Shifting by Rachel D'Aigle Read Free Book Online

here?” begged Meghan.
    “Arnon? Why do you ask this?” pressed the ghost.
    “How do you know his name?” Meghan asked impatiently.
    “I am afraid we have gotten off on the wrong foot,” sighed the ghost.
    “Spying didn’t help,” chided Jae.
    “I am not here to harm you, and anyways, that wouldn’t be possible, since the magic of ghosts doesn’t work on the magic of the living.”
    “I’d forgotten that,” said Jae. He said to the twins, “Stay and get your message. I’ll wait in town. You can find me when you’re done.”
    “We don’t mind if you stay Jae,” insisted Colin, unsure he wanted to be alone with this ghost.
    “No, it’s okay. The message is not for me. Besides, you can always tell me later, if you want.” Jae left them alone with the unfamiliar ghost.
    “I must ask, what has befallen Arnon?”
    Meghan decided she wanted answers first.
    “What gives you the right to know?”
    The ghost asked them to sit on a bench nearby. He then floated to their eye level, the lower part of his body disappearing into the ground.
    “My name is Eddy. Arnon is my brother.”
    The twins were speechless, and for some uncontrollable reason, Meghan fought off tears.
    Eddy took out a piece of the ghost candy.
    “I’ve been saving this for a special occasion. They say ghosts can get addicted to the feeling of being alive again. He put the candy in his mouth and there before them was their newfound uncle, alive and breathing. His unshaven face chuckled.
    “Oh. How strange a feeling.”
    Colin wondered why they had never seen any pictures of him, and was about to ask when Eddy interrupted.
    “How about, before I change back, a quick hug from my…” before he could finish they were in his arms.
    It was the best feeling either of them had felt since their whole nightmare had begun. Almost as soon as it started, their uncle’s body began to fade beneath them. The twins had so many questions that they were not sure where to start. Meghan began, firstly, by telling them about Uncle Arnon’s unknown fate.
    “I can at least say that I have not seen Arnon here, so that at least can give us hope that he has survived. However…”
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    The twins understood that Eddy knew no more than they.
    “Does any of this surprise you, Uncle Eddy?” Colin was happy to say the word uncle again.
    “No, nothing surprises me with your story.”
    “Not even the magic or the Scratchers?” asked Colin.
    “Not even those,” Uncle Eddy replied. “Which leads me to why I am here.” The twins listened eagerly.
    “May I see your book, Colin? The one you’re hiding under your sweater?” Colin was nervous to take it out, but obliged. He held it up for his uncle to see; being a ghost, he could not touch it.
    “Pristine condition, marvelous news!” he exclaimed.
    “Can you tell us what this book is, Uncle Eddy?” asked Colin.
    “Yes. But not here or now.”
    “When?” pleaded Meghan, happy they would see their unfamiliar relative again.
    “We’ll start tomorrow. We have much to do and not much time to do it in!”
    “How will we find you? I hope we’ll be allowed to come to Grimble again,” said Meghan.
    “I think that with your good behavior today, they will allow you out of their sight while the other children are in school.”
    “Good behavior?” croaked Colin, recalling the ghost candy incident. He retold the tale to their uncle.
    “That’s an odd tale, but don’t fret. It’s likely it had nothing at all to do with the two of you.” Eddy didn’t look like he believed his own words. “My best advice is to be mindful of your actions, and do your best not to make any enemies.”
    “We’ll try, but I don’t know about the Svoda,” said Meghan, rolling her eyes.
    “They may not be trusting yet, but give them time, and no reason not to, and you’ll be fine.”
    “Somehow, I think by us just being, we could get into trouble with the Svoda,” added Colin.
    Eddy made a move as to pat Colin on the shoulder