Sunset was now upon them, bleaching the sun an orangey-red as oppose to its blue. Joey and Serenity had explored every corner of the beach, done everything there was to do, and claimed each part of the beach as their own.

They were building a sandcastle now, with their bare hands. Joey had been thinking all day that they should be getting back. After all, their parents had no idea where they were. Deep down, a little mean part of Joey kept telling his head that his mom and dad wouldn't care that they had gone.

"What a great day..." Joey said, making the finishing touches to their sandcastle. "We gotta come back here!" He was still living inside the perfect little world that he and his sister had created for themselves. He didn't want to come back to reality. He just wished he cold have stayed in that moment with Serenity for the rest of his life...

But Serenity had already come back to reality. "But...how?" she stopped working on the sandcastle and looked at her brother.

Joey continued working, carried away by his own thoughts and dreams. "Don't worry, even if mom and dad do get divorced and they have to live apart, I'll still...bring you back to this place someday." Joey realised that he had yet again said something he couldn't be quite sure he meant.

Serenity's eyes lit up again. "You promise?" Serenity held out her little finger to her brother.

Serenity's voice was so full of trust; Joey knew he had to agree. "Yeah, I promise." Joey thought that, well, maybe it wasn't as hard as it seemed. Maybe he could bring Serenity back here. So held out his little finger too, and gripped it with Serenity's, completing their pinky-promise ritual. He knew he couldn't go back on it now.

Joey looked towards the sunset and managed to look alarmed, even though he knew it was late now. "Serenity, we should be getting back now."

Serenity sighed, but obediently stood up and brushed herself off, sand falling like a snowstorm around her feet.

Joey stood up too, hating the fact that he had ruined the moment. He watched Serenity pick up a small shell from the sand and brush it off. "Can I take this with me?"

Joey nodded and said, "Yeah, but hurry up or we'll miss the bus!"

So Serenity slipped the shell in her pocket and took her brother's hand.

They ran all the way up to the bus stop. As they stood there, they both gazed out at the beach.

"I can't wait to come back here." Serenity sighed.

"Me neither." Joey said, breathing in deeply and inhaling the smell of the salty sea air. He couldn't take in all of the things there were around him, there was so many.

He could hear the soft sea breeze echoing in his ears, and the distant sound of breaking waves.

He could see the beautiful setting sun, a perfectly round, blood red circle.

Joey looked towards Serenity and saw her taking in all her surroundings too.

Just then, the sound of the bus's rattling engine brought the two back to Earth with a nasty bump.