The new semester opens with a bang that shocks the four Houses of QED University, an exclusive school for promising students of the science of deduction and art of detection.
The Holmesian Harriet Harrison never thought that the day would come when...
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HARRIET
AYOKO PANG mamatay!
My legs were trembling as I stared at the two red dots on my right leg. It was not hurting anymore but the snake's venom must have entered my system. And if I couldn't get to the hospital soon, I would be a dead body in the next few hours!
Is this how it ends? Ayaw ko pang mawala sa mundo. I'd like to see the day that my fellow Holmesians would beat the Moriartards and take away the championship from them. I'd like to see the day that I would wipe that occassional smirk on Morrie's lips and savor the shocked expression on his face as their House goes down.
"Pa-Paano ka natuklaw ng ahas? Napatay ko naman kaagad si besss bago siya nakalapit sa 'yo?" Worry dawned on Aiden's face as he examined the snake bite. He sounded so genuinely concerned about me.
Dahan-dahan akong napaupo at ini-stretch ang dalawa kong paa. "I might have hit the snake when we fell. Dahil natamaan siya, bigla niya akong tinuklaw."
I groaned as my fingers pinched the wound, causing more blood to ooze from it. Kailangan kong matanggal ang kamandag ng ahas bago ito tuluyang kumalat sa sistema ko. I don't know kung anong klaseng snake ang kumagat sa akin but I hope its venom wouldn't kill me in a matter of minutes.
"Dapat madala ka kaagad sa clinic o hospital para ma-injection-an ng antidote," Aiden said, looking up from where we fell. Thanks for stating the obvious. "Ang problema, na-trap tayo rito sa hukay. Mahihirapan tayong makahingi ng tulong lalo na kung walang daraan dito."
"Should I accept that I'm about to die?" Muli kong pinisil ang sugat para lalo itong magdugo. "Can you climb the rocky wall, get out of here and ask for help? Because I can't."
Umiling ang blonde kong kasama. "I haven't tried wall climbing. Sorry. Mukhang ang mga taong daraan sa parteng ito ng kagubatan ang maaasahan natin ng tulong."
Huminga ako nang malalim. Bakit ba ang malas-malas namin ngayong araw? Kanina, kami ang hinabol ng hound at dalawang beses na nadapa itong si Aiden. Tapos, nahulog kami rito sa butas. Ngayon, nakagat ako ng ahas. Ayaw kong isipin may balat kami sa pwet kaya nangyari 'to.
"But there are only a few of us who are wandering in the forest. Baka ilang oras pa ang lumipas bago may maka-rescue sa atin. By that time..." I would be dead. The venom would have spread in my body by then.
"Kailangan nating pigilan ang pagkalat ng lason, tama?" tanong ni Aiden sabay tingin sa sugat ko.
I nodded. "Hindi ko alam kung effective itong ginagawa kong pagpisil. I hope it works."
Bigla niyang hinawakan ang binti ko at tinitigan ako sa mata. I could see the hesitation in his eyes for what he was about to do. Teka, teka! Hindi porke't natuklaw ako ng ahas, pwede na niya akong hawakan kung saan-saan! Was he taking advantage of my misfortune?
