One Sentence Before Death

My younger brother, Jason Callahan, died the day before school started.He jumped from the sixteenth floor of our apartment building.His head was twisted unnaturally to one side. There was not much blood. His tiny body lay curled in a dark pool beneath him.However, the strangest thing was the expression on his face.He was smiling.The moment people saw that smile, the entire crowd sucked in a sharp breath.It was still the face of a child, young and innocent at first glance, yet the smile carried something vicious and unsettling far beyond his age.It sent chills crawling across everyone's skin.Mom cried until she nearly collapsed. Dad, who had stood tall and proud his entire life, suddenly seemed bent under an invisible weight, smoking one cigarette after another in silence.The police tried to comfort us while going through procedure."If there's a suicide note, we can officially close this as a suicide case."So the whole family began searching through my brother's ro

At the mention of Grandpa, tears instantly spilled from my eyes.I was devastated by my brother's suicide too, but it did not hit me nearly as hard as Grandpa's death had.After all, Grandpa had jumped right in front of me.I cried so hard I could barely speak.Seeing my condition, the police had no choice but to end the questioning. In the end, my brother's case was officially closed as a suicide caused by academic pressure.However, not long after the officers left our house, they came rushing back.Captain Kent Wright from the criminal investigation unit looked at me, clearly struggling to find the right words.He stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice rough and hoarse."Y-you shouldn't grieve too hard."We just received news about your father, David Callahan. He... jumped into the river."The color drained from my face instantly.My body began trembling uncontrollably.The police brought me to the riverside, where white police tape had already

The moment I heard those words, my pupils shrank in shock. No matter how hard I tried, I could not hide the disbelief on my face.Panicking, I reached for my mother's hand.But she moved faster than I did.She calmly tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear, then smoothed the wrinkles from her clothes.After that, she smiled at me.A beautiful, gentle smile.Then she turned and ran toward the window.We were on the thirtieth floor.In an instant, terror ripped through me and I screamed at the top of my lungs."Mom, no!!!"But she did not listen.She left me behind without a second thought.With astonishing agility, she climbed over the window ledge and jumped.Just like my younger brother. Just like Grandpa. Just like Dad.Without hesitation, calm and resolute, she chose to end her own life.I rushed after her, but all I managed to catch was a corner of her clothing before it slipped through my fingers.I watched her body fall with my own eyes, like a butterfly w

Jeremy woke up quickly.But the moment he opened his eyes, panic flooded them.His hands and feet had been strapped tightly to the bed, completely immobilized. A harsh beam of light shone directly onto his face, so bright he could barely keep his eyes open.He struggled with all his strength, twisting violently against the restraints, but he could not move at all.Watching him fight uselessly against the bindings, I let out a quiet laugh."Mr. Walker, don't waste your energy."I paid a fortune to learn this kind of restraint technique from foreign mercenaries."So far, nobody's managed to break free."At last, Jeremy stopped resisting. His eyes shifted toward me, something strange flickering within them."What do you want?"I slowly pulled on my gloves, the cold rubber tightening against my skin. Oddly enough, I felt completely calm inside.Then I took out an old graduation album and flipped to Jeremy's page.In the photograph, he looked far younger than he did now. His bac