She was almost certain events of the previous night were just dreams. Almost.
Ada greeted her that morning after—first period—with news of a girl sighted near the manor the night before, she was optimistic it was Lisa. It could have been anybody, except for the fact that Hope knew it was herself, she had to be the only one weird enough to sleep walk and mysteriously make it out past locked doors. It had happened before.
The twins obviously didn’t need much convincing when she showed them what she wrote, and how she was certain that it’s the same thing on the plaque. Along the way she told them of her ‘dream’, they shared her confusion especially when she got to the part where she mentioned the apparitions—Ada had felt Hope’s forehead with the back of her hand and shook her head saying, “you are not feverish.” Possibly disappointed that there was no fever to justify another probable theory of some mental confusion. They walked the rest of the way silent, till Obi made a lame joke and they grabbed the opportunity to laugh.
From the distance, the grotto wasn’t as bushy as it was the night before. The vines trailing up the pillars were not there. The freshly felled grasses all around, however, chased all doubts about last night being just dreaming. Judging from the scene, it was cleared this morning.
She made them scurry behind the flame of the wood hedge, then out the side of the grotto obscured from the manor’s view. She ran up the steps but not before looking up at the manor to ensure that no one was watching, truth is, if someone was, it was hard to tell in the bright sunshine.
“it’s exactly the same thing.” Ada said, with a bit of reluctance. She removed her eye glasses and let it hung from her neck. “It’s the same thing.”
“what does it mean anyway?” Obi asked with the usual air of nonchalance.
“it must be Portuguese.” Ada mused, she looked up at Hope, “the Santiagos are Portuguese.” She said, there was brightness superimposed on a familiar glint in her eyes. It would sound crazy should she tell them, but Obi had the same familiar glistening that made her think of babies ogling curiously at a flaming lamp—reaching to touch, to eventually feel the searing heat and wail. Hope shook the thoughts off. Obi was by her side the moment the tile shifted, then as she moved it to reveal the row of marble beneath. “wow!” Obi shouted only to cup his lips momentarily then smiled and shrugged like it was no big deal when their eyes met. “it’s an actual code lock! Etched in glazed marbles!”
“Santiago loved curiosities.” Ada said, “you should see the artefacts in Madam Rosalind’s little museum.” It was time for both Hope and Obi to stare at Ada who dismissed their curious look with a flippant wave of the hand, “Miss Halima studies there sometimes, she took us there for a tour with Madam Rosalind’s permission after a ballet rehearsal.”
“well I’m sure you’d want to tell us all about it.” Obi said dismissively, “anybody knows what the code is, or whatever opens when we get this right?”
“maybe a trap door, a hidden staircase, an actual key.” Ada paused, look up at Hope, her eyes were watery with excitement. She laughed. “we need to get that translated!” Hope had never seen Ada this animated, but who wouldn’t love a little adventure? On top of the fact that they’d be solving an age long mystery and rescuing two students.
“key to where?”
Ada was short of answer. “Maybe where they are?” Hope offered.
Obi wasn’t quite comfortable with that, “Do we really want to go to wherever they’re at?”
“Nobody asked you to come.” Ada wore her glass, and read stumbling on the words on the plaque. “besides, we get to save lives!” She grinned.
BINABASA MO ANG
SANTA MARIA HIGH (COMPLETED)
Paranormal...are you afraid of the dark? When Hope Mark lost her foster mother to cancer and had to move to a new school, she never thought much of SANTA MARIA HIGH. Other than the fact that the fact that the school was in the most beautiful Manor, with tall...
