My name is Melinda Gordon.

I just got married, just moved to a small town, just opened up an antique shop.

I might be just like you.

Except from the time that I was a little girl, I knew that I could talk to the dead.

It's all right, honey.

Earthbound spirits, my grandmother called them, the ones who have not crossed over because they have unfinished business with the living, and they come to me for help.

To tell you my story, I have to tell you theirs.

So, will you do it? - No.

Not fair.

You know, I have told you a thousand times I'm not telling your boss his dead, disgruntled employee put a hex on him.

First of all, there's no such thing.

He doesn't know that! You know, there are people waiting for you in the light-- go.

You're not the boss of me.

Real mature, Gary.

Don't marry him, Elaine.

He just wants our money.

I know guys like this.

Conrad.

Good morning.

So, did you talk to her? - Your wife? Yes, my wife at the rest home.

I'm sorry, I've been really busy, but I will try to get out there this weekend.

I promise.

Sure, don't worry about me.

I've only been dead for 50 years.

I've got all the time in the world! - Ah, good morning.

Hey! - How you doing? - Oh, you know.

Same old, same old.

You know, you seem suspiciously cheerful.

Hmm, do I? Oh, well.

I met somebody the other night.

Do tell.

Ok, he's a teacher at the high school, but at night he's this unbelievable spoken word poet.

You have to hear his stuff.

He's handsome.

He's sensitive.

And he's tall.

Sold! Actually he's performing tonight at this poetry slam thing in Bay Ridge.

Do you want to go? - Absolutely.

I want to meet the guy that has you looking like this.

Like what? Like you just grabbed the gold ring on the merry-go-round.

You know, like really.

Um, so should we take my car to the reading? Uh, no, I should probably drive on my own.

Otherwise I'll have to double back.

Oh, ok.

You have the directions, right? - Yes.

Ok.

Evening, ma'am.

There's a chill in the air tonight.

That's why I have on my jacket.

I'm not even gonna ask.

Yeah.

Ok.

Ok.

See you there.

See you there.

You.

You're the one who can see us.

Do I know you? It was a cemetery.

Melinda.

No one saw what happened? There were no witnesses? I should have made her ride with me.

Hey, come on, 'drea, how could you know? Where is the doctor? I need some answers.

I can't just sit here.

Calm down.

Don't tell me to calm down.

I'm her mother.

I know the people at this hospital.

She's gonna get the best care.

Believe me.

Jim.

Hey.

How is she? There's been some intracranial swelling.

Yeah? And she's in a light coma at the moment, but I have every hope-- Doctor, I'm a nurse.

He's a paramedic.

You don't have to play the happy game with us.

A coma is a coma.

All right.

What's next? What do we do now? Well, for now we monitor her vital signs carefully and wait.

What was that? Jim? Andrea? Where is everybody? Mom, I'm scared.

Come on, dear.

We'll go into it together.

No.

Hear me.

Don't leave me.

Don't leave me.

I'm sorry.

Grandma, I can't.

Not yet.

That's all right, dear.

All in good time.

Jim.

I saw it.

I saw the light.

Oh, God.

Guys, this is ridiculous.

I rested for a week in the hospital.

I'm fine.

Oh, yeah? Really? What happened the night you fell? - Do you remember? - Not exactly.

Where's Homer? Homer? Who's Homer? Uh, he's our dog.

Sort of.

Actually, he's a ghost dog.

A ghost dog! How cute! I bet you are hungry after that hospital food.

I'm gonna fix you a nice breakfast.

What is with her? - I don't know.

She's so cheerful.

What happened to the woman who couldn't bear to hear about ghosts? She is freaking me out.

Well, she did stay up all night in the hospital wondering if she'd ever talk to her daughter again.

That would make anybody cheerful.

Where are you going? Wait, no, no.

Go back.

No, come on.

Well, that's funny.

What? - Gary's not out there.

Remind me.

He wants me to tell his boss-- - oh, yeah, there's a hex on him.

Right.

