Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 265

Death Discovery
Hong Kong Academy, Raymond, Sierra - 18
KKRRRSSSHHH! A violent force makes my body jolt forward. My vision fades to black; it becomes clear
again. I find myself looking down at an urn with my name on it. I only see the urn, everything around me is
hazy.
In loving memory
Deidre Li
December 25, 2000 - December 1, 2019
Loving daughter
It seems that I’m dead. Wait what?! I’m dead? I’m Dead! Why am I dead? This is just a bad dream, right?
The hazy environment turns into my living room and people appear in dark formal wear.
“...I’ll miss her. She was taken from us too soon. She had her whole life in front of her. Wherever you are
Deirdre, I hope you are in peace.”
After Dad finishes speaking, everyone gets up and start heading for the potluck. “Dad! I’m not dead!” I
yelled out. No one responds. I run over to my relatives, waving my arms frantically in their face. “Are you
guys deaf or what?! I’m not dead, I’m right here!” Nothing happens. Are they... not able to see me? This is a
joke!
I run out of my house and head over to visit Sidney: my best friend and the only person who can tell me
what’s going on. She lives down the street from our house, about 5 minutes away. It doesn’t take me long
to find her house. A decent-sized gray house for a family of three. I see Sidney practicing shooting hoops in
the driveway.
Just as she was preparing to shoot I walk up and wave to her. “Hey Sidney!” She drops the basketball and
looks like a deer in the headlights. Why is she so surprised? Am I really dead?
“You’re not real, are you? You can’t be alive, you’re dead.” Sidney talks to herself, as if to reassure herself
that I don’t exist.
“What do you mean I’m not real, Sidney? I don’t understand what’s going on! First I wake up and see my
urn, my dad gives a sad speech about me being dead at a funeral party, and then you act as if I’m some
ghost?!”
I’m getting really tired of this. Everyone that I know is acting as if they can’t see me. If this is a prank, then
someone has a terrible sense of humour since I’m not laughing.
Sidney looks at me then looks to the left and right to see if anyone else is around. It was just us. “Of course
I’m just imagining things! You died two weeks ago! How is it possible that I can see you?”
“It’s been two weeks? I thought it was December first? Why do you keep insisting I’m a ghost? If I’m a
ghost, then prove it,” I said.
Sidney picks up her basketball. “Hey what are you - ” She throws it straight at my head.
I wasn’t able to dodge. Just as I was expecting the basketball to hit my face, it didn’t. Instead, the basketball
flies through my head and goes across the street, onto the neighbor’s door step.
Sidney’s eyes widen and so do mine.
“I really am dead! No wonder everyone was acting strange!” I said.
Sidney looked troubled, as if she was pondering over something. It’s normal, I mean, how would you react
if you found out your dead best friend was a ghost?