The wooden bridge that Juan must drive the bus over is one of many neglected bridges in the area. Engineers of the bridge were given a small budget for design and construction, and everybody knows that a regular storm that swells the river can take out the bridge completely. A married couple, the Breeds, manage a gas station near the bridge. They are alarmed by the flooding coming from the river.

At first, Alice feels sadness and dread as Juan’s bus pulls out of Rebel Corners. However, she’s happy that she can be alone to have a drink. As she drinks, Alice pictures her mother dying and drinks away the memory. She tries to think about sex with Juan. Alice drinks and talks to herself as if in conversation with other people. Alice gets drunk and sees a fly. She tries to kill it by hitting it with a towel. Instead of killing the fly, Alice topples over glasses and food and falls to the ground.

Juan stops the bus at the Breeds’ gas station. He walks over to the river to check if crossing will be safe. The river has not yet reached a flooding crest.