"Annie please help me!! Ann I don't want to go, please I’m begging you. Please save me!!”
"George, Don't worry. G!! I will talk to Mom and Dad, don't cry please. For god sake, don’t cry!"
"Ann! Please come with me, they are coming to take me away from you, please stop them. I don't want to leave you”
"George! Wait listen to me, George please wait!"
It was night time, Annie was in her room, and George was pleading for his life in front of her. She was trying to console him. But He started walking hastily down the stairs, not able to stop his tears due to dejection and panic.
Annie’s scream, made her parents run towards her room.
Before they could reach her, she had ran from the room and out of the house, in the woods. They started to chase her in their car.
Annie was rapidly approaching the forest, following George. "George please stop there!
He was blabbering, "Don't want to go Annie, please save me. Help me please!!"
Annie’s mother spotted her and started running behind her,
"Annie, what happened? Where are you going? Please stop, talk to me Ann!! Darling!!"
"Mom, George needs me, someone is bothering him, and I have to go. He is in trouble"
"Ann!! Stop there, it’s too dangerous, please stop. It's too late to go there, you will not be able to find anyone. It's too dark in there"
"Mom, I don't care, George is in real trouble"
The moment Rachel saw Annie halt as she was panting heavily, she stopped to take her breath. Bending on her knees, she stood up to find herself at the same place where that incident had happened.
"GEORGE!, WHERE ARE YOU! Georgeee!!" – With final scream from Annie, she fell down and fainted! Her mother and father had arrived, they managed to take her back to their place.
Few days ago..
Someone knocks on the door, Annie asks George to leave. He hurries, jumps off from the window, in a corner of the room.
"What took you so long to open the door?”
"Nothing! Mother I was in washroom"
"Okay, now go get ready, we have meeting with one of my friend, he wants to meet you"
"Sure, Mother"
Annie was getting ready, she was brushing her Hair.
Suddenly in mirror on the one side of the wall she saw George, was standing there behind her.
"You!! George how many times I have told you, I don't want to discuss it anymore"
"Annie you are just exaggerating the situation, try not to tell them about it"
"I have told you earlier, please do not unreason me. I can never lie to them"
"It's not about lie Ann, you will hurt them, they might get upset about it"
"Let them, but I want to end this up"
"I know you are anxious about it, and you want them to know, but what if they won't agree"
“It doesn't matter, what they assume, it's all about me being transparent to them"
"Okay, do whatever you want to do, but still I want you to give it a second thought"
“I just want you to stay with me, as long as you are there, I can stand straight and face it, no matter what comes next"
Annie, walks down the stairs, Mother was already waiting for her to come down.
"There you are, see cab is waiting since ten minutes. Let us leave now" – Rachel, Annie’s mother, exclaimed.
"Before that I want to tell you about something"
"Sure, darling! But we are getting late. Can you please hold it? because we are already late dear"
"Yeah, m not in hurry it can wait but, Can you please brief me about this "Lets-meet-my-friend" meeting?"
"Sure, shall we continue on the way?"
Both of them gets into the car.
"See Annie, he is my really nice and old friend and also a mentalist "
"Sir, please stop the car. Mother!! I don't want to argue about it, can we please stop it."
Mother tries to convince Annie, but she denies the facts and blames everyone.
Mother asks her,
"If you think that whatever you are going through is totally fine then for the sake of our belief why don't you just try it out"
"It's not that I want to hurt you all. Why can't you trust me? It's not just a thinking, its real"
Rachel, tried her best to convince her. And it wasn't wasted.
“OK! so just for the sake of your belief and faith, let's meet him once. Austen is a great guy, He will help you"
"FINE! Just to prove you guys wrong"
Few minutes later…
"Hey Rachel!! It seems decade we have met"
"Yea, You Busy "Doc""
Both grin looking at each other,
"So this is your daughter! Hey beautiful lady! "
Annie smiles at him and stretches her hand to shake.
"Yes! Amm..”
Doctor interrupts her, and continues
“Rachel, why don’t you just leave us alone and serve yourself with some sandwiches, we have very nice canteen down the stairs”
Hesitantly Rachel walks down, out of the room. But she wanted to hear their conversation.
