Capítulo 3: WISHFUL THINKING
Laleen's eyes shot open with a long gasp, as if she had just been jolted awake from a nightmarish slumber. Cold sweat trickled down her back, and her vision was blurry as she blinked slowly, struggling to make sense of her surroundings. A cold chill enveloped her and the grotesque image of the witch's face flashed in her head for a second.
As her vision gradually cleared, she found herself staring up at an unfamiliar white ceiling. A sharp pain throbbed in her head as she attempted to sit up on the bed.
Her brows furrowed with confusion as she assessed her unfamiliar surroundings. Where was she? Her gaze landed on a sleeping figure at her bedside, and her brows furrowed in confusion at the unfamiliarity.
Blurry images of what happened previously began to flood her memory, and she groaned in agony as the headache intensified. Her groaning roused the sleeping girl next to her, who slowly opened her eyes. She gasped and rubbed her eyes as she stared at Laleen who now sat up at the bed, her voice trembling as she uttered her name in disbelief, "Stephanie..."
Laleen, still clutching her aching head with her eyes shut, furrowed her brows in bewilderment at the mention of the name Stephanie. Slowly, she reluctantly opened her eyes, wincing at the pain, and turned her gaze towards the girl who had been asleep at her side.
The girl's shock at Laleen's awakening was evident as her lips parted in disbelief. She blinked repeatedly, as if trying to confirm that she wasn't dreaming.
Her next action surprised Laleen as the sleeping girl jumped at her, covering her in her embrace. "Stephanie!" She exclaimed, her voice tingling with joy.
Laleen grew even more confused as her body grew stiff at the strange girl's embrace. She couldn't understand why the strange girl was addressing her with such an unfamiliar name. And what was with this closeness?
"How could you be so reckless?" She continued as she hugged her.
She soon pulled away of which Laleen was grateful for, "I'm so glad you're awake now. I was so worried".
Laleen swallowed as she opened her mouth to speak for the first time, "Where am I?"
The sleeping girl looked surprised at her question and it was evident in her widened eyes. She cupped both Laleen's face in urgency as she asked, "Tell me. You know who I am, don't you?".
Laleen blinked for a moment before shaking her head slowly, "No".
"Oh no!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "You don't remember me?".
Her expression dampened as she stared at Laleen's confused expression.
"But you remember your name, don't you?" She asked cautiously as if afraid to hear her answer.
Laleen's lips drew back and she bit into it, "Stephanie?"
Elizabeth could hear the uncertainty in her voice and her heart sank.
She hugged her again, this time with a solemn expression on her face as she patted her bandaged head gently.
"Oh God" Laleen heard her mutter as she covered her in her embrace. She was still confused at the situation playing out in front of her. Where was she? And who was Stephanie?
***
Elizabeth was Stephanie's long time childhood friend. Stephanie had been admitted to the hospital two days ago after an unforseen yet ghastly accident.
This was what Elizabeth told her since she couldn't remember but Laleen only got even more confused. Few moments ago, wasn't she about to be killed by a crazy witch? How was she here now as Stephanie?
As much as she didn't understand, Laleen tried to make sense of what had happened to her. Maybe the gods had decided to take pity on her and given her another life, she reasoned internally to herself.
The idea made perfect sense to her as a smile blossomed on her face. She wasn't exactly sure how but she wasn't Princess Laleen anymore.
But why didn't she return as a baby if this really was a new life she had been granted?
Remembering that she was actually cursed saddened her. To think she wasn't blessed after all. She listened quietly as Elizabeth told her things about her new self when a certain thought crossed her mind.
Since she wasn't Laleen, then wasn't her curse gone? At the thought, Laleen couldn't help but gasp in pleasant surprise.
She needed to check.
"Do you have a mirror?" She suddenly asked Elizabeth cutting short the words she had on her lips.
Elizabeth blinked at her question for a moment before quickly nodding, "Yes, I do".
"Great" Laleen exclaimed as she clasped her hands. "Can I have it?".
Elizabeth nodded as she picked up her bag from the bedside table and brought out a small handmirror.
Laleen thanked her with a smile as she reached forth her hands to grab the mirror but what she saw when she looked into it gave her the shock of her life.
It was still the same brown eyes she had secretly loathed all her life that stared back at her. Her eyebrows knotted tightly in dismay as she stared at her very familiar reflection.
How was this possible? This was obviously her face. But was she not a different person now?
In her frustration, she gazed up at Elizabeth and asked with a serious expression, "Has this always been my face?".
Elizabeth couldn't help stuttering at her question, "Y-Yes. You look exactly as you used to"
Laleen felt her face fall at Elizabeth's words. She turned even more confused. Does this mean she was reincarnated with the same face? Does that make any sense?
She peered back into the mirror staring intensely as if waiting for her face to change to something else but it remained the same.
Absolutely disappointed and still confused, Laleen sighed in frustration as she handed the mirror back to Elizabeth. She couldn't understand why she still looked exactly the same. Was that how reincarnation works?
She bit her lip as she decided to not think about it any further because the more she thought about it, the more confused she got.
The most important thing to know now was if her powers were still working.
Just then, a man with glasses walked into the room clad in a white robe.
Laleen's heart thundered at his sudden presence as she realized he was male.
Their eyes locked in an instant and it suddenly wasn't just Laleen's heart that was racing anymore.
She could hear the pounding heartbeat of the man in front of her the instant their eyes locked. A shadow cast over her eyes at the realization. She still had her curse.
She shut her eyes as she muttered in frustration, "This damned eyes!"
Hearing the heartbeat of whoever was under her spell was the only confirmation Laleen has ever needed to realize that someone had fallen for her. And just when she thought she was free from it, here it was again.
The man clad in a white robe who was the doctor, cleared his throat nervously in her presence. Laleen sighed in disappointment.
Was she always going to be this way?
It was purely wishful thinking on her part to think her curse had been lifted and even more so, to think the witch had been merciful.
It was clear that Laleen could not remember the witch's last words to her.
Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder