Phantom Files

FILE 0 - The Beginning

I own nothing except the storyline and various characters

I remember how it happened. It was clear, so vivid.

Mom and Jazz were getting dressed for a party they were invited to. It was at the next town over. Dad was insisting to drive them there, but Jazz simply denied, saying it was "girls only". I knew she just didn't want to be embarrassed by the RV. I wouldn't want to be that bulky piece of metal if I was going to some party.

I didn't put much thought in it, but I wish I did. How I wished that Dad would've kept pestering them. Or that I would have something. So much could have been done to prevent it...

I remember their outfits as if it was embedded in my memory. Jazz was wearing a royal-blue, high-neck dress with a little white bow around the waist. Mom was wearing her best gown; A prim crimson lined with silver and a v-neck. She only ever wore it on special occasions. I remember she'd tell me all about how Dad got it for her for their fifth anniversary, he pulled so much money just to buy it for her. He basically went an entire month without fudge to get it for her, which was enough to buy two flat-screened TV's.

"I'll be fine," Mom comforted Dad, "We're just going to take a ride with the Mansons." Her voice sounded so reassuring like she had no doubt in mind that everything will be okay. Who can blame her for thinking that way? Nothing happened before, so why would something happen now?

Though my family didn't have a great relationship with the Mansons, I had convinced them to drop them off to the party, seeing that they were going too. Pam Manson was going to the party with Sam, my friend, which was the only reason they were taking Jazz and Mom.

How I regretted doing that. How I just wish I didn't tell them to ride with the Mansons. How almost every waking moment I ache for such an act that seemed so harmless at the time. Though, I'd still be miserable even if I told them not too...

"We'll be back at 11, I'll text you when we're there!" I heard Jazz say as she went out of the door. Something inside of me told me something bad was going to happen. Something within me was telling me to get up and do something. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, but I felt as if I had to something, anything.

I simply ignored it and played some games on my computer on the couch. Just waving it off as if it was some false sense I was having at the time.  Like the feeling you get when you think something's crawling on your leg but nothing is there. A simply phantom feel, in other words.

Hours past and I was slowly beginning to worry. I hadn't received a single message from Jazz. Usually, she would send a bunch of pictures of her, basically bragging that I wasn't there. But there wasn't a single word from her. Not even from Mom. I let my worries drift off as I continued to attack the zombies on my screen, distracting myself from it all. Her phone probably died, I tried to comfort myself.

Suddenly, I heard a ring from the landline. I silently hoped that it was Jazz or Mom calling. 

Dad had walked from the kitchen, chocolate fudge drenching his face, and picked up the phone. I watched him as he answered the phone.

"Yes, this is the Fenton's residence... Yes, you are speaking to Jack Fenton." He answered. I saw his expression turn to worry, then morphed into sadness and sorrow. It was odd to see him in such a state, he was always such a jolly man.

After a few seconds, he slowly put the phone down. He then looked at me, his eyes brimming with tears. My own worries started to creep up on me from the corner I had stuffed them into. 

Confusion etched my face. "Who was it?" I asked. 

"It was the police," he slowly said, "They wanted to tell us of an... accident that happened while the girls were going to the party." He suddenly stopped and started shaking. My mind started to come up with worse assumptions. The hairs of my arms were standing straight as my whole body started to tense.