The next 3 hours seem to pass by in an instant, the bus arrives at a lone gas station for refueling. Students get off to stretch their legs, buy snacks and use the toilet.

"Ahh! my legs are all tingly" Sky complains.

"That's what happens when you have someone sitting on your lap for for 3 hours" Meilin says mockingly.

Lily snorts heading off to the restroom.

Sky gives Meilin a possessive look "Come here, it's time to feed big sister Sky her Meilin medication.. " Sky giggles and approaches slowly like a predator stalking it's prey.

Due to Sky's sudden suspicious movements, Meilin backs away instinctively. "Hands off you beast! Go attack Meiying, she's surely a better target than me!"

Meiying is astonished "Really sis? you're gonna throw your cute feeble little sister under the bus so soon?"

"Of course, to save me from this mobile mountain range you should feel proud! Sacrificing yourself for oneechan is a meritorious service!" Meilin tries to give her little sister an encouraging smile but it comes off as fake.

"I've already had my fill of Meiying and Lily, it'd be unfair to you if they got all my affection" Sky cackles like an evil villain and pounces at Meilin with great speed.

Meilin dodges skillfully, still she's far from reaching her mothers slippery snake like movement.

"Help me Meiying, your oneechan needs you!" Meilin cries out helplessly while dodging back and forth.

"Hmph" Meiying turns her head, nose to the sky and arms crossed. "This is what you deserve sister, don't blame me for being harsh"

Meiying leaves her sister to her inevitable fate and begins exploring around the gas station. It's an old gas station with serveral gas pumps littering the front, the canopy just seems large enough to fit the big bus under it. Apart from the tarmac that's tattered and cracked and a rusty 1950s ford truck to the side of the building, everything else looks well taken care of.

A cute girl the same height as Meiying with platinum blonde hair comes up to her and points "HUMPH! Finally you're not around that boobzilla, you think you could hide behind her forever smelly ying?"

Meiying's eyes narrow "Well if it isn't her majesty baka-head Alice sama! What hole did you crawl out from today?"

"You- you're the baka-head!" Alice says with a flushed face, her hands bunched up into tiny little fists. "I know you're cheating, how could I always lose to you in the school tests? the last one was just so close! you must be doing something shady!"

Meiying softly humphs "That's not cheating, that's skills. Only a baka like you can't figure it out"

"Skills? more like shady tricks!" Alice snorts.

"Look Alice, you should stop bothering me about this. If you continue, I'll get big sister Sky and have her hug you to death!"

Alice shows a look of horror "Killing me with a borrowed knife? You think the police will let you off?"

"Humph! What the police don't know won't hurt them, plus I have someone on the inside who can sway the case in my favor" Meiying gives a proud grin. 'Lily's brother can definitely help me out'

Alice points at Meiying in disbelief "I'll catch you one day Meiying, you better watch yourself" Alice gives an adorable glare before storming off.

Meiying calls out teasingly "Don't let the door hit you on the way out"

Alice almost falls over hearing that, she shivers in anger then leaves.

Meiyings gloating is interrupted, a flyer blown by the wind snags on her leg.

She picks up the flyer, curious she reads what it says. "Greenwood Springs, come and visit this humble resort town! Our famous hotsprings pool is known to relieve even the most tired and worn, for the ladies your skin will glow with richness and vitality.

Stay at our 3 star colorado hotel and our chefs will serve you a meal not easily forgotten, the alpine coaster and mysterious caverns are great activities for any family.

Our town welcomes any and all. Greenwood Springs where the trees are green and hot springs are hot!"

"We're gonna be passing this town, maybe we can have a swim at the hotsprings pool" Meiying speaks excitedly. She looks to where the flyer came from and sees a strange man with his back facing her.

Meiying walks over to the man and asks him "Mister, did you drop this?"

The man turns around and Meiying gasps, he's wearing a vintage cream colored suit that has delicate gold embroidery, silver buttons with strange engravings that decorate it and a gold pocket watch that hangs from the man's breast pocket. The white gloves that cover his hands and the vintage black leather shoes go together with his suit perfectly.

Meiying finally gets a good look at his face and once again is surprised. He's very tall, taller than Sky and seems to be middle aged, has sunken cheekbones a long nose, and thin lips. Age lines and crows feet around his closed eyes make him older than he looks.

His hair has gone completely white and is styled in an undercut, but those aren't the most startling things about him. His skin is so pale and sickly, it's like someone went to the hardware store and bought the whitest paint they could find before painting themselves with it.

The strange man gives off an eerie feeling but Meiying pushes that thought to the back of her mind.

"You can see me little one?" The man's voice is immeasurably deep and layered by what seems to be many voices speaking at once, the mere sound of it seems gives an unfathomably disturbing feeling.

"Of course I can silly, you think you're some kind of sneaky ghost or something?" Meiying tilts her head, she doesn't seem to notice anything wrong as if the man wasn't strange at all.

Something about this man seems to warp the perception of those who notice him thus the abnormal becomes normal.

"Sneaky ghost?" The man cracks a smile and begins laughing, the air around them vibrating from his voice alone.

The man stops laughing abnormaly quick, his expression changing back to normal in an instant. "Perhaps I am.. yes little one, I did drop that" The man affirms.

