An hour had passed since she sat in front of the large mirror. It was the eleventh mirror she had told someone to bring to confirm if the first mirror wasn't cursed.
"Eliana...what's wrong?" The girl who had been observing her worriedly asked.
The face Avice was seeing in the mirror was looking way too prettier than her normal face. The face was tender and slim and she looked almost exactly like the girl sitting in front of her.
"So you're her younger sister..." Avice started revising what she had been told. "....and this girl," She placed her palm on her chest. "almost drowned herself to death in a river seven days ago".
With an dazed expression, the girl moved her head.
"So what does that have to do with me? Why am i here? Why should I be in her body? Why—I mean....I fell into a pool also but not—" She stopped rambling as she remembered what happened when she was in the pool.
—FB—
'....As she struggled to swim up to her feet, a BRIGHT LIGHTENING struck the surface of the water....'
'...terror as she watched a bright moon REPLACE the dark sky.....'
—FBO—
"Did I really transmi...." She crawled closer to the girl who claimed to be her sister. "Tell me. What happened the night you found her?"
"Who? You? Uh..well". She scratched her head and replied uncertainly. "Rain fell?".
Avice snapped her fingers instantly. "Right! The rain. And lightening....right?"
"Uhh...I'm not quite sure. But what's wrong? Should I call the doctor. You don't seem okay".
"Of course I'm not okay". She stood up from the floor. "One night, i was drowning and the next morning I'm in a body that isn't mine. Of fucking course I'm not okay".
The girl stood up. "You're really not okay. You're usually soft spoken but—I'm going to get the doctor". She stomped out of the room.
Avice who cared less about the girl's presence or absence dashed into one of the doors she saw earlier to change her clothes. She had to find a way. Any way to get back into her own body. And the river was her first option...and probably the last.
♡
When avice stepped out of the room in an outfit she felt was too outdated, her jaw dropped at the first view that came in sight. A shinning crystal chandelier was hanging from the white false ceiling and when she looked to her left, she saw six more doors that looked like the one behind her.
Avice moved closer to the handrail in front of her to take a view of the activities below. There were people trooping in and out of the big lobby and for a moment, she wondered how someone could have such a big family.
"Is this the '90s? Why y'all living together?" She muttered to herself as she began to walk towards the stairs while driving her hand on the silver rail.
She changed her paced and began to race down the long stairs in a hurry but surprisingly, that got people staring at her. At first, Avice thought the body owner was probably too pretty but later realised she was being stared at because of her careless action down the stairs.
Weirdly, her ears caught a whisper from the far end of the lobby and she frowned when all the voices in her ears combined to form one word.
HATRED.
The way they snickered and rolled their eyes made her wonder if eliana was a bad person. Ignoring them because it was none of her business, she walked towards the door, for the hundredth time dumbfolded at how a dog could sound like a wolf.
Or were they rearing wolves?
Speaking of wolves, Avice's blood pressure ascended to the throne the second her eyes landed on the sunset...and the wolves that rejoiced in it.
Falling on her butt and she scrambling back, she pointed her hand at the big brown wolves outside the door. "Haa! Wolves! Wolves! There are....there—wolvess!"
Her scream got louder when the wolves turned to face her, her soul waving goodbye when the thought of the wolves shredding a body that wasn't hers crossed her clumped up mind.
When her feet found the floor which now seemed slippery, she rushed back to the stairs and gripped the rail in fear. "Do y'all not see the wolves? It's loose". She could have screamed at the people who were gawking at her stupidly but she was saving the strength for the moment her legs decided to take off.
Why were they not moving?
"Eliana?" A handsome young man with a befuddled expression walked in through the door and called.
Finally seeing someone who looked worried about her, she rushed to him and gripped his shirt. "Didn't you see a wolf outside?"
The guy glanced back at the door, not showing the fact that he was taken aback by the close proximity. "What are you talking about? When did you wake up?" He tried to seperate her hand from his shirt but she was too scared to let him go.
"Did you see a wolf or not? Just answer me".
"I did. It's zayn and his friend".
"Uh–what? I mean wolves". She stated clearer.
He was about to say something else to her but instead, he looked at the door and in a blink, the wolves were standing in the building.
Avice fidgeted, clutching his shirt tighter. She peeked over his shoulder and swallowed when she saw the eyes of the creatures staring at them from the door. She wanted to speak, but an even stronger fear gripped her throat like some dark cold hand.
"What's wrong with you. You're sweating". He said and forced her body away. "Are you okay?" He looked into her eyes which was rarely filled with fear. Her eyes were either calm or sometimes filled with love or sadness. Was it because she just woke up?
"Are they trained? They're not biting us". She said in a way that almost made him laugh.
"Come on. Let's get you back to your room". He placed his arm around her gently, dismissing the busybodies around them with a glare. He guarded her up the stairs and didn't let go until she was in her room. "When did you wake up?"
He watched her drag herself to her bed.
"What the hell was that?" The words came out lifelessly out of her mouth the moment she collapsed on her bed.
"My question first. When did you wake up?" He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"I also have no idea. I just met myself here". She replied, still staring into space.
Jordan chuckled softly and peeled himself from the wall before strolling to her, keeping his distance in check. He observed her for a while, not too much. He shut his heart away as he thought of what to say to her.
"Tell me, where am I?" She asked, snapping out of her deep thought. "Where is this place?" She sat up.
"What are you saying? Why are you asking me that?" He looked confused.
"Where am I? New york? Or have I been shipped to another part of the world?" Her voice shook as she said the last sentence and her eyes hoped in fear.
Jordan couldn't deduce what was up with her from her face. If she was pretending or not. He didn't imagine she'd be crazy after waking up. He thought she'd be quiet for weeks and probably hate him forever for saving her from drowning to death.
Jordan knew she was going through a lot but he had never imagined Rex would push her to that extent. Worst part of it all was what Rex said to him the night she drowned. He didn't feel remorseful, neither did he step his feet in her room since she fell unconscious.
"Why did you do that?"
She raised her lids. "Do what?"
He drew in his lower lip, biting it hard before breathing out. He knew why she drowned but one part of him wanted to hear it directly from her. And another part wasn't ready to hear it.
"Drown". He replied reluctantly.
"Ah, right". Her thick long lashes shook and she pulled up her arm to scratch her head. "That...I don't want to talk about it". She waved her left hand slightly, declining.
Jordan nodded, a little relieved she didn't want to talk about it. "If you need anything. You can just link me. Or you need someone to talk to". He shrugged and started retracting his steps.
Avice snorted, almost rolling her eyes. "What are you now? My brother? I've had enough family for a day I think".
Not sure what she was referring to, he shrugged. "I'm aware. I know I'll be nothing but your husband's cousin. You don't have to make me say it".
"Yeah of co—What! Hu..husband? I have a husband?!" Suddenly feeling energetic, she flew up on her feet.