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We had lunch at noon and I kind of like the boodle fight concept. Pinabalik kami sa pavilion matapos ang lahat ng groups na makita ang balls nila at naka-setup na ro'n ang pananghalian namin. The food was mouth-watering as it was a mixture of cuisines from different regions. Halos lahat ay nakatapat sa pwesto kung nasaan ang gusto nilang kainin at hinatak naman ako ni Arin papunta ro'n sa seafood. Pagka-announce ng staff ay agad na sumugod lahat ng tao sa nakahain. Buti nga at nakahiwalay ang table ng program staffs at may sarili silang boodle fight dahil baka lalong gumulo ang pagkain. Pumunit ako ng dahon ng saging mula ro'n sa nakalatag at kumuha ako ng mga gusto kong kainin. Ang hirap nga lang dahil unahan talaga. Buti na lang at nakakalusot ako sa mga espasyo sa pagitan ng mga tao kaya pasimple akong nakakakuha. Pumwesto ako sa gilid para maayos akong makakain at tumabi naman sa akin si Lessy kaya nginitian ko siya. Nag-usap kami tungkol sa show pati na rin sa una naming pagkikita. Looking at her now, she had matured a lot and it felt like it was just yesterday when we first met. "Teammate mo pala si Ate Arin," she muttered. Weird na marinig ang Ate sa pangalan ni Arin. Magka-edad kami pero hindi ako ina-ate ni Lessy dahil napagdesisyunan na namin dati na maging casual sa isa't isa kahit na two years younger siya sa akin. "Yup. Close ba kayo?" tanong ko naman. "Naku, hindi. Wala, gusto ko kasi ang works niya kaso nahihiya akong magpakilala." Sakto namang naglalakad sa direksyon namin si Arin at kumaway siya sa akin. Hindi rin naman ako close sa kanya pero dahil nasa isang team kami ay mas makikilala ko siya. Comfortable din naman siyang kasama at siya ang madalas nag-o-open ng topic kaya hindi ganoon ka-awkward 'pag magkasama kaming dalawa. "Huy, bakit nandito ka sa gilid, Elix?" tanong niya nang makarating siya sa pwesto namin. "Ah. Ang daming tao ro'n, eh." "Takot ka ba sa mga tao?" Nakita ko naman ang curiosity sa mukha niya kaya medyo napangiti ako. "I'm not good with crowds," I admitted. "I tend to feel anxious and out of place." Iniwan ko naman silang dalawa ro'n at nagdahilan na kukuha pa ako ng pagkain para makapag-usap sila lalo na't hinahangaan ni Lessy si Arin. Muntik naman akong mabunggo dahil hindi ako nakatingin sa dinadaanan ko. Buti na lang at braso namin ang unang nag-collide kaya napalayo agad kami sa isa't isa at hindi natapon ang hawak naming pagkain. "Sorry po," agad kong sabi. Hindi ko siya kilala pero medyo na-intimidate ako sa height niya. Siguro ay three to four inches ang tangkad niya sa akin at hindi siya nagsalita kaya kinabahan ako. Baka nainis siya. "S-sorry po," I repeated. "Okay lang," she replied and marched away. Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako pagkatapos ng nangyari at pumunta na lang sa kabilang sulok. Napansin ko namang nandoon din si Yena at tahimik siyang kumakain. Nagkatinginan ulit kami at tumango sa isa't isa pero pagkatapos no'n ay umiwas ako ng tingin. I wondered if we would have a chance to talk but we both didn’t like initiating a conversation so I guess no. Nakita ko naman na nag-uusap-usap na ang ibang writers habang kumakain. Dahil wala akong masyadong ka-close dito kagaya ni Lessy ay nanatili ulit ako sa isang sulok. Na-miss ko tuloy ang phone ko. Pagkatapos kumain ay pinayagan kaming lumibot o 'di kaya bumalik sa cabin kaya dumiretso ako sa cabin namin. Nag-stay doon ang tatlo at nahiga ako sa couch. I didn't get enough sleep and the activities had exhausted my energy so I immediately drifted to sleep. *** Naalimpungatan naman ako at ilang segundo akong nakatulala lang nang ma-realize kong may tao bukod sa akin. Pagtingin ko sa bandang ulunan ko ay nakaupo si Zion sa rocking chair habang may hawak na libro. “Good evening,” he said, still looking at the book. Nahiya naman ako bigla dahil sa itsura ko. Kanina pa ba siya nandiyan? Habang tulog ako? Bigla tuloy akong napaupo. I was about to go to the bathroom but what he said stopped me. “Evening?” tanong ko. Tumingin ako sa bintana pero nakatakip na ‘yon ng kurtina at paniguradong isinara na rin ang sliding glass. “Yup. Evening,” sabi niya naman at isinara niya ang librong binabasa niya. “It’s already 6 P.M.” What? Teka, halos five hours akong natulog? Gano’n ba ako kaantok at napasarap masyado ang dapat ay idlip lang? Tumayo naman ako at naghilamos para magising ang diwa ko. Pagbalik ko sa sala ay bukas na ang bintana at nakadungaw siya ro’n. “Nasaan pala sina Arin at Roi?” tanong ko habang palapit sa direksyon niya. “Baka nakikipag-usap sa ibang writers,” sagot niya. “Ikaw?” Napatingin naman siya sa akin. “Bakit ‘di ka makihalubilo sa kanila?” “No need. I already know them.” Tumabi ako sa kanya dahil malaki naman ang space sa bintana at namangha ako sa kulay ng langit. The sun was already setting, creating a palette of pastels in the sky. It was a breathtaking view. Kung nandito lang sana ang phone ko, mapi-picture-an ko ‘to. “What do you mean?” I followed up, still looking at the sky. “Through observation,” he replied. Napatingin naman ako sa kanya dahil gano’n din ang nasa isip ko. I mean, you could get enough information about someone’s personality just by observing him or her. “I see,” sabay tingin ko sa paligid kung saan may ilang writers na naglalaro sa obstacle course habang ang iba ay naglalakad-lakad. “Ikaw? Bakit umuwi ka kaagad?” “Napagod ako saka wala akong tulog.” “Hmm. Eh ngayon? Bakit ayaw mong lumabas at kumausap ng ibang tao?” “Same answer as yours,” sagot ko. “Besides, I’m not really a people person.” “That, I know.” Sinamaan ko naman siya ng tingin pero sinuklian niya ako ng isang mabilis na ngiti. For some reason, it wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be if it was just the two of us together. It seemed like we were pretty much cut from the same cloth. After some time ay bumalik din sina Arin at Roi sa cabin pero mukhang may problema dahil dire-diretso si Arin sa kwarto. We looked at Roi for some explanation but he just shrugged. “Nakasalubong ko siya nang katatapos niya lang kausapin ang isang writer then she stormed off,” he described. “Kilala mo ba kung sino ang writer na ‘yon?” tanong ni Zion pero umiling naman si Roi. I wanted to see how Arin was doing but I was unsure if I could do or say anything. Hindi ako marunong mag-comfort ng tao kaya palagay ko ay wala rin namang mangyayari kung pupuntahan ko siya. Hinayaan na lang namin siya at makalipas ang isang oras ay lumabas siya mula sa kwarto. It looked like she had already cooled her head off. “You’re scary,” bungad ni Roi nang makita niya si Arin at natawa na lang kami dahil sa mukha niya. He was hiding behind Zion, when in fact, he was taller than him. “Well, sorry Mr. Gorgeous,” she retorted. “Gorgeous?” tanong ko naman. “Yea. Apparently, may crush sa kanya sina Nana and Wannie. Like, bakit?” Natahimik naman bigla si Roi. Was he blushing? “Luh, ikaw nga parang may crush din do’n sa isang writer na kumausap sa’yo.” Arin glared at her and was about to throw some vicious words, I think, but Zion interrupted her. “Nana and Wannie?” Zion queried. “Well, Nana was staring at him during the second challenge so it was pretty obvious. Wannie is the blonde girl, right?” Tumango naman si Arin. “Hmm, that was surprising.” “Not really,” I chimed in. “Why?” he asked. “She was stealing glances at him back in the hotel and during lunch. I guess she wanted to talk to him but she didn’t have any guts. And she’s liking his posts, tweets and story updates so either she’s your reader and slash or she’s interested in you.” “Oh, I see,” Zion spoke in an undertone. “Nice input.” “You mean, inference?” Napatigil naman kami dahil nakatitig lang sa amin sina Arin at Roi na para bang may ginawa kaming mali. Or as if there was a ghost behind us. I hope there wasn’t. “You’re way scarier than her,” sabi naman ni Roi. “Agreed,” Arin concurred. Nagkatinginan kami ni Zion at hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong matawa sa sitwasyon o sumakay na lang. Zion chose the latter. He conveyed his observations regarding Arin’s and Roi’s behavior