“Hey mom, Ace here. Got a funny story – decided I needed a break from corporeal form. Yes, you heard right, I’m a ghostly Lab now. Turns out the after-life doesn’t stop me from being the heart of Spencerville! Still causing mischief, hanging with spectral friends & my love for bacon cheeseburgers persists (though I still can’t figure out how to eat them without them falling right through me!) Everything and everyone feels so familiar, just a touch ethereal. Spooky, but in a good, Ace kinda way. Love and wags, your glowy girl, Ace.”

Spencerville was in for a surprise. Word traveled faster than a tail wag at steak hour that Ace, the much-beloved Labrador Retriever, had suddenly and mysteriously vanished. I could hear the gasps in the wind. Families huddled around their fireplaces whispering, the cats roamed around restlessly, and all the dogs in town held their heads low, sniffing and whimpering. As for myself, I wiped away a single tear. How I would miss her bouncing interference between Caffrey and I!

Now, mind you, in the aftermath, the place seemed nearly desolate; the beauty of Western Labradoodle Lake was cold without the sight of her chasing a squeaky toy, South Siberian Summit and Poodle Pond missed her vibrant hues and antics. The regular spot at The Barkery, where Ace would relish her peanut butter treats, lay empty; the atmosphere at Pup-peroni, bereft of her spirited presence, was deflated. Even at Fetch! Toys and Treats, the squeaky delights sat forlorn, missing an enthusiastic suitor.

Yet, I must tell you, as a town, us folks of Spencerville have always been privy to the strange. So, imagine my surprise when I woke up one day to find a spectral-looking Ace, all glowing and radiant, standing by the foot of my bed. Her ghostly form, shimmering in the moonlight, dunked in the confusing yet familiar hues of love and anticipation. Affection sparked in her eyes, and a wave of spectral delight spread through me. Ace had returned, in a somewhat different form, but she was back nonetheless.

She greeted me with her usual, enthusiastic yet transparent wag, translucent fur slightly shimmering and slightly shaking. I must admit, bathing had become easier now that water passed right through her. Ear cleaning? A joy, no more wrestling matches. She took us to Spencerville’s shops and restaurants like she always did, running along the streets, her spectral form blending with the rustic alleyways.

However, particularly interesting was her new profound connection to other spectral pets. There was a sense of camaraderie, a unique bond she developed with ‘post-life’ pooches who, previously invisible to us mortals, came to delicate light around our beloved specter Ace. Together they created mischief, ducked around unseen corners, and managed to scare off a few less brave cats.

Maintaining her love for food, she’d pop up at Pup-Peroni whenever she felt, mostly when bacon cheeseburgers were being cooked and freely attempt to gobble one, only for it to comically fall right through her onto the floor. The Barkery saw a rise in ghostly customers, a spectral parade floating in for an invisible treat. Can’t say the owners were thrilled at first, yet they came around, courtesy of the free haunting.

So, Spencerville became the town of the living, and of the jovially spectral. Ace, our golden fun-factory, was back. Almost as if she’d never left, albeit in an entirely unique way. Our love story with Ace hadn’t ended and wouldn’t; it simply took a paranormal turn towards spectral enchantment, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End.

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