Ginger's Tale

A dreamy and haunting melody lingered out of the Turquoise Star Café next door to the Indigo Twilight Club. It sounded like a Spanish version of “Dream Believer” or “Daydream Believer”. That song wasn’t exactly Michael’s kind of music. The tone of the song not only was distracting him from writing his letter but it was making Michael’s mood worse. She’ll never understand why it has to be this way… why I can’t see her again. A river rush of thoughts went through Michael’s mind as to why it did have to be this way. Why Ginger deserved to move on with what was probably a better life without him. The dance club was starting to fill in with the local Goth looking people. He wanted to finish his letter before it got too crowded. He stared at the blood red moon looking back at him from above. A Hellish moon was just fitting for a black night like tonight. It reminded him of the times Ginger and him use to sit in the same spot outside the Club. They would stare at the clouds passing by.

Ginger had said “It’s funny how people you don’t know pass you by everyday. You never really think about them later.” She laughed a little but not a real laugh. “ I always remember nights the clouds pass by the moon thou.”

Ginger had looked sadder then a puppy dog that day. Michael wondered if she would remember him and would they meet in another lifetime. Or after he was gone or would he just be someone that had passed through her life and forgotten. Michael went back to his letter realizing exactly what he should write.

Forget me not Ginger, Love.
Sadness will never cease as I look above

I will remember that the clouds are there.
I will remember those times you shared.

Pain is what I feel inside.
So much there I can’t hide.

I wish I could see you once more my best friend
I wish …but it cannot be it must end.

There is nothing that you did you see.
Nothing…. It’s just the way it has to be.

Moving on is the best thing to do.
With this said I know you will think so too.

With Love Always,
Your “Fang Boy” Michael

After writing the last part Michael took out a picture from his pocket. It was a picture of Ginger and Michael together. They were sitting in the same spot Michael was at now, outside the Goth club, with a flashing neon sign of Club sitting behind them. Ginger was dressed in a cat woman type outfit with a studded collar around her neck. Michael was looking very vampirish with his red cape; pale makeup and red vamp contact lenses. Michael smiled and wiped a tear from his eye as he looked at the picture. They were so happy then but the happiness was gone now. He put the poem and the picture in an envelope and sealed it. He started to get up and walk away from the Club. A pale looking young man dressed in black startled him.

“Hey Michael you doing alright?” Gavin a friend of his asked.

Michael nodded not really looking Gavin in the eyes. “You’re not leaving right? Because you know who’s playing right? “ Gavin said excitedly, “Autumn Amber and Psychic Circus!! Can you believe it?”

“Yeah. I know… “Michael said sullenly, “…Autumn Amber…. it…. Ginger’s favorite you know?”
Michael tried to smile.

Gavin glanced at the around not knowing what to say. Two girls with fairy wings walked by giving Michael and Gavin shy looks and giggling. The one girl looked like a forest fairy dressed in all green. Gavin smiled at the girls and gave a little wave. Usually Gavin would be over there flirting with the girls but not tonight when he could see his friend so much pain.

Gavin started to speak, “You know Michael if you need to talk or….”

Michael stopped Gavin before he could finish. “Don’t worry Gav, I am okay ……”
Michael picked up his school bag with the letter in it. Gavin still didn’t look like he believed him.

Michael flashed a smile at him and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder.
“Really I am okay. Thanks for worrying about me. I appreciate it but you don’t have to.” Michael said still smiling.

“Well okay but you know I am here.” Gavin said, “So, where are you headed?”

Michael shifted the school bag on his shoulder said. “ I’m going to Celtic Twinkle. I…am going to drop something off for Ginger…she wanted to be here…but…”

Gavin interrupted him looking serious.” I understand… you need to …talk to her.”

Michael nodded and started off to the new age shop Celtic Twinkle.

“Hey Michael you are coming back tonight right?” Gavin shouted to him.

Michael turned to look at Gavin not giving an answer.

“Well I understand if you don’t but … tell … tell Ginger… tell her I said… Hey, um okay…”
Gavin was looking a little uncomfortable still stumbling for the right word, which was very unlike him.

Michael gave Gavin a wave and a little nod.

It was only a couple of blocks toward the Celtic Twinkle. Ginger had worked there it was one of her favorite places to go to and she was so excited when she got the job. Michael turned the corner at Robust Ave at the end of this street was the Celtic Twinkle new age shop. Michael took a deep breath and started pulling out the letter with the picture of them. He stopped in front of the shop it was closed but Michael knew that it would be. Still holding the letter in his hand he pulled out something else in a black box. Inside the box was a jade dragon. It was going to be a birthday present for Ginger. It actually looked more like a jade rooster to him but Ginger had seen it at the mall and wanted. If he could have he would have bought Ginger anything she ever wanted. He walked closer to the door of the Celtic Twinkle and bent down below the door mailbox. Leaning up against the door was many bouquets of flowers. In the middle of the flowers sat a picture of a young girl with reddish-brown curly hair, and ivory pale face covered in freckles. The frame of the picture had a name and date spelled out in glitter, Ginger Curran 1983 – 2003. Michael gently caressed the picture. He thought about how much she had loved shopping here and later even working in the store. Would she have still loved it so much if she had known her fate would end here? Michael wondered, why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn’t have been me? Michael had asked himself the same thing for the past three months. There never was any answer to those questions. No one knew why Ginger death happened the way it did. She was probably the sweetest girl you could have ever met. Yet one night someone decided that she deserved a knife in the stomach and because she was the one who closed the store that night. She was the one would had to take the deposit to the bank. She who never really believed that there were people out there who did want to hurt other people. In frustration Michael threw his almost empty school bag at the window of the Celtic Twinkle. Tears poured down his cheeks. He hadn’t been able to make them stop since it happen so he just let them come.

“I’m sorry…” Michael whispered to the picture of his young love. “I’m so sorry.”

He placed the black box and letter in with the flowers. “This says what I can’t. I need to be strong and it hard when your not here. I love you but…. it’s time…for.”

Michael looked up, from the corner of his eye he could have swore he had saw her standing in the store. He wiped the tears from his eyes and pressed his face against the window. Nothing there was only blackness. He stepped back from the window and picked up his bag. If he didn’t leave now he wouldn’t be able to. A flash of lighting lit up the sky. As it did Michael saw a vision of Ginger she was standing in the store and blowing him a kiss goodbye. She was smiling and he knew that smile wasn’t a goodbye. All this he saw not in front of him but in his head. It was like remembering something that he had seen before but yet he knew it was real. It was Ginger! She was trying to tell him she did understand what he was going through and wanted him to move on because he would see her again. He blew Ginger a kiss back and started his way back to the club. He stopped and turned back quickly to the shop. “Oh I forgot … Gavin says he misses you too.” Michael said still tearing up but not so much because he was sad anymore but because he knew in time they would see each other again.