Yeah, well, he's been out there every morning since he died a few months ago.

Well, maybe he gave up.

No, he's not the giving up type.

And you know what's weird is I have not seen one ghost in a whole week.

Maybe they're just being considerate.

Ghosts are a lot of things.

Considerate is not one of them.

Coffee or tea, darling? - Coffee.

Apparently a lot of things are weird.

You know, when I go back to work tomorrow-- Whoa, whoa.

No, no.

No going back to work.

You just got out of the hospital.

I'm fine.

Besides, that week I was in the hospital was the most boring month of my life.

Boredom is underrated.

Boredom is boring, ok? And you can't stop me, so don't even try.

Three days a week.

No.

Half-days.

That's my final offer.

Or what? - Or I will withhold my husbandly attention.

You don't mean that.

Mm-hmm.

Give me strength.

You don't mean that.

All right, fine.

Half-days.

Ah, she gave in to my superior will.

Yeah, but my first half-day starts today.

Ah, what are you gonna do? It's a sunday.

Open mail.

Smell the lotion.

You really do love this place, don't you.

I do! It's beautiful, look, the rain has washed everything so clean.

This is definitely weird.

What? The regulars are gone.

The regulars? Yeah, the cranky guy, the boy pushing the thing.

Rancher on a horse.

Oh.

Do you really see that many ghosts from other times? Sure.

I just block them out.

Oh, you know who that is? That's Mr.

Keeler.

Gary's boss.

He's the guy with a hex on him, huh? He doesn't really have a hex on him.

Mr.

Keeler! - You all right? - No! First these punks deface my property.

Now the building's falling apart.

Just one piece of bad luck after another.

What? Honey? Gary's up there.

He has to be.

Gary, you come down here and show yourself right now! Honey, honey, calm down.

No, this is crazy.

Why can't I see him? He was just up there.

He made the thing come down.

What if it's me? Think about it.

I haven't seen one ghost since the accident, not even in the hospital.

What if the ghosts are really here, right in front of me, - and I just can't see them anymore? - Shh, honey.

Come on.

It's all right.

You're gonna be all right.

You're telling me you don't see a single ghost? It's so weird.

I've seen ghosts all my life.

I mean, it's bizarre to know that they're out there and not be able to communicate with them.

How do you think this happened? The accident, I guess.

Some people lose their sense of smell.

I lose my gift.

You think it's gonna come back? - God, I hope so.

Jim seems relieved though.

Maybe he's happy you're alive, Melinda.

Still, I don't think I should tell him how much the whole thing bugs me.

I don't know.

I just look around, and everything looks so empty.

I don't know how people live like this.

I'm doing all right.

Thank you very much.

Oh, yeah.

The poet.

Yes, the poet.

Ashton.

Right, I never got to meet him.

You know, actually he has another poetry slam thing coming up right across the square.

Good.

I will be there for sure this time.

Melinda? I hope you recognize me.

Of course.

Diane, hi! How are you? Question is, how are you? Oh, everything's it's fine.

You remember Andrea? - Yes, good to see you again.

Could I, uh could I have a minute? Sure.

It's my niece.

Her boyfriend died last week.

It was very sudden.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Please sit.

It's hot.

Thank you.

I'm not exactly sure how to say this.

You remember how skeptical I was when you brought me together with my boy Jason? Sometimes it takes a leap of faith.

Caitlin is acting strange.

She sees things and hears things.

She's so you think she's being haunted by her boyfriend? Thank you for not making me say it.

So you want me to talk to the boy's spirit? Or let Caitlin speak to him through you.

I think it will give her peace.

Diane, I'm uh going through something right now that I don't really understand yet.

Um, my gift is not very strong at the moment, and I'm not seeing-- Melinda.

My brother, he doesn't understand what she's going through, and their relationship is strained.

If you could just talk to her, just let her know that she's she's not crazy.

Your aunt said that you've been having a rough time.

She said you talked to my cousin Jason after he was already dead.

Yes, I did.

Are you some sort of psychic or something? No.

