The Cats Curse
Chapter 1
"Everyone put your seat belts on we're about to land," the lady said into the microphone. I quickly put my seat belt on pulling my favorite black and orange Trapt tee shirt down. My beads fell down to my hand. I looked at them a moment. They were all black and kept me bound to this curse. I shook my thoughts away. I put my last Jolly Rancher in my mouth and my headphones on.
I was on my way to see my cousin. My gram was on vacation, so I got stuck going to China. I don't have anything against my aunt and her family it's just I would rather stay in New Jersey which my friend- like companion, May. Now I'll be going to my cousin's school where the only one I know is her. Saki isn't that bad, in fact we look pretty much alike. We both have long black hair. She can see peoples' emotions through her 'waves'. Me? I'm cursed. The Chinese Zodiac is awesome when one of the vengeful spirits isn't in your body. May used to have a curse, she was the ox. Everyone else's curse got broken; Mason the quiet rat, May the sincere ox, Garfield the soft- spoken, emotional tiger, Noël the used- to- be bouncy rabbit, Kyle the straight faced dragon, Danielle the drama queen snake, Hunter the headstrong boar, Robert the ignorant ram, Hope the feisty horse, Jake the cocky dog, Josh the whatever- you- say- I'll- do bird, and Steve the spastic monkey. They all got their curses broken, except for mine. The cat really doesn't want to be free. I only have my lifetime to break it. Sad huh? Saki doesn't know about my curse but then neither does my grandma. So my curse will probably not be broken. Then voila another little kid will have to same curse as me. What I'm wondering though is if there are Zodiacs in China.
"Welcome to China Aleu!" My aunt hugged me. Hard. "Not… Breathing," I gasped. She let go, "Sorry," I took a big gasp of fresh air. "Where are Uncle- kun and Saki?" I asked. My aunt laughed, her green eyes glittering with amusement. I knew my eyes were a dark grey. That's what happens when you're cursed your eyes are the same color of your hair or close to it. "They're greeting you at the door," She said. I shrugged picking up my bag that fell onto the floor from the hug. "We have a long walk do you want me to get one of those buses?" She asked looking at my bag. "I'm okay," I said. Gram gave me 5,000 yen so I could buy some clothes. So my bag wasn't really heavy, just big.
Once we were in the car driving I put my headphones in and looked out the window not wanting to be bothered with a conversation. As I was looking out the window I saw two guys walking with a girl. At lest I think it was too guys, the guy with grey hair kind of looked like a girl. The other guy had orange hair. ORANGE! I wonder if he died it.
When we were closer to the house, I saw a girl that looked really familiar. She had long black hair and looked like life could end and she wouldn't care.
By the time we pulled up to the house I was still thinking about that girl. Only because before she left my window view she looked at me. Her eyes told me that she saw me.
"Aleu!" My Uncle greeted. We fist punched. "Aleu you have such pleasant waves right now", I jumped startled and turned to Saki. "ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK? 'CAUSE THERE ARE EASIER WAYS!" I yelled. 'No," she said simply. "Well it's nice to see you too," I said calming down, "Yo! Megumi! Thanks for saying hi to your favorite cousin!" I called out. He came out of the kitchen, "You're my ONLY cousin", he stated. I put my hands on my hips, "Therefore your favorite because you have no one else to compare me to," I said as- a- matter- of- factly. "It's nice to see you haven't changed," he said. "You too lil' dude," I scuffed up his hair. "Aleu your uniform is in your room," my aunt said speaking up. I dragged my bag up to my room. Putting my bag on the floor and walking out I yelled to my aunt, "I'm going for a walk!" And I left. I was walking down the street when right in front of me the girl from earlier turned the corner. She had an evil look in her eyes. If looks could kill… "You with the black hair!" she yelled out at me. I put my hands on my hips, "Are you talking about yourself or to me?" I asked. "I'm sorry I should have said the girl with the long braid" she snapped. " Whoa, who are you and why do you hate me already?" I asked. " I'm Isuzu Sohma, most of my family calls me Rin." She told me. "Aleu so answer my other , why do you hate me already?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest. " I don't but I think I remember you from somewhere" Rin said. Isuzu, now where do I remember that? "Rinney!" It cane to me. She was the little girl that I played with when I was six or seven. "Aleu? Oh yeah I called you Ash," Rin face light up with recognition. Ash is what my initials spell. My last is Hanajima. "It's nice to see you again!" I yelled hugging her. "You too you look nice," She said hugging back. "Are you coming back from school? How's Haru?" I asked looking at her outfit. "Yeah," She said. "Lady white and green don't fit you," I laughed a little forgetting about Haru. "Yeah? What colors are yours little lady?" She challenged. "Blue and white," I mumbled. Rin shook her head, "you always do that." I laughed, "Where you headed?" I asked. "Home," She said darkly. "Parents home still?" I asked. "No I live with different family," She said almost carefully. "Mind if I come along?" I put an elbow on her shoulder. "I don't," she shrugged me off.
