Declared Dead by Clerical Error

I found out I was listed as “deceased” in a government database by getting a parking ticket.

I’d parked outside my apartment like I always do. Same spot. Same car.

When I came back, there was a ticket on my windshield. Except it wasn’t a normal ticket.

It was marked “VOID – SUBJECT DECEASED.” I thought it was a prank. I tried to pay it

online and the website wouldn’t load my name. My license plate came up,

but my name was grayed out. The next day, my paycheck didn’t deposit.

Then my health insurance app logged me out. When I tried to sign back in, it said my account

was “inactive due to status change.” By day three, my bank card declined at a grocery store.