It's different.

Is Brian here now? Can you see him? No.

I hear his heartbeat all the time, even when I'm sleeping.

In my dreams I can see him, and he's trying to tell me something.

Can you help me? I hope so.

Is that him? I think I might have seen him.

Really? Where? Tell me more about him.

Brian? Brian was fantastic.

No one ever thought he would go out with anybody like me, but from the minute Brian and I sat next to each other in chem class, we just clicked.

At first I thought he just liked me because I helped him understand chemistry.

And then I realized he really liked me for me.

Homecoming was two weeks away, and he finally admitted he didn't want to go because he couldn't dance.

And I said that was silly.

I mean, no one can dance really.

You just kind of move back and forth.

So we made a deal.

I would go watch him practice football if he would take me to the dance.

And it was the day of homecoming, and I had just picked up my dress, and I was so excited.

She was cheerleader pretty.

Just the kind of girl that you would expect him to be with.

I felt like my heart was gonna explode, like I'd die on the spot.

Brian kept calling, and I knew I had to face him.

Caitlin, I need to talk to you.

I guess I was hoping for something to happen that would make things different.

And then it did.

There's a place in the heart, and if you hit it hard enough at just the right spot, it stops beating.

I knew even before I saw him he was gone.

And I went under the bleachers to cry 'cause I didn't want anyone to see me.

I just couldn't believe that he was gone.

I couldn't get that look on his face out of my head.

And then I realized I would never know what he wanted to tell me.

Was he gonna be honest? Was he gonna lie? Was he breaking up with me? I thought he loved me.

I mean, I thought I was the one.

It's ok.

Caitlin.

What do you want? I guess I just want to know if he's out there and if he really loved me, and if he didn't, I want to know what I did wrong.

I dreamt about him.

I saw this tiger come charging towards me.

That was the name of their team: The tigers.

And you saw the jersey? I think I saw Brian too.

Right before I had the accident.

My heart broke for her.

Losing your first love like that so suddenly.

So this is where it happened? Yeah.

I thought if I came back here I might pick up something, like a feeling.

Anything.

And? Nothing.

At least not-- wait.

No.

No! - Caitlin! - What? What is it? - It's breathing.

What's breathing? What? The ball was breathing.

It was--it was there! And the heartbeat, it just kept getting louder and louder.

Oh, my god, I'm going crazy.

Aunt Diane, it was Brian, I know it was.

It's like he's dying all over again.

That was a great night out.

Yeah, the food was great.

Not just the food.

The peace.

What do you mean? Remember that one restaurant we had to leave because the dead chef kept yelling about how bad the living chef was? I could barely get a bite.

Oh, right.

You're not fooling anybody, you know.

What do you mean? Look, I know how miserable this makes you, losing you gift.

Why are you pretending it doesn't? Because I thought it would make you happy.

You know, to have a normal wife that you don't have to worry about all the time.

I thought it would be a relief.

Look.

I worry, I admit it.

But I would rather have all the worry in the world than to see the light go out of your eyes.

You can tell me how you really feel.

I can't take it.

How does a person just lose a piece of themselves like this? You know, making contacts with spirits, it's-- it's what I did, it's how I helped people.

And now I feel like I just don't know who I am anymore.

And I tried to help this poor girl talk to her dead boyfriend, and I just feel like a big fake.

Hey, shh.

I do.

Give it time.

People change.

It's what life is.

And that's what we have to make room for.

I'll tell you one thing that'll never change.

That's what gets me through.

I know, it was my day off, and I suddenly realized I have never seen your shop before.

Isn't that ridiculous? I hope you don't mind me popping in like this.

No, mom, of course not.

It's just a surprise.

Well, it's a surprise for me too.

I've been looking back over these past few years, and I realized I have become completely housebound and I didn't even know it.

Oh, this place is absolutely adorable.

You girls do this all by yourself? Mom, are you - taking something? - Taking something? Yeah, like a mood stabilizer.

No, I'm just-- I'm feeling really well lately.

