The waves hit the rocks, making a crashing noise. Hope could hear it in her wakeful spite. The night was dark, hardly any stars out tonight much less the moon. She stained in a cabin, very close to the ocean in the very dead of winter with her workaholic mother. Her mother laid at the other end of the cabin, no doubt asleep as she should be. Hope shuddered at the sound of the waves again, remembering her sister Faith. She fell asleep to the memory.
The summer her mother divorced their father at 8 was the first time they were at the ocean. The morning after their arrival, their mother let them out of the cabin to swim. She turned away from them, busy in her work. Faith, being her twin and the oldest by a minute ran into the ocean. Hope trailed behind her, being careful. Faith had run into the ocean, laughing as the waves struck her. Hope stood at the bank, watching her sister. The minutes flew by, turning into a few hours and Hope knew something was wrong. The current was turning to strong for Faith to get out. It pulled her in, deep into the ocean. Hope tried to run into the water, to save her sister, but something held her back from her demise. Terrified, she screamed, cried for Faith and their mother. Faith was dragged under the water, drowning. Her body was never found. Their mother blamed Hope and still to this day Hope lived with the blame...
The sunlight going through her open window woke Hope up. She stood up and changed into sweats and a long-sleeve shirt. shorts. She walked into the bigger room, seeing her mother was gone and only a note and old, cold badly burnt toast was on the table. She nibbled on the toast while she read the letter.


Hope -




Gone to work. Be home late. Don't wait for me.

















- Mother
She never was a mother to me, so why start now? thought Hope with a sigh. She put the toast down and walked outside into the bright sunlight. For a few hours she wondered the beach, avoiding the water and the rocks. She sat on the bank, her mind on Faith again. "Oh, Sister. I miss you dearly," she whispered, casting sand in the air. She felt a presence behind her, but once she looked behind her, she was none there. With a sight she stood up and walked to the lighthouse.
Climbing up the stairs she thought of the presence again. At the least she felt it one time while she was on this vacation. The lighthouse keeper smiled at her once she steped on the the balcony. She watched the dying sunlight from the balcony, enjoying the view. Once dusk turned to midnight she walked back to the cabin.
That night she argued with her mother, all the built up anger and many other emotions releasing. "Where have you been, Hope?" snarled her mother once she stepped in the doorway. "I could say the same for you, Mother!" she snapped, noticing the bottle of Jack Daniels in her mother's hand. Her mother stood up, her body swaying. "Don't speak to me in that tone, young lady." Hope stood there, far from the mood to talk. "Why would you care? You are never a mother to me." She walked off to her room and froze in the doorway when she heard the sound of shattering glass and the wind wiping past her. She looked behind her, seeing her mother with a wild look in her eyes. "Not a mother, eh? Your the one that killed Faith." Hope winced, glancing beside her seeing a shattered bottle of Jack Daniels. "Only because you made it so." Hope walked to her room, laying in the bed.
She laid in the bed, hearing her mother raging. Near midnight she fell silent and Hope stared at the ceiling, lost in thought She felt the presence around her again, this time pressing into her. "You never did it, Hope," whispered a soft voice in her ear, "Do you really believe you did so? Killed your own sister?" Hope felt calm as she glanced around for the voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. "No, I don't," she whispered softly. Her window's shutters shook at the invisible wind. "I thought so, Hope. You seem a strong women. Why listen to her? Why let her bound you?" Hope slowly sat up, feeling a cold chill run down her spine. "Better to let her believe she has her way when she doesn't." Her eyes fell on her window. It seems to be coming from there, she thought as she let her hand rest just below the window. "Even though she is no mother to you?" Hope sighed and looked up at the sky. "Who are you, spirit? You know of me and my name yet I know none of you. Let me see you." The voice was quite for a minute and Hope feared she drove it away. "Is this what you wish for, Hope? For me to show you what and who I am?" Hope deeply thought the words over and slowly nodded. "Yes, I do." There was silence and the wind didn't even blow. "Very well, Hope, very well." The wind suddenly blew and Hope's window shuttered. A figure appeared in it, very light. He was very boyish, looking of only seven. Skin much like my own, thought Hope with a shuddering breath. "Who are you, spirit?" He was transparent, but only very little. He seemed to smile softly whispering, "I am Kimpa. Your twin brother."

Hope slipped off of the bed, in complete shock. Twin brother? How? Faith was my twin, not this boy? How? Eleven years after Faith's death and I found this out now? From this spirit! she thought, slowly standing up. "Explain this." He smiled softly as he sat on her bed, the window shutting. "I will. Please, sit." Reticently Hope slowly sat down on her bed. He looked at her and started to speak.

"You are my sister, Hope. As well as Faith. I was born before Faith and our mother was horrified. Two girls, one boy. Unholy to her. She sent me away and for over two years forgot of me. She worked and worked, raising you and Faith with very little help. Your-our-father helped raised you, but he was pained deeply b y my loss. He refused to listen to our mother and was going to tell you of me once you got older. That's why she divorced him. Hope, I've always been with you. In death now. At age seven she left you and Faith for a week, remember? She was coming to get me. To maybe even bring me into the family. You see she left me with close friends of hers to care for me. She came to see me from time to time. I knew she was my real mother, but she never said so. Not even, 'I love you.' A glass mother. But she got me, picked me up with what little I had packed. She stopped at a beach-this beach in fact. She let me wonder around and stay in this very room. I wasn't a son, but a figure to her. We staid here for many days.

