It was the morning of my sixteenth birthday. I live in Maine with my parents. I was home getting ready to go to school. My mom was the type of person who would be very nice unless you did her wrong. She always got me most of the things I wanted. On that day, my mom bought me a car. I jumped up and down with joy.
“I love you,” I screamed. I didn’t think then that my day would take such a massive turn.
“I really thought you deserved a car because you are always helping me, Jasmine, I really hope you have a good day,” my mom said.
“Thank you,” I said.
    I walked outside to get to school. I drove my brand new car to school that morning. While I was halfway there, my car broke down. I got out to go check on what the problem was, and I couldn’t find it. Everything was working perfectly fine. I eventually gave up and locked the door. I was going to call a mechanic, but I had no time because I would be late to school. I didn’t have any other choice but to walk the rest of the way there.
By the time I got there, I was almost 30 minutes late to first period. When I walked into class, I said I was sorry then walked to my seat. The teacher didn’t say a word to me and didn’t look my way for the entire class time. I was confused. The teacher was usually all up in my case, but he didn’t say anything to me.
I sat down next to my best friend, Amy. She had long, red hair, and was always enthusiastic. I said hi, but she didn’t respond. I had no idea what was going on. She never ignored me. I was always there for her and she was always there for me. Her face was filled with deep sorrow and despair. I stayed until lunch time, and no one said a word to me, and every time I tried to talk to them it seemed they couldn’t hear them. I was just done with the day it was too much. I decided to go home early because my head was pounding, and I didn’t feel like going to any other class. I figured since it was my birthday, my mom wouldn’t hold it against me.
As I was walking home, some stranger came up to me and said, “Long live the dead.”
In my mind, I had no idea what he was talking about. For some reason, he looked very familiar. It felt like I knew him my whole life. He reminded me of my dad. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and he looked nice and caring just like my dad. I didn’t want to stir up a conversation because I hate talking to strangers. I walked away. He was tailing me. I started to run when he yelled out, “Jasmine! Stop! I’m not trying to hurt you.”
“How do you know my name?” I asked.
“I’m your uncle. I’m your father’s little brother,” he whispered. I could barely hear what he said.
“If you were my uncle, why haven’t I heard about you from my father?”
“Your father and I were in a traffic accident when I turned sixteen. Your father survived, but I didn’t.”
“Wait! What do you mean by you didn’t survive?”
“I mean that I am no longer living. I died in that traffic accident, and now you are dead too.”
I was baffled. I had no idea what he meant by “you are dead too”. I couldn’t handle it. It was outrageous.
“I know you are scared and confused but it is time to stop this curse written on our family,” my uncle said.
“What curse?” I wondered.
“Four-hundred years ago, your great-great-great grandmother was having a child. She was the nicest woman ever. She never betrayed anyone. There was a woman that hated her. She was a witch with magical power. While your great-great-great grandmother was in labor, the witch visited her and put a curse on her family that made the youngest child die when they are sixteen.”
“Ummmm. Ok. I think I’ll go home now.” I said while I turned around. I didn’t know what to do, so I went home. I just wanted to take a long bath.
“Mom! Are you home?” I shouted.
    I walked up the stairs to go see if my mom was home. She usually greeted me when I got home. My mom had a face filled with grief. To my surprise, my dad was home earlier than usual. He had the same look my mother had. I went up to them to ask what was wrong, and it seemed they were looking right through me. It seemed like they had no idea I was there. I went to my room. I opened the door, and my “uncle” was sitting on my bed. I had my doubts about if he really was my uncle. I learned to never believe everything someone tells you. I was super cautious.
    “Are you ready to listen to what I have to-” started my “uncle” before he started coughing.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    “It’s nothing. It happens all the time.”
    “If there is something wrong, you should tell me.”
    “I didn’t finish the story yet. After the witch cursed your great-great-great grandmother, she didn’t think anything of the curse until her youngest child turned 16. He got into a car accident just like you and me.”
