White Rose

White roses are traditionally associated with marriages and new beginnings, but their quiet beauty has also made them a gesture of remembrance. When the occasion calls for reverence, whether stately or somber, a bouquet of white rose is a perfect way to say, “I’m thinking of you.”

Links
http://www.proflowers.com/blog/rose-colors-and-meanings

Lavender

I just had to put a post about Lavender, because I thought about its symbolism and how it could work with the story.

Symbolism of Lavender

Lavender is recommended for any faintness or trembling of the emotional body, and can be applied to the temples or sniffed.
Lavender's tranquil properties make it an excellent mild sedative and painkiller...lavender works wonders with skin problems, rheumatic aches, insomnia, and depression...helpful to the head and brain, for Mercury rules thinking and the mind.
"Look in the flowers and perfumes of nature for peace of mind and joy of life."
It is helpful for all disorders that trouble the head and spirit, for its scent is calming.
One of the oldest and most revered is lavender, whose symbol is devotion.

Another website offers more explanations:

One of the most common uses of lavender essential oil is for calming and rest, promoting peaceful sleep and a feeling of happiness.Does lavender have special magical properties? It has been used for centuries in the area of love, used to scent love letters, or used as a perfume to attract the opposite sex. Back in the Renaissance days lavender would be combined with rosemary and used to secure the chastity of a woman.

Links
http://www.souledout.org/healing/secretgarden/lavender/lavender.html
http://intuitivemeaning.com/2010/08/the-spiritual-meaning-of-lavender/

Ghosts, Spirits and Purgatory

(March)

At the end of my film, I wanted to smoothly transition into death, where Aidan, unaware that he is already dead, begins to talk to Sky. The style of the scene will be gradual, almost as if Aidan's body is going into Rigamortis, where the scenery slowly gets brighter as he and Sky move into Heaven.

I looked into styles of Afterlife and Purgatory. One thing I found out was that Purgatory was a negative thing, and that was something I didn't want the characters to go through. I wanted them to feel at peace, so the almost ghost-like feel of the scene would increase as they talked. 

Looking at the Afterlife, there is a notion of a ghost having unfinished business. So what could transpire is Aidan and Sky talking about what happened and saying goodbye to each other before they go to Heaven, which would resolve their unfinished business.

Links

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-do-christians-believe-about-purgatory-what-does-the-bible-teach/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/ghost-buster1.htm
Lorry Driver Manslaughter

Dying Young of a Broken Heart
http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/news/1455-broken-heart-syndrome-and-stress.html
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-actually-can-die-of-a-broken-heart-66606700/?no-ist

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ina22/splaylib/Screenplay-Single_Man,%20A.pdf

Story Development

I have had a while to think about this, and I think it's best that I decide against going for a story that tries to focus on BHS. Instead I will focus more about how grief affects the spiritual emotions and when the deceased loved one appears to them. I researched into how people can see, hear and feel the deceased person, and it lead me to ADC, 'After Death Communication', which works better for the title as well as the story as a whole. I will still consider including the BHS in there subtly, but it may not lead to Aidan's death, just him accepting that Sky is dead and has to move on.

There is an episode of Being Human (Series 2 Ep. 6) where Annie (the Ghost), communicates with her mother about letting go. This has helped me in understanding how to make a communication between two characters work.

Link

After Death Communication

From the website after-death.com, it explains the different ways in which the dead can communicate to those living.

DefinitionAn After-Death Communication, or ADC, is a spiritual experience that occurs when someone is contacted directly and spontaneously by a family member or friend who has died. An ADC is a direct experience because no psychics, mediums, therapists, rituals, or devices are involved. And an ADC is a spontaneous event because our deceased loved ones always choose when, where, and how they will contact us.

Types of ADCs
Based upon our research, the following are brief descriptions of the twelve most frequent types of after-death communication people report having with their deceased loved ones. These may occur individually or in combination with other types of ADCs. They can happen in a home, at work, at a funeral, in a car, aboard a boat or airplane, in a department store, and virtually anywhere else – and at any time of the day or night.

• Sensing a Presence: Sentient ADCs This is the most common form of contact. But many people discount their experiences, thinking, "Oh, I’m just imagining this." It’s a distinct feeling that your loved one is nearby, though he or she can’t be seen or heard. Though most often felt during the days and weeks immediately after the death, you may sense or intuit his or her presence months or even years later – which is true of all other types of ADCs as well.

• Hearing a Voice: Auditory ADCs Some people state they hear an external, audible voice with their ears, the same as when a living person is speaking to them. The majority of communications are by telepathy, however – you hear the voice of your relative or friend in your mind. When you have two-way communication, it’s usually by telepathy, which is also called mind-to-mind contact or thought transference. A large percentage of the messages received are brief and to the point, like telegrams of 25 words or less. On the other hand, a few experiencers are able to have entire conversations by telepathy.

