---

"Ellaine," Roger eyed at my hand, then me. "Share yours."

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. It's already here, and I have to say whatever I can say. Siguro naman ay makakabuti ito para sa mission namin.

"I'm planning to have a puzzle that will stimulate her mind using words. We will give her set of papers, one by one. There are words that are clues to our meeting place with her," I explained.

"Here's the plan. May isusulat tayong mga clue words ng meeting place natin with her at hayaan natin siyang mag-interpret ng mga bagay," I said with speed. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam ang nanggaling ang mga sinabi ko. "For example, we have on the first paper, somewhere. Then on the second, leafy, then, the, and so on."

"Of course, we will jumble the words to test her intellect. I know it seems so complicated and risky, right?" I catechized. They favored me.

"How can we ever let her know that she's strong? Kailangan niyang malaman sa sarili niya na may lakas at talino siya. It's like we're letting her unlock a mystery of herself. She needs realization of what she can do."

Silence spoke loudly next to me. Umupo ako dahil bigla akong nahiya. Sa dami kong sinabi, ngayon pa ako nahiya. Bakit ba kasi hindi sila nagsalita? Hindi ko tuloy alam kung na-overwhelm sila sa sinabi ko o hindi nila naintindihan.

"Brilliant," Albert stood up, staring at me. "We must do what she said, right?"

"Let's waste no time. Let's start," Bea maturely smiled.

---

Piles of papers inside white folders, glue, a dozen of pens, and more schooling materials are the things I can see here in the meeting room. Kailangan ba namin mag-aral at ganito sila kung maghanda ng gagamitin?

"All of our needs are here," Strata said and tapped the surface of the uppermost folder.

"What is this?" Georgina ringed the whole room with her voice. The tone she used was calm, yet confused.

I looked at Strata. Maging ako ay naguguluhan kung bakit may mga dala si Strata na ganito. Papers and pens? What are we going to do with these?

"This is easy," Strata sat down and took an unfamiliar black pen. She seems to have a great interest in pens. Maybe she loves art. Hindi ko na rin kinaya at tinanong ko na siya kung ano ang balak niya sa mga papel at panulat na narito.

"Strata, para saan ba 'to?"

"Para ito mission," Strata replied. "Your suggestion, remember? We'll make the papers with clues for her."

Does she mean lettering? Kung 'yon nga, I'm interested in watching them.

"Bea and I will be making the clues in handprint," Strata excitingly said. "If you want to join in making the clues, you may approach me and Bea. If you want to help in discussing the meeting place, approach Albert who has the GPS of Lynne's house."

Oh, gosh. Wala akong masyadong alam sa gagawin ko. I don't even know something about art. Besides, I don't even know Lynne. She's a stranger to me.

"Wait, guys," Georgina butted in. "Bakit pa natin kailangan gumamit ng art if we already have lots of printers?"

Strata breathed in.

"She needs to know that we exerted enough effort. Kailangan niya rin maging clueless. If we used printers, she will have a hint in mind that maybe, we are an organization or company that she will be afraid to face. If we used art, mas gagaan ang loob niya," Strata explained. "Who will not find it creepy if we start sending her plain and printed messages about a place?"

"Siguro, matatakot pa rin siya sa messages natin pero mababawasan 'yon dahil sa art," she continued. "So, do you all agree?"

Well, all of us agreed. I love art . . . I mean, I love seeing art but I don't know how to make use of . . . well, art.

Lahat sila ay nagpunta sa kani-kanilang pwesto. Strata and Bea have Georgina and Drew with them, making cursive letters on different kinds of papers. Albert is with Roger. And as of me, I don't really know where I'm going to. I'm neither good at art nor maps.

I choose art.

"Ellaine," Albert called out. He's gesturing to join us. Then I mouthed, sorry.

I sat beside Strata as I watched them write and design the words somewhere, the, and house.

"I don't know how to do that," I innocently said.

"It's easy. You should try it but if you don't want to, you may help Albert there," Strata said. "Look at Andrew, he's the only thorn among the roses."

I looked at him. Well, he is the only boy here with them but he performs good at art, huh. Buti pa siya, kahit lalaki siya, magaling siya sa art.

"May official meeting place na ba from Albert and Roger?" I asked.

