Depression Plutus (Curse #4)

CHAPTER 32 The Ritual Case

OTTILIE VIRSES POV

Matapos naming mag-agahan, dumiretso na kami sa arcane room para pag-usapan ang activity na gagawin namin. Occupied ng bawat group members ang kada isang mahabang lamesa habang may isang malaking white board naman ang makikita sa harapan namin.

"Excited na ako sa group activity natin! Galingan natin guys!" Masiglang turan ni Jenna.

"I wanted to ace this activity," dagdag naman ni Dylan na napa-ayos pa sa salamin nito.

Napapagitnaan kami ni Jenna ng dalawang boys, si Plutus sa right side ko habang si Dylan nasa kabilang dulo. Pasimple kong siniko si Plutus kaya agad na napatingin ito sa'kin.

"Okay ka lang sa kama mo?" Mahinang tanong ko sa kan'ya na ikinabusangot ng mukha niya.

"That bed is infested with germs," he muttered. "Do you know how many people have probably slept there? No way it's clean. I'm pretty sure it's harboring some prehistoric bacteria."

Mahina akong napahalakhak dahil kaartehan ng prinsipeng ito. Kailangan ko pa takpan ang bibig ko para lang hindi kami mahalata ng teacher namin.

"Napaka-oa mo naman," mahinang saad ko. "It's just a bed, not a science experiment."

Plutus rolled his eyes still looking utterly disgusted. "I might as well have slept in a petri dish. I'd rather have camped outside."

I leaned closer, giving Plutus a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I came prepared," I whispered. "I actually bought a disinfectant spray in the city before the trip. Figured you'd have a meltdown over the bed situation."

Plutus blinked at me, completely stunned. "Wait... there's such a thing as... a cleaning spray?" he asked, his voice full of genuine wonder, like I'd just shown him magic.

I giggled, nodding. "Yep, a lifesaver, especially for neat freaks like you."

He looked at me, a little amazed, as if I'd just solved a mystery he'd been trying to crack his whole life. Nakakatawa talaga ang isang 'to, marunong siya sa hair essentials pero sa disinfectant spray, hindi?

"Alright, everyone!" Mr. Armstrong's voice boomed over the microphone, calling for our attention.

Magf-focus na sana ako sa unahan ng pa-simpleng bumulong si Plutus na ikinatayo ng mga balahibo ko sa katawan.

"Hope you're not trippin' me, evil witch, or I'll make your body a cadaver," Plutus whispered. "I'd hate to see you on a slab in the morgue. You'd rather stay in one piece, wouldn't you?"

I gulped, trying to look calm, but deep inside, my chest is pounding painfully at his harsh threat. Diyan siya magaling eh, sa pananakot! Pasalamat nga siya, binilhan ko pa siya.

“Class, before we start, I’d like you to meet Ms. Rutherford. She’ll be assisting me during our four-day camp here. She’s one of the senior forensic pathologists at this institution.”

Mr. Armstrong introduced a beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties.

“Now, let’s begin our discussion,” he continued. “Our victim,” he said, pointing to the large enchanted screen behind him, where an image of a woman appeared, “is Lysandra Aurel. She was thirty-four years old. She was a well-known magic practitioner and a researcher who studied occult practices.

“This is how she looked when the authorities found her. She had pale skin and messy black hair. Her face was frozen in an expression of shock, with her mouth slightly open as if she had been caught in the middle of a breath. Her eyes were wide and fixed on something in the distance, almost as if she couldn’t see anything at all.”