THE BOY WHO DIED ON HIS GRADUATION DAY
“How do you know my name? “I asked a little suspiciously.
“I see a lot of people come through here, honey," he smiles at me.
I look at him with boredom.
“Don't call me honey, please," I cross my arms.
“Charlie, Sam... as you can see, she's here, dead, and she wants to know why.
“That's right," she looks at me, but no longer with that mischievous look, but with some sorrow and confusion as well. “You're here which means you're dead. Tell me, Sam, what happened before you woke up like this?
I remembered.
“Well, nothing, I've been at home all week because there was a lot of rain and no one was going out, yet I was lonely all that time. It was very cold to be like that.
“Since when?
“Tuesday, last week.
“So you've been feeling lonely, sad, a bit empty and there's a lot of rain? “she confirms, but it was more like a question.
“I think so.
“Did you have feelings of unreality all that time?
“Of course, I suffer from anxiety so I do have feelings of unreality.
“I understand. Sam, what you are telling me is that you were dead long before but you didn't know it, therefore your subconscious creates scenarios that were supposed to happen in your daily life.
I snorted.
“What? Is that possible?
“Of course. It's called denial syndrome. Your spirit doesn't accept that it's dead, in fact, it didn't even know it because you probably died in your sleep, not knowing anything, and when you woke up it was the same old routine.
“I think so “some things were starting to make sense.
“However, when a soul knows it will die or thinks it does, it begins to see things for what they are, without facades and false scenarios, which leads me to ask you if before today you thought maybe you were dead or wanted to be.
I remembered the night before, the ticking of the clock that wouldn't leave me alone, I was just thinking about whether I would be dead or something. But it was just such a vague thought, I even got messages from Jay.
“It can't be, yesterday I wondered if I was really dead and was living in a fantasy my mind had created. But they were just vague questions that vanished at the same time they came. I was even texting Jay yesterday.
“Who is Jay?
“Her boyfriend," Brandon answered for me.
“What a shame.
I gave him a dirty look.
“Maybe you wanted him to send that message, that's why your subconscious created him to send it. It's because you wanted to.
“I don't think so," I mumbled, "all I know is, I don't know if I hit myself in my sleep or if I fell out of bed and died instantly, all I know is that I woke up and started seeing dead people. I am a little scared and desperate because I don't know what I will do, will I just stay here all the time? In the same thing? Watching how people go on without me while I stay stuck in one place “what I said made me a little sad, but not only me, they felt it too because they were like that, stuck in one place, watching how their family goes on with their lives. “I'm sorry," I apologized for being insensitive. They have been here for years while I have been here for only a few hours and I am already in despair, while Charlie and Brandon are smiling in spite of everything or doing something to prevent others from dying a death as tragic as theirs.
“It's okay," Brandon tells me, "it's the truth, isn't it, Charlie?
“It's the truth," Charlie replies, "Well, any other questions you want to know? “But at that moment a bus passes by and Charlie turns, raises his hand and bids them goodbye.
“Why do you say goodbye to them if they can't see you? “I question.
“I don't give up hope. The prophecy says that at some point I will find the person who can see us but is alive. A lot will change when that happens. The damned will find peace. Lonely souls like the old man on the bridge will find solace.
“Boy will be fine, I think he found something to do," said Brandon.
“So if someone says hello back, you'll know it's that person," is what I understood.
“Exactly. I always knew it was you," he says.
“Me? Why me? “I pointed at myself.
“When you passed by here you always looked at a particular spot, as if wondering if someone would be there or something. Once you looked at me, or well, not but that's what I understood at the time.
“I've never seen a spirit in my life.
“I know.
Suddenly I heard a voice.
Sam, can you hear me?
“What? “I looked around.
“What about what? “asks Charlie.
“Didn't you hear that? “I ask.
“What is it? “Brandon asks.
“A voice," I answered, "a voice, calling me. It said Sam, can you hear me?
They both looked at me in surprise.
“Are you sure?
I nodded.
Sam, are you there?
The voice suddenly became clearer, until I understood who it was. It was Jay.
Jay!
“It's Jay," I said, "It's Jay! I'm listening to him, his voice, it's his voice.
“Wait, wait, you say you hear your boyfriend's voice?
I nodded.
They looked at each other.
“Linda, I think you should stop thinking about your boyfriend for a moment.