and that made them plead for him to stop. We spent the night recalling what happened during the challenges and they teased me for not finding any balls during the second challenge. I knew they wouldn’t let that pass. Pagpatak ng 9 P.M., isa-isa kaming pinatawag sa main cabin kung saan nags-stay ang producers at iba pang staffs ng program. Pagdating ko ro’n, pinapunta ako sa “interview room” at kung anu-ano ang tinanong sa akin tungkol sa mga nangyari. Buti na lang at ‘yon ang usapan namin bago ‘to. I was asked about my expectations before the program started, how I felt and what I was thinking during the challenges, and my opinions about the other challengers. Na-realize kong ito ang ginagamit sa reality shows. These were the confessionals inserted in the middle of the scenes to create more depth or drama. “Last question,” the interviewer said. “Of all the challengers here, who’s the person who immediately got close to you, the one who would be uncomfortable with, the one who you want to befriend and the person who got your attention.” Napaisip naman ako sa tanong niya at ilang tao ang pumasok sa isip ko. Makalipas ang ilang segundo ay sinagot ko siya. “For the first question . . . Arin,” I answered. “She’s the first challenger I’ve met and her personality made it less awkward. Medyo nakilala ko na siya, I think. The person I’d be uncomfortable with would be Ina. She’s got a lot of energy and I won’t be able to keep up with her, so yeah. I want to befriend Yena or Pia. I feel like I can learn a lot from them. Someone who got my attention would be . . .” Natagalan akong sumagot sa huling tanong. Ang dami kasing taong sumagi sa isip ko. I wanted to mention at least three but the interviewer said that would be too many. “Zion,” I said. “Why?” tanong ng interviewer. “Well, he has this mysterious air around him and a twisted personality. I mean, not twisted in a bad kind of way. Just, uhm,” I heaved a sigh. “Crap. Can you please just edit that out?” Natawa naman ang staff sa sinabi ko kaya lalo lang akong nahiya. I shouldn’t have said that. “It’s okay. He said the same thing about you,” sabi naman niya kaya napakunot ang noo ko. “Ano po?” “Oops,” he teased. “Ano pong sabi niya?” “Dahil napatawa mo ako, I’ll tell you,” he said. “He told me you are several layers of mystique. An interesting person. Anong masasabi mo ro’n?” “Oh.” Tumawa ulit siya kahit na hindi ko alam kung bakit. Pagkatapos no’n ay pinabalik na niya ako sa cabin dahil may nakaabang nang challenger sa labas ng room. Pagbalik ko sa cabin ay naglalaro ng card game sina Arin at Roi habang hawak na naman ni Zion ang librong binabasa niya kanina. Our eyes met each other, and the interviewer’s words echoed in my ears. “Something wrong?” he asked. “Nothing,” sabi ko naman. Agad akong umupo sa sahig kung saan nakapwesto ang dalawa at tinanong ko kung ano ang nilalaro nila. Roi said they were playing Crazy Eight. Sumali naman kami ni Zion matapos ang isang round. “So, anong catch?” tanong ni Arin. “May punishment ba ang matatalo?” “How about may premyo na lang ang mananalo?” Roi suggested. “Like what?” tanong ko naman. “The defeated players shall grant his or her wish,” sabi naman ni Zion. “Call!” sabay na sigaw nina Roi at Arin. Tumango na lang din ako. “Ho-ho. Now, I’m motivated. Gusto kitang matalo para makahiling ako sa’yo,” Arin announced while looking at Zion. He smirked. “If you can. But that won’t happen.” “Is that a challenge?” I asked. “If that’s how you see it,” he retorted. “Deal.” Interesting, huh? You, too, Zion. I guess he would also be one of my challenges.
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"Uy, bagay," Roi teased as Arin and I got out of our room, wearing the clothes provided by the crew. Fifteen minutes before the supposed announcement, a staff knocked on our door and gave us a set of clothes. Pinagbihis kami at nakita kong napangiwi si Arin dahil sa kulay ng damit namin. It was pink. Buti na lang at gray ang track pants namin habang sa guys ay black. "Why pink?!" reklamo niya habang nakatingin sa suot niyang damit. "Okay na 'to," sabi ko naman. "At least, pastel at hindi neon pink o fuschia." "Sabagay." Tumingin naman si Arin sa dalawang lalaki at siya naman ang ngumiti nang nakakaloko. "Uy, bagay rin sa inyo." Agad na kumunot ang noo ng dalawa pero bago pa sila magsagutan ay tumunog ang speakers sa cabin namin. "Challengers, please proceed to the pavilion," a woman with a sweet voice announced. Lumabas naman kaming apat at nakita naming color-coded din ang lahat ng teams. Kung tama ang bilang ko, merong fifteen teams ngayon dito. “Elix!” Nagulat naman ako nang may tumawag sa akin at paglingon ko ay nakita ko si Lessy, isa sa mga una kong naging kaibigan online. “Uy, Les,” sabay ngiti ko sa kanya. She was wearing a green shirt and her hair was shorter than her latest photo on her social media accounts. Nasa likuran niya naman ang teammates niya at napaatras ako nang makita ko si Brian, isa sa pinakasikat na writers sa site. His presence was quite intimidating, maybe because of his sturdy physique and expressionless face. “Challengers, here’s your second challenge for this day,” the staff announced. Nasa pavilion siya at pumunta naman kaming lahat sa harapan niya. The atmosphere was still awkward but it wasn’t as bad as before. Maybe we were slowly getting familiar with each other. “Second challenge, huh? Ilang challenge kaya bawat araw?” one of the writers on my right side wearing a purple shirt muttered. I glanced at her direction but I didn’t recognize her face. “Hmm, siguro four or five,” sagot naman ng teammate niya. Tiningnan ko naman ang mga ka-team ko at mukhang ini-i-scan din nila lahat ng nandito. Dahil sa ambiance at suot namin, para na talaga kaming nasa isang survival game na variety show. “Your second challenge is,” sabay pakita niya ng bilog na bagay. “Find the Colored Balls!” She explained the mechanics and it was simpler than the first challenge. We just need to find four balls, the size of an egg, with the same color as our team’s shirt. After that, we should arrange the thing inside the balls and write the answer on the big white board in the pavilion. “The three fastest teams will have an advantage later on and the last three will receive a punishment. Good luck, Challengers! All the best!” Pagkasabi no’n ng staff ay agad nagtakbuhan ang teams para hanapin ang kanya-kanya nilang bola. Nag-decide naman kaming apat na maghiwa-hiwalay para mas mabilis naming mahanap ang sa amin. Ayon sa staffs, hanggang sa stone bridge na nasa tabi ng cabin ng PD crew ang boundary kung saan pwedeng makita ang mga bola. Nasa gilid ko naman si Kuya Poy, ang assigned cameraman sa akin, at sinasabayan niya ako sa pagtakbo. After hours of following me, I somehow managed to get used to his presence but it was still quite awkward. Nag-advise din siya kanina na mas magandang sinasabi ko ang mga naiisip ko kaya kahit nahihiya ako ay paminsan-minsan din akong nagsasalitang mag-isa. I tried finding the balls in the shrubs and there were other members of other teams who was doing the same when all of a sudden, Feliz, member of gray team, yelled excitedly. Napatingin kaming mga malapit sa kanya at napanganga na lang ako nang makita kong hawak na niya ang isang gray ball. “Found it!” she beamed and she immediately put it inside her front pocket. Dahil doon ay mas naging enthusiastic ang ibang nakakita na maghanap. Hinalughog ko na rin ang ilang halaman pero wala akong makita ro’n kaya lumipat ako ng pwesto. Tumakbo ako papunta sa bahay kubo at marami na rin ang nandoon. “Yay! Nakakita rin ako!” sigaw ni Jean na puro dahon na ang buhok. “Ako rin!” sigaw rin ni Les. Na-pressure naman ako dahil halos lahat sila ay mayroon nang hawak na bola kaya kung saan-saan na ako naghanap. Tiningnan ko ang gilid ng kubo pati na rin sa sulok-sulok ng mga halaman pero wala talaga akong makita. I was getting frustrated when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. “Ahhh—!” Lumayo ako ro’n at muntik pa akong matapilok dahil sa batong natapakan ko. Paglingon ko, nakita ko si Zion na nakatingin sa akin habang nakakunot ang noo. Bigla naman akong nahiya sa ginawa kong paglayo kaya tumingin ako sa kabilang direksyon. “Hmm, pati ro’n nagulat ka?” he teased. I wanted to say no but that would just put me in a more embarrassing situation. Lumapit na lang ako sa kanya at sinamaan siya ng tingin. “May nakita ka na?” pag-iiba ko ng topic. “Yup,” sabay labas niya sa bulsa niya ng dalawang pink na bola kaya napanganga ako. How did he find two of them?! Bakit dalawa na agad ang nakita niya?! “And you?” Lalo lang akong nahiya at nainis dahil sa tanong niya. Dahil hindi agad ako nakasagot ay mukhang alam na niya ang ibig sabihin no’n. When I looked at him, he had this smug look on his face and I was sure that he was mocking me. “Ah. I guess you’re not good at finding things,” he said with that irritating smirk pasted on his face. “A-as if. I’m just . . .” My voice faltered. Wala akong madahilan. “Well then, good luck.” Tumalikod naman siya sa akin at sinamaan ko ng tingin ang likod niya. Seriously, how did he manage to find two in a short period of time? Ipagpapatuloy ko na sana ang paghahanap ko pero bigla namang may tumawag sa pangalan ko pati na rin kay Zion. “Elix! Zion!” Pagtingin ko ay tumatakbo papunta sa direksyon namin sina Arin at Roi habang may hawak silang pink na bola . . . what?! Nahanap na nilang tatlo lahat ng bola namin? Bigla namang lumingon si Zion at alam ko na agad ang gusto niyang iparating. He gave me a quick smile and I rolled my eyes in return. “Hey, I won this time,” he muttered but I chose to ignore him. Pagdating ng dalawa ay pinakita agad ni Zion ang nakita niya at tumingin silang tatlo sa akin nang nakakaloko. Ugh, stop looking at me! Yes, yes, I didn’t find anything. Nagmadali kami papunta sa pavilion at pagdating namin ay nandoon na ang green team. We immediately presented the four pink balls to the staff and when she nodded, we sat on the floor and opened all of them. than to obtain what they desire men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear Those were the words written on the paper inside the balls. I was reading the words in my mind when I remembered that book. Those phrases finally made sense. “Alam ko na,” sabi ko sa kanila at agad naman akong tinulak ni Arin papunta sa white board. Halos sabay naman kaming natapos ng representative ng green team sa pagsusulat pero napansin kong magkaiba kami ng content. Sinulat ko ang nabuo kong sentence sa ibaba ng word na ‘pink.’ Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire. After that, tumingin kami sa staff at ngumiti siya sa akin. “If you know where the line was from and the book’s author, I will give you an extra point,” sabi niya kaya mabilis kong nilagay ang libro at author. “Ah! Hala hindi ko alam!” sabi ng katabi ko pero dahil nauna siyang natapos kaysa sa akin ay paniguradong sila ang first place. “Okay, first team to finish the challenge is green team!” the staff announced. It's the little mistakes that lead to big mistakes. ‘Yon ang sentence na nabuo nila pero hindi ko rin alam kung saang book ‘yon galing. Buti na lang talaga at nabasa ko na ‘yong sa amin at natandaan ko ang line na ‘yon. The Da Vince Code Dan Brown “Pink team, second place and extra point for the book and author!” The green and pink team’s names were displayed on the monitor near the white board on the first and second slots, respectively. Pagkatapos no’n ay pinabalik naman ang mga natapos na teams sa cabin at i-a-announce na lang daw ulit ang susunod na challenge. We were all tired after searching under the scorching heat of the sun. Tanghali na rin kasi. Pagdating namin sa cabin ay kumuha agad kami ng tubig sa dispenser at nag-cooldown. After a few minutes, may kumatok na staff. Si Roi na ang nagbukas ng pinto at may inabot naman na box sa kanya. “Ano ‘yan?” halos sabay-sabay naming tanong nang makabalik siya sa couch kung saan kami nakatambay. “The advantage, I guess?” Inulit naman niya ang sinabi sa kanya ng staff. According to him, the tokens could be exchange for food, information, clues or even another advantage, depending on the situation and the amount. “Oh, ayos ah,” Arin commented. Sa ngayon, meron kaming dalawang bronze at dalawang silver na kasama kanina sa envelope na binigay sa amin bago makapasok dito. A silver coin was added after finishing the challenge at second place and another silver coin for the extra point we received a while ago. “I guess the goal is to collect tokens every challenge and use it to our advantage,” dagdag ni Zion habang tino-toss niya ang isang bronze token. Sumilip naman ako sa bintana at marami pa rin ang hindi pa tapos. Titingnan ko sana ang direksyon ng pavilion pero nagulat ako dahil nagkatinginan kami ng babaeng nasa katabi naming cabin. Her braided hair rest on her left shoulder while on the right was a towel. Her eyes were big and pretty but somehow, they also looked sad. Kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko, siya si Yena, isang fantasy writer. Tumango lang siya sa akin kaya gano’n din ang ginawa ko at pagkatapos no’n ay nawala na siya sa paningin ko. I didn’t know that she also accepted this show’s invitation. I was following her on her social media accounts and she seemed to be an introvert like me. She only posted one photo a year ago but she deleted it right after. I didn’t know I’d recognize her easily. I wanted to say hi because I read one of her works and liked it. Ang hirap nga lang dahil nahihiya akong lapitan siya. Nanatili naman akong nakatingin sa cabin nila dahil sa nangyari pero halos mapatalon ako nang makita kong may dumungaw ulit mula ro’n at tumingin sa direksyon ko. It was Brian. His deadpan face and cool demeanor made him a bit intimidating. I didn’t know what to do because he was just staring at me for a few seconds. He nodded at me after that eye contact so I did the same but just like what Yena did, he immediately pulled his body back. Okay, what was that? "Damn, look at that," Roi muttered. Nakatayo lang kaming apat sa harapan ng isang camp. It was surrounded by two-meter stone walls and in the middle of the border was a double-leaf door made of wood, hinged on a stone arc. May naka-gray na staff sa entrance kaya naman naglakad papunta ro'n si Arin at sinundan naman namin siya. "Congratulations!" she greeted and she gave the envelope she was holding to Arin. Pumasok naman kami sa loob at lalo lang akong namangha. It looked like an eco-park. There were several cabins arranged into two columns on the left side and beyond the farthest ones was a huge campfire setup. Beside the campfire was a huge pavilion with white columns and red roof while on the northernmost part was a cabin bigger than the rest, an open shed that looked like a store, and another huge cabin right before a stone bridge. On the right side was an array of structures: gazebos of different sizes and designs; playground with recreational equipment designed for young adults; and obstacle courses that contain walls of different heights, stairs, ropes and nets, and muddy water. I couldn’t see what was beyond the trees and the stone bridge but the central area was already impressive enough. I mean . . . whoa. Camp Half-Blood feels.  Arin opened the envelope and inside were weird chips and a key. She tried opening the doors using the key and after her fifth attempt, we finally found our cabin. The cabin has a porch lined with wooden railings about three feet in height, and wooden benches were set right below the windows. Pagpasok namin ay may dalawang kwarto kaya naman kinuha namin ni Arin ang mas malapit sa banyo. In fairness, airconditioned ang kwarto at maganda ang banyo. "Thank god nandito ang mga gamit natin," sabi ni Arin at mukhang wala namang kinuha o pinakialaman kaya nakahinga rin ako nang maluwag. "Tayo pa lang ba ang nandito?" tanong ni Roi habang nakasilip sa labas. "Mukha," sagot naman ni Arin. Lumabas naman ako at umupo sa wooden bench sa porch. I closed my eyes, felt the gentle breeze as it touched my skin, and it was relaxing. Pakiramdam ko ay nasa probinsya ako. "That was tiring," Arin grunted and I heard how she plopped herself on the couch. "Mukhang tayo pa nga lang ang nandito," rinig ko kay Roi. "Good thing is, we get to rest," dagdag ni Zion habang nakadungaw sa bintana sa likuran ko. Matapos ang ilang minuto ay pumasok na ulit ako sa loob at nagsimula kaming mag-ayos ng mga gamit. Nang na-segregate ko na ang akin, kinuha ko ang phone ko at humiga sa side ko sa kama. I tried typing an update for my ongoing story but it was getting awkward because of Arin's presence. In the end, I gave up. Nagulat naman ako nang biglang humiga si Arin at medyo na-out of balance pa ako dahil sa pagtalbog ng kama. "Grabe. Ilang oras pa lang 'tong chuchu na 'to, ang dami nang nangyari," she commented and she suddenly turned to my direction. "Paano kaya nila naisip 'to no? Na-e-excite tuloy ako sa susunod na challenges." Naalala ko na naman tuloy ang sinabi kanina ni Ms. Hannah na ite-televise 'to kaya na-stress na naman ako. 