Near the end of the last few days of our trip, things seemed odd. She forced herself to be with me. She tried to make me happy, but it was an act. She was never my mother. In the dead of the night she woke me up and dragged me out to the beach. it was a clear, wonderful night. She grabbed me by the arm and swung me into the sand. She started to beat me. Beat me senseless. I was afraid. I was never a son to her so why should I be kept alive? She stopped beating me and dragged me to the waters. I was too weak to struggle against her. She threw me into the ocean and sat on the beach, watching me drown with a smile. A coy smile.
Hope, she's never loved you. Any of us. Why did you think our father refused to let you and Faith go? He loved you. She used you-us. How long do you think until she ends your life too?"
Hope sat there, in complete awe. Her mind was silent with complete shock. "What do you suppose I do? I can't run. I have no where to go. But I'm not staying with her any longer," she said suddenly. I want Faith. I want to be with her and Kimpa, she thought with a heavy sigh. "Hope I have no more time to talk with you. We will speak tomorrow," he whispered. With a cheerful hug, he slowly disappeared.

Hope slept little that night. She woke up with a feeling of some item cold on her neck. She picked it up, seeing it was a locket, made of pure silver with Kimpa, Faith, Hope engraved on the front. This is Kimpa's. I just know it. Did our father give it to him as parting gift? she thought, slowly standing up.

Dressing in warm clothing she slipped outside of her room. She turned around to find herself face-to-face with her mother. Her eyes were bloodshot red and a rough expression was on her face. The cabin was a mess, completely demolished from the inside. "Where did you get that, Hope?" she growled, wincing as the sunlight hit her face. Hope smirked and her hand flew tot he necklace. "Kimpa, mother," smirked Hope, enjoying her mother's expression. Her mother swayed, pale now. "Get out of my sight, Hope and stay out of it!" Hope laughed and walked to the door, saying, "I know who he is, Mother. He's my brother. I know your reason behind my siblings death. You shall not use me. I welcome Death!"

Leaving her mother stunned, Hope walked to the shore. The air was cold, bitter, but Hope ignored it. She watched the waves, thinking of her siblings. "We'll be together soon. Us three and soon, maybe daddy," she promised as she felt a warm breeze around her. Giddy, she walked to the lighthouse.

The lighthouse keeper smiled and nodded at her once she was in sight. "Good afternoon, Hope. That's a wonderful locked you have," he said, helping her up the last few steps. She watched the view, admiriding it. "Yes it is. Thank you," she said, her hand on the locket. "May I happen to see it? I promise I won't ruin it." Hope laughed and reached behind her neck to undo the clasp. She handed it to the older man. "Don't worry. I trust you, sir." The man examined the piece of jewelry closely. He looked at the engravings closely, but didn't try to pry it open. I don't want to know what’s inside just yet, she thought suddenly. He helped her place the locket back on, smiling. "Ah...yes. Kimpa," he whispered to himself.

Hope only smiled back and listened as he talked of his time out at sea. At dusk, Hope walked a slowly pace back to the cabin. She went inside and found her mother gone. Drinking some warm broth she made, Hope went to her bed. The room was dark and Hope lit a candle to see, the windows were all shut. She opened the one above her bed and waited.

He appeared beside her. "Tell me what happened to father," she said after silence. Kimpa shifted on the bed, sighing. He felt warm to her. "I don't know what happened much, Hope. After the divorce he tried contacting you, but mother made it clear she would harm you if he tried again. To protect you, he stopped," he said, his voice full of sadness. Hope sighed, her hand on the necklace. "So I have no father, no mother, and no siblings? I am lost, utterly alone. I want to see Faith. Is father dead?" Kimpa tried to comfort her, giving up in the idea. "I know you do. But you can't only in death may you see her. I've followed you since my death, Hope. Faith went on to the Other Side. I didn't, to follow and protect you. Do you remember feeling a presence from time to time here? That was me. ...No. At the least I don't think so, Hope. I can tell you this much." Hope had to swallow past the lump in her throat. "I know what to do..."

She stood up and felt the locket throb against her skin. She ran out of the cabin and to the lighthouse, stumbling. She knew Kimpa wasn't far behind her. The lighthouse was still unlocked when she reached the door. Running up the stairs she stumbled, reaching the top. She saw the keeper stand at the door, smiling. "Knew you'd be back, Hope," was all he said. He hugged her and left to return to his office.

Hope looked down, seeing the distance of the land and the air. Her heart throbbed against the cold locked. Her mind was set on Faith and Kimpa. She couldn't hear Kimpa's shouts as she stepped on the railing. She stepped off of the balcony, into their arms....

Kimpa Sr. ran to the sand, his frail body used to the pain. He knelt down by the young girl's body. "Oh Hope. If only I could have saved you," he said softly. He saw happy she was away from her mother, now in death. He felt the ghost child behind him. "Sir, I tried-" he began as his ghostly form trembled. He turned to face the child. "You did well. Go join them, your siblings. They're tree as you are," he said softly. Slowly Kimpa's body disappeared as the words, "Thank you..." hung in the air.
Kimpa Sr. turned to the body and knelt down by the girl. He undid the locket and gazed at it. Engraved in the left side was, "In Life And Death We'll Always Be Together. Kimpa. Faith. Hope." On the right side was a photo of him, allot younger, holding his children: Kimpa, Faith, and Hope.