Colin sat in the middle of the boat, with Jae in the front, leaving Meghan and Sebastien sharing the back seat. Meghan watched him row, thinking to herself how well he did it. Every motion was smooth and effortless.
She did not linger in her daydream long however.
“You like Sebastien. You like Sebastien.” Colin’s taunt echoed into her mind. Meghan’s temper was instantly hot, but she ignored him. Sharing thoughts with a brother sucked. They really needed to figure out a way to block each other better.
“But then of course, I’d never know when my little brother was in trouble and needed me to come to his rescue. Again...” She shot the thought into his brain like a canon.
It was Colin’s turn to grumble. His taunt ended.
Sebastien eyed the two siblings. They were doing it again. Talking to each other through their minds.
Jae didn’t notice them at all, sitting at the front of the boat. He was too enthralled by the chirps and buzzes from frogs, insects, and birds. Fish jumping, eating the insects. Loons warbling some distance away. The last of the fog lifted and sun beamed down. Its heat frightened away the mosquitos. Which was a good thing, otherwise they’d have spent the entire day swatting instead of paddling or relaxing.
“We heading in any particular direction?” asked Jae, after they reached the lake’s center.
“My votes for the marshes,” said Sebastien. “Sometimes there’s large lake turtles in there.”
“Turtles?” questioned Jae tensely. “How large exactly?”
“I’ve seen a couple close to two feet,” bragged Sebastien.
The smugness returned, with Jae’s under-his-breath reply, which none of the three could decipher.
“What was that, Jae?” asked Meghan.
“Hope we get to see one,” he stated, clearly not repeating what he had actually said.
“Be careful as we get closer, it’s easy to get tangled in the plants,” Sebastien warned.
Jae signaled back, okay.
Meghan lifted her hand out of the water, which had been skimming the surface, having no desire to feel slimy plants against her skin.
“So, Jae,” she started, “where is your caravan from?”
Colin was glad she had finally asked, seeing as he had wanted to, but had not dared.
Jae answered the question as if he had rehearsed the answer a hundred times.
“Traveling is our life. We are not from any one place.”
“Have you always traveled around?” asked Colin.
“Yes. Always.”
“We have too,” explained Colin. “With our uncle.”
“I can’t believe you would do so by choice,” said a clearly baffled Jae. “Wouldn’t you rather live in just one place?” Disbelief replaced the arrogance in Jae’s voice. Then, once again, he changed his mind. “I mean, I can understand why your uncle would choose to travel, there really is no better way to live.”
Meghan, Colin, and Sebastien were mystified by Jae’s incessant turns in attitude.
Colin explained his own position on the subject.
“Cobbscott is the only place we visit for any real length of time; four entire months every summer. It is definitely my favorite place, but living here year round would not be fun at all. Once the campground closes for winter, the town shuts down. It would be quite boring, cold, and snowy. Mostly though, I like traveling because that means Uncle Arnon is my teacher, and I don’t have to attend normal school.”
“Definitely right on that count!” agreed Meghan. “I have no idea how people survive real school. Although, I suppose one day it might be nice to live in just one place. When I’m older maybe. Can’t imagine where I’d want to live though.”
The conversation ended and the rowing ceased as the boat came to a slow stop. The foursome listened and watched for anything interesting in the water, the surface of which was still and glass-like. Colin noticed that all the minnows and lake spiders had disappeared.
“Ah let’s go! This is boring,” blurted out Meghan after too many minutes of nothing.
Colin snickered.
“Yeah, yeah. So what? I said it. I’m bored.”
“Knew you would,” sneered Colin. Score one for me, Sis… he sent silently, with a grin.
Jae laughed at the two of them. “You guys remind me of my sister and myself. I guess all siblings are the same, no matter where…” he trailed off, turning his gaze forward again. “Where to next?”
“It will take a bit to get back,” said Sebastien. “Maybe we should call it a day?”
The twins agreed.
Sebastien and Jae started to paddle, but the boat refused to move.
“What’s going on?” asked a frustrated Sebastien.
They searched the water below anxiously, but saw nothing to get stuck on.
A low moan echoed from underneath the boat.
Meghan plunked down with a gasp, grasping her seat. “What was that?”
“Nothing to worry about, I’m sure,” reassured Sebastien, still looking over the boat’s edge, alongside Colin.
“We need to get free!” yelled Jae, suddenly sounding panicked.
Meghan, Colin, and Sebastien started to reach Jae’s level of panic when bubbles of foamy water began surging up the sides of the boat. The surge splashed Colin’s face, which daringly still dangled over the boat’s edge.
He leaned back with a jerky movement. “There’s something down there!” He stumbled sideways, over his seat.
“Grab him!” shouted Meghan. “He’s gonna tip the boat!”
Jae gently lunged forward and steadied Colin, stabilizing the boat.
Sebastien picked up his paddle and attempted to get the boat moving. Jae joined him, but the boat did not budge.
Colin stood back up and from a more distant vantage point, carefully looked into the water. More bubbles burst to the surface. “There is something down there,” he insisted, plunking down onto his seat.
