Jane Doe

Jane Doe. That name is used for the multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the United States when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. The male version is John Doe. Usually. But I knew Jane Doe, not as a mysterious placeholder name but as a girl. That was her actual name. She was my best friend. 

We had known each other since we started kindergarten together. Since she sat down next to me for circle time. She had this big cheeky grin on her face. She was always smiling with her pearly teeth shining like the stars of the night sky. The first recess, she went up to me and then said,

“My name is Jane Doe, what’s yours?”

She had this long curly hair much like mine, dark, wild. We could have been mistaken for sisters, even in those days. The teachers had the habit of mixing us up.

“I’m Painite Sook.”

“Wanna be friends?”

To be honest, we were still learning the ropes. Nobody of our age now will say that otherwise it is disturbing.

“Yes.”

We had a lot in common, we liked dolls, cartoons and being outside in nature. Though we are a bit old for dolls and cartoons now. I remember once a year, both our families go camping in the forest for the weekend and we just unplugged. Me and Jane always go off too far, listening to the birds, watching the fish swim by the lake. Sometimes Jane’s three-year-old sister Beryl follows us, usually without us noticing.

I still remember the day she went missing. It was during our yearly camping trip, we were eleven years old, almost twelve, and we were making an army of friendship bracelets by the lake. I always loved the sound, so calm, so peaceful. Heaven. Well, we also had to keep an eye on Beyrl who was just playing with her teddy bear in the corner.

“Oh look,” Jane said, “The sunset, it’s so beautiful.”

We always liked to watch the sunset together, but we rarely were allowed to, either bed or parents were in the way. I always loved the orange glow that twinkles the sea, giving it new life that humans can never take away. We could hear Beryl giggling in the background before we heard her scream.

We jumped as we ran towards her. The three-year-old was standing, her bear dropped on the sticky mud, her hair in tangles, eyes not blinking, mouth wide open.

“Beryl, Beryl, what’s the matter?”

She then looked at us both, her whole body shaking as she grabbed her teddy which was covered in mud. She held it tight as she then muttered something.

“We can’t hear you Beryl, speak up.” I spoke.

She then stammered, “I-I thought I saw a m-monster hiding in the bushes.”

She then held us both so tightly that we could barely breathe. She felt cold. Ice cold.

“I’ll go in the bushes, why not take her back to our parents Painite, I’ll check the bushes.” Jane then said.

She then carefully moved Beryl away from her as me and Beryl then ran to our parents who were annoyed that we were out so late.

“Where’s Jane, Painite?” Jane and Beryl’s Mom shouted, grabbing me by the shoulders, digging her long, hot pink nails into my pale skin.

“She’s just checking for monsters. I saw one in the bush.” muttered Beryl as she slipped into the kid tent.

Their mom glared at me and then said, “Tell the truth, I know that there are no monsters, just a stupid fantasy. What did you do to her Painite?”

She was checking her phone for Wi-Fi as usual and was huffing all the time. She never liked camping, but her husband made her do it, much to her dismay.

“Look Mrs. Doe she’ll be fine. She’ll be back in a minute.”

She then huffed as she turned away, trying to get a signal on her phone.

Hours passed, still no Jane. Her mother kept on shouting at me while her husband told her to shut up. Beryl continued calling Jane’s name into the night.

She still didn’t come back after 24 hours, her dad had to call 911 to report a missing person. The cops came in a matter of hours, scanning the forest. We were all asked to return to our houses, and they will inform us when they receive an update.

I remember the news report, her face on the side screen. Smiling. It was the most recent photo without me when they were on holiday to Japan. Her standing around the cherry blossoms. I was dying jealously when she showed me the photos a few months ago.

“I’m sure that she’ll be okay Painite.” Mom said as she wrapped her arm around me.

“It’s Jane, she might have gotten lost. They’ll find her alive and well.” said Eomma as she poked her head out the kitchen door.

I tried to be positive, for the sake of my mothers but what happens if she never gets found, what if she’s been kidnapped and they must pay a ransom. No, I thought, she’s just lost, like Eomma said.

The week passed with more people talking to me than in my five years there. Children I only knew the names of wished me well and hoped that the cops would find her. She was the popular one out of the two of us, she was always invited to slumber parties and all that, but she only came if they invited me too.

Only Caroline Rabbit invited me too. She’s nice, she has a habit of following us but otherwise alright. She was on the brink of tears as she wrapped her arms around me and said,

“I hope that the cops will find her. So sad, so sad. She’s got to be alive.”

I had to slowly push her away to be able to breathe. I could hear the clock ticking, hour after hour, second after second. Each tik was like torture. I even prayed that they could find her alive and well. Grandma would be proud if she bothered to visit us except for Christmas at her’s. She made it clear that both my mothers were welcome but not to draw attention to themselves.

Then came the news at six. I always watched it, hoping for some glimmer of news of Jane. Then there was a video of the police running to a lake a good few miles away from here, alarms ringing. Breaking news on the bottom. A voiceover saying,

At 5:13pm at Carlane lake, the body of Jane Sarah Doe was discovered by one of our team after a week of searching, hoping that she would still be alive. We have no cause of death yet except that she didn’t drown. The family, meanwhile, is being informed about this.”

I could see a hint of her body, her completely wet clothes, her hair covered in blood. I shivered and screamed when I saw it even as they covered her up, white sheets which were slowly turning red. All three of us were jaw-dropped. All these thoughts rushed into my head. Who? What? When? Where? Why?

None of it was clear. All that was clear was that she’s gone. My closest friend is gone. It will be all over the news. Everyone will be reading about it. Reading about her. I could feel that everyone will be giving my sympathy at school tomorrow. If I even bother to go tomorrow.

All I could see when I climbed into my bed was her body, screaming into my brain. I was unable to sleep that night with her death rattling into my brain. Everything was blurry now that she’s gone.