Two — Mystery

19 years ago (before the events on Entry No. 1)

~~o0o~~

Carrie woke up due to the buzzing sound of her alarm clock.

'Hello, first day of school', sabi niya sa sarili habang bumabangon mula sa higaan niya.

Habang bumababa siya mula sa taas ng double-decker bed ay napansin niya ang iba niyang mga dorm mates na isa-isang nagsisibangon.

"Ano ba naman 'yan. Gusto ko pang matulog. Pwedeng bukas na lang ang Monday? I wanna sleep," said Nikki, isa sa limang dormmates niya sa Goldwest Fields School.

Goldwest Fields School is an elite high school where children of influencial families from all over the country attend. Some are from families owning big businesses while some are from political families. Sons and daughters of celebrities, and even young celebrities themselves, are studying here, too.

The school, as seen from above, forms a big trapezoidal shape. As seen on the front, it has an enormous, 15-foot tall, black steel gates. High class din ang security ng school dahil na din sa estado ng buhay ng mga nag-aaral dito.

Pagpasok ng gate, makikita ang napakaluwag na driveway papasok sa loob ng school premises. Along the sides are colorful flower beds with a variety of beautiful flowers.

A few meters from the gate, at the center, was a big fountain and a tall clock tower, with the driveway forming a big letter "O" around it.

At the back of it facing the gate was the main building, the Gold Hall. It has six floors and a big entrance at the center of the first floor, leading to the inner parts of the campus. It has the name of the school at its topmost part and the school's seal below it. The building holds all the offices, conference rooms, and the infirmary.

At the heart of the campus, fronting Gold Hall's big entrance was a soccer field to the left and an oval track to the right. Between them were two flagpoles, one having the Philippine flag and the school's flag on the other.

To the left, beside the soccer field was the school library, the Jewel Hall. Next to it was the Diamond Hall, which holds all of the students' laboratory activities. At the back of both buildings was a mini forest with benches and kiosks where students can cool down and spend their free times in peace.

To the right, beside the oval track were the two 6-story adjacent buildings, Opal and Jade Halls, where all the classrooms are located. At the back of these buildings was a wide parking area.

Next to the soccer field and oval track were three buildings facing the Gold Hall (from left to right): Silver, Ruby, and Crystal.

The sports center, Silver Hall, is where all indoor sports activities are held. It also has a big swimming pool inside.

The Ruby Hall is a two-story building with a big function hall on the ground floor, where the school holds various occasions, and the theater room on the second floor.

The Crystal Hall has the school cafeteria on the first floor, student organizations and club rooms on the second, and a rooftop where students hold their club activities. The rooftop has a mechanical roof, which can be spread out during rainy days and kept on the sides during sunny days with just a single press of a botton.

At the back of these three buildings was a wide enclosed cemented space which can be used as basketball, volleyball, or tennis courts. Athletes often spend their free times here. Students named it the "Sports Corner".

Goldwest Fields School also has its own condominium-type dormitories inside the campus located at the back of the school premises. Facing each other were the female dorm, Sapphire Hall (left), and the male dorm, Emerald Hall (right), both with six floors which houses all of the school's students, faculty and staff.

These buildings were the biggest ones in the campus, with the both of them occupying 30% of the whole school's land area. Both dorms were separated by a mini garden, with a fish pond at the center and a small fountain in the middle of it. They also have car pick-up and drop-off areas fronting their entrances.

The first floors of each building are for the faculty and staff, and from the second to the fifth floors are for the students. The sixth floors have a mini pool, a gym containing various workout equipments, shower rooms, vending machines and a number of bleachers on the sides. A wide fluffy carpet can also be seen there. Everyone calls it the "Entertainment Space" which covers about one-third of the floor's whole area. Students can play games or sleep there or watch a movie since there is a wide flat screen TV on front. Both buildings have rooftops, too.

Each dorm room was big enough to accommodate a maximum of six occupants. Basically, it has all the things one needs in a house. Each room has, at the very least: three sets of big double-decker beds with adjacent bookshelves; six individual study tables and chairs; a long study table suitable for group discussions or as a dining table; three big cabinets for clothing and a number of smaller ones; a small kitchen; its own lavatory with a large human size mirror attached to the wall; and, a shower room with three separate shower cubicles and a bath tub. Carrie's dorm room is on the third floor, Room No. 5.

Napakaswerte nga kung maituturing si Carrie dahil nakakapag-aral siya sa napakarangyang eskwelahan na ito. Kung tutuusin, ni wala sa kalingkingan ng mga buhay ng kanyang mga kaklase ang estado ng buhay ng pamilya niya.

Nakatira siya sa isang probinsiya, malapit sa tabing-dagat kung saan pangingisda ang pangunahing ikinabubuhay ng mga naninirahan doon.

Mangingisda ang ama niyang si Gary samantalang mananahi naman ang kanyang inang si Erika. Pangalawa si Carrie sa tatlong magkakapatid.

