Mystery Solved

Written by Hazel Anne Louise L. Si

                “It was a cold, winter night as we drove around the snow-filled grounds. I was seated on the back seat while my parents were on the driver’s and front passenger’s seat. All of a sudden, I heard a beeping sound and saw my father pick up his phone. My mother, on the other hand, asked me if I was hungry. My father sounded really angry talking to the person on the other line and thus, he focused less on his driving. Suddenly, a large truck was moving very hastily, and this, unfortunately, ended in a tragedy,” a girl said.

                There was a number of people seated in front of the girl, all dressed up formally. It wouldn’t take a detective to guess that they were all important people.

                “Please continue,” one of them said.

                “I was a very fortunate survivor of the incident, having suffered minor injuries only. My aunt raised me very well, and when I entered college, I became an independent student and moved out,” the girl continued.

                “Alright, thank you. We’ll be calling once we have decided,” the same person said.

                This girl carefully compiled all the papers she was holding, and placed it in her bag afterwards. She stood up and left the room.

                She was Gwendolyn Winchester, a junior student majoring in digital photography and filmography. She had just gone through the interview for her chosen elective: news reporting. Socializing with other people may not be her best asset, but her impeccable skills often make up for her lack of personality. She lived a typical student’s life, but the only thing different was that she had something other people didn’t. In the outside, she may look like any other student, but the truth was – she had supernatural abilities. First, one straight look in the eyes of another person can allow her to read their mind. Next, she has amazing vision which lets her see things from very far away. She can also hear other people’s voices even if they are very far away from her.

                This is the one secret she keeps from the world, so sometimes she tries to forget they exist, but often fails to do so.

                She stopped at her locker, which is probably the most organized one any person can see. After placing several books in, she grabbed her techie camera and happily entered the classroom.

                “Good morning, everyone. Today’s lesson will be about capturing the picture of a moving object without producing a blurred result. The key to this skill is timing,” Mrs. Briggs said.

                Mrs. Briggs was the third year students’ teacher for special photography skills. She has an unbelievable amount of knowledge and probably also has the most caring attitude.

                After class was dismissed, Gwen placed all her things inside her bag and left the classroom. She stopped when her phone started to ring.

                “Hello?” Gwen said.

                “Ah, yes. Is this Ms. Gwendolyn Winchester from the third year batch?” said the person on the other line.

                “Yes, may I know who this is?” Gwen replied.

                “This is Cassadee Landcaster, the chief of the news reporting elective. I called to let you know that you can go check the bulletin board to see if you passed your interview. If you see your name, please do record my name on your phone as this definitely won’t be our last phone conversation,” Cassadee said.

                “Oh, yes ma’am. I’ll go check it out right now,” Gwen excitedly answered.

                She placed her camera in her bag and quickly made her way to the bulletin board. On one paper, it read “Members of News Reporting Elective”. She nervously and carefully read through the names and smiled joyously upon seeing her own. She kept her composure and tried not to scream, but inside she was like a happy little girl. She read the tiny note underneath which indicated that there would be a meeting at 1 P.M., glanced quickly at her watch, and went to the specified classroom. In there, she saw the other members of the elective.

                “First things first, call me Cassee. Meetings will be held twice a week at different times, so always keep your phones on. I’ll be handing in your first assignment today,” the chief, Cassadee “Cassee”, said.

                “You have a week to accomplish the task, and failure to do so might threaten your position in this club. You have to go around the school campus and search for anything newsworthy. To do so, you’ll have to interview students from different departments and observe school events. You are free to take photos, but assure the authenticity of these. Afterwards, you will compose a well-written article which can easily be passed for publishing. Understood?” Cassee asked.

                “Yes, Ms. Cassee,” all the members said.

                “If that’s so, then meeting adjourned,” Cassee said.

                As everyone left the room one by one, Gwen stood up and approached Cassee.

                “Uhm, Ms. Cassee, is it possible not to interview the students anymore?” Gwen shyly asked.

                “Unfortunately, an interview is the best way to get facts about an incident, Ms….?” Cassee asked.

                “Oh, I’m Gwendolyn Winchester, and alright, I’ll… try my best,” Gwen assured.

                She nervously left the classroom and said in her mind:

                “Oh gosh, what do I do?! There’s such little time and I really don’t want to interview other students…”

                She kept her composure and opted to stay by the school’s resting place and sit on a bench.

                “Alright, Gwen, you can do this. This is the time for you to show everyone that you’re not just some lazy gal!” Gwen said to herself, putting on a determined look.

                All of a sudden, her supernatural ability of hearing things from afar became of use. She heard a voice from very far away.

                “I hate you!” the mysterious voice said.

                This peaks Gwen’s curiosity, who then decides to use her telescopic vision to see where the voice was coming from. She sees a classroom with two sophomore girls, though she didn’t know any of them. One had short hair, while the other had long hair.

                “I didn’t do anything. I’m just naturally good,” the long-haired girl said.

                “Ugh, stop being so conceited! I’m pretty sure you opted with bribery!” the short-haired girl angrily responded.

                “Don’t you dare accuse me of doing something I didn’t!” the long-haired girl said.

                Before Gwen could see or hear any more, she received a text message from Cassee with a reminder as to when the due date for the first assignment is, so she quickly replied with a short message to acknowledge it and shifted her concentration back to the two girls.

                To her surprise, the once tense atmosphere quickly changed to a different scenario. The short-haired girl looked terribly frightened, leaning by the classroom window while another student by the door just kept on shouting “You pushed her!”

                Gwen quickly checked her schedule and was relieved to see she’s free for the rest of the day. She rushes back to the news reporting classroom to confirm something.

                “Ms. Cassee, is there any way I can prove that I’m a reporter in training? Something that will let them allow me to get information?” Gwen asked.

                “Hmm.. ah, yes. I forgot to hand this to you earlier,” Cassee said as she hands an identification card to Gwen.

                “With this, they should allow me to make any interviews, right?” Gwen asked.

                “That’s right,” Cassee answered.

                After their conversation, Gwen quickly went to the scene of the “crime”. She saw an ambulance leaving with the long-haired girl she had seen earlier and was immediately alarmed.

                She entered the classroom where there were two policemen standing with the short-haired girl from earlier.

                “What’s your name?” one of the officers asked the short-haired girl.

                “I-I’m Abigail Dylan… but you can call me Abby,” Abby nervously said.

                “So, we’ll be informing the prosecutor’s office that you will be going there…” the officer said.

                Abby got even more evidently nervous, so Gwen decided to interrupt.

                “Pardon me, sir, but without solid evidence, sending her to the prosecutor’s office will not be allowed,” Gwen said.

                “First, we have a student who says the suspect pushed the victim. Second, who on earth are you?” the police officer angrily answered.

                “I’m sorry sir, but saying something is different from actually seeing. Please give me some time and I’ll handle this case,” Gwen said as she shows her identification card.

                The police officers, seeing the signature and permission of a licensed reporter on the I.D., decided to allow Gwen to handle the case for a short while.

                Gwen looked at their eyes and read their minds.

                “Nothing’s gonna change anyway.”

                She simply smiled and thanked the officers. Afterwards, she approached Abby, who was still trembling with fear.

                “Hi there, I’m Gwendolyn Winchester, a member from the news reporting elective. You’re Abby, right?” Gwen said, offering her hand to shake.

                “Y-yes…” Abby answered, slowly putting out her hand.

                “Don’t worry. We may not know each other well but I can assure you that you can trust me. It’ll take solid evidence for me to declare something,” Gwen assured.

                Abby puts on a small smile and says “T-thank y-you…”

                “So, I’m a third year junior student from the department of filmography,” Gwen said.

                “I’m a sophomore from the department of interior designing,” Abby said.

                “I’m guessing you and your friend had an argument? If so, what was it about?” Gwen asked, making sure not to reveal that she had heard their whole conversation.