Your subconscious is creating the fantasy situations again. But they are not real. I think you should stop those thoughts and stop calling Jay with the thought. Maybe the guy is dreaming about you. It happens. It's quite normal. When a person needs you or wants to tell you something, they talk to you, with their heart, and tell you things. Like when you pray and pray to God, it's the same thing. You hear them because the words are directed especially to you.I was discouraged, yes, but my heart compressed as I imagined Jay, trying to talk to me, trying to tell me things. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to him. I needed to hear his voice if only one last time. I needed to.
Sam, you don't know how much I miss you.
I brought a hand to my chest and got down on my knees.
“I miss you too.
I don't want to live in a world where you're not there, we had talked about it many times, remember? You always said you wanted to die first because you wouldn't want to be in a world where I wasn't there. It came true. But you didn't know that I would be shattered inside. I feel empty, needing you, what will I do without my Sam? My moon is not with me. I can't and won't live without you.
Why did he say those things, is he going to...? A crazy thought settled in my mind, a thought that filled me with fear but also gave me hope. If Jay died he could come with me. Be here together. But I wasn't selfish enough to condemn him to that.
Please, Sam, come back, I need you.
I opened my eyes and looked at the two boys who were looking at me pityingly.
“I need you to help me," I wiped a lone tear from my eye as I stood up, "It's Jay, I think he's going to do something... I need to stop him.
“What are you going to do when you're like this? “Brandon asks.
“I need to go to his house," I look at them.
“I can't move from my place," Charlie says, "I'm sorry.
“I'll go.
“Are you sure, Brandon? “Charlie looks at him worried.
“She needs me.
My heart squeezed when I heard that.
“I just want you to know that you can't intervene in death, please don't do it, it's too dangerous. And beware of the damned souls, they are always lurking.
“Thank you, Charlie," I said.
“We'll be back," Brandon says.
We crossed the road and started running. We had to get to Palm Springs as fast as possible before Jay did something crazy.
Just hang on, Jay, please hang on.
LOOK FOR ME IN THE PAGES OF THE BOOK I GAVE YOU AS A GIFT-We have to get there, Brandon, we have to make it," we kept running, almost over the bridge. We looked at Chico in the distance, he was now smiling and watching for anyone passing by. As we got closer he looked at us.-They're back! Guess who saved a little bird from being hunted by a cat," he told us.-Excellent, Chico, keep it up! We can't talk now, see you later! -Brandon says to him.-All right, if you need any help I'll be here! -he replied behind our backs. We still had a long way to go and I was feeling more or less tired.-Come on, what's wrong? We have a long way to go.-I feel tired," I answered, pausing a bit.-Tired? Dead people don't get tired, Sam," he says.I looked at him blankly.-Well, I feel tired, like I've run a marathon.-Sam, wait... -He says, "Do you see that man over there? The one in black.I did look at him, in the distance was that guy, he looked like he was waiting for someone or something.-Yes, I
A HEART BROKEN INTO A THOUSAND LITTLE PIECES-Jay? -I cried out, feeling hopeful that maybe he could see me. His face was so close to mine that I could smell his perfume. I could feel him. How I missed the smell of him. I loved when he frowned, loved that confused look on his face. It made him look so good.But this wasn't the case, I was getting distracted, Jay was looking at me...or through me.-I'm not Sam," said a voice behind me. I tensed at that moment. I remained static in the same place.What was she doing here?-What are you doing here? -Jay sputtered, wiping away his tears.-Your brother told me you were here," she replied.Leah: Jay's ex-girlfriend.I had had a lot of doubts about whether Jay was completely over Leah, they had broken up years ago but...us women are always thinking things. Jay had opened his heart to me and told me that he no longer had feelings for her.However, I...-Can I sit down? -Leah asks.I stood up the moment I noticed Leah sitting down, so I stood
CLING TO MY VOICE SO THAT YOU MAY FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO MEI felt the sea breeze on my skin, felt the wet sand on my feet. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Of being in the sea. Of still being able to smell it. The night before had been a complete nightmare but today I woke up a little calmer, I mean, I had cried a lot of tears last night.Today I would let the sea comfort me.I was on the beach, punctual to the time I had arranged to meet Brandon, waiting for him. I honestly didn't want to remember yesterday, I wanted to forget that I was dead, that I would never talk to my friends, to my family again. I wanted to forget that they would move on and I would be stuck here forever.At least I would be 21 forever. -Sam, you came! -I hear Brandon's voice in the distance. I turn to look and raise my hand in greeting.-I told you I'd come! -I walk over to him.-How are you? -he asks me.-Well, I'm... neutral," I answered, "how can I help you today?-Well, really all we hav
