Golden Ceremony

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Pool of Gold

Nagising na lamang ako na nakayakap ang aking hita sa dibdib ko. Ang sobrang sakit ng likod ko na tila bang matagal itong nangangalay. My whole body is aching and stiff.

After regaining my energy, I finally realize where I was.

I'm trapped in a transparent box with holes.

Ang sobrang sikip ng box! Wala man lang space para magalaw ko ang braso at binti ko. All I could do is squirm around while my legs are pressed against my chest.

I'm trying to touch the box if there's anything I can open to release myself from this tiny prison but to my disappointment and anxiousness, I couldn't find it.

Hindi ko mahanap si Lothaire, Enid, Oslo, at Mordecai sa paligid ko. Ang dating nabuo na team ay pinaghalu-halo na sa paligid ko. Everyone is scattered in their own boxes.

I followed my eyes on how the boxes are able to float in the air, that's when I saw it's attached with chains stretching across the air and latches onto the ceiling and walls.

We are flies caught on a spider web, cocooned in a box. The trouble is finding the spider that's going to kill us all.

Napansin ko rin na nakasuot na kami ng school bathing suits namin. For the ladies, it's a navy blue one piece suit while for the guys, it's a navy blue trunk shorts.

I can't believe they changed our clothes while we were unconscious. I felt so violated that they got into my privacy especially to my body.

They can do whatever they want with us as long as they see fit. I am so pissed they have that kind of power to do that to us.

But why bathing suits?

Tiningnan ko ang nasa ibaba namin despite the only thing I can turn down were my eyes. Ngayon ko lang napansin na nakasabit ang mga transparent box sa ibabaw ng swimming pool, a mid-distance between the ceiling and the water beneath us.

It's the Golden Academy's infamous swimming pool where national talented divers are born. However, it is mostly known by it's frightening story where a student had drown from this pool long ago.

Isinilip ko sa gilid ng pool kung ilan feet ang swimming pool sa ilalim namin. Nagsisimula siya sa six feet at lumalalim papunta sa dulo na umaabot ng eight feet.

Six feet... I'm five-four feet tall.

We're at least seven feet above the water inside a box dangling through its chains attached in the ceiling. The swimming pool is almost as wide as the Olympic size pool. It can fit like 500 people in here and have a pool party.

Are they going to drown us while we're stuck inside these boxes?

All the graduates are screaming, everyone is confused. Sa kabila ng ingay na umaalingaw-ngaw may bukod-tangi na boses ang kumuha ng atensyon ko sa lahat.

"Cove!"

Napatingin ako sa direksyon ng pinagmulan ng boses. I had to turn my head to the side even though I could barely move an inch.

Nahagilap ko siyang naka-stuck din sa loob ng box katulad ng sa akin. He's squeezed in tight but I managed to see him thanks to his messy hair I always recognize from him.

It was Lothaire.

He's also trapped but to make matters worse, he's far away from me. I can tell he's worried just by the tone of his voice.