The first time Shi Ling met her Aunt Yi and Uncle Meng was at her parents' funeral. It was not a pleasant thing to be introduced to one's elderly relatives on such a solemn occasion but Shi Ling had no choice. She had become an orphan. From that day on, she had to live with Aunt Yi's family, since her parents both had died in a car accident.

Shi Ling knew clearly that she was not accepted by Aunt Yi's family because they believed the unkind rumours about her. Her neighbors had said that Shi Ling was indirectly the cause of her parents' death. Apparently, the day before the car accident, her Dad and Mum had gone into her room to say goodnight as usual. Shi Ling suddenly felt an urge to bid farewell to them. So she stood up slowly and said in a serious tone of voice, "Goodbye, Dad; goodbye Mum."

The next day, a truck crashed into Shi Ling's parents' car, and no one survived. It was the third time that something like this had happened. The first victim was her neighbour who fell down from his ten-storey apartment two days earlier. The second one was her classmate in primary school. That poor boy drowned in the nearby river on the same day.

These incidents were part of Shi Ling's unhappy memories. She wanted to get rid of them and start her new life at her aunt's home. Unfortunately, real life does not often go according to one's wishes. Aunt Yi treated Shi Ling badly because she believed that Shi Ling was a little witch who could put curses on others. She forbade Shi Ling from saying goodbye to other people and she even threatened to kick Shi Ling out of her house if Shi Ling ever did so.

Time passed quickly by and soon it was the June school holidays. Aunt Yi and Uncle Meng planned a family trip to Johor and decided to leave Shi Ling alone at home. Of course, Shi Ling was very disappointed. She had dreamt of swimming in the open sea since she was five years old. Suddenly, an idea occured to her. She knew something Aunt Yi was most afraid of. She gathered up her courage, walked up to Aunt Yi and asked her once again if she could go on the holiday with them. Without much though, Aunt Yi turned down Shi Ling's request but Shi Ling did not quarrel or cry.

She said calmly, "In that case, I would like to say goodbye to Uncle Meng before you leave."

On hearing this, Aunt Yi suddenly lost her cool. Her face turned white and her mouth opened in horror. When Aunt Yi regained her senses, she said in a trembling voice, "You... you are threatening me, aren't you? You know your farewell could cause his death!"

Shi Ling stared at a pale Aunt Yi. Then with a grin across her face, Shi Ling whispered omniously, "What's more, dear aunt, I would like to say goodbye to you too."

"Ok, ok, ok! you'll get what you want!" Aunt Yi said quickly as she realized the power this little girl had over their lives.

On the night before their journey, Shi Ling was packing for the trip and thinking happily to herself, "Haha, what a good and easy way to make my dreams come true!"

Before she went to bed, she decided to try on her new swimming costume her aunt had given her. Then, as she was looking at herself in the mirror, Shi Ling suddenly felt that strong familiar compulsion again, so she spoke to the girl in the mirror clearly and formally, "Good bye, Shi Ling."

"Good bye, Shi Ling." This was also the last thing Aunt Yi said to her at Shi Ling's funeral three days later, as she watched Shi Ling's body descend into a freshly dug grave. Shi Ling had drowned in the sea wearing her new swimming costume.