Ways to Live Forever Page #4

---

It was the day your grandfather died.

I had spent all day with lots

of people in the house.

Not a minute on my own...

We'd been sleeping together

in that bed since I was sixteen.

And from that day onwards I'd have

to sleep there on my own.

I don't know if what happened

next was a dream or real.

I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to

sleep ever again,

and suddenly I felt your granddads

hand stroking my arm.

He told me that he was really sorry,

that he didn't want

to leave me, but that he had to go.

The last thing he said to me

was that I mustn't be sad,

because he was fine.

Did you see him again?

No, but you did.

Me?

When Ella was born you stayed

at home with me.

One night I heard you say

Who's the man with the beard?

I went running to your room.

And was there anybody there?

No.

But I could suddenly smell

your grandfather's pipe in the air.

I didn't say, but suddenly I realised

I remembered it all perfectly.

Would that count

as my wish to see a ghost?

No.

I'm the genie from the lamp

and I grant your wishes.

If you want to see a ghost,

you'll have to use this.

It's a Ouija board.

My mum doesn't like Ouija boards.

She says you shouldn't fool about

with stuff you don't understand.

Do you want to meet a ghost or not?

What are you two doing?

Eh... making a Wendy house.

No you're not.

We're doing scientific research.

Okay, we're calling up a ghost.

A great big one, dripping

with blood... want to see it?

Yerkes! ! ! I!

Welcome to the pit of oblivion.

How come we need to put our

fingers on the glass

if the spirit moves it?

We just do.

Otherwise it doesn't work.

At school they told me two women

fell asleep in a seance

and traveled in time,

back to the days of Marie Antoinette.

Sure. Ok, good.

Is anyone there?

You moved it

I did not.

What is your name?

M-A-R-I-A-N

Marian.

Marian what?

T-W-A-N-E- Marian Twanet?

Come off it, Felix.

That's not even how you spell it.

Maybe he doesn't know how

to pronounce it well.

Are you the queen of France?

How's it moving?

Is that you?

It's the power of the undead.

You can ask a question if you want.

No, I don't want to.

Alright then.

What's it like being undead?

B-O-R-I-N-G.

It said it's boring.

Felix!

It's not me!

Is Sam going to finish his book

some time soon?

How can Marie Antoinette know that?

She knows everything.

I want an airship.

I'd be able to fly.

And I wouldn't need a runway;

you could just tie it up to a tree.

I could go and see Africa or America.

I could tie it to the Statue

of Liberty or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

And if somebody tried to stop you...

Hasta la vista, suckers!

I'd cast off and I'd carry on flying...

Nobody would be able to stop me.

Mum got angry with me today

because I didn't say anything

when my aunts were here visiting.

I got angry as well...

so I've invented this story.

Me and mum have had a fight.

I can hear mum crying.

It feels like nothing good

will ever happen again.

Then the doorbell goes.

It's Annie.

She's very excited.

A pharmaceutical company

has discovered a new drug

which has cured leukemia

in tons of lab mice.

They need a human

to test out the drug,

so I take the pills

and I'm cured completely.

Everybody is really happy.

I appear on the news

all over the world, I'm famous...

The Scientists make millions.

They give me some of the money

so I can go on a cruise

with Felix and my family.

No one ever dies of leukemia again...

not ever.

If only life were as easy for us

as it is for the stars.

When a star explodes it

creates light...

Today was one

of the best classes ever.

Felix would have loved

those iron fillings exploding...

but Felix didn't come to class today.

Sam...

What's happened to Felix?

Well, that's more or less

what I wanted to talk to you about.

What is it, Mum?

What's the matter?

Sam, Felix was taken into hospital

this morning.

Why?

An infection, Gillian said.

He'll be alright.

He'll be alright, you'll see.

Know anything else about Felix?

It's weird.

He's been in hospital for

three days and he hasn't called me.

Pirate, you know the rooms

don't have phones.

Mum, you should call Felix's mum.

Gillian already has enough

to worry about without us bothering her.

What about me?

I'm worried.

At least she's there.

Can't we go and see him?

No, he's very poorly, Sam.

Sam!

There's nothing you can do to help him.

It's not fair!

Sam!

Hello!... Hello!

Mickey!

It's me, Sam!

Mickey, I'm really sorry...

Ask him! Ask him!

Mum.

Sam has been really

worried about all of this

Yes.

He's still in hospital.

And?

And he's still very poorly.

Mickey says he'll tell his Mum we rang,

but he said there isn't

much point visiting him.

He's sleeping a lot.

He was fine on Saturday...

there was nothing wrong with him.

Questions nobody answers number four.

Does it hurt to die?

The dictionary doesn't answer

that question.

It only says that death is

the final cessation

of vital bodily functions;

the end of life.

But it doesn't clear up

what you feel when you die.

Hello?

Right.

Sam.

Gillian says if you want to...

she thinks you should go...

go to see him.

Is he awake?

No... eh, I don't know.

You don't have to go

if you don't want to.

I didn't want to go... oh yes I did.

No, oh no I didn't.

Mum, yes, I'll go.

It felt weird being

back on our ward again.

The nurse was new,

she didn't recognise me.

Suddenly all the good times

I'd had with Felix in

that ward came rushing back.

Like the time we emptied a bottle

of vampire blood on my bed

to try and get a student nurse

to bring us a bottle of Coke

from the vending machine...

we didn't half scare her,

but she never did bring us the coke.

You've come!

It's alright.

Let's go for a nice cup of tea.

It's alright.

There's a special room to flap in.

I know.

I'll leave you to it.

Waken up.

If you go who's going to grant me

the wishes I still haven't fulfilled.

I just sat there like that,

by his side.

I knew I should have gone

to find a nurse,

or Mickey, or somebody...

but I didn't.

I just sat there, in silence,

close to him,

until the others came back.

I didn't sleep much

the night Felix died.

I felt very, very tired,

but I didn't sleep.

I tried to breathe it all in

and store it away in some place

where I could retrieve it

from always.

I hate it! I hate it!

So do I.

Oh, love, so do I.

I don't know how long

we cried for,

but then I realised just

how much Mum wanted everything

to be OK and for me

to be well again...

but that wasn't something she could do.

Suddenly I saw what life would

be like when I was gone...

things would just carry

on as before.

I'm ready.

Do you feel alright, darling?

I'm fine.

I'm fine.

Did I hurt you?

Just leave me alone!

Maybe we should call Annie.

I want to see Felix!

Questions nobody

answer number five.

What does a dead person look like?

Or feel like?

I have to go up to the choir.

You two stay with Gran.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes