-(idiomatic) Something very mysterious and hidden.

01

A place I'm familiar with, but haven't been to. People that I know, but haven't met yet. A body that I'm using, but it's not me.

And in front of me is a known fictional character, in the flesh.

The well-known detective, Sherlock Holmes.

How did I end up here? I don't know. How is this possible? I don't know.

All I know is that this. . . is all inside of a book.

𓉞✎🕊

"Iyon na 'yon?" Hindi maipinta ang mukha kong nakatingin sa screen. I clicked my tongue. "Bitin na naman 'yong update."

Binitawan ko ang hawak-hawak kong cellphone. Humiga ako mula sa pagkakakadapa ko sa kama. Parang pagod na pagod ako kahit pagbabasa lang ang ginawa ko buong araw.

I groaned, followed by a deep sigh.

Monday na naman bukas, papasok na naman ako.

Just thinking about the pile of files I need to do tomorrow makes my head hurts. I don't like my work, I don't like working, but I need to work so that I can feed myself—no one else will do it if I don't.

Napatulala ako sa kisame ng ilang segundo. I'm bored.

Since I'm bored, I took my phone again. Parang hindi ko 'to binitawan ilang segundo lang ang lumipas.

Walang gana akong nag-scroll sa internet. I'm looking for an update or leaks to the novel I'm reading right now, but instead, all I found was a compilation of thoughts, illustrations, reviews, and support from a different novel.

Ito na naman ang laman ng newsfeed ko.

I clicked my tongue, and once again, I dropped my phone.

"Now, I'm bored again. . ." I mumbled.

Iniba ko ang posisyon ng pagkakahiga ko. Tsk, I'll just sleep instead. Nang sa gano'n, hindi ko na isipin ang trabaho.

Who knows? Maybe I'll wake up in the novel I've read. I really hope that I'll end up with an ice prince or duke, like the main characters in those novels.

I giggled at my own thoughts. Walang masamang umasa at lokohin ang sarili.

I was really hoping that something like that will happen to me on one of the nights I slept. But I guess, it's not tonight. . . since I was already in the middle of sleeping when I was awoken by the loud barks of the dog next door, and knocks at my door.

Pilit kong binuksan ang mga mata ko kahit naniningkit pa 'to.

What the heck?

Anong oras na ba? Sino 'yong kumakatok?

Kinapa ko ang cellphone ko sa kama pero wala akong nakuha. Kaya imbis na hanapin 'to ay bumangon na lang ako sa kama.

Tutal naman ay paulit-ulit ang pagkatok sa pinto ko. Hindi mabilis, hindi rin sunod-sunod, pero tatlong segundo lang ata ang pagitan kada katok.

"Wait," sambit ko. Bakas sa boses ko ang pagkaantok.

Maybe it's my neighbor who forgot her keys to her apartment again, that's why her dog is barking.

Dumeretso ako sa pinto at binuksan ko 'to. "Dalian mo, dumaan ka na sa bintana-"

Hindi ko natuloy ang sasabihin ko nang sumalubong sa akin ang taong kumakatok. I don't know if I'm just sleepy, or I'm already dreaming. . . but this person in front of me, I can't tell if it's a woman or a man, I can't see his/her figure clearly.

But I'm sure that this person is not my neighbor.

"What-"

"Miss Jurlian, play a game with me."

Hindi ako nakasagot. I can't determine their voice, it's tangled but clear at the same time. It happened too quickly for my brain to process it, and for my eyes to follow what the person in front of me did. I just know, know that they're smiling before gently tapping my forehead.

Huh?

My head started spinning, my body collapsed. As if my heart stopped beating, I stopped breathing. I lost my senses, the last was my hearing.

"Please make it interesting."

Those are the last words I heard before I blinked. I just blinked. . .

The person in front of me disappeared, instead, in front of me was a man. The floor where I collapsed turned into a chair where I was sitting. The dim light in the hallway of my apartment turned into a chandelier. The feeling I had a second ago vanished, as if it never happened.

What. . . just happened?

"Are you ready, Lady Harlotte?" tanong ng lalaking kaharap ko. Napatingin ako sa kaniya. Bumaba ang tingin ko paangat.

A white handstand collar with a cutaway coat, black pants with leather shoes. Black tie, clean cut hair, thin mustache. . .

This guy looks like someone straight from the 80s!

"Lady Harlotte?" muling pagtawag niya.

Natauhan ako, namimilog ang mga mata. Is he talking to me?

I just stared at him, don't know what to say. Eh?

"Maybe it's still too early, Harlotte should rest first," nag-aalalang sambit ng isang babae.

I glanced in her direction, she's just beside me. I can imagine myself, eyes widened and black pupils shrank, mouth slightly opened.

Her brunette hair is in a bun, with curled strands in front. Eyes green like her emerald earrings, wearing a sage green long-sleeved dress!

Who is this woman?!

Hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko. Hindi ko alam kung natatago ko pa ang ekspresyon na meron ako, pero hindi ko 'to mapigilan lalo na't sa mga nakikita ko ngayon.

Am I dreaming?

But what about what happened earlier? Is it also just a dream?

This is very weird. It feels so real.

This woman beside me, and this man in front of me, it's my first time meeting them—as far as I can remember.

Their clothes, their faces, even this place! It's unreal!

I want to chuckle in amazement. Maybe I'm dreaming about one of the stories I've read-

My face glitched. Nagblangko bigla ang isip ko.

Sto. . . ries?

"Harlotte, do you need to rest?"

Kaunting nakaawang pa rin ang bibig ko nang tumingin ako sa lalaking kaharap ko, sunod sa babaeng katabi ko, tapos sa kaharap ko ulit.

Now that I look at it. . . this place is. . . kind of familiar?

"Harlotte. . ." the woman called again. She looks so worried.

I just stared at them.

Harlotte. . .

Har. . . lotte.

Harlotte?

"Are you-"

Bigla akong napatayo na kinabigla rin ng dalawa kong kasama sa silid.

"I-I-I'll be right back."

I said the first thing that came into my mind. Sunod nito ay ang mabilisan kong paghanap ng pinto sa silid. Dumeretso kaagad ako sa pintuan. Nakakunot ang noo ng lalaki at ang babae naman ay nag-aalala.

Nagmamadali akong lumabas ng silid. Paglabas ko ng pinto ay sumalubong sa akin ang marangyang pasilyo. A red carpet in the floor, vases with golden designs, a rustic Victorian house, full of antique furniture.

Bumilis ang pagtibok ng puso ko, nakakaramdam na 'ko ng kaba.

It's impossible, right?

I tried to nod at myself.

Yes. . . it's impossible. It can't be. Mali ako ng iniisip.

Mabilis akong naglakad sa pasilyo, kahit hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta. Naglakad lang ako. Pasimple kong kinurot ang sarili ko.

Jurlian, wake up. Wake up!

Habang naglalakad, may nadaanan akong salamin. I just saw a glimpse of myself in the circular mirror, and it's enough for me to know what's happening.

Bumagal ang paglakad ko. Dahan-dahan akong umatras at humarap sa salamin.

There I saw my face. . . not literally my face.

My jaw dropped, my skin became pale.

How. . . did this happen?!

Biglang pumasok sa isip ko ang isa sa mga illustration na laging dumadaan sa newsfeed ko.

That's right, this face is hers!

To a character from that book! The book of Sherlock Holmes!

𓉞✎🕊