We Are Not from Here

As the bus makes its way out of Puerto Barrios, Pequeña recalls how she first caught the attention of Rey: though Lucia warned Pequeña to always walk with her head lowered, one day Pequeña inadvertently made eye contact with Rey. Rey insisted that she stop to talk to him, called her “Bonita,” and told her “Don’t get lost on me” (114). One night, Rey climbed through Pequeña’s window as Lucia slept on the sofa in the living room, exhausted from work. Rey threatened Pequeña with a gun and threatened to hurt Lucia, then forced her to the bed and raped her. Pequeña had a strange vision of La Bruja sucking the life from Rey as he left. Pequeña hoped Rey would never return, but instead he found her again and again. On the bus, Chico wonders if they should go back, as Consuelo and Lucia will forgive them for running away, but Pequeña says that they cannot.

The bus arrives in Guatemala City. Pulga knows the next step of their journey: They will walk to a different bus station and take another bus to Tecún Umán.