Two hours was not a short period of time, but still not a lot for a break after the night and day Marcus just had. He thought about lighting the inse sticks before he went to sleep, in the er of his room to see if what he suspected to be his mother’s spirit would e and find him. But he then decided it’d be better if he saved it for aime.

  The night had e, and he could hear the snores ing from his father’s bedroom. Marcus put on his jacket and snuck outside. At this time, there should be one final bus heading towards the dire of the Temple of Fetfulness. And per Marcus’ experiehis bus would only be carrying a very small number of passengers, if any at all.

  “Young man, you’re my st passeoday.” When heading onto the bus, the driver, a warm and kind looking old man smiled at Marcus: “Where are you heading to?”

  “Temple of Fetfulness.” Marodded and smiled back. But when he walked down the bus, he noticed a young boy sitting at the back with a rge cap on his head. For a moment he wao ask where the boy’s parents were. But when he id eyes on the boy’s pale and slender arms and legs, a strange feeling struck him that this boy did not seem to fit in with his surroundings. After a short moment of hesitation, he decided to sit in the front, right behind the driver.

  “So, why are you going to the temple at this time of night?” The driver asked.

  “I have some questions I need ao.” Marcus peeked at the boy at the back of the bus with a side eye, while maintaining a nont demeanor: “So, old sir, how’d you end up driving the st bus? I heard the city usually assigns drivers that are around forty - forty five to drive night shifts. No offense.”

  The driver ughed out loud then shook his head: “aken, kid. And you’re right, this is the sed week since I came back. They assigned me to the night shift because there’s not many who are willing to drive it.”

  “Why? And what about you?”

  “Some weird stuff was happening iy, and many of the drivers are just too afraid and worried to drive when it’s te. The pany offered additional bonuses each shift, still no one would.” The driver sighed: “It’s natural, the money’s only good as long as you’re healthy. But people do o ute, even at this time. And I want to save my grandson some money so he afford to marry a good girl when he’s older.”

  “That’s nice. ” Marodded with a smile: “I hope you make plenty so he buy a house.”

  The driver ughed once again: “Thank you for your kind blessings, young man.”

  There were no other passengers on other stops along the way, so the driver just drove past them and only stopped the bus when they reached the station at the foot of the hill where the temple was. Marcus took another look at the young boy, and his skin crawled a little as he found him already standing at the door of the bus, seemingly waiting to get off.

  “Well, here’s your stop. ” The driver smiled: “Hope you get your answer.”

  “Sure, thank you…” Marcus stood up and was ready to use his Qi on the young boy, should the boy attempt something that could endanger him or the driver.

  But the boy just headed off the bus like he was not paying any attention to anybody, and started walking up the hill on the same road Marcus was about to go. His steps were sickly looking and trembling, his walking posure was also slightly off. Marcus could hear his fast breathing as if he was eager to go somewhere, and was relieved that this boy was heading to another pstead of staying on the bus.

  “Drive safe, old sir.” Marcus let out an exhale of relief, then headed off the bus, keeping a det distance from the boy.

  The boy’s steps were getting slightly faster and faster by the minute, and Marcus had to step it up to follow him. Luckily for Marcus, the boy did not get too quid still remai human-able speed, so he did not o speed up too much. And before long, with still some way to go till the midpoint of the path up the hill, the boy started running. Strangely, even though he was running, his speed was still human speed, barely faster than the speed at which Marcus walked. So Marcus sped up as well to gain up on him - there was no point in keeping a distanymore, si was clear the boy was running away.

  “Aaaah!” Before Marcus could get within an arm’s length, the boy screamed and turned back at him, with an old bottle of pepper spray and a paper talisman in his two hands: “Stop chasiop! Or I’ll spray you with blessed chili water and obliterate you with this fire talisman!”

  “What?” Marcus immediately stopped and raised both his hands.

  The boy was nervous and seemed to be g before, for his face was full of tear marks and snot was dripping below his nostrils.

  “Wait, you’re human?” Mararrowed his eyes.

  “What? What the fuck are you saying?” The boy cursed and screamed while still sniffling: “Don’t e oep closer! You ghost passenger!”

  “I - I’m not a ghost.” Marcus sighed, still w how he could have thought this now clearly human boy of flesh and blood was a ghost: “I thought you were …”

  “Stop lying!” The boy still had his pepper spray and talisman poi Marcus: “If you’re not a ghost, why did you get on that bus!?”

  “You were on that bus too, kid.”

  “That’s - that’s because I didn’t know! I got on by act!” The boy wiped her nose and sniffled again: “How did you get on it? And why did you talk to the driver like that?”

  “That was the st bus here. And I was uhe impression that you were the ghost, because you doly fit in - ”

  “Of course I don’t fit in!” The boy put his pepper spray back but still held the talisman in hand: “That whole bus is not normal! It’s a fug ghost bus! The driver is a ghost driver!”

  Marcus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and a cold feeling shoot through his spine aremities: “What? How’d you know?”

  “Ojison, do you even pay attention to your surroundings? Especially knowing that there are ghosts iy now?” The boy snickered, then turned around and tinued his way to the temple: “He did not even have shadows uhe light! Plus, I didn’t know this befetting on the bus either - that is not the st bus! The actual st bus was around half an ho. The ter buses were celed by the pany because no one wao drive these shifts.”

  Marcus thought for a brief moment - indeed he was not paying too much attention to any signs of abnormality with the driver. It might be because his meridians were pretty empty right now and his senses were dull due to his ck of Qi a, or it might just be that he erating uhe first impression and thus ighe signs that should have been obvious.

  “Well, I’m just gd we both made it out.” Marcus gained up on the boy again and chuckled: “Why are you going to the temple of fetfulness at this time? And alone?”

  “I - I o have some more talismans for my home, maybe even some blessed objects. Like a buddha statue or something.” The boy shook his head: “We don’t have enough now, and mom and dad both work night shifts. I want us to have some more so that they be safe…”

  “Uood. ” Marcus smiled: “Then yoing to the right pce, Master Liaoran will for sure help you?”

  “What about you, Ojison?” The boy’s tone became softer: “Also here for talismans?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not in a hurry.” Marcus sighed: “I’m here because I need some answers.”

  “Ooh, what kind of questions? And what kind of answers?”

  “Questions about how to talk to ghosts, well, unicate with them. Because I have some questions that possibly only they could answer.” Marcus chuckled.

  “Geez, Ojison, you’re bold.”