Rin hated living with her family. They abused her. She was fin until she asked if they really loved her. Then they cut the act. Haru befriended her when she was being abused. She was put in the hospital and Haru stood up to her parents for her. Then Rin started rejecting frilly things. I remember spending the night at her house. She didn't eat and when I woke up a couple times in the night she was still awake. When I questioned it to her the next morning she told me she doesn't like eat in front of people and she doesn't like sleeping.
"So why are you here?" Rin interrupted my thoughts. "Gram's on vaca," I shrugged. "Who you living with?" She asked. "My cousin, who are you living with?" I rose in eyebrow. "Kagura…" Wow that sounded like it took a lot of effort to say. "Who's Kagura?" I asked. "She's… related," Rin hesitated. "Yes I know that but cousin? Aunt?" I pressed. "She's related that's all I'm gonna say!" Rin snapped. "Okay okay," I held up my hands.
We turned the corner and went down that street. We eventually came to a gate that said Sohma. "Wow," I didn't mean to say that but it kind of escaped. "Don't get a swelled head it really isn't that big." She said and walking inside. "ISN'T THAT BIG IT'S HUGE!" I yelled. Quickly running to the nearest tree I climbed up. About 12 feet up I got a good look at the estate. This place was huge! "Ash get back down here or I'm leaving you!" Rin called up. I started climbing down. "Rin this place is huge!" I said coming up next to her. "I'm not allowed to show you around," she told me.
When we got to her house a girl with dark brown hair and a baby face greeted us. "Isuzu! Your home! Who's this? You have a friend?" she said. "Kagura Shut Up!" Rin snapped at her. "I'm Aleu," I jumped in. "I'm Kagura Sohma," She said. "Ash stay down here while I change," Rin said walking off. Kagura lead me to the living room. "Kagura- san I have something to ask," I started. "Hmm?" she looked at me. "Do you –um- have any –uh- curses with the Chinese Zodiac?" I asked looking down. "Umm," Kagura started. "Because I have one," I interrupted. Kagura sighed, "Yeah we do." A faint light of hope showed. "I'm the boar," She said. Really? Like Hunter. "Isuzu she's… she's the horse," her voice started to shake. "KAGURA!" Rin yelled running in. "Don't tell her that! She doesn't need to know! Are you stupid?" she screamed attacking Kagura. "Rin!" I yelled holding her back. "Rin it's okay I'm cursed too!" I yelled. My shirtsleeve went down exposing my beads. "I'm cursed too," I let go of Rin and sank to the ground crying. "I'm the only one left," I sobbed. "Ash, which one are you?" Rin asked shaking me. I just cried. "Which one!" Rin yelled. "Cat…" I said quietly. Kagura gasped. Rin sat down next to me, "How?" she shook her head. "I was told that a very long time ago the head of our family messed with a witch and she curse his family with the Zodiac spirits," My voice trembled. "It's okay, you'll be fine here," Kagura soothed putting an arm around me. I turned to her and that's when she started talking about Kyo.