"Here you go, you shouldn't litter the ground mister. Mama said that it was a naughty thing to do" Meiying gives the flyer to the man.

"Really now.. what a kind mother" He replies expressionlessly after taking the flyer, the man turns to the direction he was facing before Meiying interrupted him as if there's something that catches his attention.

Meiying is happy with the man's praise "Yep, mama is the best!, she's always teaching me the proper manners"

"What are you doing mister?" She asks.

"Looking at the end of a tunnel" The man replies.

Meiying's surprised, looking? but his eyes are closed so how coud he look at anything?

She looks at the man closely showing a curious expression "Say mister... why are your eyes closed?"

The man's ears perk up as soon as she asks that question and his head contorts into an unnatural position, he stares at her creepily, "Do you want to see my eyes little one? The eyes are the gateway to the soul" The man says in an ambiguous manner.

Meiying nods her head "Mister, it's impolite talking to someone with your eyes closed"

"And what if those who see my eyes die?.. " A smile gradually appears the on the man's face.

"Humph! that's rubbish mister, I won't believe your excuses" Meiying replies in a dissatisfied tone, not convinced at all.

"Are you sure little one? curiosity.. killed.. the cat.. " The man's face comes closer, the sinister grin on his face growing by the second.

"Absolutely, correct your impolite ways mister" I will teach this silly man she thinks confidently.

The man's sinister grin stretches in a horrifying manner, his teeth finally shown in full. They're pitch black, giving off an abnormal aura.

Finally, the man's eyes open and Meiying peers into them, in the man's eyes is complete darkness, a void that swallows all light. The more she looks, the more it feels that she's about to be sucked into them.

Meiying gets the feeling that there's countless suffering people within his gaze trying to claw their way out, calling to her for help.

She shudders, an instinctive feeling of fear erupts from within, seconds pass.. Her shuddering self begins to calm and she returns to normal as if nothing happened.

"Mister your teeth are really black, you should brush them more often" Meiying covers her nose and replies in disgust.

The man looks at her with an amazed expression, he returns to normal and gazes at her with extreme interest. "Little one.. you're truly extraordinary"

"Humph, of course I am" She grins with a pleased smile.

"I knew you were pulling my leg mister, I'm still alive aren't I?" Meiying braggs happily.

"Truly you are.. little one, one more adds to the two from before" The man shows a thinking expression, looking at the smiling little girl from time to time.

Meiying doesn't seem to understand what he was saying but nods her head anyway.

"You may ask one wish from me Little one. Think carefully now, you can get anything you want, the possibilities for your wish are endless.. but remember, you get only one" He's quite interested to see what this little child wishes for.

"You're a genie now? Wow mister.." Meiying applaudes with a shocked face.

The man frowns at the thought of being called a genie but concentrates on her waiting to hear the wish.

Meiying knits her eybrows and is unable to come to a decision, she gulps and notices her throat is dry from the hot weather.

Her eyes light up "Mister I'm thirsty, I wish for an ice cold orange fanta!"

The man shows a dumbfounded expression while pulling an orange fanta out of thin air.

He gives her a strange look and sighs "Here's your refreshing beverage little one" The man smiles with his black teeth showing.

Meiying takes the drink and remarks in astonishment "That was amazing mister, you must be a magician!"

"I'm feeling generous today so I'll give you a some advice. Keep a light close to you in the days to come, the place you're heading will have some intriguing events" The man says mysteriously.

His words seem to resound in her mind leaving her in a daze.

Beep! Beeep!, the bus horn honks signaling that students should return and board.

Woken up by the loud horn she collects her thoughts "Okay mister I will, thanks for the drink and my name's Meiying! don't forget it" Meiying begins walking to the bus waving goodbye.

"I hear people call me the Pale Man, I guess you could call me that" The man gives a bow and waves with a stiff arm.

"Okay mister Pale Man, bye!" She quickly hurries towards the bus.

"Meiying huh? What an interesting young lass, I'll remember.. " The man grips the flyer gently, it turns to dust that scatters in the wind.

Meiying gets onto the bus and sees where her sister and friends are sitting.

"Over her Meiying!" Lily waves.

Meiying goes and sits beside her.

"Phrhg- where have you been Meiying, oneechan is angry!" Currently Meilin is sitting on Sky's lap, getting hugged and sniffed vigorously.

Meiying sticks her tongue out and rejoices in her sisters poor state "I was talking to the pale magician oji-san, he gave me drink for free" Meiying pops the lid off her orange fanta and takes a sip.

"What pale magician? I didn't see anyone like that" Lily's confused, she was fairly alert when looking around, she saw Sky chasing Meilin, Mrs Guang and Ms Evie behind the bus playing the slide hand clap game and Meiying standing alone near the edge of the gas station, but she didn't see any pale man.

"He's over there" Meiying points out the window but sees that the pale man disappeared.

"I don't see anything, he must of left -phrgh" Meilin is pulled back into the arms of Sky.

"Stop moving Meilin, I can't sniff you properly" Sky is enjoying herself to the fullest extent, hugging the soft Meilin and sniffing her hungrily.

Meilin cries in indignation while Lily and Meiying giggle.

With the bus back on the road, the journey to the Grand Canyon continues.