Chapter 5: To Kill For A Trophy

“Vhynz! Could you please slow down a little bit?!” 

It took me a moment to realize that while I was running on the pavements going to the infirmary, the three girls were also  putting on some speed to make tracks behind me. I didn’t notice nor hear any of them, not until I saw their reflections when I impinged upon the glass walls of the empty cafeteria. 

Taking notice of them panting their lungs out, I paused momentarily. I only felt my sweats snaking from my forehead down to my neck when I ran a hand over my face. “You followed me?” I asked, a hint of shock was written somewhere over my face. 

“Of course! We decided to come along when we overheard Samantha’s name from your conversation with that guy.”

“Right. And that didn’t sound good.” 

“The way you panicked and became furious also confirmed our theory that something might have really happened to Samantha.”

Geodie, Yuri, and Rabiya explained respectively. They were all dripping with perspiration, while at the same time trying their best to make up of the breathers they lost during the marathon of running. 

After I heard them spoke, I continued moving. I pedalled my feet neither fast enough to call it a run, nor slow enough to call it a walk. They followed, as expected, without spending efforts to say a sentence or two. 

We were down to only about sixty meters left before reaching the infirmary when Rabiya noticed something. She stopped. It wasn’t just a normal stop—like what one does when he’s tired in the middle of a run, or when he thinks of  getting a drink off the liquor store. What she did was not in the cards, perhaps unexpectedly instantaneous that it made us put the kibosh on.

 

Geodie eventually asked her, “What’s the matter?” Then she walked to Rabiya’s left and followed her gaze with his eyes. Sure enough, they now had the same picture before their corneas, but it seemed like Rabiya had seen something that had not seen by Geodie on the other hand. 

Yuri chimed in, fanning her manga book to herself. “Are you having a vertigo? A black out?”

 

“Yes, uh, no. No! Can’t you see?” Rabiya answered, almost in hesitancy. 

After a short lull, I found my self a perfect time to speak. “Can’t we see the what?” I said, and leaned on the nearest mahogany tree beside the pavement.

 Within the innards of the Juniors’ Building—and the Conference Building where the infirmary was settled on the ground floor—stretched a long pavement made of cobblestones stuck between the queues of trees on both sides. There were also wooden benches in front of each tree, which were always occupied by either those who wanted to study, or those who had no choice but to wait for an hour after they ditched their subject teachers. But as of now, all of the said benches were empty. 

“Everyone’s gone.” Rabiya sighed. “It’s only quarter to four but everyone’s already gone,” she repeated while pointing at random directions; the Students’ Study Area, the three floors of the Conference Building, and the volleyball gym across the green, grassy field of football.

I rose from leaning, and it’s when I realized she was right. Everyone’s really gone. “It’s so weird. Is the meeting done? Did everyone head home?” I pitched. 

“I think so.” Yuri closed her book, rolled it, and tucked it inside the pocket of her blouse. “But who cares about them? Let’s just go and see Samantha, shall we?” 

Yuri led the way, while I and the two other girls followed her. We were so close to the infirmary, and I reckoned it wouldn’t take us more than five minutes  before we get there and meet my twin. 

“It’s just strange that I cannot hear the noise from the PTA Assembly anymore,” Geodie lipped, while kicking off the pavement all the pebbles she saw on her way. “I don’t think the meeting’s done. Mom said she would call me when it’s over.”

Yuri scoffed, “What if they just magically disappeared? Maybe this is some sort of an Alice in Borderland situation where majority of the people just vanish strangely, and those who are left is destined to play and win a game!” she brought out. There were sparkles on her eyes, and a drawing of excitement on her lips. “We are a few of those chosen players! We must win and take everyone back!”

“I didn’t know watching too much movies is dangerous to your brain,” Geodie kidded, setting some distance between her and Yuri just in case a physical response would happen. I fully understood her, though. Yuri always exchanged everything with physical contacts, that’s why you better prepare yourself or else suffer from her wrath. When you made her laugh, she’d slap you hard. When you made her angry, she’d pin you with her whetted fingernails. When you annoyed her, she’d pinch your ears. Yes, ears; left, and right—she’d pinch them both at the same time. The pain she could cause may not be as intense as what Geodie could offer, but I’m pretty sure it’s enough to make you jerk a tear while wanting to shout ‘Mama’ and go home. 

Yuri rolled her eyes. “Alice in Borderland is not a movie. It’s  a series. Movies and series are not the same,” she explained, as if Geodie would give a damn about it. 

“Oh, right. Okay.” Geodie cleared her throat, expanding the distance between them. “But they still have something in common,” she backed up while facing Yuri. 

“What is it?”

“They’re both dangerous to your brain.”

“Oh, God. Whatever, Geodie.” For the first time in all of the years we’d been classmates, Yuri surrendered. 

Not long after that quick banter, we buzzed through the narrow and unpeopled hallway of the Conference Building. All the rooms we passed by were already closed, except for the one with doors partly opened and bright light shining off its walls.

“She must still be there,” I said, and sprinted the remaining distance from the Library to the Infirmary where Samantha was said to be inside. The three girls had no choice but to run, too. 

As we entered the door, panting, the first person we saw was Cylvia. She’s  sitting on a swivel chair, holding a glass of water while facing herself on the direction of the bed. 

“What took you so long?” she said, not moving a nerve. 

“Is she okay?” I moved towards her, and there I saw Samantha lying on the bed. No bruises. No cuts. No any signs of physical injury. “What happened?” 