“Hi Annie, so I hope you are not being forced for this. Because it can hurt or upset you more"
"Thanks for asking me this, but I just want to prove my point, that’s why I’m here"
"Okay so you have a reason to visit, let's continue with our first and basic session"
"Doc, before you start I want you to know few things"
"Sure, lets talk about it in detail, so how would you like to start?"
"I and George were just 7 years old, while we were playing near our house, in yard. Whilst we were playing, few meters away, there was a dense forest where our parents never allowed us to go, and somehow we managed to go there, and found ourselves lost in that."
"Oh! Do you remember the whole things, like where and exactly what happened?”
“Not the whole thing, but in a faded way I have the memory of that day.”
“Ok, Don’t worry I will help you with just a simple exercise. Now close your eyes and imagine about your happy place.”
“Okay!!” Annie responded and followed the Austen’s instructions as he asked to do.
“Now tell me what you can see.”
"I m loitering around, just have a hope of getting help from somewhere, in all possible direction I’m running, and coming back to George to confirm if he is alright or not, or possibly if I can do anything for him. But He was, gradually submerging in to swamp"
She continued "Somebody help!!! George don't worry I will get the help, anybody there!! Please help!”
She was screeching with all my Heart, she was seeking help to save George. Due to fear and agony, she was not even able to scream any further, her throat was choking. It was unnavigable forest.
"Annie! Ann, Don't worry I am alright"
One voice came out of the flock of trees. She got frightened, and started looking towards in the direction from where the intensity of voice was higher. But then again she ran towards swamp to reassure if George is fine or not.
"GEORGE!! TELL ME SOMETHING? GEOOO!!
But he was not moving at all, as before he was trying to come out, and steadily his body was becoming blue.
"Annie! I am not there come back here, let's go home. It's too late. Ann! "
She was able to relate to that voice, it was George's voice. So she hastily started walking towards that "feeling" of his.
"GEORGE! WHERE ARE YOU!! DON'T PLAY WITH ME"
George came out, he was behind the one of the tree. And Held my hand.
Annie fainted there.
After few minutes..
"Annie, are you alright?"
"Yes Doc!”
"Okay, just have water"
"What happened to me?”
"Nothing, you said you just fainted and you were blithering about the incident. You were trying to explain something!”
After that brief about George, Austen already had an idea of his imaginary friend.
"Annie, sometimes I would like to meet your friend. Why don't you bring him along with you in our next session? "
"Sure, but he is very shy personality, I will talk to him"
Austen gave an idea to Rachel about George and asked Rachel not to discuss about it, Until its time. So on their way back to home, there was an awkward silence in the cab. Annie could still feel the slight heaviness in her head.
Few Hours later….
"Annie I told you not to tell anyone about me, why you discussed with that doctor"
"George, calm down and listen to me, he is helping us in some manners, I told him everything about you still he has trust in us, he was asking me to meet you. Once he gets convinced, Mom and dad will also be agreed to the fact that we love each other"
"Ann!! You are not getting anything, they are trying to tear us apart. Doctor is also helping them, he is trying to make you believe that I am just your imagination"
"OH! Please George, don't be so stupid. I know you are angry at me, just because today I was going to tell my parents about you and got stuck up with this Doctor and all"
"Annie! You are not getting my point"
She interrupts him.
"Let's go down stairs and talk about it"
Both of them gets down stairs.
"Mom, Where is dad?"
"What happened? He is here only."
"I want to talk to both of you"
"Sure! Go ahead”
Annie's parents were not shocked to hear from her, and instantly understood that George was her imagination. But Austen had already informed them about Annie's abutment about George, and he asked them not to react until his therapy gets over.
