Twins

Twins have been a source of fascination for centuries.  They trigger the sense of the uncanny in us that’s brought on by doppelgangers, doubles that displace us or commit atrocities that are then ascribed to us (our “evil twin”). In some cultures twins are thought to not have souls.  In others they are liminal beings with special connections to the supernatural.  This is manifest in the common belief that twins are psychic, able to hear each others’ thoughts and tell when the sibling is harmed or killed.

I am fascinated by the idea that this psychic connection doesn’t end at death, and a person who has lost their twin has one foot in the hereafter.  I’ve written stories with this premise, and one of the potential sequels to my novella Haunted explores the idea in more depth.  It’s a comforting thought in a lot of ways, that our ties with the people we are closest to do not perish when we do. And who can be closer than a twin?