Why Am I Dead? season 1 episode 7

Episode 7 "Silent As The Dead"

I glared at my father, "You can't possibly let this happen! You said once... 'we'd always be a family, together forever' what the hell happened to that?!"

My father shook his head, "You watch your mouth, now I've made my decision and your mother has as well. We will always be a family but we all die alone one way or another!" He looked back to his wife and smiled. He never was one to show his true emotions but he did indeed tear up. He blew her a kiss then looked to me. He ruffled my hair as I knocked his hand away.

I looked to my door and mentally spat at it. I said bitterly, "My family was what made me happiest in my life...now my own father is taking that away?"

He shook his head, "You'll understand one day. You only get one shot at this you know..." With that said he opened his door and became one with the light. His door vanished then as well. I glared at mine knowing my father was right, this was it. I'd never get my door again. Only a total fool would pass this up. I had the chance to go to Heaven and be happy with my brother and father but instead...instead I really just wanted to be with my mom.

She urged me, "Please don't stay...."

I noticed someone standing behind her, he came into view now as he stepped out of the shadows. Matt pulled his beanie off and murmured, "Aliah...I've been a terrible friend...but remember when I asked you what you'd do when your door appeared?"

I thought back and remembered I left him without much of an answer. He grinned a half hearted grin, "Now's your chance....don't stay here because of us...because we can't move on. Your not tied down anymore.....you can be a part of something better!"

Curtis had disappeared, I don't know why I he crossed my mind. Must have been from the glances I took. Each of my ghostly friends and family stood beside me at one point, now only two remained. I placed my hand upon my door, the energy coming from it ran into me as it became one. It was my door, made from a part of my soul, a part of my ghostly form.

My hand traced the wood and found itself upon the knob. I had stopped crying tears of sadness and tears of anger. Now it was just tears of joy. I thought about what I was doing and what I was thinking. I knew it wasn't the right choice. I knew it was stupid of me to do but....I withdrew my hand!

"My place is here... my choice, my regret." I murmured as I turned to see their faces wide eyed with their mouths gaping. I stepped away from my door and watched as it slowly vanished into thin air.

My mother glared, "You know what you've done don't you?!"

I calmed her, "I'm here with friends... this is where I belong."

My mother nodded, "I feel like I should explain things....about your father that is."

I nodded, "Well we have all the time in the world then." I looked to Matt, he smiled back lovingly. I sighed, "I'm sorry...about everything Matt. I know you were just trying to protect me."

He nodded, "Well now that you know and you passed up your door. Guess that means I'm stuck with you for eternity?"

I teased, "Don't act like you're not happy about it." I smiled as my mom motioned for me to follow her. She walked out of the room and into the small hall way.

"Let's go back home and talk." She grabbed my hand as we vanished.

We came back to the now very empty house. My mom laughed, "I don't think it's ever been this quiet."

I cupped my mouth as I noticed her empty room, "Mom...where's your body?!"

She laughed, "They found me this morning when you were out with your surfer friend." She pulled the bloody sheet off her bed and threw it on the floor.

I sat down on her bed as she looked at me. I began, "So dad was an alcoholic?"

My mother nodded, "Well....sort of. Whenever we first met he wasn't but then it just sort of snow balled to the point where I didn't want to be with him. That and your birth were the main factors in him getting sober. He tried and tried to quit but never happened until you were born."

I noticed the room was colder, partially because we were the only ones in it but maybe it was because of the vast emptiness in it. Come to think of it the entire house felt like this now. I questioned, "So what caused him to fall off the wagon?"

My mother shrugged, "I don't know...he's tried a few other drinks now and then but nothing that lead to the need to vomit or anything like that."

Meanwhile Matt snuck in and watched as Curtis watched a horror movie. Matt began, "I don't know what gave me the idea but you never really placed a blocker on her did you?"

Curtis laughed wildly as he shut off his tv. He shook his head, "Nope, aint a damn thing those blockers. Just made it up."

Matt nodded, "So anything else that you made up?"

Curtis shrugged, "You'd be meaning...what exactly? I'm sort of lost at the moment."

Matt stormed in front of him and glared, "Did I really jump to my death, or is that just what you wanted me to think? You've been in my mind from the start...what if you placed that idea there!?"

Curtis threw his hands up, "Inception is just a myth...and a movie now. Take it easy man you seem paranoid..."

Matt shrugged, "Oh I just figured I could count on you for one simple thing but you obviously chose to lie to me about it. Who's to say that's the only thing you've lied to me about..." Curtis turned away, too annoyed and angry to say anything else.

Curtis murmured, "You didn't want her to know but her knowing is exactly what would get her to move on....fact is life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different?"

Matt laughed, "Well that's just funny that you mention that because Aliah, as ever smart as she is, turned down her door to stay with her mom! Her mom, the one person she loves the most in life...who also ended up and killed herself so her mother will never get her door!"

Curtis nodded, "Well sometimes our choices lead us down different paths. If you trust me then you'd know that I'm not lying about how you died. I didn't plant any thought into your head. You leap to your death because you were upset about your wife...not stop freaking out man!"

With that said Matt vanished without even a single follow up. I sighed and watched as my mother walked out of her room. I thought about Sal and what he'd think if I told him. I decided then to pay him a visit.

I wasn't getting tired of the visits but I think he was. I showed up again and he didn't seem surprised to see me. I sighed as I had my knees to my chest. I murmured, "I found out the truth and passed up my door...all in the same day!"

Sal laughed, "Easy ghost child all is not lost. You've got something great here don't you? But you can't move on...you'll always be in the in between. Sometimes ghosts just disappear and never get seen again. They either just vanish or they're destroyed, erased to make room for others...sorry to split but you showed up at a semi bad time, gotta catch this one!" He shot up and grabbed his board as he went out to ride a wave.