

“What circumstances brought you to living with him?”

“Our parents,” she gulped hard, “died when we were two years old.” Another member of the court spoke, his nameplate read, Darius Hadrian. His face was stern and gave away no emotion.

“How is it that you decided to help our Jae Mochrie?” The twins were not sure how to answer this and Meghan trilled a silent reminder to Colin not to mention that Jae had told them about magic.

“We met Jae at the lake one day, back at Camp Cobscott,” explained Colin timidly. “Then we asked him to hang out again the next day, and he told us that he would be leaving. We left it as it’s been nice to meet you and all…”

Meghan sent him a mind nudge to get to the point.

He continued nervously.

“The night you were all leaving, my sister and I did something we now realize was a very bad idea.”

He took a deep breathe and retold the story of the night Jae got stuck behind, and how they had found the fallen down pine tree and encountered the Scratchers. As Colin explained, Meghan realized something: their current predicament was entirely her fault!

It was due to her desire to go into the woods that began the series of events that brought them to this moment! Moreover, she was the reason her uncle was likely dead, or worse, being tortured, if he had somehow survived. Her knees wobbled and she grabbed the podium for support. Meanwhile, Colin finished explaining their first encounter with the Scratchers.

The group talked amongst themselves.

“So, their story corroborates his,” Tanzea’s rough voice said.

“Fascinating information! This could prove most useful, proof of a Scratchman,” said Darius Hadrian.

Juliska Blackwell had not yet moved or spoken. Meghan, regaining her composure, was captivated by her as she gracefully vaulted from her chair, facing the twins. The three members of the Viancourt went mute behind her.

“We are sorry for putting you through this, and we are sorry for your uncle. It has been decided by this court that you will be permitted to live amongst us. There is no alternative. No way to send you home.” The court clapped lightly behind her, although the twins noticed Garner Sadorus and Tanzea Chase hunched over, whispering. The court arose behind her, believing Juliska would depart the wooden chamber, but she lingered.

“There are a few things you must understand,” she told them. “Though our guests here, there will be certain events you may not be permitted to attend. Things meant only for the Svoda people. Things that must be kept secret.”

Both Meghan and Colin shook their heads that they understood. They were in an unfamiliar place, with no knowledge of how to get home. At least they could stay.

11

Jae will be so relieved, they both thought. The Banon exited the room in the same graceful manner as she had entered. The court followed behind her, but not before Garner got in one last scowl. He had been so anxious to question them yesterday, and today he had not asked them one single question. The twins did know what to think about that.

The note taker still hunched over his desk, scribbling away. After a minute he noticed the two still standing there, awkwardly.

“Oh, sorry, forgot. This way to get out,” he headed them off to another door. As he pushed them through the door, he advised, “Go down a flight of stairs and then up two levels, and then down a flight. Find yourselves right back where you started.” He slammed the door behind them.

2

They could not get out of the building fast enough. A crowd of around twenty waited, breathlessly, Jae in front. Colin gulped, seeing a few Svoda off to the side, glaring. Meghan answered the group’s question.

“They said we can stay.” Jae was instantly relieved. The glaring Gypsies stormed off, muttering to each other. This clearly was not the decision they had expected. Jae introduced the twins to his family.

“This is my mother, Sheila, and my sister, Mireya.”

“Oh, nice to meet you,” the twins replied, half-heartedly.

Sheila was a frail woman, with short thin hair. She wore a knee length skirt and apron, with tall tan boots. Mireya was a miniature image of her mother.

“This situation is dreadful,” Sheila spoke. “However, I must admit I am glad to be able to thank you in person, for everything you’ve done for my family. Helping my son return home, and saving my husband from a fate worse than death. I’m deeply sorry about your uncle. Arnon Jacoby was it?”

“Yes, it is Arnon,” Meghan corrected.

Sheila did not respond. An uneasy minute passed as the Gypsies dispersed, most ignoring the twins completely.

“While here, you are welcome to stay with us, it is the least, and the most, I can offer,” she told them, abruptly taking hold of Mireya’s hand and speeding her frail frame down the walkway. She yelled back, “Make sure you’re home early tonight, Jae.”

“Yeah, I will, mom.” After she was out of sight, Jae said, “Why don’t I show you around a little, help you get settled in.”

Before they could begin, the trio noticed someone standing in the shadows of a nearby building. It was Billie Sadorus. Seeing that the crowd had dispersed she strutted over, muttering her satisfaction that the court had made the only right decision.

12

“That took long enough! Don’t see why they couldn’t have done that last night. Keeping two youngins locked up like common criminals! A shame! That’s what it is, a shame,” her voice was raspy as it spoke the same mutterings the twins had heard the evening before.

“Hi, Billie,” said Jae in an exited voice, after her tirade ended.

“Glad to have you back, boy. Why don’t you and our new guests come over for a bite?”

“I can show you around later, you’ll love Billie’s place,” insisted Jae.

The twins were overwhelmed and not in the mood for visiting, but also did not feel they had a choice. They tiredly agreed and followed Billie down a street called Scrooby, which ended abruptly at a boat-shaped brown shingled cottage; crooked turrets protruded from the sides of the cottage.