'Pag talaga namukhaan ako ng mga kakilala ko, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin 'pag natapos 'to. Papalamon na lang ako sa lupa. Nakarinig naman kami ng ingay sa paligid kaya lumabas kami ng kwarto at naabutan namin ang dalawa na naglalaro ng cards. Sumilip naman ako sa bintana at isa-isa nang nagdadatingan ang mga grupo. Gaya namin ay sinubukan din nilang buksan ang pinto ng iba't ibang cabins. "Anong nilalaro n'yo?" Napatingin ako sa likuran at pinapanood ni Arin sina Roi at Zion na maglaro. Lumapit na rin ako at sisilipin ko pa lang sana ang hawak ni Roi ay biglang may malakas na tunog ang bumalot sa paligid. Napatalon pa ako dahil sa gulat at napasigaw naman si Arin. "Now that you're all here, I welcome you, Challengers, to Camp Juvenile." May speakers din pala sa bawat cabin at may cameras din habang nakaabang naman sa labas ang kanya-kanya naming cameraman. "Your next challenge will be announced at 11:00 so for now, you can rest and know more about each other. All the best!" Pagkatapos no'n ay napalitan ang tunog ng kanta na hindi ko naman alam. Dahil may dalawang oras pa naman ay nakisali kami ni Arin sa laro ng dalawa. We played pusoy dos and we had to teach Arin since she didn't know the game. "Straight," Roi said while setting down his cards. "Hala ang hirap naman. Teka, wala akong matira!" reklamo ni Arin at wala na siyang nagawa kundi mag-pass. "Straight flush," sabi ko naman sabay lapag ko sa limang cards. Jack of hearts na lang ang naiwan sa akin kaya pagkatapos nito ay malaki ang chance kong manalo. "Royal flush," Zion suddenly announced. "And finally, pusoy," then he placed the two of diamonds on top of his royal flush. Or not. Badtrip. I didn't expect him to have that combination. And that little smug on his face was annoying, as if he was telling me, 'I won. Loser.' Ilang rounds pa kaming naglaro at ang pinakamaraming panalo ay si Zion. He was the overall winner with 4 wins, I was next with 3, Roi with 1 and Arin with none. Gusto ko pa ngang mag-isang round pa pero umayaw na si Arin dahil hindi naman daw siya nananalo. "Ang init na. Lakasan natin 'yong aircon," Roi commented and he set the temperature to 16°C. Hinubad niya rin ang jacket niya at hindi ko napigilan ang sarili kong mapatitig sa braso niya. "Whoa. Totoo 'yan?" Arin asked and I realized she was also staring at that. "Ah. Eto?" sabay pakita niya sa amin no'n. "Oo. Got this after graduation." He has a tattoo of musical notes just above his elbow and it was fascinating. Simple yet eye-catching. "Wait. Graduate ka na? Ilang taon ka na ba?" tanong ulit ni Arin. "Twenty one. Kayo ba?" "Twenty one din," Arin replied. "Magt-twenty one pa lang," sabay naming sagot ni Zion. "Oh. Cool. Magkaka-edad pala tayo," Roi remarked. Hmm . . . maybe we were sorted according to our age? Pero mukhang hindi rin dahil may nakita akong ilan na hindi naman magkaka-edad sa isang grupo. Siguro nagkataon lang sa amin? "Gusto n'yo maglaro ng ibang game?" Arin suggested and she stood up to get the four mini whiteboards on the table. "Pass," bigla namang sabi ni Zion at naglakad siya papunta sa kwarto nila. "Oh. Dahil ba nanalo ka na? Playing safe?" Napatigil naman siya pagkasabi no'n ni Arin at tumingin siya nang masama sa kanya. Looked like he was triggered by that statement. Wow. She had already grasped his behavior and knew how to use it against him. That was amazing but also terrifying. Bumalik si Zion sa pwesto niya at nakapaikot ulit kaming apat sa couch habang ine-explain ni Arin ang game. "So basically, huhulaan mo lang ang magiging sagot ng katabi mo. It's a way na rin para makilala natin ang isa't isa in a fun way. Game?" sabay abot niya sa amin ng whiteboards at markers. "Okay, ako ang magsisimula. Ang direction ay pa-ganito," she said, gesturing a clockwise direction. Bale ang mangyayari, my answers should be related to Zion, Zion with Arin, Arin with Roi and Roi with me. "Okay, question number one," pagsisimula ni Arin at napatingin pa siya sa taas. "Hmm . . . favorite color!" Pagkasabi niya no'n ay napatingin agad kami sa kaliwa namin para obserbahan ang itsura ng huhulaan namin. Zion was wearing white shirt and black jeans so I couldn't tell anything. Dahil five seconds lang ang time ay sinulat ko na lang ang una kong naisip. "Game!" Arin exclaimed and all of us showed our answers. I wrote white, Arin wrote gray while the two guys wrote pink. Halos pareho kami ng itsura ni Arin nang makita namin ang salitang pink sa whiteboards nila. "Seriously? Pink?" sabay tingin nang masama ni Arin kay Zion habang nakakunot naman ang noo ko kay Roi. "Hindi ba? Kadalasan ng mga babae, pink ang gusto 'di ba?" depensa naman ni Roi. "No way," sabi ko naman. "Okay, sinong nakakuha ng tama?" tanong ni Arin at tinuro naman kami nina Roi at Zion. "Whoa! So gray and white nga favorite n'yo?" "Ang duga. Obvious 'yong amin," reklamo ni Roi habang nakaturo sa jacket niya. "Kasalanan namin?" Arin countered. Sumunod namang nagtanong si Zion at hanggang sa nakadalawang ikot na kami ay wala nang tumama ulit sa mga sagot. Well, at least, may mga nalaman kami sa isa't isa to the point na pati size ng paa ng isa't isa ay alam na namin. Napatigil naman kami nang may kumatok na staff at si Roi na ang humarap sa kanya. After a few minutes, sinabi ni Roi sa amin na kailangan daw i-surrender ang phones at iba pang gadgets para sa fairness ng challenges. Siyempre, doubtful pa ako no'ng una pero dahil may designated box at number naman pala bawat tao ay nabawasan ang pag-aalala ko. Mukhang hindi talaga kami makakapag-update sa loob ng 40 days. Pagkatapos naming ibigay ang phones namin ay lumabas kami at nag-stay sa terrace. Nasa labas din ang iba at ang ilan ay naglalakad-lakad. Gusto ko nga rin sanang libutin 'tong lugar kaso baka mawala ako. Huminga ako nang malalim at humugot ng lakas ng loob kung saanman saka tumingin sa kanila. "G-gusto n'yo bang lumibot?" tanong ko at napatingin naman sila sa akin. "Pass. Mamayang hapon na lang ako," sabi ni Roi. "Ako rin, Elix. Medyo masakit pa ang paa ko kakalakad kanina," dagdag ni Arin. Nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa nang biglang nagsalita si Zion. "Tara," sabi niya kaya napatitig ako sa kanya. "Uyy," biglang tukso ni Arin at halos sabay kaming tumingin nang masama sa kanya. "Grabe naman kayo! Joke lang, eh." Bumalik muna ako sa loob at kumuha ng cap saka kami naglakad ni Zion. Buti nga at hindi masyadong mainit at presko ang hangin kaya ayos maglakad pero sobrang awkward naman dahil hindi kami nag-uusap. We went to the right side of the camp and walked around to reach the largest gazebo which was surrounded by several statues and labeled flora species. May kubo rin sa likod at nasa paligid no'n ang lahat ng gulay at halamang nabanggit sa Bahay Kubo kaya namangha ako. Sayang lang at wala na ang phone ko sa akin. Ang ganda pa naman sanang picture-an ng view rito. "I have a question—" "OH MY GOD!" Napatalon ako sa gulat nang bigla na lang siyang sumulpot sa harapan ko at maging siya ay nabigla sa reaksyon ko. Paano ba naman kasi, umikot siya sa kubo at nang paliko na ako sa kabilang gilid ay doon siya lumabas. Ang nakakainis pa ay nakita ko siyang nagpipigil ng ngiti. "W-what?" I asked, embarrassed by what just happened. "So you easily get startled, huh?" he said and I glared in return. "Anyway, I just want to ask if you also know—" Hindi na niya naituloy ang sasabihin niya dahil may dumating na ibang tao kung nasaan kami. Paglingon ko ay nakita ko sina Ina at Zey, teen fiction writers at pareho ko silang nakakausap sa social media. "Oh! Elix, right?" sabay turo sa akin ni Zey at ngumiti na lang ako sa kanya. "Si Zion, o!" Ina exclaimed while pointing at Zion. She approached him with a wide smile and I could tell that she was excited. "Hello! I'm Ina! Binabasa ko ang Hollow series mo and it's amazing!" sabay lahad niya ng kamay niya at nag-shake hands silang dalawa. Hindi ko na naintindihan ang pinag-uusapan nila dahil kinausap na rin ako ni Zey pero ang alam ko lang ay ang energetic ni Ina. Kinumusta naman ako ni Zey at sinabi kong okay lang ako. Halos sabay kaming nag-sign up sa site at isa rin siya sa mga una kong nakilala. Madalas pa kaming nakakapag-usap noong bago pa lang kami pero dumalang na katagalan. But still, I was glad that I met her. "Thanks," Zion said and he suddenly put his right hand on my shoulder, making my skin tingle. "Sige, una na kami," sabay tulak niya sa akin kaya napilitan akong maglakad. "Bye!" Nang makalayo kami ay binitiwan niya ako at sinamaan ko naman siya ng tingin. "What was that?" tanong ko. "Sorry. I needed to escape. Can't deal with hyper and energetic people. They drain my energy." Pagkasabi niya no'n ay nawala ang kunot so noo ko dahil gano'n din ako. Well, unless that person is interesting or he or she is my friend. Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin at pabalik na sana kami sa cabin pero napakunot ulit ang noo ko nang lumiko siya sa kung saan. "Saan ka pupunta?" tanong ko at lumingon siya sa akin. "Pabalik sa cabin?" inosente niyang sagot at nakatingin lang ako sa kanya ng ilang segundo. "But the cabin is this way," sabay turo ko sa kabilang side, na kung tutuusin ay sobrang dali lang namang tandaan. "Ah. Is that so?" I saw the uneasiness and embarrassment on his face and I wondered if he was just trying to lighten up the mood or he was serious. My question was answered when he turned to the right again even if the right way was just the straight path toward the gazebo. "Diretso lang," sabi ko habang nakatingin sa likod niya. His shoulders tensed and I couldn't help but smile at his actions. "I know," sagot niya naman. Kaya pala no'ng nasa hotel kami ay lagi lang siyang sumusunod sa amin kapag naglalakad at naghahanap ng kung ano pero siya ang nauna noong na-realize niya ang pagkuha sa mga gamit namin. Sabagay, may numbers naman ang rooms kaya siguro nakita niya agad. Sumabay na ako sa paglalakad niya bago pa siya maligaw sa kung saan. "So you easily get lost, huh?" ganti ko habang naglalakad pabalik at hindi siya nakaimik. He even forced a cough to save himself from embarrassment and that made me chuckle. "Well played," he commented and before I could respond, he increased his pace since we could already see the cabins. "I know," I muttered as I followed him back to our members. I guess I won this time. Pagkahinto ng sasakyan ay agad kaming lumabas at kinuha namin ang mga gamit sa likuran. Ang hassle pang gumalaw dahil panay ang kuha sa amin ng kanya-kanya naming cameraman. We immediately marched toward the hotel entrance but we were momentarily stopped by the guards. Pinakita naman namin ang letter na natanggap namin at pagkatapos nilang i-check 'yon pati na ang valid IDs ay pinapasok din naman kami. "Whoa," Arin gasped while looking at the hotel's interior. "Must be a four- or five-star hotel," bulong ni Roi. Habang hatak at dala ang mga gamit namin ay pumunta kami sa Assembly Hall, kasama na rin ang cameramen, at pagdating namin do'n ay napatigil ako dahil kaunti pa lang ang mga tao. "Oh!" The girl in gray shirt exclaimed while pointing at us. She waved her hand, urging us to go to her direction. Lumapit naman kami at nang nasa harapan na niya kami ay ngumiti siya nang malapad sabay sabing, "You're the first team to arrive! Congratulations!" Nagkatinginan kaming apat dahil hindi namin in-expect 'yon. We were already five minutes late yet no other teams were present. Are we really the first placers? "We will explain the next event later," she said. "For now, you can check in to your respective rooms." Inabot niya sa amin ang dalawang key card at pumunta kami sa rooms na nakalagay ro'n. Mukhang magkasama kami ni Arin at sina Roi at Zion naman sa katabing kwarto. The room had two beds and I immediately occupied the left one. Humiga ako at doon ko lang naramdaman ang pagod. Nangalay ang mga binti ko dahil sa pagtakbo para mahanap ang teammates ko at medyo inaantok na rin ako. Hindi naman kasi ako morning person kaya parang naubos na ang energy ko para sa buong araw. "Grabe, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyayari," sabi ni Arin habang nakaupo siya sa kama niya. "Akalain mong makikita at makakasama natin ang ilan pang writers na sikat din sa site na 'yon? Whoa." Hindi naman ako nag-comment at tiningnan ko lang kung ano ang ginagawa niya. She was unpacking her things and I could tell that she likes anime and Korean stuff. "Nanonood ka ba ng Korean dramas?" she asked enthusiastically and I felt a bit of guilt because her expression was too hopeful. "Ah. Hindi." "Ay, gano'n ba?" Napalitan naman ng lungkot ang mukha niya. "But I watch anime," dagdag ko at muli namang bumalik ang ngiti niya. "Talaga? Anong pinapanood mo? Do you like One Piece?" "Hmm, 'di ko pa napapanood. I like Fullmetal Alchemist and Hunter x Hunter." "Whoa! Pareho tayo!" Kitang-kita naman sa mukha niya ang excitement at kinuwento na niya ang 'feels' niya sa dalawang anime na 'yon at nag-input din naman ako ng opinyon ko. After that, na-divert ang topic namin sa event na 'to at napag-usapan namin ang dalawang kasama namin. "May nabasa ka na ba sa works nila?" tanong niya. "Yeah pero hindi ko na natuloy dahil naging busy ako." "Ako rin, eh. Pero alam mo, hindi ko in-expect na sasali ang dalawang 'yon. Actually, pati ikaw. Mailap kasi kayo, eh." I actually wasn't planning to join. Gusto ko sanang sabihin pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko. Ang tagal ko ring pinag-isipan kung itutuloy ko ang pagsama ko rito dahil nga nahihiya ako at pakiramdam ko ay hindi ko kakayanin. Social interaction drains my energy and patience. However, I want to experience events like this and I think I'd learn a lot of things from here. Natigil naman ang usapan namin dahil may kumatok sa pinto. Si Arin na ang tumayo at sumilip naman ako mula sa kama ko. Nakita ko ang isang staff na naka-gray shirt din at mukhang pinapababa na kami kaya tumayo na rin ako. Paglabas namin ng kwarto ay sakto namang lumabas din sina Roi at Zion kaya sabay-sabay na kaming pumunta sa Assembly Hall. "Ibang klase," biglang sabi ni Roi. "Pati sa kwarto, may camera." "Ha? Talaga ba?" tanong naman ni Arin. "Oo. Napansin nitong si Zion." We all glanced at him and he had this proud look on his face. Hindi ko napansin ang camera sa room namin at nakaramdam ako ng inis dahil doon. "You didn't notice?" tanong niya habang nakatingin sa akin. Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin dahil pakiramdam ko ay nang-aasar lang siya at pinaparating niyang mas observant siya. Pagdating namin sa Assembly Hall ay napahinto ako sa dami ng tao. We were reunited with our cameramen and I could see familiar faces in the crowd. This was really a gathering of big names from that site. Pumwesto kami sa isang table at kasama namin do'n ang isa pang grupo na kinabibilangan nina Jean, JC, Jia at isa pang lalaki na hindi ko kilala sa mukha. They were all romance writers. "Hello!" bati ni Arin at mukhang na-starstruck na naman siya. Nagpakilala lang kami sa isa't isa at doon ko nalaman na Dean ang pangalan ng isa pang lalaki. Adult fiction writer siya, though mukha pa siyang high school, or judgmental lang ako. Nilibot ko naman ang paningin ko at nalula ako sa dami ng writers na narito. Maybe there were around 50-60 people and I could see familiar faces, and some I don’t recognize. Nakita ko pa ang isa sa mga unang hinangaan kong manunulat—si Pia. She was one of the earliest writers, the one who inspired me to continue writing and the first writer who talked to me. Hindi na siya masyadong active nitong taon kaya naman nagulat ako nang makita ko siya rito. I also saw Lessy, the first writer I saw in person. Nalaman kasi namin na nasa parehong university kami at isa rin siya sa mga una kong nakausap kaya inaya niya akong makipagkita. At first, I was hesitant but, in the end, I agreed. And I was glad I did. She looked real cute, like a doll, and she was more timid than me. I couldn’t even imagine and remember how we lasted talking for an hour and what did we talk about that night. The most famous ones were also here: Jean, who was on the same table as us that I mentioned earlier and a romance writer; Jacques, also known as the ‘Horror King’ for his good and terrifying stories; Meijin, who writes teen fiction stories that garnered the most reads; Cenon, the Adult Fiction writer; and a lot more. "Good morning, dear writers!" The conversations turned into murmurs when the girl in glasses spoke to us. She introduced herself as Hannah Jung, the Creative Team Head, and told us the reasons for this reality show. According to her, a group of readers suggested this event and several meetings were held to consider it. After months of deliberation, they decided to put it into action and messaged influential people from the site. "A network also sponsored us and this reality-variety show will be aired." Pagkasabi niya no'n ay napa-'whoa' at gulat ang halos lahat, habang ako naman ay natulala na lang. Ipapakita sa TV? Seryoso ba sila? Gano'n kalaki ang show na 'to? Naramdaman ko ang pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko dahil hindi ko in-expect na aabot sa ganitong scale ang program. Saka ko lang na-realize na kaya pala may cameramen ang bawat team. Akala ko ay parang documentary lang o record nila. "This reality-variety show will be called Challengers," Hannah Jung continued despite the buzzing from the crowd, "because you will be given challenges every day. Writing is not just about typing in front of your laptops but using your brain and observing your surroundings. These challenges are still related to writing and reading, of course, but they will also improve your communication skills, as well as your teamwork." Nagsabi pa siya ng ilan pang guidelines at nagsimula naman nang mag-serve ang catering service sa amin. After her talk, she formally announced that we could eat our breakfast. "Saglit, loading pa rin ang utak ko," Jia remarked and Arin shared the same sentiment. "Ang tanong, magiging successful ba talaga 'to?" Dean chimed in. Mukha talaga siyang high school. Nahihiya lang akong itanong kung ilang taon na siya. "I think so," Jean replied. "Readers ang target nila. As a reader, it will be an amazing idea to watch my favorite authors in television." Hindi naman ako nagsasalita dahil iniisip ko ang consequences ng show na 'to. Hindi ko gustong makita sa isang palabas. For sure gano'n din ang nararamdaman ng ilang writers na mas gustong itago ang identity nila. I mean, our faces would be shown on screen. What if my former classmates and friends were also readers and they saw me? Hindi naman nila alam na writer ako. God, iniisip ko pa lang ay kinikilabutan at nanghihina na ako. Pwede bang mag-backout? "And now, Challengers officially starts!" sabi ulit ni Hannah sa mic at kami naman ay patuloy pa rin ang pagkain at pag-uusap. Namomroblema pa rin ako sa appearance namin sa TV dahil pakiramdam ko ay hindi ko kakayanin. Malaki ang fanbase ng site kaya for sure ay maraming manonood, lalo na't nandito ang mga paborito nilang manunulat. Nakakatakot. Nakakapanindig-balahibo. Sa pagkain ko na lang dinaan ang stress ko at nang maubos ko ang french toast ay may nakita akong kakaiba sa plato. Bigla akong napatingin kay Zion at nakita kong nakatingin din siya sa akin. He noticed it, too. I thought it was just the plate's design but the size was too much. A caduceus, or a winged staff with snakes wrapped around it, was drawn on the plates, which was a bit suspicious. "What do you think?" mahinang tanong ni Zion at tumingin ako sa kanya. Napansin din kami nina Roi at Arin kaya tinuro ko ang mga plato nila. "Is it some sort of a clue?" tanong ko naman. "What can be associated to this?" "Anong pinag-uusapan n'yo?" Arin chimed in, whispering. All of a sudden, an idea struck my head, and I muttered a single word. "Hermes," mahina kong sabi at napatingin sila sa akin. "This is the symbol of Hermes, one of the Olympians." "You mean the gods' messenger and the patron of travelers and thieves?" dagdag ni Arin. Bigla namang napatayo si Zion kaya napatingin kami sa kanya. He seemed perturbed and I was about to ask what was wrong when several authors started to stand up too. "Thieves," Zion said while looking at us. "Anong meron?" tanong naman ni Roi. "Our things." Agad siyang tumakbo papunta sa hotel room annex kaya naman sinundan namin siya. Nilabas ko ang key card at pumasok kami ni Arin sa kwarto namin pero pareho kaming napatigil nang makita namin ang estado sa loob. "Oh my gosh!" Arin exclaimed. Our things weren't there anymore. "So it's really a clue, huh?" Napatingin naman kami sa pintuan at pumasok sa kwarto namin sina Roi at Zion. Mukhang wala na rin ang gamit nila pero meron naman silang dalang papel na gaya ng nasa kama namin ngayon. ⊔ ⊏ ⫐ ⊏ "What's this?" Arin asked while holding the piece of paper. "I think it's a clue about the thieves," sagot ko naman. "Challengers," a voice said and we realized that there are speakers inside the room, "welcome to your first challenge, Chase the Thieves." Pagtingin ko sa labas ng room namin ay nagtatakbuhan na rin ang ibang writers habang ang iba ay nakikinig sa boses mula sa speakers. "As a writer, you should have great observation skills. Everything around you can be a potential source of stories and plots. However, this time, your skills will be tested not as a writer but as deductionists and chasers. Let's see if you can use the clues around you to solve the problem. Good luck, challengers!" Pagkatapos no'n ay nagtinginan lang kaming apat. Suddenly, my heart pounded loudly and I could feel the excitement rising through my esophagus. This is my forte, I thought. "Let's go," sabi ko at saka kami lumabas. When we arrived at the Assembly Hall, all of them were either running around or stuck on their seats, thinking hard about the said clues. "Wait, anong gagawin?" tanong ni Arin kaya napahinto kami. "'Di ba clue 'to?" turo naman ni Roi sa hawak na papel ni Arin. Some of the writers were also holding papers with the same clue while some were looking at the symbol on the plate. "For sure this has something to do with mythology," dagdag ni Zion. "What can we get from this UCDC?" Nakita ko naman ang ibang nagsisilabasan na sa hotel at siguro ay na-figure out na nila ang clues pero ayaw kong sumunod sa kanila. Umupo muna kami sa table namin kanina at nakita ko ulit ang caduceus na symbol sa plato. Suddenly, I had a thought. "Let's find a map," I suggested and the three of them looked at me. "A map? For what?" tanong ni Roi. "So you've figured it out," dagdag naman ni Zion kaya halos manlaki ang mga mata ng dalawa. "Seryoso, Elix? Whoa. Teka, may nadaanan yata tayong map ng city na 'to kanina. Tara." Pagkasabi no'n ni Arin ay tumayo kaming apat at pinuntahan namin ang sinasabi niya. Kita naman sa mukha nina Roi at Arin ang pag-aalala dahil unti-unti nang nauubos ang tao sa hotel. Halos lahat sila ay sumasakay na ng tricycle sa labas. "So, what does it mean?" tanong ni Zion habang nakatingin sa papel na hawak ni Arin. Arin handed it to me and I gave them a quick smile. I was actually thrilled because it felt like I was one of the characters in my story. "The clue is the caduceus, Hermes' symbol," mahina kong sabi at nakinig naman sila. "As you can see, the snakes are intertwined with each other, as if they are each other's reflection. These letters do not make sense if they are read normally. However, if these letters are reflected with themselves . . ." I looked at them, hoping that they could follow my train of thought. "Hebe," Zion