Meet my best friend Jennifer, an eighteen-year-old ghost girl, said to have red hair and dark green eyes. Can't tell since she shows up in front of me grayish tone. She was very outspoken which I bet got her in all sorts of trouble. To this day she never shuts up. She was born in the 80s and can never shut up about it. When it comes to the 80s I feel like an expert because of her. She hasn't moved on yet, she wants justice for what happened to her but she doesn't know for sure what happened to her but one thing we do know her death was an accident.
"Ginger..... Hello," Jennifer waving her hand in front of my face, "Come on nerd, wake up!" she protested, jumping on my bed.
"JENNIFER FOR THE LAST GODDAMN TIME STOP!" I roar.
Suddenly a light knocks at the door echoing in the room.
Silencing us.
Jennifer and I side-eye each other thinking about one possibility.
"Mother," we whisper to each other without breaking eye contact. As if replying to our comment, a sigh through the door
"Ginger, breakfast will be done in a couple of minutes. Don't forget you have a big day ahead of ya."
A couple of knocks follow after, without a word, we hear footsteps start to decrease in the sound behind the door.
My mom's "big day ahead of ya" usually means 'it's time to kick you out of the house for the whole day' thing. She feels that the more I stay in the house the more I start to go crazy. Ever since I met Jennifer, when I was five, mom felt a huge need to help me survive in her world. With that being said mom and I have never been close.
"There she goes again with only talking to you through the door and reminding you about your monthly kick out. Excellent!" sighs sarcastically Jennifer, floating above my bed.
My father on the other hand works overseas, we FaceTime each other every day. I don't personally know how he feels about me talking to Jennifer, but he seems supportive. Sadly, that doesn't always mean he really cares. He's the type that he's so good at being in a business mood that when he's uncomfortable he puts on that faƧade. So personally I don't know what he thinks.
With a deep breath in and rise from my bed, as if I'm Dracula from the black and white films waking up from his coffin.
I laugh to myself, remembering one of those scenes. It used to be my all-time favorite movie.
Stretching my arms and legs before stepping out of bed.
"Yo!" Jennifer screams in my ear.
Gripping my ear checking if she had burst an ear drop.
I yell back, "What the hell, dude! Could you not yell in my ear. I'm getting up."
"Chill! I'm just bored airhead."
Jennifer flops down on my bed, spreading her body, reaching all edges of the bed.
"That wasn't necessary, especially since it was in my ear! Really?!" I said, periodically checking my ear in the mirror to see if I'm bleeding or something.
"Ginger the great, step off it was a joke. We always joke around," She giggles.
I release a big sigh before attempting to punch her, "Ugh, don't run away now!"
I scratch my head in distress.
Great, She disappeared.
------
Midday in August, the sun is shining the brightest. I've begun to sweat, and mosquitoes swarm to me, while the heat beam off my body.
"Ugh!" Intensely scratching my left arm and switching to my right arm.
It has only been 30 minutes since I last saw Jennifer, "Where is she?!"
I'm waiting for Jennifer to help with continuing this Investigation in the woods.
We believe we might find her body here but that's only a hutch of hers. Plus considering that this is her case I expected her to be here helping me.
Back when I was 5 years old Jennifer showed up and offered to become my friend. To which I made a promised to help her catch the bad guys who've made her a ghost. She was my first and only friend when we first moved down to AK from Cal.
But lately, she's been slowly leaving me to do the case all by myself, which is making me feel a bit lonely.
Anyway, I need to focus on the case at hand. So far on what I've found isn't enough to pinpoint anything; a class ring and few notes about the little pieces of memories that she recalls. I keep all of the clues we have in a binder under my bed ready for the day we solve it and take it to the police. Sadly, we haven't gotten any farther than that.
This town feels as if it doesn't want us to discover anything, but luckily we did come across an exciting discovery a few weeks back. Since Jennifer was born here means she's gone to school here, right?! I found a couple of Girdwood High yearbooks from the early 80s in the library with one person in each of them looking as if someone tried to whiten the picture out. The best I could do was scratch a few letters free a J and an F. I have confidence that it's Jennifer they're trying to hide, but why?
When I was 10 years old I even asked the Librarian if there was anything about a girl named Jennifer, but then she said unless I had the last name there's nothing she could do. But how do I find the last name of a girl who seems to never existed?
After my intense scratching session, I quickly look around to see if anything stands out.
"Mhmm, nothing. But I guess I can start in this area while I WAIT FOR YOU!" I say, hoping she hears me, "Maybe it might have something I'm looking for."
Looking at a small pile of leaves. I crouch down, my ears lock in on the leaves crackling beneath me. Forcing me to remember Fall is near and so is the school year. But with the heat hitting me on the back of my neck reminding me I still have two more weeks.
With that in mind, I begin my search, moving leaves side to side hoping there might be something under them that could help with the case.
Personally, I feel the town is hiding something. I just can't put my finger on it. I can't ask my parents about this since they were both raised in Cal., they don't know what's going on here in Girdwood.
Even if they did I cannot involve them, they might be suspects too. That's something I've learned on the detective shows I've been watching, for my training on how to figure out this case. Bottom line: Suspect everyone!
"Hey, Cowgurl! Found anything new?"
I quickly turn, not amused that Jennifer finally shows up, "And where have you been? I don't know if you notice or remember but you are dead and I'm not, I don't have time to waste," I express, crossing my arms.
"Woah, Woah! Quit the nagging. I just took a little trip, I was investigating too you know. I'm not like a slacker!" Jennifer floats past me, "Did you find anything?"
"No I haven't, this isn't easy. How could someone hide a dead body so good?" I say while scratching my head
"You gotta be kidding me right? That's the dumbest question I've ever heard. They probably don't want to get caught obviously," Jennifer says, thucking my forehead.
"Ouch! Yes, I know but think about it. If you were some random girl that no one cared about do you really think they need a hiding spot?" Rubbing my forehead.
"No, because they can just dump you anywhere they want. But the fact that we can't find any more information on you or the fact no one knows about you. It's hella suspicious." Taking in a deep breath.
"Especially when there's a town rumor trying to scare kids about a girl who commits suicide but that's it no one remembers the girl or anything about her. Just a girl who committed suicide. Puzzling right?!" Scratching my head even harder.
"Ouch!"
"Ok, OK! Maybe you need a break before you break yourself. I understand what you're saying but with that in mind what can we do right now? Nothing, go take a break. We aren't in a hurry," Jennifer ushers me out of the woods.