The Book Of The Dead: A Short Story
Hearing those words helped to calm her slightly. Feeling his arms around her, the slight pressure she felt, helped to ground her. As she continued to focus on calming herself, the wind stopped and the vegetation began to recede back into the floor. The boy kept hugging her, and though she was unaware of when it had happened she had ended up hugging him as well. “It’s okay,” He said. “I’m here for you.” For the first time since she had died she was able to cry. The pressure that had been building inside her chest finally released by the tears. “Sometimes we make mistakes.” Katherine’s voice came from behind her. She felt Katherine’s hand touch her shoulder and realized that she had kneeled down beside her. The little boy took a step back
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from Angela, a concerned look on his face. “Angela, I would like you to meet Irwin.” Irwin smiled with his rows of baby teeth. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Katherine told me that I would eventually but that I had to wait patiently until you decided to come to me.” “You’ve been waiting for me?” Angela asked when she was able to bring herself to speak. He nodded very seriously in response. “Oh yes, I had a dream about you, Katherine said that it was just the Other World showing me things but I told her that you would be joining us soon and to keep an eye out of you. I’m happy that she found you. I was starting to lose hope.” He seemed so confident, as if having dreams about a girl he had never met before made perfect sense. “Why were you dreaming about me?” “I don’t know.” He told her in the simple innocent voice that children have. “Irwin, why don’t you go grab your book for Angela to look at, okay?” Katherine told him. His face lit up even brighter and he ran to the ladder. “He hugged me.” Was all Angela could say to Katherine. She was still shocked at how desperately she had been craving human contact. Katherine had moved her hair slightly, but hugging was different. It was a comfort that healed a person emotionally and physically. “You’ll get used to it.” Katherine said “You mentioned a book.” Angela said, still in shock.
“You’ll see. It’ll be easier to explain when it’s here.” Irwin’s face reappeared as he climbed into the hayloft. “This is the book!” He exclaimed moving to sit next to Angela as he dropped a huge book with a long bang onto the floor. If Angela hadn’t known better she would have believed it to be a dictionary. “The Book of the Dead.” Angela read the title aloud and looked up in shock, pointing to the title. “This book is about-?” “You guys, it tells a person everything that they need to know about the In-Between. I’ve been working on it for years. Katherine’s been helping. She’s been dead for a while so she knows a lot more, but I’ve been doing research on my own as well.” “The In-Between?” “That’s where we are.” He said flipping the book to the first page. The picture depicted was of Earth surrounded by clouds. In the space between the land and clouds were wispy lines with the words The In-Between written in them. “It’s the space that spirits who were given the option to enter the Land of the Dead are when they decide to remain behind.” “What are Spirits?” “What do you think you are?” Katherine asked kneeling down next to
her. “I thought I was a ghost.”
Katherine’s snarled at the word ghost, making Angela wish that she had never thought to ask the question.
“We are not ghosts, that is a derogatory term that someone made up to describe unseen forces that haunt people.”
“Katherine doesn’t like being called a ghost.” Irwin whispered in Angela’s ear.
“I can tell.” She whispered back.
Katherine had stood back up to resume her pacing, the snarl remaining on her face as she waved her hands in the air to add emphasis to her words.
“We are Spirits. Originally we start out as Souls because that is the part that coexists with the body, if a Soul chooses to decline the Land of the Dead after their body has been buried then they become Spirits and exist in the In-Between. Ghosts never have a part in any of it.”