“What exactly do you mean by something down there?” asked Jae, with growing agitation.
“Look for yourselves!” Colin challenged, gripping the edge of the boat, hoping not to fall out.
“There’s nothing in these waters, it’s a lake,” argued Sebastien.
“Just telling you what I saw,” said Colin, determined not to move from his seat.
Meghan sat next to Sebastien, peering over the edge afraid she might actually see something down in the water, but was straight back in her seat when the boat began rocking violently.
The moaning below the boat resonated so much that it felt as though the boat might vibrate into shreds. More bubbles escaped to the surface, boiling around the walls of the boat. Sebastien and Jae stopped paddling. They needed all their strength just to stay seated.
Jae looked as if he might be sick.
“This is my fault,” he mumbled. “I shouldn’t have come. I’m going to be in so much trouble.” No one responded. They were too frightened to care what Jae meant.
The boat began to rise up out of the lake. Water seeped in through a crack forming in the bottom. Meghan screamed and fell into Sebastien’s lap as the boat lurched to the side. There was no time for embarrassment over falling into his lap as seconds later, the four passengers were tossed out of the boat and into the frigid, slimy-plant and leech-filled water.
Meghan and Sebastien surfaced beside each other, looking more plant-like than human. Meghan choked on a slimy weed that found its way into her mouth.
Jae had already started swimming to shore.
Sebastien helped Meghan clear the tangle of plants surrounding her and they followed Jae.
A voice rang out in Meghan’s mind. “Sis,” it called, hesitantly.
“Colin!” She sensed panic in her brother’s mind and swam faster. Sebastien made it to shore with Meghan right behind. He started to help her out of the water when his hand dropped, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
“I know I look like crap right now, but give a girl a break, huh!”
Sebastien could not speak. He could only point over her head, at the lake.
She stood at the water’s edge and turned around.
“Impossible!” she whispered, nearly falling back into the water. The boat was broken, split down the middle and partly sunken, with Colin sitting upright, seemingly on the surface of the water.
“I’ve landed on it,” he whispered ominously, pointing below the surface.
“Keep very still,” said Jae with growing unease.
“How do we get him out?” cried Meghan.
The water around Colin began to bubble again.
“Grab onto something,” ordered Sebastien.
“What would you suggest I grab onto exactly?” Colin shouted. Something began to surface, lifting him completely out of the water. A monstrous set of antlers appeared, covered in lake plants, followed by a massive muscular body. Colin straddled the animal’s back. It had to be seven feet tall, the antlers nearly six feet wide.
Recognition seemed to hit everyone at once.
It was a moose, just a moose.
“I should’ve known,” Sebastien said, relieved. “What else that big would be underneath the water around here?”
The moose continued chomping on food, unnoticing of the boy sitting on its back, or the youngsters standing on the shore.
“At least the sun is still shining. Gonna be a long walk back home though.” Sebastien could not hold back a grin and laugh as he helped the slime and plant covered Meghan onto the bank. She scowled and accidentally pushed him back into the water for it.
Once securely on the bank, she stared down at herself and let out a disgusted grunt. “Are you kidding me?” She peeled a long slimy black thing off her arm. “Leeches. That’s just great.” She peeled and pulled, grumbling with each new one she found.
Jae fell onto the ground with a roll and a laugh that turned into a sigh. He sat up and got to his feet, then swam back out to assist Colin, keeping his distance so as not to startle the moose. “I think it’s best to wait for it to go back under, and slowly slide off its back, into the water, Colin. It doesn’t even notice you’re there. You’ll be fine.”
“Easy for you to say,” replied Colin doubtfully. He clung tightly to the antlers to keep steady. “You’re not sitting atop a seven-foot tall moose!”
They waited, while the moose, still acting quite unaware of the human presence, munched on a lake plant. After a few minutes, it shifted itself around and began to sink under the water.
“I’m not a strong swimmer,” Colin reminded the group as the moose took him even farther from shore.
“You’ll be fine. Do what Jae said,” Meghan urged him. “Let go and slide into the water.”
Meghan and Sebastien cast an uncertain glance at each other. They both remembered Colin’s previous attempts at swimming.
“Remember to kick your legs once you’re in the water,” shouted Sebastien. “Toward the shore. Not away.”
Colin rolled his eyes and shook his head. He really was a bad swimmer. Why hadn’t they grabbed life jackets? Their uncle was sure to be angry over their lack of preparation.
Cautiously, he slipped off the moose and tried to maneuver his body so that he was heading toward the shore. Jae swam out and helped him. Colin was relieved, because try as he might, his body just would not turn to shore.
Once in shallow water Jae let go and seconds later, they collapsed onto the bank out of breath, covered in lake plants and leeches.
“Unbelievable,” Jae said to the other three. “I’ve seen a lot of things, but that was definitely different.”
“I’ve heard stories about moose surfacing next to people out fishing before,” said Meghan, “But to actually see it…”
“I think what happened here, might be a first,” Sebastien gushed. “Seeing you sitting on that moose, Colin…” he laughed, hard.
Colin imagined it would have been a pretty funny sight. A lot funnier had he not been the one sitting on it. Still, he joined in the laughter, glad to have his feet on solid ground again.
