The dead man’s flight test

Felix wiped potato chip crumbs from his mouth with his sleeve. It was his favorite part of Breakfast at Tiffany’s: the scene where Holly throws the cat out into the rain in the heat of the moment. As always, tears sprung to Felix’ eyes and he felt deeply moved, but this time the wave of emotion was followed by a violent, stabbing pain in his side. He could not breathe and could not move. His entire body shuddered and reared up briefly one last time - and then Felix died. Blank and lifeless, he stared up at the ceiling of his room. "A dead light bulb makes a pretty bleak ceiling lamp", he thought to himself.

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His mind was clearer than it had been for a long time and he was aware of an incredible lightness. He felt really good. The weight of his bodily mass and his circumstances in life were no longer pressing down on his soul and he felt liberated from physical suffering - what had happened?

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Felix realized with amazement that he was moving toward the ceiling. He nervously paddled with his arms and legs; his centre of balance seemed to shift and eventually his body semi-turned lengthwise - and he saw himself sitting there in the armchair with a stony gaze.

He was not frightened. He was not shocked nor did he even feel any concern. He quickly realized what he was looking at. It was his own dead body, in his favorite chair, sitting in front of his favorite film - and he was most likely on his way to another world.

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