They came in police cars, their flashing red lights cut through the dark night. I heard them before I saw them. I looked out the window. And I knew what had happened. Because this was not the first time I heard those sirens. It probably wasn't just police cars. Probably ambulances as well. And I knew who would be in that ambulance. My brother, Ryu.

I heard the loud knocking at the front door downstairs. My sister, Misaki, answered it. Her sandy brown hair was in curlers, she was wearing a night gown and slippers. She must not have heard the sirens, she was always a heavy sleeper, and she must not know.

"Yes," she said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Are you Ms. Misaki Yamada?"

"Yes, I am, can I help you officer?"

"I'm afraid to tell you that your elder brother was found in the river not far from the highway. He was taken to the hospital immediately, but he…he didn't make it through. I'm very sorry ma'am…"

The rest of that night was a blur. Long and useless interrogation after interrogation. Both me and Misaki where questioned, being his sisters, and the only living relatives he had left.

Had your brother had any thoughts of suicide? Did he seem depressed or angry?

No, of course not. He was always smiling about something. He loved his life. He wouldn't have given it up.

Are there any people who might have wanted to see him dead?

No one hated him that much. People could dislike him, but know one could truly hate Ryu.

Why was he out tonight?

Probably a party. He had a lot of friends.

The police where completely stumped. How does happy, well liked, friendly guy end up in a river?

Ryu can't die. He just can't. He was so alive just 6 hours ago. There are so many thing I should have said to him before he left. He couldn't die. It was the curse.

The police left, leaving Misaki and I to mourn the loss of our brother, our friend.

"Sayoko, It'll be alright," Misaki said. "It's not like when dad died. Remember we had to go to a foster home for a year, until Ryu turned 18? That was the worst. At least I'm old enough to take care of you." She laughed, but it was not her usual warm laugh, it was cold and dry. I kept crying. Misaki held me close to her. She wasn't crying, but I knew that as soon as she put me to bed, she would cry herself to sleep.

"I knew this would happen. Like Mama, and Father, and Grandpa, and Grandma, and all of our aunts and uncles and cousins. We where next. It's the curse. He didn't believe it…" she trailed off, I saw the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, but her eyes where red now.

"I didn't believe it either," I admitted. "Until now." I considered what this meant. If the curse was true, It would not be long before Misaki and I joined our family in death. "Are you afraid?" I asked.

"Of dying? No. To me, death is just another beginning. Maybe I'll be reincarnated, but whatever happens, I'm ready. Are you? Afraid, I mean?"

I didn't answer. But the answer was yes. I didn't want to die. There was so much I wanted to do. I wanted to graduated from high school. I wanted to be famous, to have a painting in an art galleries in New York and Paris. I wanted to fall in love. I wanted to get married and have a family. I knew I would never get the chance.

I went to bed that night feeling empty. I couldn't sleep at all. Sometime at 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning I got out of bed and got out my sketchbook. I had 24 other sketch books, all of them full, but this one was my favorite. It was the biggest, and had my name engraved on it. I flipped to the page with my most recent sketch of Ryu. A small piece of paper fell from in between to pages. To Sayuko, was written on the front. I opened out.

Sayuko, vhcvs adhkvl jdbuvb nif jfbv ikikadbu nfujsdb hjlcsfadbhjvcbl ifhnhabvbu ujdh jsb jbdfb jnfpaf nufbual hfbual bfuib fiheurqiu om dk Misaki ifnoaofasb niopwgfnbs huoirwvb.

Ryu

I stood confused. Then, as a I recognized the hand writing, I grinned. Ryu's secret code. Somewhere in my messy room I had a little piece of paper that told me what all the random gibberish meant. But I was to tired to look now. I ripped out the page and taped it to the wall. I climbed into bed and remembered the first time I'd heard of the curse.