Meghan, believing she had gotten all the leeches off her body, set into helping Colin, while Jae and Sebastien did the same to themselves.
“Man, these things find blood fast,” said Jae, finally plucking off his last one with a shudder. Once done, they slogged back around the lake searching for an exit that would take them to the road. The twins noticed that Jae’s mood improved as they laughed and relived the moose adventure.
CHAPTER SIX
Hours later, after going in circles a few times, and backtracking, they finally came out of the woods and found the road leading back to camp. It was going on late afternoon and they’d been gone much longer than they’d expected and there was still a good distance to walk.
Soon, evening chill set in.
Meghan shivered. Not so much that she was cold as still damp, and watching the sun set and fog roll in, gave her a chill. Jae ran up to her and offered his somewhat dry jacket. He kept walking, not waiting for any response.
“Thanks,” she said, lingering her eye on him.
Sebastien cleared his throat. “Too bad we can’t get fully dry, even with all this walking around.”
She tossed him a smile. “I know, right? Stupid humidity sucks. You can’t get anything dry in this weather.” Seriously? Are we so bad at talking to each other we’re talking about the weather?
It was so much easier sending each other emails.
Colin was too busy talking to Jae up ahead to make fun. She closed her mind best she could, no desire to listen in or be heard. It was nice to see her brother getting along with someone that was not her, Sebastien, their uncle or Kanda.
Something dripped down Meghan’s nose. She wiped it away, realizing her brow was wet. Sweat? It didn’t make any sense. She was cold on the inside and yet her skin felt warm. Hot almost.
“You feeling okay?” Sebastien asked her.
She shook it off. “Yeah. Fine.” And she was, mostly. It was a bit like an ache building deep inside her somewhere. God, I’d better not be getting sick. Ugh.
She lifted her chin, determined it would not get her. Meghan Jacoby did not get sick. Did not have time for sick.
I’ll just go home, have a great big glass of OJ and I’ll be good as new.
“You sure you’re okay?” Sebastien asked her again.
“Sorry. Was having an argument with myself.”
He chuckled. “You do that a lot.”
She bit her lip. “Do I?”
“Yup. So who wins? These arguments of yours?” His tone teased.
“I don’t think there’s ever an actual winner.”
“So what was this argument about?”
“Um…” she let out a caving sigh. “Whether I was actually okay or not. I was worried maybe I was coming down with something. I’m chilled to the bone and yet my skin is kind of on the warmer side.”
Sebastien eyed her. “You don’t get sick. Like… ever.”
“That’s what I was telling myself. But feel my arm.” She stopped walking and lifted her jacket sleeve. Sebastien drew his fingers down her forearm.
Dang. Why did I ask him to do that? She shuddered, biting her lip. When she looked at him though, rather than the embarrassment she expected in his gaze, he was staring at his fingers and then at her, his eyes scrunched together in concern.
“You really are hot.” He cleared his throat. “I mean… um, your skin. Is that normal?”
Meghan shrugged. She’d never experienced it before. She started walking again to keep up with Colin and Jae. And to avoid talking more with Sebastien. Talk about Colin and his inability to make new friends… she wasn’t any better, and just as bad at talking to the one best friend she did have.
They each trudged down the road. Late afternoon dragged into evening. The road they had found was overgrown with plants and barely used, and when it finally come out to the main road, they depressingly realized they had walked miles out of their way.
The later and darker it became, the more Jae’s attention turned to the sky. Unease grew noticeably in his eyes. Along with a sense of apprehension, edged with a slice of fear.
“What are you looking for?” asked Meghan daringly. Maybe we can find out more about those screeching, howly things.
Jae stalled for a minute before finally spitting out an answer.
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just not fond of the dark,” he insisted.
“Yeah, neither am I,” admitted Colin. He followed Jae’s quickened pace, eager to get home before the real dark set in.
Many long hours after the moose ordeal had ended, they found themselves, at last, at the camp’s entrance. As they neared the Jacoby camp Jae stopped, standing with his arms folded across his chest.
“It was an interesting day,” he said. “But I gotta run. I’ve been gone way longer than I should have.” A bit of the arrogance returned as he hurried away.
“Wait,” said Meghan, handing him back his jacket. “Thanks again for that. If you don’t get into too much trouble, maybe you could hang out again tomorrow.”
Jae stammered for a moment, apparently taken aback by the request.
“Wish I could, guys. It’s been great to spend the day with you all, but you see, we are leaving tomorrow night, and I’ll have to help get packed and ready.” He shrugged, then waved goodbye, vanishing around the corner before they could respond.
“And just like that, he’s gone,” said Colin somberly.
Meghan wondered if Jae’s apparent arrogance was blocking the same feeling she and Colin often felt: people never stay around too long, so why get to know them. Although, she knew Sebastien better than anyone else and she still struggled to talk to him.
She was glad to see that her skin felt normal temperature again. The chill in her bones, and the heat on her skin had normalized itself.
Awaken (The Witches, The Spell Book, and The Magic Tree) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 1) Page 5