Shifting by Rachel D'Aigle

began soon after. Today, Eddy used himself as a moving target. Colin successfully sent rocks hurtling through his ghostly body time after time. Meghan watched, jealously impressed. Uncle Eddy was thrilled. He had never seen someone take to magic like Colin.
    Meghan, on the other hand, was not having such an easy time. She now worked on balancing items, as she had seen Jae do. However, she never successfully balanced more than three items before they plummeted to the ground.
    Timothy returned, watching them practice. At the end of the day he escorted his new friends on their walk home. The twins had not spoken the entire walk as Timothy had not yet stopped; which for the present they found amusing.
    Before they reached the circle of wagons, the twins stopped in their tracks. Unfriendly footsteps advanced from the woods, encircling them. Timothy flitted high into the air, watching from a distance as the scene unfolded. Three figures emerged from the woods. Two they recognized, Darcy, along with her partner in crime, the eloquent speaking Dulcy. The third was a towering, skulking girl they did not recognize. She kept pace with Darcy and Dulcy as the three ambushers circled their prey.
    “You were right, Darcy,” bellowed Dulcy. “Wait and they’ll come, and then we’ll see what they’ve been up to.”
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    “Shut it!” warned Darcy harshly. The skulking girl sneered as the trio tightened their circle around the twins.
    “What do you suppose this is about?” sent Colin silently, trying to keep his nerve. Meghan kept her eyes on their ambushers, showing no fear. This only elevated Darcy’s anger.
    “What do you want?” demanded Meghan.
    “We’ve seen what you can do,” Darcy stated, her eyes blazing. “And we think you’re spies!”
    “Oh, no,” sent Meghan to Colin. “Not good!” She made sure not to outwardly show her anxiety.
    “I don’t think this is how Uncle Eddy imagined our abilities being found out,” stammered Colin.
    “It doesn’t exactly bring about trust, does it?” she sent back dryly.
    Darcy waited for a reply, growing fiercer as one did not come. Meghan cleared her mind and Colin grew aware that she slipped into her own defensive mode.
    “Why should we care about what you think you’ve seen, Darcy?” Meghan obviously had no idea who she was dealing with. The other two girls jumped backwards, as if complete fury was about to be unleashed.
    “It will matter to you when I get you both kicked out and left here to ROT! I’m going to turn you in for what you really are.”
    “I see,” said Meghan. “What is that by the way, Darcy? Who are we?” The skulking girl stood at the ready, awaiting orders to pummel the twins. Dulcy, the worded wonder, to the twins’ benefit, threw Darcy off her game.
    “Banon Blackwell is going to flip out when we bring you in as spies. We will totally be rewardified.” Dulcy’s eyes rolled as she attempted to pronounce the word. “No, rewarided,” she then corrected, still wrong.
    Darcy cringed.
    “Stop speaking,” she hissed, her nostrils flaring.
    Meghan took advantage of the momentary switch in attention and nudged Colin to step to the left, which was now open, as Darcy had moved closer to her idiot counterpart.
    “Darcy, they’re trying to get away!” the skulking girl thundered, giving them away. “You want me to pound ‘em?”
    Darcy whirled around facing the twins.
    “No one walks away while I’m talking to them,” she roared.
    “Oh, really? Watch me,” goaded Meghan, taking another step.
    “Are you trying to get us killed?” yelled Colin silently.
    “Look, you two… Ditch Witch’s!” Darcy stopped, gloating over coming up with such a clever term. She waited until the other girls had a good laugh, before continuing.
    “We’re watching you!” she warned. “And when you screw up, which you will, we’ll be there to show Juliska Blackwell who you really are. And then we’ll see who’s scared.” Darcy marched away followed by