“She fainted,” Cylvia answered right off the bat, giving the glass of water to Samantha. 

“Okay, I don’t get it.” Rabiya pivoted next to me. “Why did you fainted?” Ho—how?”

Samantha didn’t hear it. Or did she? I’d never know. She looked so pale, and weak, as if all of her energy was being sucked out of her. There was also fear in her eyes. The earthquakes on her hands were intense and the water inside the glass could tell it well. No one among us four was able to comprehend it. So we waited for Samantha to snap out of her daydreams and tell everything to us whenever she felt ready.

After a long wait of approximately ten minutes, Samantha finally spoke up. “I don’t want to believe it,” she started. 

When we heard her, everyone gathered around her. I sat on the little space on the left side of the bed, while Geodie and Rabiya settled themselves beneath Samantha’s feet. Meanwhile, Cylvia shared the swivel chair with Yuri. 

“What is it that you don’t want to believe, sister?” I asked, brushing her hair with my fingers. 

Samantha sniffed. She closed her eyes believing that by doing it, she could prevent her tears from coming out. But it was useless. Like greased lightning, droplets of water crawled down. “The principal’s gone.” These three words were so heavy for her to say, but when she’s done spitting them out, she felt the need to celebrate. To her, it was bravery. 

“What do you mean she’s—” 

Samantha cut Yuri’s line. Yuri flinched. “She’s gone, Yuri! She’s dead! Someone ruthlessly murdered her!” If you didn’t know Samantha, you would surely think she had gone insane. 

In a trice, a realization seemed to hit Rabiya. She bestirred herself from slouching on the bed, and creased her forehead as she bit her pointing finger with her lips. Seconds later, she said, “Where’s the crime scene? I believe everyone must have headed there.” 

Samantha bowed down. “In the old two-storey building next to the mini forest, that’s where I saw the principal’s flesh bathing on a pool of her own blood. And yes, Rabiya. I believe everyone’s really there.” 

“Do you think the body’s still there?” Rabiya followed up. 

“The police should have arrived by now. But since the people haven’t returned yet, we can assume that the body must still be there.”

Samantha reached for the glass of water and drunk again. “I doubt if you can enter, though. By this time, there must be an on-going investigation operation of the crime scene. It’s impossible to sneak inside without getting seen,” she explained. 

“By the way, why are you asking, Rabiya?” Geodie asked. 

“I don’t know. It’s just—I want to find out what really happened to the principal before the police. If the suspect has the ability of killing her without getting caught, then he must have the ability of hiding the evidences without getting caught, too.”

“Okay, Detective Rabiya Matthews. Tell us, evidence like what?” Yuri chimed in. 

“Like the murder weapon. If he wanted to kill without leaving any traces, he might as well wanted to hide the murder weapon he used, too.”

Samantha snapped. “But the killer didn’t hide it.”

“What do you mean?” 

“The weapon he used was a butcher knife. And he didn’t get rid of it. In fact, if you’re lucky enough to enter inside the crime scene, you will see it still plunged in her leg like King Arthur’s sword in the stone.”

After hearing Samantha’s statement, Rabiya took a breather. She was serious. She wanted this. She wanted scenarios like this, and I believe she waited for something like this to come. She had always dreamed of being a detective, perhaps an FBI Agent, so crimes and murders was her cup of tea. Now that it’s served to her in a silver platter, I’d guarantee she wouldn’t let the opportunity slip away. 

“It’s a show. The killer is smart. Right now, he’s making everyone her laughing stocks for  believing that he killed the principal with a mere butcher knife, and that he was dumb for leaving it there like a symbol of his relinquishment.”

I knew it. Rabiya wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away. We didn’t see that coming. She did. Her eagerness to catch the culprit and bring justice to light was enough to believe her. Everything that she’s saying. 

“That could be it,” Cylvia agreed. “Now, what should we do?"

“We’re going there—inside.” The way Rabiya said it made it sound like it was just a piece of cake. But deep down are trembling spines, everyone knew it wasn’t. 

“If that’s the plan, then you should go. I’ll stay here with Samantha,” Cylvia recommended. No. Demanded.

“Wait, why?” I wondered. 

“She can’t go with us. If she does, the police will interrogate her. It’s better if she stays here, with Cylvia, and spend the rest of the time until the investigation is over. We can tell the in-charge of the crime that she hasn’t awaken yet if ever we get caught.” I admired how Rabiya thought things through. She was smart. Brilliant. Even genius. 

“Should we tell the police that the murder weapon being used is a trap? That it was there only for a show?” Geodie consulted, and to be honest, I had thought of asking that same question, too. But in this kind of situation, asking this kind of question to a sleuthhound-soon-to-be Rabiya would only make me more stupid. 

Rabiya stuck her palms together, as if in a praying position, and said, “We’re not yet sure if it’s really a trap. On some cases, this could only be a message. But in worst case scenarios, this could be a game—like a riddle.”

“What the fuck? Game? Riddle?” I laughed. And I was so sorry for doing it. 

“Laugh all you want, Vhynz. But for serial killers, murder is their game, and police are their playmates.”

Samantha looked Rabiya in the eyes. “If that’s the logic, let’s say, if this is really a game, how does the culprit plays it?”

Rabiya grinned. Amidst the very serious moment packed within the tightening atmosphere, Rabiya still managed to grin. “It’s obviously simple, dear Samantha. Kill and vanish. That’s how they play it.”

“And what do they get after doing it?” Yuri and I followed up. 

“A trophy. That’s something we have to look for if we want to know who killed her.”