Why Am I Dead? season 1 episode 6

Episode 6 "Let Us Not Forget, Our Dearly Departed"



I burst through Curtis' door, "You. Me. Talk. NOW!"

He tossed aside his mp3 player and motioned, "Come on in...you should be glad your dead, otherwise I'd so make you pay for the broken door."

I hissed, "Screw the door! You know don't you...don't you?!"

Curtis shrugged, "Well maybe...depends on what you mean."

I shook my head and clenched my fist, "Don't even play dumb! You and Matt, you both knew when you dream walked didn't you?"

Just then my brother and father both appeared behind me, our faces were made in unison to intimidate Curtis. He lowered his gaze and nodded, "Yeah...except when I went into your memories I placed a blocker on you so you'd never remember.....Matt told me too. He and I both agree the truth is just too much for you to except. You wouldn't be able to...it'd destroy your family!"

I looked to my father and brother and sighed, "It already has..." Just then my mother walked into the room as well. The four of us glared at him as he watched over us.

Curtis sighed, "Your father was driving while you and your brother were in the car... he turned around to yell at you two for something....it was raining and your father had been....he'd been....he was drinking...."

Everyone turned, stealing glances at my father who looked absolutely dumbstruck. Curtis could feel this and reluctantly continued, "He turned to stop you and your brother from fighting and you hit someone...Aliah was the first to die. Then your brother and father....whom were on life support."

I thought for a moment then murmured, "That's why you weren't at my funeral...you were still alive!"

My father nodded, "Yeah...I'm starting to remember everything now!"

Curtis continued, "Your mother...she killed herself because she was the one who made the call to pull the plug."

My mother nodded, "Every minute of every day since then I've carried the guilt of it....that's why I couldn't take it anymore."

Everyone was sobbing now, well all except Curtis. I don't think that dude had a single shred of humanity left in him. I wiped my eyes as we all hugged each other. My voice cracked as I said, "Mom...you'll never get your door now..."

My mother shook her head, "Why would I want it...I'm here with all of you..."

I sighed under my breath thinking to myself, "Gee now I finally know! I know why I am dead!"

The whole idea of my father being a drunk and really me and my brother being the cause of our own deaths wasn't that shocking...at least we learned to get past it. It is what it is...we're dead and there's only onward to move. Curtis was kind enough to host a sort of party for my family as I told them I'd return, I snuck off to Venice Beach once again.

I found myself on the hot sands and sat myself down. My eyes were fixed on the waves as many surfers road them and few wiped out. I could feel him as he sat down beside me. He dug his board into the sand and lay back. I began, "I know why now....and to tell you the truth it's a pretty dumb story. Nothing like, 'So there I was caught in the middle of a gun fight and before I knew it I was out of bullets!' or anything of the sort."

Sal chuckled as he shook his head, "Like I said, sometimes the truth isn't what you need to know. But now that you do know and clearly you're not upset nor is your family broken, you and them can move on....or so I think."

I shrugged, "We haven't seen our doors yet but...my mother....she killed herself over pulling the plug on my father and brother."

Sal spat out a tooth pick he'd been chewing on as he cocked his head, "Lemme guess, denied a door?"

I nodded silently. He continued with, "Well ghost child at least you know and it's not like you don't have your family. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise?"

I shrugged, "I don't want to move on without my mother..."

Sal stood up and shook away some sand that was caught on his back. He murmured, "Maybe your place isn't here... who knows. The problem with not knowing is just that, you stress yourself out and become so enveloped in not knowing and wanting to know that once the truth comes it's pretty dull. I mean just take the way you died for example. Practically jumped through hoops to find out and now it's just another piece of information right?"

I turned my gaze to the sky and sighed, "Whelp got to go...I have an apology to make." I nodded to Sal as he ran toward the waves and I closed my eyes and poofed back to Curtis' house. Once I appeared I couldn't find Matt. I looked all around, even in Curtis' mothers room. Now that was scary! Let's not even mention what all was in there!

I looked to my father, "Have you seen Matt?"

He shook his head, "Haven't seen him since we left the house..."

Mike and Curtis were doing something, watching tv or something in the corner and as I stood up and began to leave this house and go back home a bright light shined down. It was blinding actually as I turned away, it then turned into three separate beams of light. My family stood behind me now as I focused on what the light turned into. Each beam warped into a individual door made and colored differently to match our unique personality and what not.

I knew one of them was mine...that much I was certain about but I couldn't tell who's was who's. My father and brother both came to my sides as we eyed up each one. As I began looking them over something pulled me in, I knew that the one I was in front of was mine. It was almost as if it was a part of me, the best part that held the single link to this in between Heaven and Hell and the other side.

I murmured, "So this is it...we've reached our end."

My father smiled down at me as he shook his head, "No hunny this is our beginning..."

I turned, "Mom....I'm not leaving without you!"

Mike already had his hand on the knob as it opened slightly. More light rushed out the cracks as it lured him in. I barked, "YOU CAN'T LEAVE MOM BEHIND! Dad please, don't leave! Mom needs us here! You just ca..."

She cut me off, "Aliah! Those are your doors. You've earned them. I can't be the one to make you stay behind and pass up life in Heaven. You've got to make the choice for yourself. I'll make due here on earth just like Matt and Curtis have okay?"

Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head, "You can't be serious?! We're a family....we have to stick together......." I turned, "Dad... you of all people....you'd leave your wife behind?"

My dad had conflict in his heart and voice, that much I could tell. He sighed, "Aliah I love your mother very much...but this is what she's chosen. She wants us to be happy and..."

I cut him off then and there with, "WE CAN BE HAPPY HERE! Don't you see...this, this in between realm has endless possibilities. We can vacation again anywhere in the whole damn world we want too!"

My mother barked, "YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH! Dead or alive I am your mother!" She sighed a loud, drawn out sigh and smiled, "I want you guys to enjoy the after life to the fullest. I'll miss you all but please....just go already!"

My brother blew her a kiss as he whispered, "I love you mom..." He was the first to walk into his door. As he became one with the light it closed and vanished without a trace!