"Annie, can we talk about it, once you sort things out about your health? It's real concern for us"
"Mom! Don't try to impose your thoughts on me, that I am living in fantasy, and the crap"
"Whatever it is, is just reality, and you trying to deny the fact"
"It's not about me trying blame-on-others solution, it’s all about me being pushy towards my future"
"OH! So you mean we never want you to live happily? "
"Ahuh! Now you are cross questioning me, just because I don't want to follow your so called "maxim"? "
"Don't drag this, it’s all about how you choose to live”
"I am not dragging anyone. But, you are trying to brag about, whatever you have done, and in which, I don't believe"
Annie's father interrupts her mother,
"Let her do what she wants to, this discussion is heading nowhere, Ann!! Just leave this topic for the sake of your old parents, to discuss it later. We will be really happy if you could prove us wrong after Austen’s sessions"
Annie left the drawing room in anger, and her parents were looking at her with empathy, helplessly. They were missing their little princess.
Next day...
"Good morning Annie"
"Good morning Doc!! I am excited about today's session, as I have the feeling that today we will definitely be able to sort things out"
"Sure! My child, I appreciate your enthusiasm. So shall we start with the next session, but in more depth than before?”
"I am on!!”
"OK, so I asked you to bring your friend with you"
"Yes! But as usual he is not ready to come inside”
"No problem, will continue with, where were we last time?.”
Austen asks her to lie down on the couch, and to follow his instructions.
"Try and concentrate on centre point of your forehead, and look at the roof"
She starts doing accordingly, and Austen started oscillating the pendulum in front of her eyes.
"Annie! You are in subconscious state of mind, can you hear me?"
"Yes! Doc"
“Now! tell me, what are you doing in yard?"
"There is no one, but someone is there behind that oak tree, looks like he is of my age, he is waving at me, and asking me to come along"
"How does he looks like, and where is he taking you to? Do you know him?
"He is in blue and white striped T-shirt, and baggy jeans. His hairs are golden brown, trying to hide his blue eyes. He is asking me to follow him towards forest"
"So are you following him up?"
"Yes! I am."
"Now where are you? And what are you doing? "
"We are in midmost of the jungle, and he has a ball, we are playing. OH! NO the ball is in swamp, its deep sludge crater"
"Okay, now what is happening?”
"I asked him, what is his name and he replied George. I asked him if he can get the ball back for me. He agrees and starts walking in that swamp"
"Then??”
"He is shouting, he is asking for help! AM NOT ABLE TO SEE ANYONE. Please somebody HELP!!"
"Annie Annie, come back, Ann!”
Austen was aware of the consequences of the being in subconscious state for a long time, so he started waking her up.
After coming back to normal state, doctor tranquillised her and asked her to sleep for a while, so that her mind can rest for some time.
Meanwhile he called her parents, to clear his few doubts, as without consulting he doesn't wanted to conclude this.
"Hello! Rachel, Austen here"
"Hi Austen! I hope everything is going good, I hope Annie is doing well"
"Yes! Don't worry about her, she is fine, I just called you to get few clarifications"
"Sure"
"Who is George? I mean is he someone from her school friends or neighbourhood?"
"We also don't know, because we have just heard his name from some of our neighbours, and from Annie off-course, whenever we ask her about him, she makes various stories, which seem realistic"
"Okay! It is just as I feared"
"Can you please brief us?”
"Sure! Tomorrow we can meet, bring Annie too along with you. We will free here from her hallucinations in my session tomorrow.”
At present day...
Annie is in her room, after dinner she was changing to go to bed. She got a glimpse of George seated on her bed, from washroom. She heard a voice as if someone was crying.
She came out in her night dress, and her hair were tied up in a messy bun. It was George who was crying. Annie got shocked and tensed.
"What happened George, why are you crying?
"I told you Annie! Why did you tell about me to Austen! "Annie please help me!! Ann I don't want to go, please I’m begging you. Please save me"
"George, don't worry. G!! I will talk to Mom and Dad, don't cry please. For god sake, don’t cry!"
"Ann! Please come with me, they are coming to take me away from you, please stop them. I don't want to leave you”
"George! Wait listen to me, George please wait!"
Annie found herself at the same place where she met George for the first time. Her parents were also behind her, and so were the neighbours.
Annie fainted their and all were discussing about this strange but the similar kind of incident happened few years ago…