Ang ate niyang si Samantha ay kasalukuyang nag-aaral sa kolehiyo sa isang malaking unibersidad sa bayan. Third year college na ito sa kursong Computer Science. Ang kanilang bunsong kapatid na si Lester naman ay Grade 6 na sa pinapasukan nitong public school sa lugar nila. Siya naman ay graduating student na rin sa Goldwest Fields.

Maraming mga kabaranggay nila ang hanga sa kanilang pamilya. Ang swerte nga daw ng mag-asawang sina Gary at Erika dahil matatalino ang kanilang mga anak.

Scholar ang kanyang ate sa university na pinapasukan nito, na gumraduate bilang isang honor student nang magtapos ito ng high school. Si Lester naman ay malaki ang tsansang maging bronze medalist kapag nagtapos na ito ng Grade 6. Valedictorian naman si Carrie noong gumraduate siya sa elementary.

Isang hulog ng langit ang pagpasok niya sa Goldwest Fields. Naging beneficiary kasi ang baranggay nila sa isang community project ng eskwelahan.

Labing-isang taong gulang siya noon nang dumating ang isang grupo ng mga guro at mag-aaral sa lugar nila mga ilang linggo pagkatapos niyang gumraduate sa Grade 6. Tatlong araw din ang mga ito sa kanila.

Nadiskubre ang katalinuhan ni Carrie sa pagtatapos ng programa nang magkaroon ng isang mini quiz game ang lahat ng mga bata. Namangha sa kanya ang isa sa mga may-ari ng GWFS na si Raul Fuentabella.

Goldwest Fields School is a family-owned school of the known Fuentabella family, na pinamumunuan ng ama ni Raul Fuentabella na si Don Jaime Fuentabella.

Nang matapos ang mini quiz ay agad siyang nilapitan ni Mr. Fuentabella. Sinamahan niya ito sa kanilang maliit na bahay upang ipakilala sa mga magulang at mga kapatid niya.

Nakita nito ang napakaraming medalya na nakasabit sa kanilang dingding, na tuluyang nag-udyok dito na mag-offer ng scholarship sa kanya. Noong una ay nag-aalangan pa ang kanyang mga magulang dahil malayo ang eskwelahan nito sa bahay nila, ngunit nang sabihin nito na may dormitoryo naman sa loob ng paaralan at ibibigay nila lahat ng mga pangangailangan ni Carrie doon ay napanatag naman ang dalawa.

Kahit na alam nilang malalayo sa kanila ang anak ay pinayagan nila itong mag-aral doon dahil sa tingin nila ay ito ang magiging daan sa pag-abot ni Carrie sa mga pangarap.

Hindi naging madali para kay Carrie ang unang mga buwan niya sa paaralang iyon. Many were looking down on her.

Pero nang maging honor student siya sa unang grading period niya sa first year, nabawasan ang mga pumupuna sa kanya.

Meron din naman siyang naging malalapit na kaibigan sa loob ng apat na taon, ang mga roommates niya sa Room 3-5 ng Sapphire Hall: Ali, Nikki, Nae, Jan, and Raii.

Alesia Montevallo, or Ali, hails from a family of doctors and nurses. Her family from his father's side owns the Montevallo Medical Center while her mother was a nurse there before. She wants to become a doctor someday like her dad. She is the Goldwest Fields' Student Council President and the Top 1 student of their batch.

Nikki, or Nikhaila Hidalgo's family is composed of lawyers, from her grandfather, who is a Supreme Court Justice, down to her elder brother, who just passed the Bar Examinations the year before. The interesting thing was, ayaw niyang maging lawyer tulad ng mga kamag-anak niya. She wants to be a writer pero pinipilit siya ng mga magulang at lolo niya na maging abogado, na dahilan ng munting away sa pamilya nila.

Danielle Evans, or Nae, has a half-Filipina, half-American blood. Her parents met in California where her mother's family migrated many years ago. When she was 12 years old, her father died, after which she decided to leave the US at dito na magtapos ng pag-aaral sa Pilipinas. Umuuwi lang siya sa family niya during Christmas and Summer breaks.

Jan, or Jannine Madrid came from a political family in a province around North Luzon. Her grandfather was a Governor, while her titos and titas even her own parents and elder siblings are either mayors, vice-mayors, city councilors or congressmen. She promised herself na hinding-hindi siya papasok sa mundo ng pulitika kahit kailan dahil sa sobrang gulo nito.

Rachel Gonzales, or Raii, is the only child of the President and CEO of Glimpse Corporation, which owns a chain of malls all over the country. She was treated like a princess sa bahay nila, which she never liked, kaya pinilit niya ang ama niyang i-enroll siya sa Goldwest Fields para makalaya siya sa mundong palaging nakabantay sa bawat kilos niya.

"Rii!" Jan called out to Carrie habang naliligo siya. "May package na naman para sa 'yo!"

"Paki-receive na lang. Patapos na 'ko," she replied.

"Okay!" sabi nito then afterwards was a brief silence. "Thank you po!" narinig niyang sabi ni Jan sa nagdeliver ng package.

