“It’s just that I’ve had this weird vibe tonight, like it was happening all over again. You know, the separation thing.” Before Brianna could say a word she launched into her story. “Allacia and I, we were teenagers, but we weren’t living with Mom and Dad. We were on our own and we went on a double date or something, I can’t remember all the details. Anyway, Allacia she gets mad at her date and takes off. I didn’t want to leave my date, but I chased after my sister and she slipped out of sight. Disappeared. Bam. I couldn’t find her. Then it all mixed up and I was in college, but I kept seeing her. She was like texting me all the time, asking me to meet her and I’d go, but she’d never show. In between the dreams I’d wake up, calm down, then go back to sleep and dream about her all over again. Y’know, it’s kinda freaky. Like somethin’s happening.”

Tanisha believed that in the universe of twins, there was an invisible aura connecting them. She thought that a traumatic event experienced by one twin could also be felt by the other. Tanisha also claimed to be sensitive to the pain of other twins she had met. Brianna found Tanisha’s beliefs to be more than a little extreme, but hey, hadn’t she, too, had a weird nightmare about her own twin tonight?

“What do you think is happening?” asked Brianna.

“Separation,” Tanisha said decisively.

“To whom?”

“I’m not sure. Just close twins.”

“Someone you know?”

“No . . . well, maybe. Someone I know of. Look, I know you think I’m a little out there with all this twin stuff, but trust me, it’s true. I can’t tell you what’s going on with twins in Berlin or Moscow or Capetown, or even here in New Orleans if I don’t know them or of them, but if I do, I just feel some strange vibe.”

“If they’re separated.”

“Yeah, oh yeah. I mean, it’s not like I can read their thoughts or any strange stuff like that. And complete strangers? Forget it. But if there’s some thread linking me to them, no matter how thin, I’m tellin’ you, I get this weird feeling, kinda like a spider crawling up your bare back, y’know? And then I can’t sleep and I end up calling you in the middle of the damned night.”

“It’s fine,” Brianna assured her as St. Ives began batting on the door wanting to go wandering in the night. “Anytime.” She considered admitting that she, too, had dreamt about her own sister, but decided against it. She dreamed so often about Arianna, Brianna didn’t think tonight’s dream was significant.