“And what exactly is the Land of the Dead?” Angela directed her question to Irwin, hoping to change the topic. Irwin’s brow furrowed a little bit and he stuck his tongue out slightly as he considered his answer. After a moment he sighed in defeat. “I don’t know,” He admitted, “I’ve never been there, and I don’t think that soul’s can come back after they go because I’ve never met one.” “And where is the Other World in all of this?” She asked, not seeing in labeled anywhere on the picture. “I don’t know. It just exists.” Irwin traced his finger in the small stalks of grass that remained in the floorboards. “It moves around, a Spirit is able to go there when they fall asleep, or they’re able to enter them when they’re awake through entrances. Only a couple stay open all the time though.” “Okay… Is there a difference between entering the Other World asleep or when I’m awake?” “When you enter asleep the Other World controls what you see, but if you enter awake then you’re in more control, but can still get hurt.” Irwin was now making invisible shapes with the capped pen on the paper. “It’s just a bad place.” Angela didn’t know what to say as she watched him. She wanted to know more but when she looked up at Katherine her shaking her head no stopped her from saying anything else. “Irwin.” Katherine said. “Why don’t you make Angela her own section.” Irwin’s face lit up at this idea and he quickly flipped to the back of the book, searching for a blank page. When he found one he uncapped the pen and wrote Angela’s name at the top with handwriting that was way to nice to be a six year olds. “Alright Angela.” He turned to look at her, his expression very serious. “Let’s get right down to it shall we.” “Alright.” Angela couldn’t help but giggle and smile at him, he smiled brightly back at her before turning to the paper, his pen poised and ready. “How’d you die? And why didn’t you go to the Land of the Dead? What made you stay here? When exactly did you die? And do you remember anything particular about your death?” His questions came rapidly, Angela barely had time to open her mouth. When she didn’t say anything, Irwin looked at her expectantly over his glasses. “Umm, they said that I had a brain aneurysm. And I wasn’t ready to leave my family yet, so I stayed behind.” She hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry, what were the other questions?” Katherine looked at Angela with pity as she once again kneeled down on the other side of her. “Oh kid I’m sorry. Your head must be killing you if that’s how you went, no wonder you’re so emotional.” “What?” Angela felt fine, except for the stinging in her cheek. “Doesn’t your head hurt? Usually when a soul becomes a spirit the way that the body died will stay with them for a while. It’s okay to admit it, no need to be tough, all of us have been there.” Angela just stared at Katherine, she didn’t know what she was trying to say. She didn’t think that she had been in any pain when she died. “I died in my sleep, I’m not in any pain.” Said Angela. Katherine’s face paled as she stared at Angela. “Kid, I don’t know how to tell you this.” Katherine paused awkwardly as she looked over at Irwin. “But if you really did die in your sleep then you would have gone straight to the Land of the Dead.” “Why?” “Because sleep is the closest the living can be to death. If a person dies in their sleep they’re so close that they can enter the Land of the Dear right after death. No need for a funeral, no option for the In-Between. : Taking a moment to digest what Katherine was saying, Angela bit her bottom lip. “So… what you’re saying is…” “How they’re saying that you died, how you believe that you actually died. It’s not true. Either someone made a mistake when they diagnosed your cause of death or someone’s lying to cover it up.”
from Angela, a concerned look on his face. “Angela, I would like you to meet Irwin.” Irwin smiled with his rows of baby teeth. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Katherine told me that I would eventually but that I had to wait patiently until you decided to come to me.” “You’ve been waiting for me?” Angela asked when she was able to bring herself to speak. He nodded very seriously in response. “Oh yes, I had a dream about you, Katherine said that it was just the Other World showing me things but I told her that you would be joining us soon and to keep an eye out of you. I’m happy that she found you. I was starting to lose hope.” He seemed so confident, as if having dreams about a girl he had never met before made perfect sense. “Why were you dreaming about me?” “I don’t know.” He told her in the simple innocent voice that children have. “Irwin, why don’t you go grab your book for Angela to look at, okay?” Katherine told him. His face lit up even brighter and he ran to the ladder. “He hugged me.” Was all Angela could say to Katherine. She was still shocked at how desperately she had been craving human contact. Katherine had moved her hair slightly, but hugging was different. It was a comfort that healed a person emotionally and physically. “You’ll get used to it.” Katherine said “You mentioned a book.” Angela said, still in shock.
“You’ll see. It’ll be easier to explain when it’s here.” Irwin’s face reappeared as he climbed into the hayloft. “This is the book!” He exclaimed moving to sit next to Angela as he dropped a huge book with a long bang onto the floor. If Angela hadn’t known better she would have believed it to be a dictionary. “The Book of the Dead.” Angela read the title aloud and looked up in shock, pointing to the title. “This book is about-?” “You guys, it tells a person everything that they need to know about the In-Between. I’ve been working on it for years. Katherine’s been helping. She’s been dead for a while so she knows a lot more, but I’ve been doing research on my own as well.” “The In-Between?” “That’s where we are.” He said flipping the book to the first page. The picture depicted was of Earth surrounded by clouds. In the space between the land and clouds were wispy lines with the words The In-Between written in them. “It’s the space that spirits who were given the option to enter the Land of the Dead are when they decide to remain behind.” “What are Spirits?” “What do you think you are?” Katherine asked kneeling down next to
her. “I thought I was a ghost.”