muttered. "Yeah. The clue is HEBE and it only looked like UCDC because the lower half wasn't shown," I added and the other two looked at us as if we just revealed something out of this world. "So, anong ibig sabihin ng Hebe?" Roi asked while looking at the city map. "May place ba ditong Hebe ang pangalan?" "Hebe is the goddess of youth, right?" dagdag naman ni Arin at tumingin na rin siya sa mapa. "Maybe anything related to youth?" "Here," sabay turo ni Zion sa isang landmark. "Camp Juvenile." "Whoa! Shit! Kinilabutan ako!" Roi exclaimed as he looked at us. "Ako rin! Feeling ko detective na ako! Tara na! Larga!" dagdag naman ni Arin. The four of us ran toward the hotel's facade and my lips formed a thin line across my face, pleased that I helped my team. Somehow, I was starting to enjoy this. Well, I guess joining this program wasn't a bad decision after all. "S-Sir, dito na lang po. Stop muna," I said and he hit the brake. Bumaba naman agad ako at tiningnan ang phone at card para i-check kung nasa tamang lugar ako. "Pwede po bang tulungan n'yo akong maghanap?" tanong sa kanya. "Hindi po pwede," he responded. "Oh,” I muttered, a bit disappointed. “O-okay po." Hmm, so I’d search this place alone? Umaga pa lang pero napapagod na agada ko. Ang intense ng simula ng reality program na 'to. Well, literally hindi pala ako mag-isang maghahanap dahil kasama ko si Kuyang Cameraman na patuloy pa rin akong fini-film kahit naiilang pa rin ako. I wandered around the place and saw a coffee shop and bookstore on the right side. Malaki ang chance na nandito ang isa sa teammates ko. Well, may clue naman na ako kung sino pero tatlong tao ang pinagpipilian ko ngayon. Sino kaya sa kanila? I went to the bookstore first. Pagkapasok ko ay namangha ako dahil may mga tao na agad kahit 7 AM pa lang. The store had a vintage feel in it: old books lining the first bookshelves, ripped pages displayed on the walls, and almost every shelves and tables were made from old woods. Teka, 24 hours bang open ang bookstore na 'to? I scanned the place, hoping that I could see one of my teammates around since we were from a reading site and I thought that it would make sense if she'd be here. Pero nahiya ako bigla dahil pinagtitinginan ako ng mga tao. Paano ba naman, may nakasunod sa aking camera. Napayuko na lang ako sa hiya. Please stop looking at me. Nilibot ko ang buong bookstore para matapos na 'to pero mukhang wala siya rito kaya lumipat agad ako sa may coffee shop. Pagkapasok ko pa lang ay may kakaiba na akong naramdaman. "Ah," sabay turo ko sa may gilid. Tumakbo agad ako papunta ro'n dahil may nakita rin akong cameraman na nakatayo. Pagdating ko ay napatigil ako dahil sa babaeng nakatingin sa akin. Her long, wavy, dirty blonde hair complemented her small and cute face. She was wearing a white dress and white sneakers that stood out in this vintage-themed bookstore. "Oh my God. A-Arin?" bulong ko sa sarili ko at hindi na ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko. Arin's eyes twinkled with excitement as she approached my direction. "Whoa! Elix, right? Elix!" Bigla naman niya akong niyakap kaya napayakap na rin ako. Whoa. Grabe. Hindi ko akalaing makikita ko siya sa personal. Arin was one of the famous writers on that site. She had written several hit teen fiction novels and I had read some of them. Sobrang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko ngayon dahil hindi ko talaga ine-expect na makita siya. I mean, pareho kaming galing sa site na 'yon at friends naman kami sa fb pero hindi kami close. Pero teka, paano niya nalaman na ako si Elix? Hindi naman ako nagpo-post ng picture ko sa public accounts ko. "Uhm, paano mo nalaman na ako si Elix?" mahina kong tanong at ngumiti naman siya. "Ano ka ba, I'm one of your earliest readers. 'Di ba nagpo-post ka dati ng picture mo?" Napanganga naman ako sa sinabi niya. Right. I remembered posting my photo before but that was several years ago. Hindi ko naman akalaing may nakakaalala pa no'n dahil wala pa yatang isangdaan ang readers ko noon. "Anyway, ano na bang gagawin?" tanong niya at doon ko naman na-realize na may dalawa pa pala kaming teammates na hahanapin. Dali-dali ko siyang dinala papunta ro'n sa kotse at agad kaming sumakay. 'Yong cameraman niya naman ay sa ibang kotse sumakay. Pagdating namin sa kotse ay pinaandar agad 'yon ni Kuya Driver at sinabi ko sa kanya ang susunod na lugar na kailangan naming puntahan. Then, Arin showed me the card she received. Your challenge starts now! You must wait for your teammate before arriving at the meeting place. After reading the clue below, please instruct the driver about the route you want to go. Please take note that the first three teams to arrive will have a huge advantage. Good luck! TE TA : SR NZ We had the same card but the difference was she was tasked to wait in the coffee shop and I was assigned to find them. I knew it. My theory was right. "Wow. Ang galing mo. Nahanap mo kaagad ako using this card," bigla niyang sabi. "Ni hindi ko nga ma-gets 'tong code na 'to." "A-ah. Hula lang." Hindi ako makatingin nang maayos sa kanya dahil kinakabahan pa rin ako. I rarely interact with other writers so I felt awkward with her. One of the reasons why I accepted this program was to face one of my fears—communicating and talking to strangers. Being an introvert, writing was one of my ways to tell what I want, what I dream of and what I fear since I couldn't tell them to my friends or even to my family. "Have you decoded it?" biglang tanong ni Arin kaya napangiti ako. "Yeah." "Whoa. Really? Paano?" I explained my theory and she looked at me in awe. I was flustered when she showered me with compliments so I immediately changed the topic into something else. Napunta naman sa personality namin ang usapan. "Pero hindi ko in-expect na sasali ka sa ganito." Napatingin naman ako sa kanya. "I mean, mahiyain ka kasi at takot ka sa tao 'di ba?" "Right," sabay tawa ko nang mahina. "I kind of want to face one of my fears." "Ohh. Good decision, then." Napangiti ulit ako sa kanya. I didn't expect her to be like this. Hindi ko kasi masyadong mabasa ang personality niya since laging lines lang sa stories niya ang pinopost niya o 'di kaya naman 'yong mga binabasa niya. Siguro ang naiba lang sa mga post niya ay kapag nagpapalit siya ng display picture sa facebook. Arin was actually prettier in person. She had this simple yet sophisticated aura. "Dahil sa sinabi mo kanina, may clues na rin ako kung sino ang teammates natin since ginamit nila ang pseudonyms natin," sabi naman niya at napatango ako. "Buti hindi real names." Sharia May Velasco. I think she would find me creepy if I said I know her real name. Actually, I know almost every writer's real name. Ewan ko ba kung bakit pero kapag mas nagtatago ang isang writer, mas nacha-challenge akong alamin ang tungkol sa kanila. Hindi ko alam kung epekto ba 'to ng hilig ko sa mystery pero agad kong nakikita ang personal accounts nila, though hindi naman ako 'yong tipong nag-a-add, nagme-message o pinagkakalat ang mga bagay na 'yon. Knowing their names were enough for me. "So saan na tayo pupunta?" tanong niya at binuksan ko ulit ang Maps sa phone ko. "Since SR ang next, siguro sa side na 'to," sabay turo ko sa left side ng mapa. Ginamit niya rin ang phone niya at nakita kong pumunta siya sa profile ng isang writer. Mukhang pareho kami ng hula kung sino pero hindi namin alam kung saan siya mahahanap. "Ano bang landmarks dito?" tanong ko dahil hindi ko alam ang lugar na 'to. "Hmm, hindi kaya sa bookstore or coffee shop din natin sila makikita?" "Depende. We need to find a public clock." "Ah. Oo nga pala." Bumaba kami at sinundan kami ng sarili naming cameraman. We went separate ways to find that person faster and I decided to go to the park. I wanted to ask someone for directions but I couldn't bring myself to talk to strangers. Pagdating ko sa park ay may mga nagzu-zumba sa gitna kaya dumaan ako sa gilid. Nilibot ko naman ang paningin ko at saktong nakakita ako ng orasan na naka-display malapit sa zumba class. "There it is," bulong ko sa sarili ko. I oriented myself in front of the clock and walked toward