Soul Salvation
Persuasion
All the next day Rania spent trying to figure out how she was going to convince her parents that they should move. And then she’d spend time knocking some sense into her head by saying that Brian really didn’t exist and that she had imagined him once again. But during these moments Rania would suddenly feel cold as ice. It was almost as if Brian was following her, keeping himself hidden, and making sure that she did what he had asked.
Rania felt silly that she was taking orders from a ghost—if Brian really even existed. There were times where she felt she was going crazy with hallucinations if a man she’d never met and who probably never even existed kept showing up. Her parents had never seen this ‘Brian’ before, had never mentioned anything about such a person. So why would Rania see him, and no one else? Brian had told her it was because he only showed himself to her alone to communicate with her. But if Brian was only a hallucinated figment of her imagination, then the conversation had never happened to begin with. Just thinking of it was enough to drive Rania insane. Literally.
“So I was thinking…” Rania spoke up during dinner, not believing that she was seriously about to go through with this. “I’m not sure I really like it here.”
Saied and Amrita both looked up from their inner to look at their daughter.
“What do you mean?” her father asked. “You don’t like it in California, or you don’t like it in this house?”
“No, California is great. I love it here in Huntington. It’s just…the house,” Rania explained. “I think we should find another one.”
“We just moved in, sweetie. We’ve been here for a month or so…. We’re not just going to pack up our things again, put this house up for sale, and try to find another place. Be serious, Rani,” Amrita said, her voice lightly scolding.
“What about the house don’t you like?”
Looking at her father, Rania shrugged. “It’s just…well, it’s huge. I think maybe too big,” she lied. “None of my friends from school want to come over because of where we live. They’re all afraid of the house. It’s not fair! And…well…this place just kinda gives me the creeps.”
“Oh, come on, sweetie. You’re not thinking about those silly ghost stories again, are you? Those kids at school really need to stop filling your head with nonsense,” Amrita said.
“Weird things have been happening, Mom!” Rania insisted. “The water in the shower goes all funny, it keeps flashing hot and cold in my room and nowhere else. I hear noises all the time when I’m the only one home. Not to mention that guy that just…broke in!”
“We discussed that. No one broke into the house, and no one will now that we have the security system in place.” Sighing, Saied wasn’t sure what to do. “I think you’re just imagining things.”
“But I’m not! This house just freaks me out and I don’t like it.”
“Well, we’re staying and that’s final,” Amrita said, and Rania huffed before leaving the table. As she ascended the stairs, she couldn’t figure out why she felt so mad. After all, it was Brian who wanted them to leave, not Rania herself.
Closing the door to her room, Rania wasn’t terribly surprised to see Brian waiting for her.
“What did they say?”
“Well, it’s your house. Didn’t you hear them?” Rania snapped, feeling highly annoyed.
“I didn’t follow you down,” he explained, his shimmery translucent form beginning to pace the floor.
“Well maybe you should have, because I can’t convince them to do anything. Why can’t you do all your weird things around them? Slam cupboards, open windows, something!”
“I’ve tried. They don’t see anything because they don’t believe. That’s why I need you to do it for me. You can see me and feel me because you believe that such things as ghosts exist,” Brian explained, causing Rania to scoff.
“Well, they won’t listen to me. We’re staying."
Rania felt silly that she was taking orders from a ghost—if Brian really even existed. There were times where she felt she was going crazy with hallucinations if a man she’d never met and who probably never even existed kept showing up. Her parents had never seen this ‘Brian’ before, had never mentioned anything about such a person. So why would Rania see him, and no one else? Brian had told her it was because he only showed himself to her alone to communicate with her. But if Brian was only a hallucinated figment of her imagination, then the conversation had never happened to begin with. Just thinking of it was enough to drive Rania insane. Literally.
“So I was thinking…” Rania spoke up during dinner, not believing that she was seriously about to go through with this. “I’m not sure I really like it here.”
Saied and Amrita both looked up from their inner to look at their daughter.
“What do you mean?” her father asked. “You don’t like it in California, or you don’t like it in this house?”
“No, California is great. I love it here in Huntington. It’s just…the house,” Rania explained. “I think we should find another one.”
“We just moved in, sweetie. We’ve been here for a month or so…. We’re not just going to pack up our things again, put this house up for sale, and try to find another place. Be serious, Rani,” Amrita said, her voice lightly scolding.
“What about the house don’t you like?”
Looking at her father, Rania shrugged. “It’s just…well, it’s huge. I think maybe too big,” she lied. “None of my friends from school want to come over because of where we live. They’re all afraid of the house. It’s not fair! And…well…this place just kinda gives me the creeps.”
“Oh, come on, sweetie. You’re not thinking about those silly ghost stories again, are you? Those kids at school really need to stop filling your head with nonsense,” Amrita said.
“Weird things have been happening, Mom!” Rania insisted. “The water in the shower goes all funny, it keeps flashing hot and cold in my room and nowhere else. I hear noises all the time when I’m the only one home. Not to mention that guy that just…broke in!”
“We discussed that. No one broke into the house, and no one will now that we have the security system in place.” Sighing, Saied wasn’t sure what to do. “I think you’re just imagining things.”
“But I’m not! This house just freaks me out and I don’t like it.”
“Well, we’re staying and that’s final,” Amrita said, and Rania huffed before leaving the table. As she ascended the stairs, she couldn’t figure out why she felt so mad. After all, it was Brian who wanted them to leave, not Rania herself.
Closing the door to her room, Rania wasn’t terribly surprised to see Brian waiting for her.
“What did they say?”
“Well, it’s your house. Didn’t you hear them?” Rania snapped, feeling highly annoyed.
“I didn’t follow you down,” he explained, his shimmery translucent form beginning to pace the floor.
“Well maybe you should have, because I can’t convince them to do anything. Why can’t you do all your weird things around them? Slam cupboards, open windows, something!”
“I’ve tried. They don’t see anything because they don’t believe. That’s why I need you to do it for me. You can see me and feel me because you believe that such things as ghosts exist,” Brian explained, causing Rania to scoff.
“Well, they won’t listen to me. We’re staying."