- 10.
I ran over to her, screaming her name.
But she didn’t move.
She was dead.
Г
But she was smiling.
I called Chen.
He and some other cops showed up, asked
me some questions, and took Mom’s body to
the morgue.
“According to the scene and the autopsy, she
killed herself,” the coroner said.
“No way,” I said.
“Mom was scared. She knew something was
going to happen.”
“She wouldn’t kill herself.”
If she was going to kill herself, why did she
tell me to run?
Chen tried to calm me down. “Your dad and
Mark’s deaths were a big deal. Maybe she
couldn’t handle the pressure.”
“She told you to run so you wouldn’t see her
die.”
“No,” I said. “She was always calm. She
wouldn’t kill herself because of what other
people thought.
She’s been acting normal. This doesn’t make
any sense.”
“Someone killed her!”
I was getting worked up.
<
Dad, Mark, and now Mom.
I was terrified.
Chen told me to calm down, then told the
coroner to double check.
But it was the same result.
I had to plan another funeral.
I buried Mom’s ashes next to Dad’s.
I kneeled in front of their graves, trying to
understand.
Why was this happening to me?
Was I cursed?
Г
The old village elder came hobbling over with
his cane.
He bowed in front of the graves.
Then he looked at me. “Sarah,” he said, “I
need to tell you something.”