Ilang sandali pa ay lumabas na siya ng banyo.

"Sige na. Maligo ka na. Thank you, ha," sabi niya kay Jan. At naglakad na ito papunta sa shower.

"What's in it? First day of school pa lang, ah," Raii asked while pointing at the package on the long table.

"The usual, I'm sure," sabi ni Nae na nagluluto ng breakfast nila sa kusina.

"Oh, come on, that again?" Ali said habang naghahanda ng pagkakainan nila.

"Your secret admirer never really gets tired of it. Bakit 'di pa siya magpakilala?" sabi naman ni Nikki habang nagsasalin ng malamig na tubig mula sa pitsel.

Tinatawag nilang "secret admirer" ang nagpapadala ng package para kay Carrie. Since first year pa lang ay nakakatanggap na siya ng package at hindi ito pumapalya taon-taon.

Isang clue lang ang mayroon siya sa kung sino ito: ang may-ari ng librong napulot niya habang nagko-community program ang GWFS sa lugar nila dati.

Pangalawang araw na noon ng mga taga-GWFS sa baranggay nila nang may napansin siyang isang maliit na bagay sa buhangin habang naglalakad siya pauwi sa bahay nila mga bandang alas-singko ng hapon. Nilapitan niya ito at isang libro ang nakita niya.

Pinulot niya ito at binasa ang title: 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief'.

Binuksan niya ang libro. Baka may pangalan ito sa loob nang maisauli niya. Ngunit ang nakita lang niya ay ang mga katagang isinulat sa cover page:

Happy 10th birthday, son! From Mama.

"Baka taga-Goldwest ang may-ari nito. Isasauli ko na lang sa kanila bukas pagbalik nila," sabi niya sa sarili. Nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad pauwi.

Habang nasa bahay ay tinititigan niya ang libro. Binasa niya kasi ang teaser nito sa likod at gusto na tuloy niyang basahin ang nilalaman nito. Mahilig kasi siyang magbasa ng mga tungkol sa Greek and Roman Myths sa maliit na library sa paaralan nila. Gustong-gusto niyang tumambay sa library kasi walang manggugulo sa kanya doon.

"Hindi naman siguro magagalit ang may-ari nito kung babasahin ko. Magpapaalam na lang ako sa kanya bukas," sambit niya sa sarili at tuluyan nang binasa ang libro.

Pinagpuyatan niya ang pagbabasa kaya naman tinanghali siya ng gising. Naligo kaagad siya at nagpaalam sa ina upang pumunta sa covered court kung saan gaganapin ang mga palaro ng mga taga-Goldwest para sa mga bata.

Pagkarating niya ay agad siyang lumapit sa isang teacher at ipinakita ang librong hawak niya. Nakita niyang nagliwanag ang mukha nito at sinabing kilala niya ang may-ari na kahapon pa pala ito hinahanap.

Wala pa doon ang may-ari kaya humingi na lang siya ng isang maliit na papel upang isulat ang mensahe niya para dito. Pagkatapos ay ibinigay niya ito sa guro.

First year siya noon at katatapos lang ng kanilang first quarter examinations nang matanggap niya ang unang package. Isang note ang nakalagay sa ibabaw ng box nito:

'This is my "thank you gift" to you for returning my book. You said on your letter that you liked the story so I thought that maybe you'd like what's inside. Enjoy reading!

(Don't ever think of returning it. It's for you.)

- Mr. X'

Inside the box was five books: the complete Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series.

Pagkatapos noon ay taon-taon na siyang nakatatanggap ng libro sa series na ito. And today she received the third book from the popular sequel series Heroes Of Olympus.

"The Mark of Athena," said Raii, reading aloud its title. "You really like this Greek and Roman stuff, don't you?"

"The events got really exciting on this installment. You better read it immediately. Mr. X," Ali reading the note accompanying the package. "The same boring note. Here, take it."

She took the note from Ali's hands and put it inside the little box on the top of her study table, which contains all the other notes she had received before.

"Can't he be more romantic when it comes to writing those notes? They're too plain," Jan said aloud from the shower.

"Ano ba kayo? Binibigyan niyo lahat ng malisya. Baka natutuwa lang kasi talaga siya na may katulad siyang fan ng series. 'Yon lang," she said to her friends while putting the new book on her book shelf beside 'The Son of Neptune' book she received last year.

"Okay. Sabi mo eh," Jan said when she got out of the shower.

Natatawa na lang siya sa mga kaibigan niya. Gaya kasi niya ay curious din ang mga ito sa identity ni Mr. X. Baka kasi may hingin daw itong kapalit sa mga ibinibigay nito sa kanya.

Ipinagkikibit-balikat na lang niya ito. Maging siya ay walang ka-ide-ideya sa tunay na intensyon ng misteryosong taong ito.

~~O~~

Chapter Two - Mystery Credits:

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Series — The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian

—

"Heroes of Olympus" Series — The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena

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