                “Yes, and Lyn and I are sort of frenemies. I got jealous that she was always the top student…” Abby shyly said.

                “So her name is Lyn? Alright. For now, go home and don’t worry. I’ll go check for clues outside,” Gwen said.

                She went outside to where Lyn had fallen and took photographs. She found no clues until she stepped on a piece of crumpled paper. She bent down to pick it up, but suddenly spotted a cell phone. She took photographs, then leaned forward to pick it up.

                Gwen turned on the phone and saw that it was Lyn’s. She checked the phone log and saw that the last person who had called Lyn was her mom, just a few minutes before she fell off.

                The next day after classes, Gwen met up with Abby again.

                “I forgot to ask. What happened after you fought with Lyn yesterday?” Gwen asked.

                “Well, I was so angry that I left the room, but a few minutes later I realized I left something, so I came back. When I did, I heard a loud sound and saw that Lyn already fell,” Abby explained.

                “Abby, when I investigated outside yesterday, I found two things. One is Lyn’s cellphone and the other one is…” Gwen said.

                Before she could finish what she was saying, Abby grabbed the piece of paper Gwen was holding and interrupted.

                “My final project!” Abby screamed.

                “Pardon?” Gwen said, surprised as ever.

                “This drawing… is my final project!” Abby said.

                “If this is yours, then why would it be outside?” Gwen suspiciously asked.

                “I’m not sure either… Did you find anything on her phone?” Abby asked.

                “Well, I don’t know if this is important but I checked her log and saw that her mom called her a few minutes before the incident,” Gwen explained.

                “Uhm, is it possible to visit Lyn in the hospital?” Abby asked.

                “I’m not sure Abby… I’ll try visiting later, but I think it’d be better if you stayed here first,” Gwen said.

                “O-okay then…” Abby sighed.

                The two of them went back to their respective classes. When Gwen finally found some free time, she mustered up the courage to go to the hospital. Fortunately, she saw Lyn’s mom, sitting beside the still unconscious Lyn.

                “Uhm, hello there, Mrs. Fleur. I’m Gwendolyn Winchester,” Gwen said politely, handing her I.D. to Lyn’s mom.

                “I’ve heard about you… why did you delay that Abby girl’s visit to the prosecutor’s office? Seriously, this is attempted murder!” Lyn’s mom angrily said.

                “You see, Mrs. Fleur… there was no proper evidence that proved Abby was the culprit. Please do put your trust in me,” Gwen assured.

                She looked into Lyn’s mom’s eyes and read her mind.

                “What exactly does this girl want with me?”       

                “I’m really here to ask only one question, ma’am,” Gwen said.

                Lyn’s mom sighs.

                “Alright, what is it?” she asked.

                Gwen puts on a faint smile.

                “I found Lyn’s cellphone in the area where she fell, and I saw that you called her before the incident. May I ask what you talked about?” Gwen asked.

                “I just asked her what time she’d be home, that’s all,” Lyn’s mom said.

                “Oh… I see. Thank you very much,” Gwen said disappointedly.

                When Gwen got home, she laid her bag on the couch and started typing. Based on all the facts she collected, it seemed like Abby really was the culprit. She continued typing the article, when all of a sudden she stopped and deleted all her progress. She got Lyn’s cell phone and Abby’s project from her bag.

                “Something’s not right here…” Gwen said to herself.

                Just like a missing puzzle piece, it seemed like Gwen had missed something in the story, and as long as she had that nagging suspicion, she wouldn’t be at peace.

                The following day, Gwen received a call from the police officer who said she only had the day left to gather information. After that, the case will be theirs.

                Because she lacked the time, Gwen opted not to attend school that day. She used her telescopic vision to see that Lyn has already regained consciousness. She overheard Lyn’s conversation with her mom.

                “Did Abby go to court?” Lyn asked.

                “No, there was a reporter who insisted she was innocent,” Lyn’s mom said.

                Gwen rushed to the hospital just in time to quietly slip a small recorder inside Lyn’s room. She went back to the lobby but continued listening to their conversation.