"We still don't have," Bea responded.

Napatingin naman ako kina Roger tapos nang makita ko si Albert, natulala na lang ako bigla sa kanya. That's weird, gosh. I removed my eyes off of him when he looked at me. Trust me, I felt awkward. He walked towards us and gave us a realistic printed map.

May wide roof sa lower left corner at sa tingin ko ay malaking bahay 'yon. Mayroon namang malaking gubat sa likod ng bahay. I am confused. I don't even have a hint where they want us to meet Lynne. Nakakahiya, naturingang Supervisor pa naman din ako ng Central Team at wala akong maitulong.

"This is the close-up map of the house where Lynne stays and its surroundings," Roger said.

"We have chosen this part," Albert added and pointed the huge forest behind Lynne's house. "We have chosen that part for us to meet Lynne. There, we can give her more quests. Pwede natin ipakita sa kanya ang mga abilities natin at pahulaan sa kanya kung ano pa ang kaya nating gawin."

That's a good idea pero hindi kaya matakot si Lynne sa amin? I hope we can handle that if it happens.

"We're making the words," ang literal na sabi ni Drew. Gumagawa kasi sila ng handwritten fonts. They wrote words describing the forest behind Lynne's house but they're not just adjectives.

I just realized something. I didn't help in this. Bigla akong nahiya at umupo na lang ako sa isang upuan sa dulo ng Meeting Room. Bigla lang akong natulala. Wala nga akong naitulong. Nagmukha tuloy akong hindi karapat-dapat sa Central Team.

Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko. I chose to go with Strata and Bea's art but I didn't do anything to help them. I didn't help in the mapping. Bakit ko pa isinaalang-alang ang pag-tour ko sa Einst Team para lang sa mission na wala akong matutulong?

"Hey." Hindi ko namalayan na nasa tabi ko pala si Albert at nakaupo siya. "Bakit ka nananahimik, Ellaine?"

Noong una ay ayaw ko pa siyang kausapin. Siguro, nahihiya ako kaya hindi ko muna siya kinausap. Pero hindi ko na rin kinaya. I am not snob.

"Nothing," ang payak kong sabi.

"I won't believe that it's just nothing," Albert whispered.

Sinasabi ko na nga ba. They are not the kind of people you can just fool with some words. Ayaw kong sabihin na wala akong naitulong. All of the supervisors can blame me. Nahihiya rin akong sabihin na nahihiya ako.

"I don't know what to say." Nagulat ako nang nasabi ko ang mga salitang 'yon. I accidentally glimpsed at Albert. "Nahihiya ako. Wala akong naitulong sa mission na 'to."

I promised myself not to tell I'm ashamed yet I expressed it. What is happening to me? I swear that this uncontrollably speaking of mine will stop. I suddenly understood everything. That's it.

"Don't force me to talk," I said and glared at Albert. "Albert."

"Sorry," he looked down. "I just want to know why you're silently blue."

Tumingin ako kay Albert ng isa pang beses. Is this true? Is is true that Albert can control minds? I wish he can't. Napapikit ako nang sumakit ng kaunti ang ulo ko.

Hindi mo pwedeng ma-scan ang utak ko, Albert. I can block it.

"I mean it literally, Albert," ang paglilinaw ko. "Can you control minds?"

Nanlaki ang mata ni Albert nang marinig niya ang sinabi ko. It's my time to invade. Sorry, Albert. I scanned his mind eagerly.

“ Yes, I can control minds. ”

"You didn't tell me, Albert," I criticized. The next thing I knew was he exhaled heavily.

"You know, Ellaine," Albert diverted the topic. "You helped in everything. Don't tell me that you didn't help for this mission. You thought of the concept and somehow, that's everything."

He's right. I helped a lot in this mission. I don't have to regret. I don't have to feel unworthy for being the Central Team.

"I know. Thank you but . . . " I narrowed my eyes. "Can you control minds? 'Wag mo nang i-change ang topic, please?"

Albert exhaled, again.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone," he said. "All Einst-blooded members can do that. And that's only a secret locked within the Einst Team. I don't know how you found out that I'm using it mildly a while ago. Ikaw lang ang non-Einst member na nakaalam no'n."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked back.

"Your dad is an Einst and he's here in Minovmatt."

---