• Feeling a Touch: Tactile ADCs People who have a very close physical and emotional relationship recognize the distinctive and familiar touch of their family member or friend. You may feel your loved one touch you with his or her hand, or place an arm around your shoulders or back or waist, for comfort and reassurance. You may feel a tap, a pat, a caress, a stroke, a kiss, or even a hug. These are all forms of affection, nurturing, and love.

• Smelling a Fragrance: Olfactory ADCs You may smell your relative’s or friend’s favorite cologne, after shave, or perfume. Other common aromas are: flowers, bath products, favorite foods, tobacco smoke, and his or her personal scent. Two or more people who are together at the same place – and at the same time – may share this type of ADC experience.

• Partial Appearances: Visual ADCs 1 There are a wide variety of visual appearances, which are divided into two general categories: partial visual and full visual ADCs. Appearances range from a "transparent mist" to "absolutely solid," with many gradations in between. Partial appearances include seeing only a colored light, an outline of their body, or just the head and shoulders of your relative or friend. And he or she may be transparent, translucent, or almost completely solid. Quite a few visual ADCs occur in the bedroom, next to or at the foot of the bed.

• Full Appearances: Visual ADCs 2 Someone you love may make a full appearance to you, and you will see his or her entire body, from head to foot, and that person will look and feel fully solid and lifelike to you. Typically he or she will be expressing love, well being, and happiness with a radiant smile. They virtually always appear healed and whole regardless of their form of death. It’s quite common to see people who died in their later years return at a much younger age – often in the prime of their life. Verbal communication may take place, but not always. They are trying to assure you they are okay, and you don’t need to be concerned about them. Visual ADCs provide a great deal of comfort and relief.

• A Glimpse Beyond: ADC Visions You may see an image of a deceased loved one in a "picture" that is either two-dimensional and flat, or three-dimensional like a hologram. It’s like seeing a 35 mm slide or a movie suspended in the air. These are usually in radiant colors and may be seen externally, with your eyes open – or internally in your mind, while your eyes are closed. You’re seeing your loved one in heaven, and communication may occur, especially during meditation or prayer.

• Encounters at Alpha: Twilight ADCs This type of ADC takes place in the "alpha state" of consciousness, when you are very relaxed – like when you’re falling asleep, waking up, meditating, or praying. And when you open your eyes, your deceased love one may be standing nearby.

• More Than A Dream: Sleep-State ADCs These are much more vivid, intense, colorful, and real than ordinary dreams. They are extremely common. Both one-way and two-way communications are typical. You usually feel your loved one is with you in person and that you’re having an actual visit together. These may happen in a familiar place or one that is foreign to you. Sleep-State ADCs are not jumbled, filled with symbols, or fragmented the way dreams usually are. There are endless possibilities of what may occur during this type of contact. These are also called "visitation dreams."

• Sleep-State ADCs are similar to other types of after-death communication that occur while you are wide awake. Your friend or relative can come to you more easily, however, when you are relaxed, open, and receptive, like when you are in the alpha state or asleep.

• Homeward Bound: Out-Of-Body ADCs OBE ADCs happen while you are asleep or in a deep meditative state. They are very dramatic experiences during which you leave your physical body and visit your loved one in a place nearby, at another location on Earth or within the physical universe, or in the spiritual dimension called "heaven." The latter contains beautiful flowers, birds, and butterflies; lovely gardens and stately trees; sparkling water, radiant lighting, and other magnificent aspects of nature; and it’s filled with love, happiness, peace, and joy. Out-of-body travel is accomplished at the speed of thought. Many of these accounts read like near-death experiences, but those who have them are in good physical health at the time.

• Person-to-Person: Telephone ADCs This type of ADC can occur during sleep or when you are fully awake. You will hear a phone ringing, and when you answer it, your deceased loved one will give you a short message. Two-way conversations are also possible. His or her voice will usually be clear, but may sound far away. If you are awake when the call on a physical phone is completed, it will seem that the line has been severed, for you won’t hear a hang-up sound, a disconnect click, or a dial tone.

• Material Matters: ADCs of Physical Phenomena Those who are bereaved often report receiving a wide variety of physical signs from their deceased relative or friend, such as: lights or lamps blinking on and off; radios, televisions, stereos, mechanical objects, and toys being activated; photographs, pictures, and various other items being turned over or moved; and a very long list of "things that go bump in the night." Messages are sometimes left on computers, telephone answering machines, and other electronic devices.

• Butterflies and Rainbows: Symbolic ADCs People frequently ask a Higher Power, a religious figure, the universe, or their deceased loved one for a sign that he or she still exists. Many receive such a sign, though it may take a while to arrive. Occasionally these signs are so subtle they may be missed, or they may be discounted as mere "coincidences." Common signs include: butterflies, rainbows, many species of birds and animals, flowers, and finding numerous kinds of inanimate objects, such as coins, feathers, and pictures.

This gave me an idea to use objects as well. I have already used the idea of wind as an element for Sky's presence (unless the day is very windy).

The one I'm more interested in is the Full Appearance Visual ADC's 2, as this allows both characters to full interact with each other.

Link
http://www.after-death.com/Pages/About/ADC.aspx