Even my migraines are completely gone.

Excuse me, I'm looking for something in a pastel to go with my eyes.

Right on time.

Come on now.

Only a fool would be late for lunch with you.

You must be Ashton.

Yes.

Ashton Beluso this is Melinda Gordon and her mom Beth.

Hello.

Did she tell you that we're going to your slam poetry thing tomorrow night? Yes, she did, and I'm flattered, but I just hope that I don't fall off the stage.

Oh, trust me, he owns the stage.

Um, we're gonna go to lunch.

Really nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too, Melinda.

Mrs.

Gordon.

Bye.

What a lovely young man.

So nice to see two people so happy together.

You know, you have a very interesting definition of half-day.

Well, I had to entertain my mother for an hour.

Then I needed an hour to come down from it.

And then yet another wistful hour trying to figure out why she couldn't be this happy when I was 13.

Well, better late than never.

True.

See you tomorrow.

Half-day.

Yeah, yeah.

Half! I don't think you want to do this, Caitlin.

Where did you come from? - I work across the street.

Look, will you please just leave me alone? Sure.

You just suck that whole bottle down and then drive yourself home.

Works for me.

Fine.

Have the car.

I know you're in pain.

No, you don't know anything! - I just want it all to stop.

Well, that's not the way to erase it.

Well, it's worth a try.

You know, you have people that love you.

Your aunt, your father.

My father doesn't love me.

He hates me because I remind him of my mom.

Your aunt Diane loves you, and she lost her son.

Do you really want to go breaking her heart by hurting yourself too? I just feel so empty.

I know.

I thought Brian was trying to reach me, and now I just think I'm going crazy.

Hey, you're not.

He's out there.

I believe that.

Whe-where is he ? Aunt Diane said you could show me.

I need to talk to him.

I can't do that.

Why not? Because something's happened to me.

I stopped seeing them, and I don't know why.

But you know, sometimes you just have to go on faith 'cause that's what I'm going on right now.

Why don't you just face the fact they're not out there? There's nothing out there but nightmares and bad memories.

That's not true.

Yes, it is, and you might have fooled my aunt Diane, but you're not gonna fool me.

You're a big fake, and I'm on to you.

So why don't you just get out of here and leave me alone? Thank you for doing this.

Any friend of my sister's so you're hearing a rattle? All the time? No, just sometimes.

Maybe it's the muffler or something.

I really enjoyed meeting your daughter Caitlin.

Oh, yeah? Well, you didn't have any luck figuring out what was wrong with her, did you.

It's not that simple, I guess.

I'm not surprised.

She won't talk to me.

She won't talk to Diane.

Still, she does need your support.

Caitlin doesn't look to me for support.

She looks right through me, if you want to know the truth.

Mr.

Emerson, you may think that this is none of my business, but the one thing that I did find out about Caitlin is that she is very troubled, and she doesn't feel like she can talk to you about it.

She thinks that you connect her with her mother and dislike her for it.

She told you that? I can't get two words out of her.

She told you all that.

She's grieving, Mr.

Emerson.

She just lost somebody that she loved.

I know something about loss myself, Ms.

Gordon.

My wife left me when Caitlin was two.

I had to raise her all by myself.

I provided for her, and I kept her safe.

She's my little girl, and now she looks at me-- she looks at me like she hates me.

She looks at me like she can't wait to leave me too.

I'm sorry.

Nothing wrong with your car, is there.

Have a nice day.

Adam, a little compassion.

Caitlin has had a traumatic experience, and sometimes shock can cause unusual behavior.

We've just got to show her that we're here for her and that we care.

You're a good sister.

I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here.

This is way beyond me.

Melinda Gordon has a very special gift.

She helped me with Jason.

I believe she can help Caitlin, too.

Hope to hell you're right.

I'm ok.

I'm ok.

I'm ok.

Brian! Caitlin! Caitlin, what's the matter? What's the matter, honey? Everything is gonna be all right.

All right, all right, all right.

Ok, now it's time for a poetry lounge favorite.

