I woke up gasping for air.
Agad-agad akong napaupo sa hinihigaan ko at pilit na kinakalma ang sarili ko. I feel sick and pained at the same time. My visions are blurry at ramdam ko ang pagpatak ng luha ko.
It hurts. What hurts? Hindi ko alam. My chest feels too constricted and I'm trying to breathe but I can't.
Help!
I tried to move around the bed, searching for air, any air that would help me just breathe. I moved and moved, desperate for relief.
But in my panic, I lost my balance and fell to the ground, landing with a thump.
I heaved.
Calm down! I need to calm down!
Sinubukan kong i-relax ang katawan ko. Closing my eyes I inhaled and Exhaled, inhaled and exhaled.I repeated those actions until I felt myself calming down.
Hindi ko alam kung gaano ako katagal nakaupo sa sahig habang pinapakalma ko ang sarili ko. But ,when I felt my body and the beating of my heart relax and my face free of shed tears. Nagkaroon ako ng lakas ng loob na imulat ang aking mga mata.
----------------‐
I frowned. Hindi ako pamilyar sa kwartong ito. Nilibot ko ang tingin ko sa buong kwarto trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. But no matter how hard I tried, it still didn't seem like this room belongs to me.
The walls and ceilings were draped in ornate fabric, the floors covered in rich carpeting. The furniture was carved from wood and inlaid with gold and gems, their curves and flowing seamlessly together.
But it wasn't just the finery that caught my attention; it was the sense of history and grandeur that seemed to radiate from the very walls themselves.
I felt like I was in a scene from a fairy tale, surrounded by riches and luxury beyond anything I had ever known. Yet, deep down, I had a feeling that something wasn't quite right. It was as if a puzzle piece was missing, and I couldn't quite figure out what it was.
And when I looked again. nahagip ng aking mga mata ang salamin sa sulok ng kwarto. Dahan-dahan akong tumayo kahit na raramdaman ko ang panginginig ng ang aking mga paa papunta sa pinaka-sulok ng kwarto. kung saan nakalagay ang isang full length mirror.
When I stepped in front of the mirror, my heart leapt. The nagging feeling I've had made sense now. I'm not in my room and this isn't my body. I reached out to touch my reflection, trying to make sure I see what I think I see. My hands felt cold against the mirror's surface.
The shock of seeing a stranger in the mirror overwhelmed me, and I staggered back, my heart racing. Bigla naman akong nakaramdam ng sakit sa ulo. Na para bang pinupukpok ng martilyo. Agad akong napahawak dito, trying to make the pain go away.
I was hit by a wave of memories as I stumbled back. It was like a train derailing in my mind and the sudden realization of it all made me fall to the floor once again.
--
"Elaine"
"Elaine"
"Elaine magluto ka naman ng tinolang manok pleasee."
"Elaine wag mo nang paandarin yung electric fan sayang yung kuryente."
"Elaine sorry..."
"Elaine takbo..."
"ELAINE"
"ELAINE TAKBO!"
--
My heart was pounding and my mind was racing as I struggled to comprehend the reality of my situation. I wanted to scream and cry, but I was too shocked to even speak. I felt like I was in a nightmare and I didn't know how to wake up.
Napatitig naman ako ulit sa salamin. Kayumangging mga mata ay ngayon kulay berde. Kasing kulay ng fresh cut of emeralds.
I could feel my chest tighten, and my body shaking as I realized what this mean. I was supposed to be dead. I was supposed to be dead with my sister. But instead nandito ako buhay na buhay habang siya.
"Ella..." I felt my tears falling from my face." Ella...I'm soo sorry..." I whispered as my tears continued to shed.
A loud knocked pulled me back just enough to distract me from my painful memories. I gaze towards the double doors as the knocked continued.
"My lady?" A cultured feminine voice. "My lady? Are you alright?"
"Baka tulog pa sya Maire."
"Tumahimik ka nga Deris baka...hindi ka patatawarin nun."
"You two shut up."
Silence was heard and I jump in surprise when a loud banging sound was heard from the other side.
"My lady?"
Bang bang the door shook under the force of the reaped banging. My heart raced and I immediately got up and went back to bed faking sleep.
Every banging sound they made. Shaken me.
"Ito yung susi sir Leanor."
I heard the keys rattled before the door were opened. I immediately close my eyes.
Silence. Then suddenly the sound of footsteps coming inside were heard. Those footsteps came closer and closer then silenced was once again.
A hand rested on my forehead. "My lady," the hand move to my left cheek. "Oh dear, the lady has a fever."
"Call the Maester sir leanor"
Her hand gently shook me. Trying to wake me up.
'Anong gagawin ko?'
Tuloy lang ang pag-alog niya sa braso ko. And without a second, making my final decision.
I decided to opened my eyes. And a kind yet strict face of a stranger stared back at me.
"Lady Claudia."
