IF

He Accidentally Haunts a Random UV

Lights.

A series of flashing lights. Red and blue, white, and yellow一all is glaring at him the second he squints his eyes open. The world is turning behind his vision, making him dizzy. All he can hear is muffled sound but it seems that its knocking from his skull, wanting to come out. It causes him to push himself even though he thinks he still needs to lay down and rest. He thinks that if he gets on his feet, everything will be alright, but it's not. It's just gotten worse.

The dizziness he feels is replaced by the pain that's twisting the insides of his head in a tight knot. His veins become visible as if he's screaming even if he's not. But when he finally does, he can't even hear himself.

"Excuse me! Out of the way!" He's understood those word a little late for he's almost collided with the man coming from behind. He's lucky enough to take a step to the side or else he'll be the one responsible if that man doesn't attend to where he's supposed to.

He recognises that the man is Doctor Panlilio from his school but what he doesn't understand is the reason why the doctor stares at him for a moment before turning on his heels and disappears behind the crowd.

Leo is certain that it's almost midnight, judging by how the night sounds that moment. He knows it, always. Maybe because he's spent a lot of time staying late at night to just get lost in the beauty of darkness and silence, and contemplate deeply about the life he believes he's living wrong.

But Taft Avenue seems to celebrate daylight too soon because it's as loud as it is during the day. A good number of people crowds in a particular spot just few steps from him. The siren of ambulance and police car parked three blocks away shriek ceaselessly, letting those that are near that there's something going on.

He can see Ronald by the curb who's being interrogated by two police officers. He notices the shade of horror and pity evident on the old man's face and it totally oppose the smile he's seen hours ago. Part of him wants to know what questions they are asking him; if they're giving him a hard time, but all he wants to do is go home.

His body still aches from what has happened to him and his clothes are still soaked with his own blood. He still coughs every once in a while and every time he will wipe his mouth clean with the back of his hand, red liquid will just stain his skin. But he doesn't seem to mind. What's important to him that time is that he can walk more stable than before and there's a UV purposefully stalling at the corner of Ocampo street to wait for passengers.

He hasn't ridden a UV from his school before but he sure knows that it can only take passengers until LRT EDSA station一which means he has to walk and go for another three rides to get home. He's not fond of traveling because one一he finds it really hard to commute一and two一he always gets lost.

It doesn't take a while until he hears the engine roars and the wheels come to action. He sits nearest to the back door, a lady across from him, and a man who's too engrossed in playing with his phone. At the front sits the driver and woman beside him.

That makes five of them, totally strangers to one another, and that keeps the trip in silence as well.

"Bayad po." The lady moves inches forward as she hardly reaches her fare to the driver's extending hand and glares at the guy who just keeps on playing COC instead of helping her out.

The other two have gotten their fares paid later on and the sound of clattering coins and a sequel of bayad po reverberates to the corners of the UV, but after that, silence devours them yet again.

Leo is too preoccupied into thinking of an excuse as to why he's late when he gets home. He does not usually care at all even if it means ignoring his mom's tired eyes because of staying late just to wait for him.

But that was before.

And his before self is no longer around the corner.

He reaches for his back pocket to get his wallet but he finds it hard because his whole body aches. The lady spends a glance at him and he feels her stare so he looks as well, ending up in a not so pleasant position.

The UV is dark but he sure sees her eyes widen just before she swiftly looks away. Maybe she's sensed that he's going to make her hand his fare to the driver.

He raises his arm, an exact fare on his clutch as he waits for the lady to take it. But she just inches farther and clears her throat for the man with his phone to take it instead.

"A-ahem," she purposefully let the fake sound come out, smiling in triumph as the man looks her way, obviously annoyed.

"What?" the man asks sarcastically. The lady just nods to Leo's and the man hisses as he snatches the bills from Leo's  hand.

"Iaabot lang, e," he says through flaring nose, complaining about the lady's lack of courtesy. "Bayad daw po."

The driver does not take the fare and instead eyes the man through the rear view mirror. It makes the man more irritated as he mentions about some sort of enemy attack, along with a series of curse words. "Bayad nga raw po," he repeats and he almost throws the money in exasperation because the driver just won't take it.

"Aren't you two already paid?" the driver speaks. The woman beside him nods in agreement as she too observes the two people behind.

The man groans as he clicks his tongue. "Just take it, will you? It's for the guy at the back." Just as how how hard and fast those words come out of his filthy mouth, the UV pulls into a halt, making them all launch forward.

"Are you planning to get us all killed?" the lady inquires, massaging her temples for hitting against the passenger seat.

"What was that for?" the woman beside him asks.

"Putangina," the man curses not about the sudden halt but because he's lost the virtual battle.

They all have their chests rise and fall as they wait for the driver's reason but their hearts that are pumping rapidly because of anger skip beats when the driver finally speaks.

"There are only four of us here," he says and despite of the cold air condition inside the vehicle, sweat races down his temple. "I should've known. I closed the door the moment you stepped inside," he adds, pertaining to the lady behind who is now biting her nails off.

The man stops playing with his phone as well and after half a minute, as the screen times out, agitatedly , they all turn their heads to the farthest seat behind them.

Leo feels gazes striking his entirety so hard he has to sigh his exasperation away. His whole body aches and is so desperate to lay on the comforts of his bed but all he gets are nuisances in the form of four strangers gawking at him.

"What?" he says, his voice falling into the hebetude of what he's feeling that time. But instead of looking away, they all hop off the UV, making the driver's side of the door their only exit.

Leo is left on his own, in the coldness of the UV, isolated, his body in dull pain, and without anything with him. He lets himself fall in the hands of slumber, gradually dozing off with one thing on his mind.

He's got classes tomorrow.