Writes some powerful stuff that I know y'all are gonna enjoy.

So please put your hands together for my dog, Ashton Beluso, y'all! Give it up for Ashton, man.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's good to be here.

Like to say hello to two of my friends.

This poem is called Agera.

The wind is weirdly warm.

It pulls and it rips.

Departing spirits struggle with the silver coils of fog.

Tormented souls are easy prey still being haunted by what might have been.

The young and the passionate resist the best-- sometimes for days.

The peaceful are immune.

But who amongst us are in tune with that kind of peace? The man is laughing.

Stand back and watch the hordes of these conflicted souls perform their final unconflicted act.

You have no choice.

That's what I'm talking about! One more time, man, for Ashton Beluso.

Andrea.

So what'd you think? It was crazy good.

You liked it.

I loved it.

Oh, it was so powerful.

Don't you think, Melinda? I don't understand.

Where did you get that? Get what? The part about the departing ghosts getting pulled away.

The silvery fog and everything.

Oh, this crazy dream I had the other night.

There were these two dark figures in some kind of mass exodus.

I don't know.

I just write what comes to me, you know? So, look, I got to stay.

One of my students is going up, and I promised I'd listen.

So I'll see you later? - All right.

Ok.

I think he's a sensitive.

What? - A sensitive.

My grandma told me about them.

I've only met one or two before.

They're people that are somehow in tune with the larger picture.

And they get a feeling about something before it even happens.

Wow, I'm dating a sensitive.

You know what? Ashton's dream? - I've seen it in real life.

No way! The day I got into my accident, there was a ghost family in the road, and I stopped to try and help them, but they got whisked away just like Ashton said.

How can he see them in a dream and I can't find Brian to save my life.

I mean, it's not fair.

I just wish that my grandmother was here so I could What? I know who I'm gonna have to talk to about this.

Mmm, it's delicious.

I don't know.

For some reason, everything is tasting so much better to me lately.

Do you know why that is? No, I don't, but whatever it is, I'm not gonna question it.

I wonder.

I know that you don't like it when I bring up the spirit world haven't seen a one.

Haven't heard a thing.

Nothing? - No.

Blessed silence.

Interesting.

I haven't either for about a week now.

Really? Oh, this is wonderful.

You must be so happy.

No, mom, I'm not.

I know, I know.

You embrace your gift.

Melinda, you can say this till the cows come home, but aren't you just a little bit relieved? No.

Maybe it's like allergies, you know? You grow out of it.

You always had migraines, right? Because you were trying to suppress the visions, the sounds.

But your headaches are gone now.

What if there aren't any visions or sounds to suppress? What if the spirits themselves have just vanished? Couldn't be.

They're all around us, always.

That is what is so annoying about them.

Do you really feel annoyed, mom? Because to me you've never seemed so lighthearted.

Does it really seem likely that we would both lose our gift at the same time? So what are you saying? They've gone somewhere else? I don't know.

Maybe.

Yeah.

For good? I hope not.

Ok, this is all good.

But I don't want you to overdo it just 'cause you feel good.

Let's remember you suffered a head trauma, so the slightest symptom and you tell Jim right away.

There isn't anything I don't tell Jim.

Ok.

Is that really true that you tell Jim everything? Yeah, why? Mmm, I'm surprised, I guess.

I never told your father about my visions.

I was afraid it would be too disturbing.

Course he ended up leaving me anyway, so - so much for my instincts on that one.

You never talk about him.

Why should I? He's out of our life.

But I must say in retrospect, maybe if I had told him Course it's water under the bridge now, isn't it.

Time of death, 14:35.

Mom, did you see that? What? No.

Yes.

Yes, I did.

Andrea, I saw one.

You did? Where? At the hospital.

I never lost my gift.

They've just gone away.

But I don't get it.

Where to? No idea.

One thing at a time.

Wow, this probably sounds like an odd conversation.

No, no.

Yeah.

Yeah.

She'll explain it to you.

