The Black Notebook

Jennifer is a private detective. She usually does cases that are involved with identity thieves or robberies. Jennifer is very good at her job; she successfully solves just about every case that has been given to her. Unfortunately she doesn’t get a lot of clients, which leaves her unable to have luxuries most people have. She lives in an apartment building by a highway, and her house is also her office. She recently solved a difficult and stressful case that took a lot of time and energy, which left Jennifer loads of stress.

Jennifer decided to take a walk to relieve some stress and clear her thoughts. She tied up her long brown hair into a ponytail and applied sunscreen. Jennifer slipped on her large sunglasses that covered her hazel eyes and she put on a nice big hat to block out the hot summer sun. As she walked, she thought to herself about all the hard stressful cases she had to take on. She thought about her clients and how they always doubt her, and how they always make her job harder with their nagging. Jennifer started to tear up. She was so tired and just wanted a break.

As she continued her walk, she kept thinking, and she noticed a peek of a leathery object showing from underneath the pine straw that was placed around a tree. She bent over to grab the leathery object and discovered it was a black notebook. She looked at the notebook and then opened it to try to find an address or any evidence of the owner. As she looked on the front, back, and inside of the notebook, she came to the conclusion that this book had no sign that it had even been used. She decided to take it home and keep it as her own, after all it was just a normal notebook, and the previous owner can easily buy a new one.

Jennifer finally arrived home. She took off her shoes, placed the black notebook on her bed, and made herself some dinner. She then did her normal nightly routine, took a shower, watched TV, and got ready for bed. As she was getting into her bed, she noticed the black notebook still sitting there. Jennifer decided to write something in it. She grabbed a pen that was on her night stand, grabbed the notebook and wrote, “Tomorrow I will have a good day free from stress.” She signed and placed the notebook and pen on her nightstand. Jennifer turned off her lamp and fell asleep.

Jennifer woke up the next morning feeling rested. She got ready for the day by putting on a good suit and styling her hair into a bun. That day was a very good day for her. She got plenty of clients that gave her easy cases, and they all treated her with respect. As the day came to an end, Jennifer did what she did every night. She ate dinner, took a shower, and watched TV. She then went to bed and as she was reached to turn off her lamp, she noticed the black notebook. She picked it up and opened it. She read what she wrote the night before and decided to write it again.

The next day was even better then the day before. She had a lot of easy clients with easy cases. She did her normal nightly routine, although there was something different, she couldn’t stop thinking about the black notebook. After watching a game show where the winner won $20,000, she grabbed the notebook before going to bed and wrote, “Have a good day tomorrow.”

She said to herself, “I don’t believe this notebook is actually granting my wishes, but there is no harm in it being my good luck charm.” Before she put the notebook on her nightstand, she decided to write a little something extra. She wrote, “And I will get $20,000.” She put the notebook on her nightstand, climbed in bed, and fell asleep.

The next morning she woke up, the same as usual, got ready for the day her usual way, and set up her office ready for work. She didn’t get as many people as before, but she didn’t mind. She went to go get her mail. As she opened her mailbox an envelope fell out. She picked up the envelope, and it was very full of something. She walked back to her apartment and started to go through her mail. She finally came to the envelope that fell out of her mailbox and opened it up. To her amazement, it was full of money, $100 bills even. She couldn't believe it. Who would have sent her this? She looked at the address, and it was for her, it even had her name. She rushed to her desk and looked at the records she keeps of her clients. They all paid her upfront. She then called her friends and family and asked them if they’d sent her any money. They said no. She set the money aside, It was amazing, but too much to handle right now.

The day came to an end, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the money and where or who it could have come from. She did her normal nightly routine, but every thought was about the money. She went to bed hoping in the morning she would feel better. In the morning she woke up and then remembered the money, but it didn’t bother her as much as it did last night. She laughed to herself and said, “I’m so dramatic.”

That day a man walked into her office. “You’re Jennifer Wizer, right?” The man looked desperate, nothing that Jennifer wasn’t used to.

“I am. And who are you?”

“I’m Tom Brooks. Are you a private detective?”

“I am”

“I need your help. I recently had some money stolen, I-I don’t know how long it has been gone, but I checked my safe and it’s gone. Can you help me?”

