Chapter 1 - Is this Isekai?
Eloise slowly blinked open her tired eyes. Bright light in the room almost blinded her sensitive eyes. 'Why do hospitals have these annoying ceiling lights?' she thought, turning her face to the side. She really wanted to lift her hand up to cover her eyes, but her entire body felt like it was hit by a truck. 'I really need a raise,'
She was working part-time when suddenly a drunken man dashed to the cashier counter with a gun and demanded money. Their shop didn't even earn much but that guy chose this small shop to rob.
She had even obediently given him her hard-earned money but this only made the man pissed.
he figured that there was no cash he shot her and ran away patting his butt.
'Why did he have to waste a bullet? Ugh, I'm already deep in student debt.... Bastard, I can't afford to be hospitalized. Tsk, the store better pay for my operation charges or I'm suing them,' she thought, clenching her fists tightly.
A warm hand caressed her forehead soothingly, covering her aching eyes. "There, there, it's all right now," a cold towel was gently placed on her forehead.
"Will she be alright?" a worried voice whispered softly. A trembling hand then held hers softly.
'I will be fine, let's not make it seem like I'm terminally ill,' she thought cheerfully, but the warm hand on hers made her eyes tear up unconditionally. 'Why are nurses so touchy nowadays?' her tightly clenched hands slowly loosed up and wound around that warm pair of hands. 'Just for a while.... it's been so long since I've felt this warmth,'
"Eloise, oh my Eloise, Mother is so sorry, I should not have taken you on this trip. It was because of my selfishness that you got so sick," the soft elderly voice whispered sobbing out loud. Drops of warm tears hit Eloise's hand, bringing a weird sense of warmth to her heart.
But all of a sudden her heart froze. She did not have any relatives for them to cry or sob for her. 'Young lady, I think you got the wrong person,' she thought and slowly let go of the person's hand.
"Eloise! Eloise! What happened, dear? Did Mother hurt your hand? Oh my, it's gone red..." the woman gently caressed her wrist and hand.
Eloise softly held back her sob. 'Don't be so kind to me; I'm not your daughter.... I'm not. I'm Eloise Burdock, I don't have a mother...I—I am not your Eloise..'
"Doctor, doctor, why is she crying... her eyes.. They are tearing up," the woman cried nervously.
"That's nothing to worry. She is regaining consciousness. Oh, and make sure to occasionally close the blinds, with your daughter's condition it's better for her eyes to adjust in the dark first," another lady's kind voice said soothingly.
Eloise listened keenly. 'It's just post-operation, why is she naming it as a condition?' she thought confusedly.
After which the two women started speaking about something irrelevant, like wallpapers and tea sets. Just listening to this, Eloise dosed off.
Eloise woke up again. This time her eyes were well adjusted to the room. She slowly glanced around the wooden room that was lavishly decorated in a Victorian style. 'My store really must have paid a hefty price to get me in the VIP room,' the bed underneath was soft and springy, unlike her worn-out bed in her house. The bed sheets smelt wondrously of lavender and roses, the blinds were decorated with embroidered cushions tying them up tightly to the side.
To her right there was a huge bedside dressing table with a tea set.
"T—tea," she whispered hoarsely and crawled over. Her tired body refused to cooperate multiple times, but she pushed herself immensely. 'I'm the great Eloise Burdock who worked in sales and marketing for almost ten years. How can I let a bullet hold me down?' She braced herself mentally. Her trembling hands picked up the teacup filled with cold tea.
Eloise tiredly pulled out the seat from under the dressing table by its handle. This simple task itself took a lot of energy. 'Now let me enjoy my tea in peace,' with her eyes closed, she took a small sip. The bitter and sweet taste spread inside her mouth gently.
"Aww nothing beats black tea," she mumbled and took another sip right then a ghostly sight caught her eyes. A woman with white hair, in white dress stared back at her through the mirror.
"AHHHH!" she screamed out loud. With flaying arms, she finally lost the fine balance she had on the stool and toppled down. "G—ghost!!!" she shouted, throwing the tea cup at the mirror.
Her door was thrown open and a short and cute woman ran in. "what is it!! Darling Eloise, what is it?"
Eloise immediately hugged her tightly. "G—ghost... there is a ghost." She whimpered, pointing at the tea-stained mirror.
The woman went silent. She soothingly caressed her head and whispered, "Darling Eloise, there is nothing there. Mommy personally checked it. There is no ghost."
"but I saw...I saw a white lady," Eloise mumbled in fear.
"..."
"I really saw it. She had white hair, and she was in white clothes," she cried, hugging her tiny waist tightly.
The woman sighed loudly. "Darling, were you scared by your reflection again? My, my, I thought my little angel had grown out of her fear. Don't worry, I'll ask someone to remove the mirror for you," she said softly.
Eloise glanced up at her. "what do you mean reflection?" upon closer look the kind lady who claimed to be her mother was wearing a Victorian-style ruffle dress that ran to her foot, her bust line so low that her womanly parts were nearly busting out. But her face thought it was completely covered in white paste.
"Nurse, is it sanitary to wear so much makeup?" Eloise said aloud.
"Pardon, this is just a light makeup dear, and why won't it be sanitary? It's made of lead which has wondrous properties," the woman caressed her won face with a wide smile.
"um, okay," Eloise mumbled and let go of her tiny waist. "I—I probably got that wrong," she chuckled humourlessly and stood up. The white reflection caught her sight again. "Ahhh see, I told you the ghost is still there," she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the mirror.
The lady was bewildered. "My darling Eloise, are you burning up again?" she checked her temperature, but she was back to normal, "your body is fine, but why are you acting so queer?"
Eloise pushed her groping hands away. She took one look at the mirror again. The girl in the reflection peered back at her with her sparkling blue-green eyes wide open.
'This is getting freaky...' Eloise slowly walked closer to the mirror and touched the smooth surface. The girl in the reflection did so too. She pouted and made a fish face. The reflection did so too. 'Don't tell me!!! Did I get transmigrated!!!!!! How? Why? When?'
While her mind was in complete chaos, the lady behind her worriedly looked at her, glancing at her reflection. "I—I will go ask for the doctors, my gods, I think the fever burned her silly," she mumbled and ran out in tears.
Eloise glanced at the closed door with her eyes wide open. "Where the fuck am I?" she dashed out the door and ran. The hallways were long and elaborately decorated. Occasionally she met a few men and women dressed like gentlemen from the old movies, smoking cigars.
She dashed past them and ran to a door. She violently pushed it open and peered out into endless blue.
"I am in a bloody ship!!!!"
"Mother of gods, what the hell is going on? I transmigrated into a new place with a ghostly body and I'm in a ship!! Is this Isekai?!!!" she shouted, watching everything around her in fear.