Free Shifting by Rachel D'Aigle Page B

the old mill, Uncle Eddy was not alone. The ghost of a younger boy floated nearby.
    “Who’s that?” asked Colin.
    “That is my new friend, Timothy.” He floated close to the twins, whispering, “Poor boy’s been here nearly twelve years. Found some bully of a ghost named Duppy doing magic on him, poor thing couldn’t even defend himself.”
    “He isn’t magical?” questioned Meghan.
    “No. Strange he would end up in Grimble, with no magical ties.”
    “He’s funny,” said Colin, watching the boy flutter around in circles above.
    “He has been quite a hoot. Timothy, come down for a moment.” The ghost boy dived and abruptly halted in front of the twins.
    “Hi! You must be Meghan and Colin. Nice to meet you! So Eddy is your uncle? You’re so lucky. How is it that you are alive and he’s dead? You didn’t tell me they were alive. Wow, I never get to talk to alive people anymore.”
    “He sure is an excitable ghost boy,” sent Meghan to her brother, who nodded in amused agreement.
    “Nice to meet you, Timothy,” said both twins, together.
    “You too,” he said, and then added, “I have to go now, going to go help a new ghost child arriving today. Hope I get to see you again. So many questions I’d like to ask an alive person.” He floated away.
    “Bye, Timothy,” said Eddy. “Stay away from that Duppy ghost, eh.”
    “I will. I promise,” his voice trailed off and he was gone.
    “Okay, where were we?” said their uncle, getting comfortable on a beam hanging over the twins.
    “Before we do anything Uncle Eddy, can I ask you about something that happened earlier this morning?” asked Meghan.
    “Yes, of course,” he answered uneasily. He floated down off his beam, to be closer to her.
    “This morning I fell, and Jae grabbed my hand to help me up. Somehow, I ended up in his mind and…” She glanced sideways at Colin, giving in. He would find out eventually anyway.
    “There were feelings of wanting to hurt someone, and Jae not surviving. I don’t understand how I know this, I just do.” Meghan’s fear overwhelmed Colin’s thoughts, and though he was upset that she had not told him, he said nothing.
    Uncle Eddy frowned and then smiled.
    “I should’ve known,” he muttered.
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    The twins waited eagerly for him to explain.
    “Meghan, it may not appear so at the moment, but what you have is a great gift.”
    “Gift? Is it a magical gift?”
    “In a manner of speaking, yes. Your gift runs in the family, your mother and your grandmother and her mother... you get the picture. It’s no surprise to me that this would occur.
    I should have been expecting it!”
    “Expecting what?” Meghan wished adults would get to the point faster.
    “The gift of sight,” her uncle answered without further delay.
    “So I can see things, and feel things, like Jae’s feelings?”
    “Yes, I would imagine you can see other things, too, glimpses of the past, present or future.
    Out of curiosity, do you have any idea how the sight comes to you, what mode allows you to see?”
    Colin was not sure he understood what his uncle was asking, but Meghan knew immediately.
    “Fire, its fire.” She read Uncle Eddy’s face; he looked surprised that she already knew this.
    Something dawned on Colin.
    “That’s how you knew about the Scratcher attack, back in Cobbscott, isn’t it?”
    “I guess so. I think somehow, I knew it was a vision of the future. I just didn’t really believe it, at the time.”
    “I wish I knew more about having the sight,” added Eddy. “It is not a subject I am very familiar with. Perhaps there are some books in the library that might help you, Meghan,” he suggested.
    “Books?” questioned Colin. “You obviously don’t know my sister very well.” Eddy chuckled, and Meghan glared.
    “Well, we’ll work on it,” Eddy added. “See what we can discover. Why don’t we have an early lunch and then get down to the business of the day.” The twins ate in silence. Practice