the opposite direction, as dictated on the clue. Habang naglalakad ako ay may nakita na akong kumpol ng mga tao at doon ko na-realize na nandoon na si Arin. Mukhang siya ang unang nakakita. "Here!" she yelled, waving her hand at me. Pumunta naman ako ro'n at nakita ko ang isang lalaki sa tabi niya. He was wearing a gray jacket and white cap while holding the same card we received from the staffs. Apparently, we had a wrong guess. Akala ko ay si Rhea, isang fantasy writer pero hindi siya ang kasama ni Arin. It was someone else. Roi Zen, an action-adventure writer. Yes, I also know his real name. Rav Oliver Ibanez. "Sino siya?" rinig kong tanong niya kay Arin at napangiwi siya. I awkwardly smiled at him and he did the same. Hinatak naman ako ni Arin palapit sa kanya at hindi ako makatingin nang diretso. God, I hate looking at people's eyes. "Elix, the author of—" "Whoa. Elix? As in the mystery writer? I'm a fan," Roi said, cutting off Arin. He extended his hands and I had no choice but to reach it. After that ay binitiwan ko rin kaagad dahil ang awkward. Agad naman kaming sumakay sa kotse at sa backmost seat siya umupong mag-isa, habang magkatabi naman kami ni Arin. "Hay salamat, last member na," sabi ni Arin habang nakasandal. Mukhang pagod na siya. "Yeah. Dito po tayo, Kuya," sabay turo ko sa driver sa map. Uminom naman ako ng tubig dahil napagod na rin ako. Pagtingin ko sa oras ay 7:30 AM na at 30 minutes na lang ang natitirang oras. Medyo inaantok na rin ako dahil late na ako nakatulog kagabi at ang aga ko pang nagising. "Oh. Friends pala tayo sa fb?" sabi ni Arin habang nakalingon kay Roi. "Talaga?" "Yeah. Unfriend na kita." Pagkasabi niya no'n ay naramdaman ko ang paggalaw ni Roi sa likuran. Pagtingin ko ay naka-forward na siya, malapit sa posisyon ni Arin. "Bakit?" "Nakaka-cringe ang profile mo, eh." "What?" Pinakita naman sa akin ni Arin ang fb profile ni Roi at bawat post niya ay may mga babaeng nagsasabi ng 'I love you, pa-kiss' at kung anu-ano pa. She was right. It was a bit cringeworthy. "Kasalanan ko ba?" Roi retorted. "Nagpo-post lang naman ako ng lines sa stories ko. Hindi ko naman kontrolado ang comments nila. Saka alam mo na . . ." His voice trailed off and when we looked at him, he was already caressing his face. "Okay. Iba-block na rin kita." "Hoy, teka!" Ilang minuto silang nagsagutan do'n at hindi ko na lang sila pinansin. Pumikit ako para sana makapagpahinga pero hindi naman ako makatulog dahil ang ingay nilang dalawa. In the end, lalo lang akong napagod. "Dito na po tayo," sabi ni Kuya Driver kaya bumaba naman kami. Dahil in-explain ko na rin naman sa kanila ang ibig sabihin ng code ay nag-kanya-kanya ulit kami sa paghahanap para mas mabilis. Naglakad-lakad ako hanggang sa makakita ako ng maliit na orasan sa parang Town Center. Lumapit ako ro'n at papunta na sana ako sa direksyon na nakalagay sa card pero nagulat ako nang may lumapit sa aking isang lalaki na may kasamang cameraman. "Are you E, A or R?" tanong niya kaya napatigil ako. His black cap, black jacket and dark jeans made him kind of frightening, but what caught my attention was his intense gaze. For the first time, I was able to look at someone's eyes for more than a second. I was a bit intimidated by him because of his approach but when I noticed his deep breathing, it seemed like he was also nervous. "E," mahina kong sagot pero mukhang in-expect na niya ‘yon. "You already solved it." "Yeah," he said while looking at the card, "and it seems like you did it, too." "Y-yeah." "The clock," sabay tingin niya sa orasan na nasa tapat namin at tumango naman ako. "Elix! Nakita mo na ba—OMG!" Napalingon naman kami pareho nang narinig namin si Arin. Tumakbo sila ni Roi papunta sa direksyon namin at nakatingin lang sila sa lalaking kaharap ko ngayon. "Ikaw si Zion, 'di ba?" Arin asked, her eyes twinkling in excitement. "Mmm," sagot naman ng lalaki at tumango siya. "I'm a fan of your works," Roi chimed in while shaking hands with him, "especially the Hollow series." "Oh. Thanks." "Your thriller and paranormal novels are really amazing." I stole a glance at Zion and I noticed that he was shorter than Roi. Siguro nasa 5'7''or 5'8'' siya at si Roi naman ay baka 5'9'' o 5'10''. Mas maliit naman si Arin sa akin kaya nasa 5'2'' siguro siya. Ang masasabi ko lang ay ang tangkad nilang dalawa. Anyway, he was right about the clock. The code was written in relation to time and our pseudonyms. The colon was also a clue, pertaining to time when you're using a digital clock. Twelve Elix. Three Arin. Six Roi. Nine Zion. Just like how the numbers are arranged in a clock, I found my teammates by treating those four numbers as a compass. North. East. South. West. Our exact location could also be pinpointed with respect to a public clock. Na-realize ko 'yon nang maalala kong may malaking orasan sa subdivision namin na katapat lang ng bahay at na-prove ko 'yon nang makarating kami sa "three" or "east" side. I saw a huge clock outside an antique shop and since that location was referred as three, I walked eastwards and saw the bookstore and café. Roi's and Zion's locations were also like that. Agad kaming pumunta sa kotse dahil fifteen minutes na lang ang natitira sa amin. We should arrive at the hotel at 8 AM. "Kuya, diretso na po tayo sa hotel," sabi ni Arin pero imbes na paandarin ni Kuya ang sasakyan ay may inabot siya sa aming card. Again. Binuksan namin 'yon ni Arin at nakisilip naman ang dalawang lalaki mula sa likod. Congratulations! Mission complete! Please tell the password to your driver to proceed. ( ↑ , ↑ ) Napasandal si Arin dahil sa nakita niya habang ako ay inisip kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng clue na nakalagay. I recalled the previous clues and incorporated it here. Clock. Time. Colon. This time, there were three symbols—parenthesis, upward arrows and a comma. "Ano 'to?" tanong ni Roi. "Can we solve this within fifteen minutes?" "Mag-isip ka na nga lang din," sagot naman ni Arin. Wait. Don't tell me . . . "Origin." "Origin." Zion and I looked at each other, surprised that we both said the same word at the same time. Bigla namang pinaandar ni Kuya ang sasakyan at mukhang tama ang sinabi namin pero wala pa ring nagsasalita sa amin. "How did you guys . . ." tanong ni Arin habang nagpapabalik-balik ang tingin niya sa aming dalawa. "When you draw north, east, south and west, they create a plane, which is similar to a Cartesian plane," Zion explained, "and the two upward arrows pertain to 12:00, which can be written as 00:00. However, instead of a colon, comma was used. Therefore, the resulting answer would be (0,0) and in Math, it's called origin." Mukhang namangha ang dalawa sa sinabi niya at kung anu-ano na namang papuri ang lumabas sa bibig nila. Dahil nasagot ko rin 'yon ay nasama rin ako sa usapan at lalo lang akong nahiya. "Hey." Napatingin naman ako sa likuran dahil may kumalabit sa akin. It was Zion. "Hm?" "Pleased to meet you, Cass," mahina niyang sabi at nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa narinig ko. When he saw my reaction, his lips curled a bit, a proof that he was amused. My heart pounded against my chest, his words still ringing in my ears. Seeing his expression lit a fire inside me and I would want to see the same reaction from him. He just triggered my competitiveness. Huminga ako nang malalim at mabilis na ngumiti sa kanya. "Pleased to meet you, too, Z.A," I teased. Just like the other two, I also know his real name--Zean Aldric Gomez. "Seems like you did a bit of research on me," he said. I was expecting to see a surprised face but instead, his smile grew wider. "I'm impressed, Caf. Oh, I mean, Cap." Caf, huh? This guy . . . Cassandra Ailex Felix. That's my name. Pagkasabi niya no'n ay napatingin ako sa mga kasama namin at mukhang hindi nila 'yon narinig dahil pareho silang naka-earphone at nakapikit. I looked at him but he was already staring outside. This guy knew my real name, too. It seemed like we had the same hobby. Huh. Interesting. |
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May 2020
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Purpleyhan Stories
