My life was changed during the summer of 2007. It was a scorcher, living near the beach. I was running home. I had beads of sweat running down my sun burnt face as I ran. I looked average. I have black hair with blue eyes. I am a Japanese-American.



I kept receiving texts from my twin sister, Keira. When are you going to be home? She kept asking. She was alone because our parents went on a trip to Alaska for vacation. Normally, Keira was with me while we’d glance at guys that walked by. She wasn’t that day.

When I finally reached my yard, I ran to the back door and went inside. Our back room looked like a laundry room. It had pastel colors and a table with scattered clothes.


I heard a noise come from upstairs. I thought it was a lamp shattered on the floor. I heard my sister scream and the gun rang off. I knew my face was plastered with horror.


I bolted out the door and jumped into the nearest bush. I heard the back door open and slam. I saw a man walked down the stairs. He had his face concealed with a ski mask. He ran to the suburban that drove up. He looked right at me with his eyes that were the color of pitch black. He had gotten in and another man drove away.


The adrenaline that pumped through my body was disappearing and I was sitting in that bush not moving.


I knew about two things: One, my sister was killed, lying upstairs. Lastly, two, that man knew Keira and me. I was going to find out who’s my sister’s killer. I immediately started crying afraid to do anything.