                “What did the reporter do?” Lyn asked.

                “She visited yesterday, asking me why I called you before the incident,” Lyn’s mom said.

                “Did you answer her?!” Lyn asked.

                “Don’t worry… I may not know what really happened, but it doesn’t take a detective to say Abby pushed you. I had a bad feeling about that reporter, so I lied,” Lyn’s mom said.

                Gwen was surprised and immediately rushed to the room. She knocked and entered.

                “Hello again, Mrs. Fleur. I see Lyn has already gained consciousness. May I please have a word with her?” Gwen asked.

                “If I said no, what would you do?” Lyn’s mom asked.

                “Please… if I don’t get anything today, I will stop. It will be passed back to the police,” Gwen said.

                “Fine then… make it quick,” Lyn’s mom said.

                She left the room, and Gwen picked up her recorder and started asking questions to Lyn.

                “Lyn, what did your mom call you for before the incident?” Gwen asked.

                “Didn’t you already ask her?” Lyn said.

                “Yes, but I just wanted to confirm it,” Gwen said.

                “S-she just asked me how my day was,” Lyn answered.

                “Is that so?” Gwen asked.

                Before Lyn can answer, Gwen calls Lyn’s mom to come back in.

                “I asked the same question to both of you, but your answers do not match. Why is that?” Gwen asked suspiciously.

                “Oh, really? My dear daughter must have suffered minor memory loss due to the impact of the injury. She must have forgotten,” Lyn’s mom explained.

                “Ah, I see, but for some reason, I don’t believe that,” Gwen said, pressing the play button on the recorder.

                Lyn and her mom were completely shocked.

                “H-h-how did y-you…?” Lyn’s mom asked.

                “You don’t need to know that. Now, will any one of you please tell me the truth?” Gwen said.

                Lyn and her mom looked at each other, until Lyn finally nodded.

                “O-okay… I’ll tell you what really happened,” Lyn said.

                Gwen smiled and got a pen to jot down some notes.

                After Lyn told Gwen the truth, Gwen left the hospital and chose to either go to school and tell Abby or head straight to the police officers. In the end, she chose the former.

                Before going to Abby, Gwen went to the school office and asked for a copy of the CCTV footage on the day of the incident.

                “You’re aware that the camera only records events in the corridors, right?” Anna, the person managing the video clips, said.

                “Yes, I am,” Gwen replied.

                “Also, why should I give you the video?” Anna asked.

                “I’m a newbie reporter,” Gwen said, showing her I.D.

                “Oh, okay, I guess,” Anna said.

                She gave a disc to Gwen, who then left.

                Gwen quickly went to the computer room to check the disc out. She inserted it and played the video. After watching it, she put on a big smile. She quickly checked her schedule and was relieved to see that all her classes in the morning were already finished.

                Gwen rushed to Abby’s classroom and asked the teacher for her to be excused.

                “Abby, I…” Gwen said, panting.

                “What is it?!” Abby asked nervously.

                “Lyn told me the truth!” Gwen said.

                “She did?! Well…?” Abby asked.

                “It goes like this…” Gwen said.

                “When you left the classroom, Lyn’s mom called her. She reprimanded Lyn because her teacher called her to tell her that Lyn had not yet submitted her final project. If she didn’t do so by the day, she’ll receive a failing mark. Out of sheer desperation, she decided to steal your work. However, when she heard someone coming, she quickly hid near the window but slipped and fell,” Gwen explained.

                “So, what will happen to Lyn now?” Abby asked.

                “Fortunately, because she told the truth, she wouldn’t be punished for plagiarism, so don’t worry,” Gwen said, placing her hand on Abby’s shoulder.

                “T-thank you so much!” Abby said, hugging Gwen.

                Abby went back to her classroom and Gwen headed home. She sat down, turned on her computer and started typing. While doing so, she smiled.

                In her mind, she said…

                “Good job, Gwen! I guess this is what your abilities are for. Don’t ever take advantage of them and use them for the good of others.”