Project LOKI ②

Chapter 32: The Haunt of Bascoville (The Case)

"Sorry to trouble you, guys!" Ipinagdikit ni Rosetta ang mga palad niya. "Natatakot kasi 'yong clubmates ko kaya sa inyo ko na ini-refer. Baka puro kalokohan din ang gawin namin at hindi namin maayos na ma-investigate ang paranormal case na 'to."

"Paano n'yo pala nalamang may ganitong case?" sunod na tanong ni Alistair, deretso ang tingin sa highway. "May nakatira ba kayong member sa subdivision na 'yon o may nag-refer sa inyo?"

"Na-share siya sa 'kin ng friend ko. Alam niyang taga-Paranormal Club ako kaya naisip niyang baka interested kaming imbestigahan ang kababalaghan sa kanilang subdivision."

"Tch."

Only Loki would click his tongue to express his annoyance. Either hindi siya komportable na napapagitnaan siya ng dalawang babae o naiinis siya sa narrative ng client namin.

"And this is the reason why I rejected your application to our club," sabi niya sabay layo ng tingin mula sa katabi. "You believe in something that doesn't exist! Ghost stories are made by our parents and elders to scare us."

Kahit ang harsh ng tono at sinabi niya, mukhang hindi na-offend si Rosetta. "Kaya nga sa inyo ko ipinagkatiwala ito. Gusto kong malaman kung totoo nga o hindi 'yong rumor na may involved na supernatural force sa pagkamatay ng dalawang residents doon."

"You can cut my head off if ghosts took the lives of those victims. Someone must have disguised their deaths as unfortunate incidents caused by supernatural reasons."

"Hey, don't say that, Loki dear!" Biglang hinawakan ni Jamie ang braso ni Loki na parang ayaw na niyang pakawalan. "Hindi rin ako naniniwalang ghosts ang pumatay sa kanila. But don't bet your life on something so trivial! I still need you by my side."

"It's so trivial and laughable that I'm willing to risk my life." Puno ng kumpiyansa ang boses niya. "Let me prove to you once again, Roswell, that ghosts don't exist and your club's existence is a joke."

"Let's see!" naghahamong tugon ni Rosetta.

Her name's Roset—oh, never mind. He would not remember anyway.

Almost an hour went by before we arrived at the gates of the Bascoville Subdivision. The guards asked for Alistair's identification card before lifting the boom barrier and letting our car inside. He drove past the two-story houses painted in white. Gaya sa subdivision namin sa Manila, wala masyadong tao sa daan at nakabibingi ang katahimikan.

"Sino ba'ng pupuntahan natin dito?" tanong ko sabay lingon kay Rosetta.

"A friend of mine lives here. Malamang kilala n'yo rin siya." Naningkit ang mga mata niya habang tinitingnan ang mga bahay na nadaraanan namin. "Well, almost everyone at school must have heard of her name."

Her? Babae? I could not recall any of my female classmates or schoolmates who lived in an exclusive subdivision. Base sa pagkaka-describe niya, that person was a popular figure. A singer? A dancer? A theater actress? An academic achiever?

The car stopped in front of another white house that was exactly the same as the others. Unang lumabas si Rosetta mula sa kotse para pindutin ang doorbell. Noong una'y ayaw pang lumabas ni Loki. Kundi namin siya hinila ni Jamie palabas ng sasakyan, hindi siya susunod.

Ding-dong!

Hinintay naming lumabas ang isang babaeng may mahabang kulot na buhok. Matapos makita nang malapitan ang mukha niya, nanlaki ang mga mata ko at bahagyang napabuka ang bibig. Indeed, everyone at school must have heard of her name and seen her face!

"M-Madam President?!" bulalas ko.

Our student council president, Emeraude Emerson, was as shocked as we were when our eyes met. "You're the QED Club, right? What a pleasant surprise! I thought you will be with the Paranormal Club, Rosie?"