Keath woke up in the middle of the night, starving and home-sick. She unzipped one of her bags and took out a few snacks. If only I could bring my home inside my bag like this, then I wouldn't be as lonely as I am now, she thought to herself. But, then again, there isn't much to miss back home. Horacio, whom she had come to call "Uncle Horace" was seldom at home. But whenever he was, he devoted all his time to keeping her company. One time, when Keath was only twelve, she noticed her Uncle Horace coming home late from work, dead-tired and down. She clung to him, gave him a sloppy welcome-home kiss, and urged him to play house with her. He had agreed without hesitating or having second thoughts. He had come to love her that much. He never raised his voice at her, but was always strict. He'd buy her presents, toys and take her shopping.
On the Eve of her sixteenth birthday, Uncle Horace brought home a girl who looked like her except this girl was older by three years and more mature. She was Jane, Keath's older sister. Uncle Horace, who had been a friend of their father since before either child had been born, knew about the first child. Their father and mother couldn't cope with Jane. What with their lack of a permanent home and job, they had no way to support their child. So they sent her away to her grandmother until they've saved enough for a house. Three years after that, they had Keath. By then, they could cope with a child, but only A child for they couldn't yet support two. So they waited patiently for the right time to take Jane back. On the day of the car crash, their father was promoted and their mother was a published novelist, and they were ready to take in Jane.
"Everything has a price to pay," she quoted. Mother and father wanted to tell me then, but I was only seven at that time. Maybe they thought I was too sensitive to be told the truth. And then they died. They died when they were ready to tell me.
Although Keath grew up with her Uncle Horace's selfless love around her, her experience with her biological uncle and his two sons turned her heart to stone and her tongue free of sensitivity. She was frank, insensitive, and cold. This facade only lifted when she was around the people she loved, the people she cared about.
She opened the window to her room and looked at the sky, her arms leaning on the window sill. The stars were twinkling brightly and the moon was full and sweet. It reminded her of... she shook her head. She mustn't think of any of these memories, or she'll be sucked into them and possibly change her choices. She made a promise to her sister. She promised not to use her ability, considering how powerful it is and could easily be corrupted, under any circumstances. Because going back to change the past will not only change the future, it could also worsen the problem.