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No. How can it be? Matagal nang wala ang Daddy ko. Besides, I know that he was gone long before I was born. Hindi ko rin siya kilala, and that's all I know.

"Mommy, ano po ang pinagkaiba ko sa mga bata sa school?" ang tanong ko kay Mommy.

"Ano ba ang ibig mong sabihin, anak?"

"Bakit sila, may Daddy? Ako..." natakot akong sabihin ang susunod kaya tumigil ako, "wala."

"Wala na siya, anak. Hindi ko na siya ulit nakita simula nang maipanganak kita," ang malungkot na sagot ni Mommy. "Sige, Mommy needs to let you sleep na. Sweetie dreams."

Pinatay niya na ang lampshade na nasa tabi ng bed ko at umalis sa kwarto. Nang maisara na niya ang pinto, nakatulog na ako.

I pushed the memory away and tried to say something.

"What do you mean... my dad?" I examined his eyes. "Do you know him?"

Natulala si Albert na para bang ayaw niya magsalita. What's wrong with him? I hate the way he's blank.

"Hey, tell me!" I irritatingly whispered. "Do you know my dad?"

He looked at me in the eye with regained strength.

"Forget it," he plainly said and tried to stand calmly. I pulled his hand like how I wanted to pull my father back into my life.

"I will not." He looked back at me after I said those three words.

"Forget what I said about the Einst's secret and your dad."

No, I am involved in everything you wanted me to forget. That's what I want to say, but my throat is being constricted. My jaw can't be moved, and I'm sure it's not locked. If my dad is an Einst member, it means, I share their ability in controlling minds and blood. I am involved in the Einst Team, and I am involved in my Daddy's life.

I will forget it for now, but it will always be restored whenever I want to bring it up. I've finally recovered the strength of my jaw and throat after a short while. I thought to myself, I control my body, and I can recover. Being in Minovmatt makes me feel that the mind is as powerful as how much I wanted to believe. Then another thought crossed my mind.

Sino kaya si Lynne? Tulad ng mga gusto kong linawin at itanong kanina, hindi rin sinagot ni Albert ang tanong ko tungkol kay Lynne. I want to know her.

"Lynne!" Agad akong tumayo at lumingon sa paligid. Bea called Lynne so it means she's here in the meeting room.

"Is Lynne here?" ang nababaliw kong tanong kay Bea.

"Lynne?" she verified.

"Yeah."

Bea leaned her head backwards, and she seemed likely to think twice.

"Wala si Lynne dito. Pupunta nga tayo bahay niya mamaya, 'di ba?" Bea said. "Bakit mo naman naisip na narito si Lynne?"

"I heard you calling her," I replied.

I know Bea is trying to recall what she said. She shook her head and grinned.

"I called out Ellaine, not Lynne," she explained. Medyo malayo naman yata ang narinig ko pero pwede na ring magandang dahilan ang laine ko sa dulo.

"Sorry, I misheard it."

Masyado ko yatang iniisip si Lynne kaya iba ang narinig ko. Okay, time to refresh my mind. I inhaled and smiled normally.

"Para saan nga pala ang pagtawag mo sa akin?" I asked and tried to push focus towards my mind.

"Well," Bea smiled. "We're done doing the clues." She showed me the yellow colored papers in her hands. "Bestie, ready yourself, because we will finally meet Lynne."

This is it. I'll finally meet the owner of the name that bothers me and my curiosity. I will finally meet the unknown girl to me. I will finally meet Lynne Zamora.

I walked along with all the Supervisors I am with. Roger, who is leading the group, knocked at the meeting room door. I took a deep breath as I saw the door dissolve into invisible particles. I followed the others with Bea and Albert beside me.

---

We are walking in a bluish dungeon where an unexplainable and unusually big cars float.

"Ellaine," they all said in unison, and I tried my best to look at everyone.

"Welcome to the parking zone of Minovmatt," Roger smiled and raised both of his hands like he owned the place.

I roamed my eyes around everything around me. The dome-looking roof is made of hexagonal white tiles, which are linked by bluish fluorescent lamps. The bluish fluorescent lamps light up the whole dome effortlessly. Sa kinatatayuan namin, maitim na maitim ang sahig. I even thought that I'm floating in the darkness.

