Reason

Chapter 1

“Maria! Maria! Maria!” The crowd cheered loudly and stood around the barrel full of water and apples, but sounded muted and distant. Figures, my head was underwater. I was bobbing for apples. My hair was  drenched and in the way, so 90% of what I chewed was my hair. I was blind since I never wanted the water to burn my eyes. 

My teeth clenched onto something round sweet and juicy. 

I flipped my hair back gasping, the lack of air was torture . The crowd shrieked in my ears, I scrunched my face into irked expression.

I bit into the apple, the juice trickling off my jaw. The crowd chanted my name  all the way back to the BBQ farther from the Willow Forests. 

“Maria!” I turned my head to the direction of the voice. It was my best friend June. She was unique, wise, curious, and sympathetic and she deserved the title “BFF”

“Yea” I lazily walked towards her, she closed the gap between us and drew me in for a hug.

“You were amazing” she shook my shoulders, my whole body shaking. Compared to my spaghetti arms, June is like a ton stronger than me.  

My blood ran cold. The Hospital gown, pale skin, dirty blonde hair seemed to familiar. 

“Oh. My. God. What happened?”She asked dramatically , I blankly stared at the idle figure lurking in the Willow Forests. June saw what I was looking at, except she didn’t. She couldn’t see Charlie.

 Charlie was my “Ghost Follower.” She followed me since my mom went missing. I trembled thinking of Mom. 

 I’m not sure if she is giving me clues to find her or is just trying to haunt me. 

“It’s her.”I answered with apathy . Pulling the Flashlight from my waistband and flicking it on, I attentively entered the Willow Forests . 

“Who is it? What were you looking at?” June crept beside me, pestering me about my sanity. Willow Forests was the most creepiest part of the town. No Scary House could top the Willow Forests.

June bothered me like an annoying mosquito in the summer. She kept on asking about what I saw and why are we lurking in the Willow Forests. With no luck of finding Charlie I walked out with June still pestering me, and tucked the flashlight back in my waistband, pulled my shirt out of its tuck and covered it up.

“Aaah!” I twitched under June’s horrible shrieking. She had a fit any time I kept secrets. In the distance, the music died down. My cheeks were crimson full of embarrassment. I covered her mouth with my hand.

“When I take my hand away and tell you everything you’ll be quiet?” I cautiously loosened my grip. She nodded and I pulled away quickly.

“Charlie is this Ghost Lady that has been following me around my whole life.”  I began, her eyes rose and fell with every sentence that escaped my lips. I never told anybody about this however, I’m glad I told her, because our journey began.  A remarkable journey leaving us with posters and maps littering  our room walls. Spending hours on the phone talking about this. This was my best mystery yet. But little did I know, this will be my worst mystery.