One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 5, page 7

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Fírí shivered. This night of her death was cold and getting colder.

No! Don’t think like that. You’re not going to die. You’re going to get out of this. That old lady is going to help you.

But it had been so very long since that woman disappeared back into the house. So very long. Who was she kidding? She wasn’t going to survive the night. Thus ends the life of Fírí Parızada, mourned by no one, shunned by all.

A mostly white puppy tentatively approached where Fírí sat, its head down and its tail wagging.

Come here, Fírí thought, extending a hand towards the dog. Come warm me up.

But the puppy jerked away from her hand and vanished in the darkness.

Why does this always happen to me? I reach out to the puppy; it runs away. I ask the old lady for help; she locks me out of her house. I try to stay good to Zhíno, stand beside him; but he gets all paranoid and starts shooting at everybody in sight. I do everything in my power for my parents’ approval--study hard, come home early, and all that; and they shun me as if I never existed. For all they care--for all anybody in any of the worlds cares--I might as well die tonight. No one would care. No one would notice.

Fírí slumped against the cabinets, letting her arms drop to the duffel bag on which she sat, lacking the motivation to any longer hug her legs for warmth. This was it. Zhíno would arrive and kill her. Or, if that old man and kid pair got there first, they’d probably rape her first and then kill her. No point in fighting it any longer. It was going to happen, and nobody cared.

Next to Fírí’s shoulder, something creaked a long, low groan. She slowly turned her head to look.

Yellow light spilled into the yard from a giant rectangular hole in the house. It was as if a huge section of the wall had just disappeared.

How odd.

The old woman stepped into view, peering into the yard. She seemed out of breath for some reason.

“Hey,” Fírí murmured. “You came back.”

The woman snapped her head down at Fírí. “Oh, there you are, dear. You gave me such a fright. Please come inside quickly.” She looked up again to scan the yard, as if she, too, expected Zhíno to arrive any second.

Leaning against the wall and the cabinets, Fírí pushed herself to her feet. She was saved. This old woman hadn’t abandoned her.

Feeling suddenly hale, Fírí snatched up her duffel bag of shoes and money. She might yet get a chance to spend it. She might yet survive the night.

She stepped through the doorway.

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