The modern look of the dome gave me a hard time to believe that this place is a parking zone.

"Unbelievable," I whispered.

"Let us lead you to my car before you drown in diversion," Albert poked my right shoulder and rolled his unique keys in his palm.

We walked through the different cars floating on their circular platforms. One car caught my eye. Lahat ng mga kakaibang kotse rito ay magaganda, pero mayroong isang kakaiba. Nilapitan namin ang kotseng 'yon at malamang, that's Albert's. The unique traits of the car seemed hard to explain.

The shiny wheels of the car looks like it's not used for ground—sobrang kinis at linis nito. Para ring walang edges ang pinto ng kotseng 'to. The car's surface is sveltely connected to every other part.

Albert placed his odd keys near the wall of the driver's seat. Imbis na pa-sideward, the door of the car opened downwards, forming a ramp. Kitang-kita ko kung paano nag-iba ang histura ng kotse, from no visible car doors to its driver's seat door moving to form a ramp.

"There are seven of us, minus me on the driver's seat," Albert looked at us then shook his keys up and down. The back of his car extended like a Bubblehead's van, and it looks fantastic.

"Do all cars here look like Albert's?" I asked due to my bursting curiosity. They all looked at me and waited for any of them to answer. Then here comes Roger.

"Well, his car is the best model Minovmatt had nowadays," Roger explained. "That is Einst Team's invention."

Einst Team is great. That's all I can say every time I come across their name.

"Everyone, get in," Albert smiled, and the car's doors opened and formed a ramp in unison. I chose to sit beside Bea. Beside the driver's seat where Albert is, Drew sits patiently. The next row is where Roger and Georgina sit. At the very back is where Bea, Strata, and I sat.

"We'll be off now," that is Albert's voice. "Off to Lynne's province. All of our needs are here, right?"

All of us said yes and readily sat up straightly. Sana naman ay hindi na namin problemahin ang traffic. I'm dead tired of it. Albert started the car up as I felt that his car goes to the ground down slowly. After that, we moved out of the parking zone.

"Later, what's the first move in giving the clues to Lynne?" Drew asked.

"I will volunteer for that," ang buhay na buhay na sabi ni Strata with matching raise of her hands. "I can make her go up their roof and give one clue."

"While Strata is on the roof with Lynne, I can be on the ground for another one," ang biglang sabi ni Georgina. Aba, parang ang bait na yata ni Georgina ngayon. Silence came again and whispered to everyone of us inside Albert's car. Okay, this is awkward. I never know when the silence will break.

The next thing I knew is my eyelids fell down. I fell asleep.

---

My sight went half dark and half lit. Binukas-sara ko ang mga mata ko para magising ako ng tuluyan. I looked at everyone else. Halos lahat naman kami ay gising na rin. Ang tulog lang yata ay sina Drew, Bea, at Strata.

"Albert," ang pagtawag ko sa kanya. "Nasaan na ba tayo?"

"We're approximately three-quarters to our destination," he replied.

"Thank you."

I looked at those who are sleeping. Mukhang mababaw na lang ang tulog nila at magigising na sila kaya hindi ko na lang gigisingin. I stared at the window out of boredom. Through the glass, I saw trees of various types and sizes, and they are planted on the side of the road. I looked at the windshield and the picturesque view of the smooth path and trees.

Since Albert—the one who drives is near the windshield, I accidentally saw him turn the steering wheel counter-clockwise. The car turned left and moved few meters forward until a large house can be seen at my left. Albert stopped the vehicle at the front of the house. Ang bahay ay napapalibutan ng concrete walls na may spikes sa taas no'n. I have to admit, ang bahay na ito ay luma.

I winced as an alarming sound rung the whole car. Nagsigalawan na sina Drew, Bea, at Strata mula sa tulog. They slowly opened their eyes as the ringing sound faded.

"Albert, what's that fo—" I asked, but Albert already responded before I could finish.

"It's an alarm used for calling the attention of everyone in the car—I mean van right now," he said. "Don't worry. Although the sound is loud, it ain't harmful. There's an object attached to the speaker to prevent harmful sound waves."

Wow.

"We're here, everyone!" Albert announced, and I can't help but stare at the house outside.

I'll finally meet Lynne.

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