Ways to Live Forever Page #5

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I didn't feel scared when I saw

Felix lying there dead.

It was him, but he was stiff

and sleeping.

And cleaner than he looked

in real life.

He was cold, but not like

when you stick your fingers

in the snow and its cold.

He was cold like the coldness

of statues, there was no warmth

in him at all.

I'd been hoping they'd made a mistake,

but they hadn't.

Felix was... empty.

Felix would have liked have something

like Arabian, not this rubbish.

I was waiting for something to happen

to Felix similar to what happened

to my Gran with Grandpa...

but what actually

happened was even better...

Not bad.

Felix Stranger had granted me

one last wish.

Questions nobody answer number six:

why do people have to die?

How are you?

He'!-

Your mum says you've been

a bit under the weather.

I'm fine.

Annie.

Mmm'?

When they bury people...,

do they ever make mistakes?

Like, bury people that are alive?

These things don't happen

any more Sam.

The brain can't survive without oxygen

after about fifteen minutes

I knew that really.

I just wanted to be sure.

What are you making another airship?

It just so happens,

by remarkable coincidence

that there's an article

in the newspaper about

an airship in the Lake District.

Do you want me to cut it

out for your book?

Good night.

I don't know

what happened that night.

I had strange dreams.

Suddenly my bones started aching.

Sam! Are you okay?

The really strange thing is that

it was Dad who was there.

Usually it was mum...

What's the matter?

Where does it hurt?

All over.

It's a box.

I know it's a box, damned it!

Dad, Dad!

Dad. There...

It's okay.

Don't worry Dad,

everything is just fine.

Look at us.

Which one is the father,

which is the son?

What was all that screaming about?

I was dreaming.

What about?

I don't know, I can't remember.

I was dreaming too.

What were you dreaming about?

About you...without you.

Dad, don't cry.

Dad?

I'm here.

Today I'm going

to talk about my Dad.

He's thirty nine years old.

He like spaghetti and baked beans.

He doesn't like anchovies.

But if I'm served them,

I'll eat them.

Carry on!

His favourite word is orgulous,

which means haughty and proud.

He isn't very haughty

or proud though.

He has a bald patch on his head

about the size of a fifty pence piece.

He says it's mine and Ella's fault.

So it is too.

His favourite joke is:

how did Sir find his steak.

The customer answers:

with a great deal of difficulty,

it was under my last potato.

I don't think it's that funny

If you tell it like that is not funny.

Questions nobody

answers number seven:

Where do you go after you die?

And you're saying the only

ones you haven't fulfilled are flying

in an airship and seeing the stars

from a space ship?

That means,

you've done all the others.

All of them,

But, I've still need to do the

one about being a scientist too...

This is a scientific study,

don't you think?

Dad, aren't you going

to be late for work?

I'm not going to work today.

I have the right to spend a day

at home with my son,

But if I take the pills

nnie brought, I'll fall asleep.

They make me really tired.

Don't you worry about that.

When you waken up,

I'll still be there,

and we can play at penalties.

I don't know much...

but as far as I know it's Coca cola?...

Hello!

Yes?

What?

Just a minute.

What's this about

an advert for Coca cola?

What did they say?

Nothing that made any sense.

They gave me an address

and told me they'd be waiting

for you there in an hour.

Come on, Sam, we'd better hurry up.

I don't want to go to

an advert for coca cola.

Oh yes you do...

Some things in life are perfect

from start to finish...

but you don't know

that until you've lived them.

An airship...

An airship just waiting

to take us for a spin.

Let's go!

Some things are perfect

from start to finish.

My list of the best things

in the world:

going up the down escalator.

The Warhammer games with Felix,

where nobody wins or loses.

Flying in an airship with Dad.

Making things explode with Mrs. Willis.

A kiss from Raleigh.

Sounds fantastic.

It was incredible.

The best thing I've ever done

That's great, Sam.

Tell me. How are you feeling?

I'm OK.

Sam has been really tired recently.

Sleeping a lot.

I didn't fall asleep on the airship.

His bone have been sore too.

The new medicine doesn't seem

to be doing much any more.

Should we talk to Bill,

try something else?

Annie, I want to hear it.

If the medicine isn't working,

there isn't a lot else

we can offer at this stage

But I thought that...

Bill said we'd have a year.

Up to a year... I'm sorry.

But... Are we supposed

to just stop, just like that?

No one's going to force either of you

to do anything you don't want to...

I want to stop.

I don't want to carry

on taking stupid stuff

that doesn't do anything.

My body went all tense expecting

Mum to go off on one,

but she didn't.

She just nodded.

How long do we have?

It could be anything up to two months...

or maybe only a couple of weeks...

it's hard to say.

Bloody hell, we were supposed

to get a year.

Don't cry, please.

I'll tell Him up there it's

just not good enough...

when I see Him.

Tell him we want our money back.

Two months, two weeks...!

I'd have liked Felix to be with me.

I tried to imagine

what he'd have to say about it all.

Two weeks!

Oh well, I thought it was less!

Make the most of it.

Do whatever you want.

Just think, they'll never say

no to you ever again.

There isn't anything else I want.

I thought you wanted to go up

in a spaceship and see the stars.

That's the wish you've

still not fulfilled.

That's not a real wish.

It's not one you really

have to do...

it's impossible.

Sure.

Wimp-

Come on. I dare you...

Questions nobody answers number eight:

Will the world still be here

when I'm gone?

Once I read a book about two people

who managed to live forever,

and they didn't like it very much.

They got old and lonely and sad.

If no one died, and people

kept being born,

the world would fill up

more and more,

until everyone would end up

standing on everybody else's heads.

I know all that.

But that doesn't explain

why children have to die.

My grandmother says that dying

is like when caterpillars

become butterflies.

It's parts of their life cycle.

It's scary for caterpillars

going into a cocoon,

but then they turn

into butterflies...

I suppose that means

we shouldn't be afraid of dying.

That night, mum and dad went

out for the first time in ages.

Dad said we could stay up

watching a movie.

I didn't feel like watching TV,

so I closed my eyes and tried

to imagine them dancing together.

Right. Well, we have a new student.

What are you doing, Ella?

Pictures for Sam's book.

Sam's book?

I don't want Ella's baby pictures

in my book,

but I didn't tell her.

Ready!

That was my last class...

and I spent it making birds.

I made a blackbird for Ella.

A sort of an owl for Dad...

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