Soul Salvation

"Rania, your friends are here!" Amrita called as she answered the front door that Friday evening. After gaining the permission of her parents, Rania began planning for Mariah and Sam to spend the night at the Manor.

Smiling as she came down the main staircase to the great hall, Rania waved at her two friends.

"Hey! Come this way; you can drop your stuff in my room. Dinner is just about ready," she said, leading them back up the stairs and to her room.

"This place is amazing. I never figured this creepy mansion would look like this from the inside," Mariah breathed out, taking her time on the stairs and looking around at the grandeur of the place.

"Well, it wasn't easy. There was a bit of work and cleaning that had to go into it when we first got here," Rania explained, bringing them to her room.

"Your room is so cute!" Sam gushed, sitting on her bed. "I wanna live here."

"Thanks."

"So, where's Brian? The ghost? When can we see him!?" Mariah then asked, setting her bag in the corner of the room and looking around.

"I haven't seen him today. Maybe he'll be around after dinner. Which should be ready right now. Let's go," Rania said, wondering to herself if Brian would make an appearance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Brian? Are you there?" Rania called out. The girls were seated in a circle on her bedroom floor, looking around as they waited for something, anything, to happen.

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming when you saw him?" Mariah asked, after nothing had happened.

"Yeah, it could have just been your mind playing tricks on you," Sam added, and Rania slowly frowned.

"No, I really did. I just saw him the other day. I swear, he-"

Suddenly a book on her desk slid clear off the tabletop, landing with a definitive thud on the floor. All three girls jumped, looking over at the book. Rania smiled, knowing Brian was trying to back her up.

"...What was...?" Mariah whispered, eyes not tearing from the book.

"I told you guys," Rania beamed, looking around the room for Brian. But he was still nowhere to be found.

"Why can't we see him?" Sam spoke up.

"I don't know. maybe he's scared to come out."

"Scared?" Mariah laughed. "He's a ghost... How can a ghost be scared?"

"Well, he's actually like... I dunno. It's like he's still a living person," Rania thought, still looking around for Brian. She saw her desk chair slowly begin to turn, as if someone was sitting there. Brian must have been watching them.

"But he's dead. He can't have feelings so he couldn't possibly be scared," Mariah replied, an though she wasn't trying to be mean, Rania somehow felt her words bothered Brian, if the sudden drop in temperature was any indication.

"Brian, come on. Show yourself," Rania called out again. But still nothing. "Please?"

Suddenly all three girls shuddered, for even though her window wasn't open, a cold breeze whipped through the room.

"I can't..." came a voice on the air, the words enveloping all three girls. Mariah and Sam instantly felt their nerves tingle throughout their bodies. They exchanged glances to make sure they had both heard that chilling voice, that they weren't making it up.

"Just try. Just like when it's only me... You can o it then," Rania reassured.

For a moment, there before the window, a milky haze began to glow. Rania knew it was Brian, but he never turned to his full form. But before she had time to point it out to Mariah and Sam, he was gone.

"Let's just watch a movie. I don't think he will appear tonight. Maybe he's shy..."

"Ghosts don't have feelings, I told you," Mariah said with a little laugh. Rania just chuckled and shook her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Much later that night, after the girls had fallen asleep, Rania felt herself stir awake. Goosebumps covered her whole body. Sitting up she slowly looked around the room, wondering what had awoken her.

Brian was sat there in her chair, looking softly at her. Mariah and Sam were both fast asleep in their makeshift beds on the floor.

"Brian, why didn't you show earlier?" Rania whispered.

"Sorry, Rani. I tried, but something was pushing me away and I couldn't."

"But what?"

"I don't know. I think...your two friends had something to do with it. They're closer to believing than your parents, but I think they are still skeptical. It makes it harder to show up. I wanted to. I tried, but..." Brian explained, looking at Rania with sad eyes.

"I understand. So I guess it's just me then, huh?" she asked with a bittersweet smile. Brian couldn't help but nod, trying not to laugh.