Switch (Lorelei x Loki)

Finale

Lorelei

•••

A loud, continuous knock on a wooden door woke me up from a deep slumber. It only 5:00 in the morning and as far as I remember, it's Sunday today. Who dares to wake up this early on this day?

"Lorelei! Lorelei! Wake up!" The voice sounded like he's in a hurry.

I stood up, still disoriented, and went to the door to open it.

"What's up?" I asked, yawning with eyes closed. I felt a pair of hands on my shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"The antidote!"

"What about it?" I rubbed my eyes to clear my blurry vision. I don't even know who this person is. Ang alam ko lang ay may mahaba itong buhok, may bangs, at nakasuot ng kulay blue na pajama. She looks familiar.

"It didn't work!" Suddenly, everything was clear. The voice was clear. My vision was clear. I stood before the person, stunned about her appearance.

"Lorelei? Are you already awake? For real?" The person snapped her fingers in front of my face. "This is Loki, if your sense of awareness is still not working."

As if I'm taking my last breath, the recent events happened in my life flashed before my eyes.

We went to the fair.

We wished.

We switched.

There was an instruction card.

There were missions.

There is Tres.

Tres helped us and brought us to Dos.

Dos question us before giving us to Primo.

And Primo was mixing a liquid before giving it to us.

We held hands.

We drank it.

Then, we passed out.

"We did everything we needed to be done...so why?" I whispered, losing the last ounce of hope I have.

"How gullible." I heard a voice said. It sounded like Tres.

"It's their fault anyway." Another voice said, blaming us on what happened. Was that Dos?

"We already warned you, didn't we?" A soft voice uttered, mocking what seems to be our fault.

"Cave quid volunt~" They said all together before laughing evilly at us. At me. 

I felt my airway tightening as if someone is strangling me. My breathing got faster and shorter as if I've been running to escape someone who has been chasing me.

Maybe the antidote wasn't really an antidote. Maybe it was a poison. Maybe Tres' organization wasn't really helping people out. Maybe it was about decreasing the human population. Maybe it was about killing people.

I felt that my sense of balance is getting weaker. A warm and familiar voice was all I heard before I darkness engulfed me.

"Lorelei!"

"LORELEI! Lorelei, wake up!" A monotonous voice rang my ear making me pull out of my unconsciousness.

"Stop crying." I felt someone's hand on my cheek, thumb wiping the side of my eye. I was crying?

"Are you finally awake?" Someone asked, waving their hand in front of me.

What happened?

I faced the owner of the voice, the hand, and I was stunned when I saw Loki seating on the side of my bed, staring at me. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried. Umupo ako at inilibot ko ang paningin ko. Theodore is not here. Mystery books aren't here. The curtains are now white and so is the blanket. I'm in my own room.

Bumalik ang tingin ko kay Loki at napansin kong may hawak itong tissue at...tubig? He read my expression and spoke.

"I was about to use this to wake you up, but then you started crying so I didn't." He smirked, voice teasing.

I launched myself towards him and enclosed my arms around his torso.

We did it. We're back.

"I see you're okay now." Loki uttered, reciprocating the hug.

"We did it, Loki. We did it." I whispered, sobbing. Akala ko hindi na kami makakabalik sa dati. That damn dream.

"We did." He said, tapping my back.

After that dramatic scene, everything went back to normal. We talk about how we should forget about that experience. About Primo, Dos, and Tres' existence should be kept as secret as well as about their organization. And we swore that we would never go near a wishing well again.

Kinabukasan ay pumasok na kami ng school at umaktong parang walang nangyari. Jamie clung to Loki as usual. Al greeted us with his warm smile. And we talked as if all is well. Although Jamie and Al noticed that I'm not grumpy as I was last week, everything else was fine.

Until it wasn't.

We we're on the way to execom office dahil pinapatawag kami ni Maggie. Pababa na kami ng hagdan when Jamie stopped and picked something from the ground.

"Guys! Look at this! Kapareho niya 'yong token do'n sa wishing well sa fair."

Uh-oh. I feel bad about this.

"I suggest you throw that away." Loki hissed.

"I'll keep this. Hindi kasi nagkatotoo 'yong winish ko last time. Baka this time mag-work na." She held the token close to her chest, as if she's protecting it.

"Ano ba 'yong winish mo last time?"

"I wished to experience what's it like having a complete family again." A tinge of sadness is audible in her voice. She suddenly stopped in front and faced us. "Anyway, let's go to the office! Margarette has been waiting for us." She choked yet a forceful cheer was voiced out. She even jumped to make attempt a cheerful demeanor causing her to miss a step and fall down.

She was caught by someone's arms, but it didn't stop them to lose their sense of balance.

"J-jamie! Al!" They are now sprawled on the floor, hands on their head. Mukhang nagkauntugan pa sila.

We went near them and help them sit up.

"Ayos lang ba kayo?"

"I'm fine." They both uttered before facing each other. Slowly, their eyes widen, mouth open. Don't tell m--

"Jamie?!/Al?!"

Nagkatinginan kami ni Loki, mouth agape, same thoughts running in our mind.

Looks like Primo has to treat another case of opposite-sex switch.

- end -

Hmm.