"You, you saved me!" Caryn said, looking at Andres. After what felt like an eternity of being pushed over the bridge, Caryn recalls seeing a bright silhouette approaching her on her last fall. The figure slowly morphed into Andres as he pulled her away and into Dewal. There they sat as Andres told her the truth about their existence and what they needed to do.
"Unfortunately, Jake is in between worlds now", Andres stated. "What happened to you will not work on him. And besides, we don't have that much time to go through that same process."
"Aha!" Caryn exclaimed. "I know what to do", she said, as she stepped out of the tent to follow Jake.
Meanwhile, Jake had been walking for 15 minites when he caught a glimpse of his car. He ran towards it and immediately got in. He heard alerts from his phone go off as messages came pouring in. One was from Tiray, some from Mikah, and a nationwide alert that reads: "An earthquake with a Magnitude 5.5 (MLv) occured in Nasugbu, Batangas at..."
Jake was scrolling through his messages when Caryn got in the car. "Jake, what will it take to make you believe?"
"My family has a history of mental disorder", Jake said, while shaking his head, trying to fight back tears. "I am seeing and hearing things! I don't even know if you are real. My aunt Blair went through this same path before she stopped talking. And, even if you are real, how can I trust you?"
Caryn took a deep breath before saying, "Jake, first of all, I am real. We thought showing you and having you experience these things was the best way to make you believe because we are out of time. Now I realize that having you come in and out of the world you know made you question it even more. Now tell me, what will make you trust us and what you see?"
"I need my lola Pacing", Jake said, as he started the car. Upon reading Tiray's text, he frantically called him. After hearing his dear lola was in the hospital, he drove back to Sta. Rosa as fast as he can, not speaking to Caryn.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Jake rushed to lola Pacing's side and held her hand. "Jake, why are you here?" She said, while opening her eyes.
"Lo-lola, sorry I wasn't around when this happened..." Jake tearfully said.
"Why are you here??? You're supposed to be with Caryn and Andres up at Bukal!" lola Pacing said, now wide awake, as if scolding Jake. "We are running out of time..."
"Lola, it didn't work", Caryn inserted. "He thinks he's going crazy."
"Anak, ask me anything." Lola Pacing said, trying to calm down, as she looked at Jake.
"I don't know who or what to trust. Everything dosn't make sense!" Jake said, as he started sobbing. "I'm so afraid that I've become like aunt Blair."
"But do you trust me?" Lola Pacing asked Jake. "Will you believe in what I tell you now?"
"Yes lola. You're the only one I can trust right now." Jake nodded, while wiping away his tears.
"All the stories I told you when you were a child are true. They weren't legends, myths or fairytales. Believe when I say that the only lie I told you is that your parents died." Lola Pacing said sternly.
"Where are my parents?" Jake asked.
"They are in Dewal, and I will be joining them soon." Lola Pacing said. "It wouldn't have made sense for me to continue telling you those stories because you would have just dismissed it as an old timer sharing folklore...or suffering dementia. This is why we decided to show you."
Lola Pacing handed a small red pouch with a safety pin to Jake. He often caught a glimpse of this pinned on her clothes and wondered what it was. "Pin this on your shirt, behind your right shoulder at all times. You are in between worlds now. This will protect you," Pacing instructed.
"Is Dewal heaven?" Jake asked.
"No, anak. Dewal is our world. Heaven, hell, purgatory...is how others have interpretted it. This body is too weak for me to join you and your siblings in what you have to do." Lola Pacing said, while reaching out to grab Caryn with her other hand. "You need to let go of this world Jake. Trust and believe Caryn and Andres."
After saying their goodbyes, Jake turned to Caryn, "Now I'm ready!"