“I can. How much was stolen from you?”

“It was $20,000.”

Jennifer was startled. That was the same amount she wrote in the blacknote book.

“$20,000?”

“Yes. I keep track of the money and there is exactly $20,000 missing.”

“Ah, ok. Well can you give me your number and I will contact you when I have any updates or questions.” Jennifer led Tom out the door and then quickly ran to her nightstand. She grabbed the notebook to make sure it was $20,000 she wrote down, and it was. She then had a realization. She rushed to the desk and picked up the envelope, addressed to her, full of money.

She slowly reached in and grabbed the 100 dollar bills. She then started counting the money. She had to restart a few times because she lost count, but when she finally finished counting, it was exactly $20,000. She started to freak out.

“How did this happen? Is it really the notebook?” She opened the notebook and read her writing. “Everything I wrote came true!” Jennifer still didn’t believe it, but she decided to do a test. She grabbed the notebook and wrote something that would definitely tell her that the notebook was making her writing come true. She wrote, “I will have a beautiful, expensive dress in my closet.” She then closed the notebook and rushed to her closet. There was no dress. Jennifer let out a sigh of relief, “There you go again, Jennifer.”

She closed the closet door and went back to her desk to research Toms missing money. Hours passed and she couldn’t find anything. She didn’t understand how it was stolen. Tom had a high quality security system, and the money wasn’t only in a safe but in a safe that was in a safe, all untouched. Nothing was adding up, and she was getting frustrated. She decided to take a break, so she grabbed her remote and turned on her TV. The news came on, and the news was reporting a crime. She half paid attention to the news while she organized her desk a bit, stacking papers, books, and other things. She slowly started to pay more attention to the news, and her stomach dropped. Her face got pale as the reporter kept talking. The reporter said, “There has been a mysterious robbery at the For Royalty Dress Shop. A $1,000,000 dress has been stolen, and there is no trace of who or how they did it.”

Jennifer couldn’t move because she was struck with fear. Suddenly she had a burst of energy and ran to her closet. She hesitated opening it, but then she began to slowly open the closet door. Jennifer felt a wave of dizziness rush over her and nearly fainted as she stared at a beautiful expensive looking gown hanging in her closet, the one shown on the news. Jennifer couldn’t control herself, “I STOLE THE DRESS!” she shouted. She started panicking, “I stole the money too!” Jennifer grabbed the black leather notebook that had been on her nightstand, and she opened to the first page, the page with her writing. “What do I do?” she mumbled to herself. She then ripped the page out of the notebook and ran to her kitchen where she kept her lighters. She grabbed a lighter and burned the page. Jennifer then ran to her closet and got the same faint dizziness as before. She looked at the dress that was still hanging in her closet. She then ignited her lighter that she was still holding and brought the notebook close to it. Then she stopped.

She realized burning the notebook wouldn’t help. She stood up straight and thought to herself, “I’m a detective, I can solve my own case.” She walked to her desk and sat down. She started to think about her situation. She thought about how whatever she writes about in the notebook, it comes true. She let out a small laugh. Jennifer realized how to fix her problem. All she needed to do was write in the notebook to undo her wishes. She grabbed the small black leather notebook and wrote just that. She knew it would take a while for what she wrote to come true, so she decided to get rid of the book. Jennifer laughed again and told herself, “Leather doesn’t burn.” She then decided to drop it in the river. She put on her shoes and hat, grabbed the notebook, and left her apartment. She walked to the foot bridge that went right over the river, and she held the notebook over the water and dropped it. She watched it hit the water, and slowly drift away by the current as the notebook slowly sank and vanished in the water. She then got a call from Tom Brooks. He apologized and said he found his missing $20,000. He said that he would still pay her, but she declined. When she got back to her apartment, she heard her TV still on and the news reporter announcing that the dress mysteriously returned the For Royalty Dress Shop.

Jennifer was relieved that everything was back to normal. Who knew that small leather black notebook would give her so much trouble. A few days later Jennifer got a call from her friend saying that a few days ago she was dealing with so much stress, however, a few days later it was suddenly gone. When Jennifer heard this, she realized where her stress went from her notebook writing. Then she felt very relieved the notebook trouble was over and she was happy with the life she had.