My Dead Friend Zoe

Merit, a U.S. Army veteran, greets the day with a bleakness that echoes the desolate landscapes of her memories. Her mind is haunted by visions of Zoe, a dear friend and fellow soldier, whose harrowing fate still haunts Merit two years after she returned from their shared experiences in Afghanistan. The mental scars of their deployment, coupled with the lack of closure regarding Zoe's demise, continue to plague Merit's subconscious. After three years of Army service, during which she witnessed some of the most abhorrent cruelty that human beings can inflict upon each other, Merit suffered the unfathomable loss of Zoe. The pain of grief has taken many forms: in recurrent nightmares where Merit is forced to relive the day when Zoe was killed in action, in flashbacks that send Merit hurtling back to that fractured moment in time, and in disorienting flash-forwards where she is unable to save her friend from the unforgiving chaos around them. Merit is finally back in the familiarity of her home in Colorado Springs but her fragile psyche continues to be crippled by PTSD, a haunting tormentor she vainly attempts to outsmart with whiskey. She's spent three years learning it's okay to be vulnerable with others. For three years, she attends group therapy – trying to get her traumatized life back in order despite the residual anxiety. However, when her beloved grandfather Dale is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, Merit decides to become a full-time caregiver to him, giving up on group therapy. At first, taking care of her grandfather seems to occupy her fully. However, soon, Merit begins to realize that some long-forgotten facets of herself are now revealed. All these many years that Merit spent serving her country and away from her family she can reminisce about her past. Despite the resurfacing memories of her childhood and the care that comes with taking care of her ailing grandfather, Merit is still saddled with memories of the traumatic event. One day, while helping her grandfather sort through their attic she comes across an old U.S. Army trunk, belonging to Dale. As she unravels the carefully concealed memories stored within those deep recesses of her grandfather's trunk she uncovers some remarkable family heirlooms and interesting stories. Among the many family artifacts that her grandfather has locked away for years is a photograph that left a lasting impression. The photograph's enduring narrative takes Merit on an emotional circuit through time, reflecting her own trauma and self-discovery to an unending tale of kinship, compassion, love, and familial generosity. In a strange way, attending to her grandfather seems to kindle an unseen flame of redemption within her and nudges her to confront Zoe's tragic destiny and eventually frees herself of its grip. Day by day, surrounded by the unwavering love and unconditional support of her grandfather, Merit slowly, but decisively rediscovers her treacherous spirit of resilience which, she had all but thought to be extinguished. Little by little, she becomes more adept at managing her distress and courage begins to flower like tender shoots - revealing hope on an imperceptible scale. With Merit and Dale's life hanging in a tight delicate balance of love, care, and trust during such a fragile period, all the ghosts that she had, prior to this time kept imprisoned within her finally get set free; allowing her to give back to her grandfather the courage, love and peace that she cannot bear not to. Their struggles now a stark reminder for her that her family stands resilient even amidst storms while pushing through emotional tempests that continually tug at them to unleash strong emotions surrounding unresolvable experiences through unbreakable bonds built so magnificently making them utterly unbreakable.