The Case of Adelaide (S1)

i. a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

-(idiomatic) Something very mysterious and hidden.

01

A place I'm familiar with, but haven't been to. People that I know, but haven't met yet. A body that I'm using, but it's not me.

And in front of me is a known fictional character, in the flesh.

The well-known detective, Sherlock Holmes.

How did I end up here? I don't know. How is this possible? I don't know.

All I know is that this. . . is all inside of a book.

𓉞✎🕊

"Iyon na 'yon?" Hindi maipinta ang mukha kong nakatingin sa screen. I clicked my tongue. "Bitin na naman 'yong update."

Binitawan ko ang hawak-hawak kong cellphone. Humiga ako mula sa pagkakakadapa ko sa kama. Parang pagod na pagod ako kahit pagbabasa lang ang ginawa ko buong araw.

I groaned, followed by a deep sigh.

Monday na naman bukas, papasok na naman ako.

Just thinking about the pile of files I need to do tomorrow makes my head hurts. I don't like my work, I don't like working, but I need to work so that I can feed myself—no one else will do it if I don't.

Napatulala ako sa kisame ng ilang segundo. I'm bored.

Since I'm bored, I took my phone again. Parang hindi ko 'to binitawan ilang segundo lang ang lumipas.

Walang gana akong nag-scroll sa internet. I'm looking for an update or leaks to the novel I'm reading right now, but instead, all I found was a compilation of thoughts, illustrations, reviews, and support from a different novel.

Ito na naman ang laman ng newsfeed ko.

I clicked my tongue, and once again, I dropped my phone.

"Now, I'm bored again. . ." I mumbled.

Iniba ko ang posisyon ng pagkakahiga ko. Tsk, I'll just sleep instead. Nang sa gano'n, hindi ko na isipin ang trabaho.

Who knows? Maybe I'll wake up in the novel I've read. I really hope that I'll end up with an ice prince or duke, like the main characters in those novels.

I giggled at my own thoughts. Walang masamang umasa at lokohin ang sarili.

I was really hoping that something like that will happen to me on one of the nights I slept. But I guess, it's not tonight. . . since I was already in the middle of sleeping when I was awoken by the loud barks of the dog next door, and knocks at my door.

Pilit kong binuksan ang mga mata ko kahit naniningkit pa 'to.

What the heck?

Anong oras na ba? Sino 'yong kumakatok?

Kinapa ko ang cellphone ko sa kama pero wala akong nakuha. Kaya imbis na hanapin 'to ay bumangon na lang ako sa kama.

Tutal naman ay paulit-ulit ang pagkatok sa pinto ko. Hindi mabilis, hindi rin sunod-sunod, pero tatlong segundo lang ata ang pagitan kada katok.

"Wait," sambit ko. Bakas sa boses ko ang pagkaantok.

Maybe it's my neighbor who forgot her keys to her apartment again, that's why her dog is barking.

Dumeretso ako sa pinto at binuksan ko 'to. "Dalian mo, dumaan ka na sa bintana-"

Hindi ko natuloy ang sasabihin ko nang sumalubong sa akin ang taong kumakatok. I don't know if I'm just sleepy, or I'm already dreaming. . . but this person in front of me, I can't tell if it's a woman or a man, I can't see his/her figure clearly.