    I was tired and didn’t feel like finishing the conversation. “ I’m sorry, but can we finish this conversation tomorrow?” I asked
    “Of course,” my uncle said.
    I went to bed and then the next morning, it seemed like nothing changed. I walked downstairs to the table and saw my brother, my mom, and my dad. Everything seemed the same.
    “Good morning,” everyone said in unison.
    “...morning?” I said confused. I didn’t know what happened. It seemed like everyone could see me. Yesterday, it seemed like no one could see me or talk to me. I asked my father to see if the person claiming to be my father’s little brother was actually his little brother and my uncle.
    “How did you know about him?” my father asked.
    “I don’t know if I was dreaming or if this was actually real life. I met him on my way home from school yesterday, and he said that he was my uncle. He told me about a curse our family has, and how he died in a car accident just like me. He said the curse was put on all of the youngest children, and when they turn sixteen, they die,” I said.
    My dad didn’t say one word. It seemed as if I was missing something. I was actually confused because my sixteenth birthday was the day before, and I was still alive.
    “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the curse. I was afraid that you wouldn’t get to live your life to the fullest. I thought you would be depressed all of your life if I did tell you,” my father murmured.
    I was so happy that my father didn’t tell me because I knew that I couldn’t live my life to the fullest if I knew about the curse.
I was on my way to school when I saw a shadowy figure behind me. I didn’t know who it was but I started running for my life. I thought maybe it was a murderer or some psychopath.
“Jasmine! Wait! It’s me,” said Amy.
I looked back. It was Amy my best friend. I was surprised. She looked as if she saw a ghost.
“What happened to you? You look terrible,” I said.
“I saw someone that looked like you, so I went up to talk to you and then out of nowhere you attacked me.”
“Why would I do that? You’re my best friend.”
“I don’t know.”
Amy was staring at me with a weird look. She looked like a rabid animal. It looked like she was ready to pounce on me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked Amy.
Amy was taking deep breaths. “Why do you always do better than me? You always one-up me. It’s not fair,” Amy whispered.
I could barely hear her. Amy looked around. I tried to look for what she was looking at, but I couldn’t see it. When I tried to run away, Amy jumped on me from the back. She was trying to kill me.
I found a glass bottle on the ground. “ I’m sorry,” I said.
I hit her on the head with the bottle. I was running for my life when I saw all of my family members all around me trying to kill me. I saw my uncle. I wondered why he was there.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“We all are here to kill you. I didn’t tell the complete truth. I didn’t die in a car accident. I was murdered by my family members.”
“Why? Please, tell me why? I never did anything wrong.”
“It’s nothing I can explain. There is just some magical force that takes over the family on the day after the youngest child’s sixteenth birthday.”
“Why?” I yelled, tears streaming down my face, “Who would do something like this?”
“The witch was a deranged person. She made people’s family turn against their own loved ones.”
I was so shocked how could someone be that crazy and live in the world without having their conscience biting away at them for doing something like that. I could never forget the carnivorous look everyone in my family had. All I knew was that I had to find a way to break this curse so anyone like me could live longer than just sixteen years.
I tried to run for my life. I don’t know how, but I managed to escape. I ran to the nearest library to do research on the witch who put a curse on my family. I didn’t have enough research to go on except for four hundred years ago. I went into the history section of the library to see a book that was glowing. I opened the book to see a picture of a witch that, for some reason, looked familiar. I turned away for one second, and then I realized that the person I saw in the book wasn’t there anymore. I went to the bathroom to wash my face because I thought I was delirious. I was seeing the lady right behind me. I felt her choking me without her using her hands. I was gasping for air when I passed out.
I woke up to see the lady who looked as if she had magical powers. I was thinking she was the witch, but I knew there was no such thing as witches. I tried to reason with her.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I said.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” she said.
I was suspicious because she had a weapon in her hand, and it seemed like she was guarding something. There was this mysterious odor that had me feeling faint. The last thing I saw was that lady getting stabbed, and that there was so much blood on the ground.