NOR TILL DEATH DO US PART-I think the rain is slowing down," Brandon stands up and stretches a bit. We were more or less wet, my hair was a mess but my mind was just thinking about things. Ugly things about Jay and Leah.-Shall we go then? -I ask him, trying to stop thinking about bad things.We'd been here a long time.-I think so.-Well, well, who do we have around here? -A voice behind us makes us immediately alert. I stand up and back up a little. It was a man in his late forties, he had a beard and looked like a castaway. Apparently he had been here for a long time.-Who are you? -Brandon asked him.-You don't know him? -I whispered. Brandon knew almost all the... dead people.-I had never really seen him before, since he had never come to this part of the beach before.-I'm Lalo, I've been lost here for fifteen years, I crashed my boat on those rocks over there," he pointed to some rocks in the distance. And indeed, there was a small boat in pieces.-I hadn't heard of you," com
TOGETHER FOREVERTo say that I didn't like seeing Jay in that situation, there in front of me.... dead was strange to me. Jay doesn't deserve to die. He doesn't belong here. Especially not because of me. He still has a lot to live for and I wouldn't condemn him to a life where he doesn't advance at all. He also has his goals, his dreams to fulfill.-Sam! -He hugged me so tightly that if it were any other case I'd say I was short of breath but I wasn't. So I hugged him too. I hugged him because I missed hugging him, I missed feeling him, feeling his arms around my waist, feeling his scent, feeling his skin with mine.-Jay," I tell him, "I missed you so much.-Sam, please don't leave me again. Don't leave me alone again. -His words were pleading. It broke my heart to see him like this.-Jay," I pulled away from him, "do you know where you are?He looked at me in confusion.-I don't know, the only thing that matters is that you're back," he hugs me again. As much as I wanted to hold him
DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY, YOU JUST HAVE TO FIGHTAs I leave my grandparents' house and intend to go to my own, I notice something. The same man is in front of my door. The same one from yesterday and today. The guy dressed in black. Brandon said he was a condemned man and he's probably looking for me to take me into the dark.I hid behind Gertrude's rose bushes so he wouldn't see me.What was he doing here, how did he know I lived here? Now I wouldn't be safe even in my own house.-I know you're in there, Sam, you can come out," the boy said. I frowned immediately and was filled with terror, what had he said? And how did he know my name? Apparently he had been doing a lot of digging. I stand up straight and let myself be seen, keeping my distance in case there would be a need to run, of course.The guy is tall, still wearing black and wore his black cap. Having him around is quite attractive to be honest. But that was not the case.-Who are you?-The question here is: who are you?-I as
MONSTERS LURKING IN THE DARK-Sam? Are you here? -I hear Brandon's voice downstairs. What's he doing here? Jay was still lying in bed, his eyes closed as he clung to my pillow. Maybe he's asleep. I stand up ready to go to Brandon but part of me didn't want to leave Jay, I just wanted to lie down next to him and that's it.-Sam, I need to talk to you!-I'm coming, Brandon! Wait a minute! -I hesitated to leave but finally turned around and walked out of my room. As I walk down the stairs I see Brandon standing there, when he looks at me he walks over to me. -What's wrong?-It's just that... Well, Lalo doesn't want to go back to his place of death. He says he won't be separated from his daughters now that he could see them again. It's dangerous for him to stay here, far from the place where he died.-Maybe being in his daughters' house nothing will happen to him, he will be safe there, don't you think? I mean, he won't get out of there.-You don't understand, it's as if you were going to
THE SCHOOL THAT WAS ONCE A CEMETERYFear.It is that fear you feel of what you don't know, of what may or may not be real. Fear often saves your life, but other times it prevents you from living. In this case we are talking about a somewhat real fear. Since I have been here in limbo, I have not seriously thought about it.I am dead.I am trapped between the living and the dead.I see dead people who passed away many years ago.But I have realized many things and regret things I did or didn't do in life. There are more important things than worrying about what I'm going to wear today or they are sure to talk bad about me. That's not worth anything, it's not worth wasting time like that. There are more important things like love, being brave, facing fears, saying what you feel, being yourself. These are difficult things but they are the main thing.-Sam! -I turn to my left, I see Brandon coming with flashlights and such. I was sitting in front of my house, looking at the neighborhood ki