WHOSE DEDUCTION SHOW?

12: REEL TO REAL MYSTERY

Chapter 12: Reel to Real Mystery

LORELEI

THIS is strange. Sa pagkakatanda ko, bukas pa magsisimula ang deduction game. But the screen
nearby told us that the game has already begun.

Bigla bang nagbago ang schedule? At nasaan ang mga camera? Kung talagang nagsimula na ang second round, dapat nakaabang na ang mga kasama naming cameraman. Or maybe they installed hidden cameras gaya sa Pinoy Big Brother?

“As the first team to unlock the door, we shall have the honor of going in first,” Loki said as he pushed the door inward. “You may enter once we are done inspecting the scene.”

“Ang galing talaga ni Loki dear!” Jamie cheered. Hinawakan niya ang leader namin sa braso. “No one thought of picking the lock of the door except you. Teka, bakit ba ang init sa kwarto ng host? Alam kong umuulan pero gano’n na ba kalamig para i-on niya ang heater?”

Sumilip ako sa kwarto at napansing madilim.

Naramdaman ko rin ang kakaibang init na nagmumula sa loob. I could see a silhouette inside—thanks to the light outside. Alistair stood behind me and leaned his back against the door frame.

“Do you also find it strange?” tanong niya, dahilan para malingon ako sa kanya. “You’ve been looking around, searching for the cameras, right?”

I nodded. “They should already be here, recording how we unlocked the door. Pero ni anino nila, hindi ko makita. At talaga bang walang personal appearance ng host para i-announce ang start ng second round?”

“Maybe that’s the reason why we were asked to go to his room,” Al said. “He wanted to deliver the opening remarks in his room, which is weird. Puwede naman sa isang mas malaking kwarto o hall.”

Natuon ang tingin namin kay Jamie na tila kinakapa ang dingding. “Nasaan na ba ‘yong switch?” she muttered. We heard a soft clicking noise and the room was illuminated.

What followed was horrifying. Jamie screamed and turned her head away from what’s in front of her while I covered my mouth and took some steps backward.

On the floor was a body of a man, lying flat on his stomach. His head turned to the left, resting on a pool of blood. Sa tabi ng kanyang kamay na malapit sa ulo ay isang bukas na one liter water bottle na nabuhos ang laman.

“Ano’ng nangyari?”

Sumilip na rin sa loob si Math na napasigaw pagkakita sa katawan na nasa sahig. Amber also followed, as well as Gray and Jeremy. There were all taken aback by the sight of the bloody body.

“Why are you so surprised?” Loki asked. He was the only one who didn’t seem bothered by what we saw. “Have you forgotten that the second round is crime scene simulation?”

Pinilit ni Jamie na sumilip sa duguang katawan pero agad niyang iniiwas ang kanyang tingin. Hindi ko na rin magawang tumingin sa direksyon nito. “Alam naman naming simulation, Loki dear, pero—”

“The host is doing a great job pretending to be dead. Eyes half-closed, mouth gaping,” Loki observed. “Whoever’s in charge of the prosthetics should get a raise. Not everyone can pull off something as realistic as that!”

“The crime scene looks real,” pag-sang-ayon ni Gray. “Pero parang may hindi tama kung simulation lang ito.”

“The only thing that doesn’t look right at the moment is you charging into this room while we are still inspecting it,” Loki argued. Sinapian na naman siya ng pagiging competitive. “We should take turns, right?”