Katherine’s snarled at the word ghost, making Angela wish that she had never thought to ask the question.
“We are not ghosts, that is a derogatory term that someone made up to describe unseen forces that haunt people.”
“Katherine doesn’t like being called a ghost.” Irwin whispered in Angela’s ear.
“I can tell.” She whispered back.
Katherine had stood back up to resume her pacing, the snarl remaining on her face as she waved her hands in the air to add emphasis to her words.
“We are Spirits. Originally we start out as Souls because that is the part that coexists with the body, if a Soul chooses to decline the Land of the Dead after their body has been buried then they become Spirits and exist in the In-Between. Ghosts never have a part in any of it.”
“And what exactly is the Land of the Dead?” Angela directed her question to Irwin, hoping to change the topic. Irwin’s brow furrowed a little bit and he stuck his tongue out slightly as he considered his answer. After a moment he sighed in defeat. “I don’t know,” He admitted, “I’ve never been there, and I don’t think that soul’s can come back after they go because I’ve never met one.” “And where is the Other World in all of this?” She asked, not seeing in labeled anywhere on the picture. “I don’t know. It just exists.” Irwin traced his finger in the small stalks of grass that remained in the floorboards. “It moves around, a Spirit is able to go there when they fall asleep, or they’re able to enter them when they’re awake through entrances. Only a couple stay open all the time though.” “Okay… Is there a difference between entering the Other World asleep or when I’m awake?” “When you enter asleep the Other World controls what you see, but if you enter awake then you’re in more control, but can still get hurt.” Irwin was now making invisible shapes with the capped pen on the paper. “It’s just a bad place.” Angela didn’t know what to say as she watched him. She wanted to know more but when she looked up at Katherine her shaking her head no stopped her from saying anything else. “Irwin.” Katherine said. “Why don’t you make Angela her own section.” Irwin’s face lit up at this idea and he quickly flipped to the back of the book, searching for a blank page. When he found one he uncapped the pen and wrote Angela’s name at the top with handwriting that was way to nice to be a six year olds. “Alright Angela.” He turned to look at her, his expression very serious. “Let’s get right down to it shall we.” “Alright.” Angela couldn’t help but giggle and smile at him, he smiled brightly back at her before turning to the paper, his pen poised and ready. “How’d you die? And why didn’t you go to the Land of the Dead? What made you stay here? When exactly did you die? And do you remember anything particular about your death?” His questions came rapidly, Angela barely had time to open her mouth. When she didn’t say anything, Irwin looked at her expectantly over his glasses. “Umm, they said that I had a brain aneurysm. And I wasn’t ready to leave my family yet, so I stayed behind.” She hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry, what were the other questions?” Katherine looked at Angela with pity as she once again kneeled down on the other side of her. “Oh kid I’m sorry. Your head must be killing you if that’s how you went, no wonder you’re so emotional.” “What?” Angela felt fine, except for the stinging in her cheek. “Doesn’t your head hurt? Usually when a soul becomes a spirit the way that the body died will stay with them for a while. It’s okay to admit it, no need to be tough, all of us have been there.” Angela just stared at Katherine, she didn’t know what she was trying to say. She didn’t think that she had been in any pain when she died. “I died in my sleep, I’m not in any pain.” Said Angela. Katherine’s face paled as she stared at Angela. “Kid, I don’t know how to tell you this.” Katherine paused awkwardly as she looked over at Irwin. “But if you really did die in your sleep then you would have gone straight to the Land of the Dead.” “Why?” “Because sleep is the closest the living can be to death. If a person dies in their sleep they’re so close that they can enter the Land of the Dear right after death. No need for a funeral, no option for the In-Between. : Taking a moment to digest what Katherine was saying, Angela bit her bottom lip. “So… what you’re saying is…” “How they’re saying that you died, how you believe that you actually died. It’s not true. Either someone made a mistake when they diagnosed your cause of death or someone’s lying to cover it up.”