Autistic Goblin

A boy sits sits up on his bed propped up by pillows as he listens to music on his tape player. Suddenly his heart starts to thump loudly and he has trouble moving, he goes searching frantically for something, but can’t find it before he collapses and dies. Elsewhere in the house others are putting birthday candles on a cake unaware of what just happened. The year is 1997 and the boy’s name is Med.

Med has a recurring dream where he’s in a field at night, he looks lost and there’s a bright light in the distance. Med wakes up and in voice over tells the audience that he’s been having this dream since he died. He didn’t know that ghosts COULD dream until after he died and it happened to him. He’s been having the dream for the last 3 years.. since his 22nd birthday.. the day he died. Med says that some people might think it’s cool that he died on his birthday, but Med thinks that it’s actually pretty sad (I agree that’s very sad!) Med is a ghost now and all he can remember is his name. Luckily the headset and tape player came with him.

Med says it might be bad enough that he died so young but there are worse thing ( a bird poops on his gravestone). His gravestone hasn’t been looked after at all and is covered in weeds.Med walks around in the year 2000, while families are visiting the other gravestones. However, in all the years since he died, no one has ever visited his. Med says that he can be considered a ghost without a family because of it. Med thinks that it might be the reason that he’s earthbound. Time skips to 2006 where Med is still wandering around the cemetery during the festival. He says that there are 3 reasons for a ghost to be stuck in this world.

The first reason for a ghost to be stuck is if they died before their time. The second reason is if no one held a proper ceremony to send him off so that he could be reborn. The third reason for a ghost to be stuck is if the ghost doesn’t know the reason for their death. Med says that the third reason can be ruled out because he knows that he died of heart failure due to congenital disease, therefore his time was up which also rules out reason number 1 as well. As Med walks next to the gravestone beside his, he notes that the “booger boy” is now becoming a teenager.

Med believes that he’s still stuck in this world because no one gave him a proper send off. Times skips ahead a year to 2007. The kid that grew up into a man actually has a name, it’s Tee. He’s listening and singing to music from his cell phone while his mother complains about it. Med says that it’s been 10 years since his death and still no one has visited his grave. Med wonders how much longer he’ll have to wait. Time skips ahead one more year to 2008. Tee is still singing loudly along with his cell phone and pissing off his mother.

A little boy walks by them, then notices Med’s grave. The little boy asks his father why Med’s grave is brown while the other graves are green. His father says it’s because Med’s family doesn’t pay the maintenance fee so no one takes care of it. The little boy says that’s sad. The little boy asks his dad if the grave owner has family, but his father doesn’t know the answer to that. The little boy asks his father for an incense stick and places it in front of the grave. The little boy tells the grave owner that this stick is for him.. then he looks directly at Med and smiles!!!

Med walks over to two other ghosts that don’t have family and sits down beside them. He tells Jeng and A-ngoon that they are probably the only ghosts without families that are tired of the Qing Ming Festival. The A-ngoon says that she may be bored but Jeng isn’t because his tummy is full. Med asks Jeng if he received offerings but A-Ngoon says no, he just steals from other tombs. Jeng defends himself saying that those without families must adapt in order to survive. Jeng points out that half the tomb owners have already moved on to be reborn, yet their families bring big offerings, they shouldn’t let them go to waste. A-Ngoon frowns and calls Jeng a smooth talker.

Jeng asks Med if anyone visited his tomb. Jeng can’t believe that after all these years, Med still expects someone to show up. Med says that whether he waits or not doesn’t change anything. Med says that he’s just curious to see if there isn’t at least one relative out there that misses him. A-ngoon says that all his family members could be dead like Med (OUCH!) After seeing Med’s look, she quickly apologizes saying that she didn’t mean it like that. Jeng tells Med that he should be more like him and worry less, when the time comes eventually they will move on. A-ngoon points out that at least Med has them for company.

Med asks the two if it’s possible for one of the living to communicate with ghosts, or even see them? A-ngoon gets really excited and demands that Med tell them everything, she promises not to tell anyone. Med says that a little boy came by his tomb and they seem to have locked eyes. Jeng hits him on the shoulder asking if Med has gone crazy because no one would want to lock eyes with him, Jeng says that it’s crazy. Jeng says that Med must be feeling really lonely. A-ngoon says that she believes there is someone that sees them, then points to the maintenance worker that is stealing candy from Med’s tomb (the boy left it behind for him earlier). Med runs off yelling that the candy belongs to him.

Time skips ahead again another year to 2009. The little boy visits Med again this time asking if Med doesn’t like the candy since he only ate one. Med admits that he didn’t like it much so the boy asks what does Med like. Med says that he likes chocolate, grilled pork and.. then he tells the boy “never mind”. Med says that it’s so hot out there that the boy should wear a cap next time so he doesn’t get sick. The young boy runs off to his dad then brings back more sweets for Med. Med asks if the boy can truly see him, but the boy doesn’t acknowledge anything that Med says. The boy lights the incense then leaves, Med yells “thank you”.

Another time skip, it’s now 2010. A bunch of firecrackers go off near Med’s tomb. Med comments that whoever said lighting firecrackers can chase away evil spirits was a rotten liar. Med says that the firecrackers are loud and annoying. The boy comes back to Med’s tomb but this time, he’s wearing a cap. Med tries to get the boy to acknowledge that he can hear Med. However Med can’t get the boy to acknowledge his presence. All of a sudden Med notices that the offering is chocolate and that the boy is wearing a cap. Med is convinced the boy can see/hear him but the boy just leaves pretending that he can’t do either.

Med goes looking for his two friends to tell them about it. A-ngoon is bothering two birds in their cage, while Jeng is just chilling on the railing. Med finds them and asks if they remember about the boy he told them about last year. A-ngoon remembers that Med thought the boy might be able to communicate with him. Med says that he’s absolutely sure that the boy can now! Jeng asks Med if he still hasn’t given up, he must be really lonely. Med says that he isn’t lonely since he hangs out with them everyday, he doesn’t have time to be lonely.

Jeng says that Med must be hallucinating then. Jeng says that when his family started to disappear, he was a lot like Med. Med proposes a bet to prove it, he says that if the boy brings him the meat he asked for next year then that proves that the boy can hear him.

2011 rolls around. The boy comes to the tomb but doesn’t see Med, so he yells that he brought that meat for him. The boy doesn’t see Med so he lights the incense and says that Med must have been reborn now. Med pops out of nowhere saying that he hasn’t been reborn yet. The boy goes back to pretending that he can’t see Med but it’s too late since now Med knows for sure that he can. The dad calls his son (Thun is his name!) over and Thun walks right through Med as if to prove he can’t see him.

Med tells his friends about it but A-ngoon says that from what Med has told them, it doesn’t prove that the boy can see him. Jeng teases Med by saying that the boy might be frightened of him. A-ngoon hits him and asks if he’s trying to cheer Med up or trying to drive him to suicide?(he’s already dead though…) Jeng tells A-ngoon that she’s crazy, how many times does Med have to die? Med gives them his food as he’s now lost his appetite. After Med leaves them, A-ngoon hits Jeng saying it’s his fault because he knows that Med is sensitive. Jeng asks if a ghost could even be sensitive, the answer being yes of course. A-ngoon kicks Jeng in the butt for good measure.

Med then has his usual nightmare only now the boy is included. In the nightmare Thun is begging Med for help but Med can’t reach him.

That’s the end of He’s Coming to Me: Episode 1 Part 1!