[ Karrin]
My head felt as if it were filled with lead, too heavy to lift. I blinked, trying to clear the fog that had settled over my eyes. Shadows hovered over me... was that my brother? What was happening? He was shaking me, calling my name.
I tried to speak, but my thoughts were thick and slow. As my brother picked me up, darkness crept over me once more...
Slowly, I opened my eyes and yawned. Suddenly, four faces peered down at me. "Ahhh!" I screamed and sat up straight.
"Oh, it looks like she's alive... but I'm not sure if her brain is still working well," said a voice from my right. I turned towards it. It was Sam—of course, who else could it be? This brat. No one else dares to talk to me like that... after all, I am the dearest eldest lady of the Evans family. But this brat, he has always been jealous of me.
I felt a pillow being pushed behind my back. It was my elder brother, standing to the right side of my bed, with my dad and mom on the left edge. "Are you alright, honey?" Mom asked.
"Yeah, what are you all doing here?" I asked, clearly confused by the atmosphere. Why were they looking at me like this? What happened? I remembered I was...
"After you returned to your room, I came to check on you... but found you unconscious on the floor," my brother explained.
Yeah, I remember now... I wore that necklace, and there was a flashing light...I quickly touched my neck to see if my necklace was still there. "Where is my necklace?" I asked my elder brother anxiously.
"Your necklace... the one I gave you?" he replied, puzzled. I nodded vigorously. "I think I saw it on your dressing table... Why are you acting so weird?" he inquired with concern.
"No way, she really didn't go mad, did she?" Sam interjected, who had been lying beside me playing games without a care for the atmosphere, now suddenly attentive.
"Shut up, did I talk to you?" I snapped, kicking him off my bed. "And don't dirty my bed," I added, directing my annoyance at the little pest.
"Mom!" Sam complained.
"Who told you to talk to your elder sister like that?" Mom scolded him.
"She's only a year older than me," Sam retorted, standing up.
Once again, everyone ignored him. "Karrin, how do you feel now? Do you feel any kind of discomfort?" Dad asked me, his voice laced with worry.
"No, Dad, I'm fine," I answered, offering him a reassuring smile. "So, when you came, was I wearing that necklace?"
The question-answer session resumed.
"No, it was always there," my brother responded.
Huh? Was I dreaming? I clearly remembered the color of the necklace changed, and my hair was also...
I quickly got up from the bed, ran towards the dressing table, and looked at myself in the mirror.
"Karrin!" everyone shouted after me, but I was fixated on my reflection. I was the same... same brown hair, same hazel eyes. Although I was still beautiful, the beauty I remembered was unparalleled.
I felt a touch on my shoulder and turned to see it was my brother. "Is everything okay?" he asked, clearly worried for me. "Yes, perhaps I was dreaming," I answered.
"Anyway, you should all go now... I'm going to sleep," I said, ushering my brother out of my room.
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" Dad asked.
"No, I'll just take a nap. I'm fine... go now," I insisted.
Within a minute, everyone left the room. I closed the door and walked back to the dressing table... the necklace was also the same.
"Was it really just a dream?"
I was jolted by a call; it was my manager, Emile. I sighed, picked up the phone, and flopped onto the bed.
"Hi Emile."
"Hello Karrin, how are you doing?"
"Fine. What about you?"
"I'm also fine... Hey, I have good news for you," Emile said.
"What?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
"L&P wants to sign a contract with you," she revealed.
"Oh, I see," I replied, my tone betraying a lack of enthusiasm.
"What do you mean by that? Anyway, meet them with me tomorrow at 2:00 PM at Lucky's Café," she informed me.
"Okay... I'll be there," I said.
"Bye then." "Bye," I echoed and hung up the phone.
My mind drifted back to that dream when another call interrupted my thought. It was from the head of that agency.
I picked it up.
"Hello, sir," I said.
"Hi Red, new mission here... someone wants to hire you."
"Oh? Who is it?" I inquired.
"Someone from L&P... they will share the details with you at the same place tomorrow at 8:00 PM."
"Hmmm... L&P again... okay, I'll be there," I confirmed.
"Okay then, see you tomorrow."
"See you," I concluded and hung up the phone.
"L&P again... what a coincidence."