*CHAPTER 3* The First Bus Ride*

The bus smelled like diesel and wet jackets.

It was 4:17am.

Cebu South Bus Terminal.

Ari had never been awake this early on purpose.

She had a backpack.

One set of clothes.

300 pesos.

Notebook 3 wrapped in plastic.

And Lian.

Lian had the same.

Plus a thermos.

Plus three other people.

Kuya Miko, the jeepney driver from last night.

Nurse Joy, night shift, still in scrubs.

And the old man with the cane.

Tatay Berto.

He didn’t talk much.

“Where we going,” Ari asked as they got in line.

“Davao,” Lian said. “Then wherever the book says.”

She patted Notebook 3.

It was warm through the plastic.

The bus was almost empty.

Rows 1 to 4 had people.

Rows 5 to 20 were empty.

They took row 10.

Middle.

Near the aisle.

Near the exit.

Lian’s idea.

“Rule 8,” she said when Ari gave her a look.

“What’s Rule 8,” Ari asked.

“Don’t sit where you can’t run,” Lian said.

Then she smiled. “Joke. Half.”

The bus pulled out at 4:30am.

City lights.

Then no lights.

Then highway.

For an hour, no one talked.

Ari tried to sleep.

Couldn’t.

Notebook 3 was in her lap.

It kept getting warmer.

Then colder.

Then warm again.

At 6am, the conductor came.

“Tiket po.”

Lian paid for all five.

“San kayo,” the conductor asked.

“Davao,” Lian said.

The conductor looked at their bags.

“Mahaba byahe. Magbaon kayo.”

He moved on.

Kuya Miko opened the thermos.

Tea.

Ginger.

Steam came out even though the bus was cold.

He poured five cups.

Paper cups.

From the terminal.

“San niyo nakuha ‘to,” Nurse Joy asked.

“Bahay,” Kuya Miko said.

“Anong bahay,” Joy asked.

“Yung may ilaw,” Miko said.

They drank.

The tea didn’t burn.

It was perfect.

Ari looked at her cup.

The tea was still swirling.

Like someone had just poured it.

Notebook 3 twitched.

Ari felt it.

She opened it.

Blank page.

Then words.

Slow.

Like someone was dragging a pen.

`Don’t look back. -R`

Ari looked up.

Everyone was looking forward.

Except Tatay Berto.

He was looking out the window.

Back.

Toward Cebu.

“Tatay,” Lian said softly.

Tatay Berto didn’t answer.

His eyes were wet.

“Okay lang,” Lian said.

Tatay Berto nodded.

Turned forward.

The bus stopped at a terminal in Ormoc.

30 minutes.

Everyone got off to pee and buy food.

Ari stayed on the bus.

Lian stayed too.

“Why,” Ari asked.

“Because it’s safer,” Lian said.

“Safer how,” Ari asked.

Lian tapped Notebook 3.

“It’s been writing since we left. Look.”

New lines.

`They’re checking terminals.`

`City Ordinance 47-B. They’re looking for us.`

`Stay on the bus. -R`

Ari’s stomach dropped.

“They know about us already,” she said.

“The Winter Law,” Lian said. “It’s not just a law. It’s people enforcing it.”

Outside, two men in vests walked past the bus.

Looked in.

Looked at them.

Moved on.

Ari didn’t breathe until they were gone.

The bus left Ormoc.

Now it was full.

People got on with boxes and sacks and babies.

The empty rows filled.

Row 10 was still theirs.

But now there was a woman next to Ari.

With a toddler.

The toddler stared at Notebook 3.

“Book,” he said.

Ari smiled.

“Yeah. Book.”

The toddler reached for it.

Ari pulled it closer.

The toddler started crying.

Loud.

The mom apologized.

Gave him bread.

He stopped.

But he kept staring.

At 2pm they hit rough road.

Mountains.

Fog.

The bus slowed.

Notebook 3 got cold.

Ice cold.

Ari could see her breath.

No one else’s.

`We’re being followed. -R`

`Black van. 2 cars back.`

`Don’t panic. -R`

Ari looked out the back window.

Nothing.

Just fog.

And road.

And other buses.

“Where,” she whispered to Lian.

Lian shook her head.

“Don’t look. It makes it real.”

The bus stopped again.

Small town.

No name on the sign.

Everyone got off to eat.

Ari, Lian, Miko, Joy, Tatay Berto stayed.

The conductor knocked on the door.

“Last stop before Davao. 4 hours.”

He left.

The woman with the toddler got off.

The toddler waved at Ari.

Ari waved back.

The bus was empty now.

Except them.

And the driver.

The driver turned around.

“Alis na tayo in 5,” he said.

He looked tired.

He looked at Notebook 3.

“Anong libro ‘yan,” he asked.

“School notes,” Lian said fast.

The driver nodded.

Didn’t look convinced.

He got off.

To smoke.

Silence.

Then: a knock.

On the bus door.

From outside.

Not the driver.

The driver was in front.

Three knocks.

Slow.

No one moved.

Notebook 3 flipped open by itself.

New page.

Fast writing.

Angry writing.

`DO NOT OPEN. -R`

`DO NOT LOOK. -R`

`KEEP THE LIGHT ON. -R`

The light inside the bus flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Stayed on.

Another knock.

Harder.

Kuya Miko stood up.

“Kuya, upo,” Lian said.

Miko sat down.

The door handle turned.

It was locked.

It jiggled.

Stopped.

Footsteps.

Walking away.

The driver got back on.

“May tao kanina,” he said.

“Wala,” Lian said.

The driver shrugged.

“Okay.”

He started the bus.

No one talked for an hour.

At 7pm, it was dark.

Davao was 1 hour away.

Notebook 3 was hot again.

`Almost there. -R`

`There’s a light on for you. -R`

`Third floor. Blue door. -R`

`Always. -R`

Ari closed her eyes.

She was so tired.

She dreamed of a pot.

White with blue flowers.

Steam going up.

No fire.

A voice saying `upuan ka.`

She woke up when the bus stopped.

Davao City.

Overnight terminal.

8:03pm.

People filed out.

They were last.

Outside, it was raining.

Not hard.

Just enough to be cold.

A tricycle was waiting.

Kuya Jun.

No.

Not Kuya Jun.

Younger.

Same eyes.

“You’re the ones,” he said.

“How do you know,” Lian asked.

“The light,” he said. “It’s on.”

He loaded their bags.

They got in.

The ride was 20 minutes.

Through streets Ari didn’t know.

Past buildings.

Past closed stores.

Past one window.

Third floor.

Yellow.

The tricycle stopped.

Apartment building.

Old.

Paint peeling.

Third floor.

Blue door.

Light on.

Kuya Jun took their money.

Lian shook her head.

“Keep it,” she said.

Kuya Jun nodded.

Drove off.

They climbed.

1st floor.

2nd floor.

3rd floor.

The door was open.

Just a crack.

Inside:

A pot.

White with blue flowers.

Boiling.

No fire.

7 mugs.

On a table.

Full.

Steam rising.

And a girl.

Sitting on the floor.

Waiting.

She looked up when they came in.

“Took you long enough,” she said.

“How did you,” Joy started.

“The book,” the girl said. “It told me.”

She stood.

Handed each of them a mug.

Ari took hers.

Hot.

Ginger.

Like Cebu.

Like home.

“I’m Mara,” the girl said.

“This is Bahay 2.”

Lian exhaled.

Like she’d been holding her breath for 12 hours.

Tatay Berto sat down.

First time he looked relaxed.

Notebook 3 was still in Ari’s hands.

It was cool now.

Normal.

She opened it.

Last page.

New writing.

Neat.

Calm.

`Welcome to Davao.`

`Rule 1 still applies.`

`The Winter is here too. But so are we.`

`Chapter 3 complete. -R`

Under it, in different handwriting.

Small.

`P.S. Ari. You did good. -Little Ren`

Ari looked up.

“What,” she said.

Lian smiled.

“Told you. The book writes back.”

Mara pointed to the corner.

Empty.

With a blanket.

New.

Soft.

“For you,” Mara said.

Ari nodded.

She was crying.

She didn’t know why.

She sat in the corner.

Drank her tea.

It didn’t cool.

Outside, the city was loud.

Jeepneys.

Rain.

People.

Inside, the pot was boiling.

The door was open.

The light was on.

And 400km away,

Little Ren closed Notebook 1.

He could feel it.

The light had moved.

He whispered to the room.

“Keep it on.”

---

*Notes from Notebook 3, added at 8:15pm, Davao:*

`First bus ride complete.`

`5 people.`

`1 van followed us. Lost them in the fog.`

`City Ordinance 47-B is in Davao too.`

`But Rule 1 is stronger.`

`We’re home.`

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