Ashton, you wouldn't happen to have a copy of your poem with you, would you? My poem? No, it's all in my head.

I'm trying to remember this part about who can resist the wind force.

You said the tortured ghosts went immediately, and the young ones-- The young and the passionate resist the best-- sometimes for days.

Right, sometimes for days! Which means that I still have time.

Thank you.

Wait, wait! Where are you going? Brian's still out there.

I'm sure of it.

I just missed him.

Ok, this is gonna take some explaining.

Yeah.

Melinda.

I can help Caitlin.

I wasn't sure before.

What are you doing here? I'm absolutely sure that Brian is still earthbound.

What part of "leave me alone" is hard for you? The part where I have to abandon somebody that I know I can help.

I'm sorry, I won't do it.

Aunt Diane.

Melinda, maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

I mean, Caitlin has resisted, and you're going through your own loss of abilities.

No, I won't lose faith in my gift anymore.

I know I can help you find Brian, but you have to come with me right now.

No! Just stop it, ok? I just need to be left alone.

Caitlin you listen to her.

Aunt Diane told me what she can do.

I don't know if i believe in all that stuff, but I think maybe you should.

Dad, what are you talking about? Honey, I know you're in pain.

I know I haven't been here for you, but I know this boy means a lot to you.

I understand that now.

And I don't want this pain eating you up inside, Caitlin.

If you can find peace, that's what I want for you.

Daddy, it hurts so bad.

Oh, honey, honey, honey.

I know.

Oh, you're my little girl.

You're everything to me.

Thank you.

I came here once before, but I gave up too soon.

Something is pulling the spirits away, Caitlin, but the young and strong can resist.

Brian is here.

I know it.

I just know he is.

Ok.

Come on.

My ring! It's here.

Caitlin, he's here.

Brian is? Right now? Your ring, it acted as an anchor.

Sometimes ghosts can attach themselves to things that have a deeper meaning to them.

It can give them strength.

Something's been trying to pull me away.

Something bad.

Let's get out of here.

That wind could start up again.

Please tell her.

I didn't want to break up with her.

He didn't want to break up, Caitlin.

He didn't? Who was that girl? The one I saw him with in the street.

Caitlin, she was my dance teacher.

Your dance teacher? His dance teacher? Oh, my god.

He was learning how to dance just for me? I wanted to make you happy.

I wanted to be able to dance with you and not look like an idiot.

He was trying to make you happy.

He thought his dancing was-- - horrible.

I just saw her, and she looked so pretty.

And I was afraid that you woke up and realized that you shouldn't be with someone like me.

Caitlin, I woke up every day and realized how lucky I was to be with someone like you.

Didn't you know that? Didn't you know I loved you? He wants you to know that he woke up every day thinking how lucky he was to have you.

He wants to know if you knew how much he loved you.

I know now.

Brian, I don't know how I'm gonna live without you.

You're the only person that I've ever met that's made me feel special.

Like I count.

Tell her she'll find that again.

Tell her that I want her to.

For me.

He believes that you'll find that again, and he wants you to for him.

I will never find anyone like you, Brian.

You learned how to dance just for me! And now we'll never get that chance.

Caitlin, close your eyes.

What? - Just close your eyes.

Brian I want you to take Caitlin in your arms.

For real? For real.

It may take her a minute to feel it, but I want you to show her what you learned.

And you have to be open to this, Caitlin, ok? Just trust Brian.

I do.

Ok, Brian.

I feel him.

It's called a box step.

Pretty simple.

It's the box step.

And then he crossed over? Then he crossed over.

That's beautiful.

Yeah, it was something to see.

The power of love.

Strong stuff, love.

Something I know a little bit about.

Hey, what about your regulars? They come back yet? - Where is Homer? - Still missing.

All of them.

But at least we know I didn't lose my gift.

I saw two ghosts today.

Look at how she sparkles when she says that.

Yeah, I'll admit it.

I enjoy being back in the game.

Although that wind, it was warm and so creepy.

What do you think it means? - I wish I knew.