The two spider sisters spent the next hour searching but found nothing. Soon enough, Jon and Mikey trudged back to the eating area. There sat their parents, already waiting for them.
For a moment, Jon paused. There was no denying it, this time. The nagas had gotten even younger! By now, they looked like teenagers around Zoe's age, a mere fifteen or so.
"Mom? Dad?" Jon settled down by the table, eyeing both nagas uncomfortably.
"Yes, sweetie?" The dark one replied.
Jon chickened out at the last second. "Uh, any luck finding Zoe?"
"Well, this was left in our cabin." Mom slid a piece of paper over to Jon. It read: Got back but nobody was here. Slept out in the woods. Having a great time! Don't worry about me. I'll see you all again later. -Love, Zoe
"At least she's okay," Jon said, relieved. Glancing back at her parents, she ventured again. "Um, Mom, Dad, have you noticed you two look different?"
"Really?" Her Mom said, looking over at her spouse who studied her back. "I didn't see it before, but I think you're right. How strange."
"Maybe it's part of the process," Dad conjectured. "Whatever the case, you look beautiful, honey."
Mom smiled and blushed. "Thanks. So do you."
This time, Dad also blushed and giggled, much to Jon's shock. Since when did his dad start acting so girly? Was everyone's behavior changing, also?
"While we're on the subject," Jon's mom remarked, turning serious. "I think you two have gone through a few changes, too."
Jon and Mikey shared a confused look. "How so?"
"Maybe Jon's getting younger or Mikey's getting older, but it's getting harder to tell you two apart."
The spider sisters regarded one another as if for the first time. Like their parents, they had been oblivious to any changes in the last few hours until it was mentioned to them. Now, it became apparent. Mikey definitely seemed older, a young teenager perhaps. Jon had lost a few years herself, losing a bit of development along the way. Their heights now matched, as did their proportions.
Even their faces had become more similar, not looking quite like Jon or Mikey but instead a quite pretty third option in between. "Well, that's kinda weird," Jon said. "So, this camp is turning you two into teenagers and us into twins? Why?"
