Promise: The Scarred Girl by Maya Shepherd Page A

man took the next step, Nea hurried in Miro’s direction. She made it to the blankets and they threw themselves under just as the man reached the attic.
    The blankets smelled like urine so much Nea almost gagged. Miro was on top of her with his full weight on her and pushed her to the ground so hard that she could hardly breathe. His hair tickled her nose, while his breath was on her neck.
    “Miro!”
    They listened as the steps stopped. He had to be standing in front of them.
    The seconds passed without anything happening. Suddenly the stranger lifted the blanket and shouted: “Now I’ve got you!”
    Shocked, Nea stared in the weathered face of the man. His beard was wild, which was framed by a long shaggy mane. His eyes widened when he saw Nea and he let the blanket fall, befuddled.
    “Sorry for interrupting, I was expecting someone else,” he stammered and turned to the ladder. Nea did not understand the world any more. What was that now? Had he not seen Miro?
    “I’m off. Sorry again, and have fun you two,” he chuckled lewdly as he descended the ladder.
    Miro remained motionless atop her until the man was gone, only then did he jump up and burst into peals of laughter. When he saw Nea’s puzzled look, he laughed even louder. There were tears in his eyes. This amused him to no end. Nea felt the anger return in her belly and punched at Miro, but missed.
    “Why are you laughing?” She shouted angrily at him. “What do you think is so funny?”
    Miro tried to catch his breath and took a deep breath in his lungs and wiped the tears from his eyes. “That man thought he actually caught us having sex,” he snorted.
    Outraged and injured, Nea summed up her clothing, how could anyone think she was naked. “Why would he think that? We’re both still fully dressed...”
    “Oh Nea, do you really think you have to take all your clothes off every time? Have you never heard of a quickie?”
    Nea was glad of the darkness, for her cheeks burned with a shame as hot as fire. No, she did not know what a quickie was. She did not know much about sex. The disease had destroyed her life before her mother or the school could explain. All she knew, she learned from Miro. In contrast to her, he seemed to be more experienced. He let her stand there like a silly girl. He loved treating her condescendingly and it was extremely effective at getting her riled up.
    The sound of her popping the back of her hand across his cheek echoed through the empty house. “I hate you, Miro,” she hissed, and in that moment, she meant it.
    Miro, however, did not seem to be impressed, but instead took her hand and folded it into his own and breathed a kiss on it. “And I love you for it all the more, Nea.” It angered her more.
    “I feel her pulse, she is definitely still alive!”
    “Then why is she not moving?”
    “Maybe she is in a coma or something?”
    Something wet brushes against Nea’s face, accompanied by a faint whimper.
    “What shall we do with her if she is in a coma? We cannot leave her here.”
    “No, absolutely not. She saved my life!”
    A warm hand sets upon Nea’s neck and the dog howls a heartbreaking howl.
    “Oh look at how the dog mourns her. Our dogs would try to snip a piece of meat from her.”
    Nea wants to open her eyes, but she finds it incredibly difficult. Her whole body cries out in pain.
    She can feel the warm pressure of a foreign hand in hers. “Nea, give us some sign that you can hear us,” someone says desperately to her. She tries to and somehow manages to squeeze the hand. A joyous but frightened shriek follows.
    “See, I told you that she lives!”
    “Nea, do not worry, we are with you. Everything will be all right.”
    The dog has stopped howling and presses his wet tongue onto Nea’s face. She then opens her eyes and turns her head away slightly. She sees the tearful, but happy faces of the twins who keep her from laughing in the dog’s face.

Eight
    N ea is touched by the twins taking care of