In life, there is a purpose for everything, and every person is held accountable for the outcome. The day Eddie, an eighty-five year old park maintenance worker, died, Ruby Pier changed forever. The Thunder Drop, a new attraction to the pier, featured a drop that was well over 500 feet. On one rather coincidental day, Eddie’s birthday, a cable snapped and a young girl located under the ride forced Eddie to push her away in order to save her. However heroic, Eddie was not quick enough to escape his own death.

The First Person

Upon waking up, he realizes he is in the one place he never had the chance to escape: Ruby Pier. He is greeted by a rather odd gentleman by a name more commonly known as “The Blue Man”, one of Ruby’s greatest attractions in the freak show. How he came to a bluish hue resulted from a silver nitrate potion that he believed would cure him of his ailments. Eddie pondered the reason why he was the first person in his life, and The Blue Man told him that when Eddie was younger, he was playing baseball with his friends on the street. Joseph (the blue man) was driving down the road when Eddie happened to step out into the street. Terrified of killing this young stranger, Joseph swerved and hit a vegetable cart, causing a heart attack that ultimately killed him. The Blue Man taught Eddie that there is no random act in life, that everything is connected.

The Second Person

As the lights fade, Eddie enters a battlefield in what appears to be the Philippines. There he encounters his old Captain. “Tetanus, hepatitis shots, and they never did a damn thing…” He taught Eddie the lesson of sacrifice, in which his love for his soldiers allowed them to escape safely. After being captured by the Filipinos, he and his soldiers were trapped into hard labor. Once they finally had a chance to escape, Eddie decided to take the duty of burning the nipa huts, but as he burns the last hut, he sees a shadow rush through the house. Curious, he inquires for the person inside and he remains persistent, even though the others yell at him to get into the car. Eddie is then shot by what he believes is a plane and is carried away. He later finds out that the Captain shot him in order to save his life, and that by sacrificing his leg he saved him from burning in the fire.

The Third Person

The Seaside Diner, situated atop a snowy mountain is Eddie’s next destination, where he meets the creator and inspiration for the Ruby Pier: Ruby herself. There she shows him a scene in which an old friend of his father almost sexually abuses his mother, only to be interrupted by his father, who is outraged. He chases him out to the pier and instead of killing his best friend, he decides to forgive him. Ruby teaches Eddie the third lesson of forgiveness and the act of letting go. “No one is born hateful.”

The Fourth Person

Eddie is thrown into a garden, where he witnesses the continual scenes of ethnically diverse weddings. He is greeted by Marguerite, the love of his life. Because this is the first time they have spoken since their death, they catch up on current events and as Eddie’s eyes glaze with a soft batch of tears, Marguerite explains that just because someone dies doesn’t necessarily mean that their love will. She teaches him the lesson that love is perpetual.

The Fifth Person

The last and final person in Eddie’s journey is a young Filipino girl by the name of Tala. She was the girl Eddie called out to during the war, and after having countless nightmares of that event, she assures him that all is well. She teaches him that in time, all wounds will heal, scars will fade, and actions will be forgiven. She tells him that although Eddie could not save her, he saved everyone at the Pier. The final lesson teaches Eddie belonging, that his life was meant to be in Ruby Pier.