Craving Scarecrow

Nina immediately went to her sister. "What happened? Your hand." Nina gently touched Mina's hand to examine the wound.

The burn mark was not severe, but it still made Nina angry.

Suddenly, the window glass shattered with a loud sound. Both of them looked toward the window.

"Big sister, I'm really scared." Mina hugged Nina tightly and started crying.

Nina hugged Mina back. "Don't worry, Mina. Don't be scared. I will not let them touch you."

Screams and noises started coming from inside the house.

"You bitch, I can't believe I married you. You fucking ruined my life!" Jorge yelled, slapping his wife loudly.

"Bitch, get out of my house! And take those two pieces of trash with you. I'm not paying for them anymore. If they want to stay, tell that bitch Nina to give me money!" Jorge stormed out of the house through the front gate. On his way out, he saw his daughters and gave them a disgusted look. After glaring at them, he spat on the ground and left.

Mina hugged Nina even tighter. "Hey, do you think Mom is okay?"

"Don't worry about her. Isn't she the one responsible for this burn?" Nina asked while patting Mina's head.

Then, a woman stepped out of the house. Her body was bruised, and her face was swollen from punches.

She looked at the sisters with a desperate expression. "Ahhhhh, Mina, my sweet child. Don't you want to comfort your mother? Please, come with me."

"Don't you dare touch her. Can't you see Mina can't even look at you?" Nina pushed Sarah's hand away.

"I can't believe I gave birth to two worthless pieces of trash like you. Is this how you repay me for being your mother? You two are exactly like your bastard father. I don't even have money to go to the club anymore. How can I heal like this? Tell me, Nina. As the big sister, don't you think you should repay your mother?" Sarah grabbed Nina by her hair and looked directly into her eyes.

"No! Don't hurt Big Sister!" Mina cried, clutching Sarah's foot.

"What, you piece of trash? Get away from me!" Sarah kicked Mina, but Mina extended her hand, taking the kick to shield herself.

"Don't you dare touch Mina! I'll give you what you want." Nina looked directly into Sarah's eyes, her pupils dilated.

"Good. Now let's go. I'm waiting in my room." Sarah left them and went back inside the house.

"Please go play with your friends. Return before night. I'll prepare something for you." Nina tied her handkerchief around Mina's burn and smiled.

"No! Please, Sister. Let's leave this home. I don't want you to suffer anymore. Don't go. I'll do whatever you want!" Mina hugged Nina again, crying.

"Don't cry. Aren't you a strong girl? I'll be fine. Just don't overthink, okay?" Nina went inside the house without looking back while Mina cried alone under a tree.

"Please, Sister, don't go. Don't leave me. What am I going to do? Please don't get hurt." Mina sat under the tree, her head down, tears streaming from her eyes.

She then heard slapping sounds coming from the house. She covered her ears, stood up, and took a step toward the house but stopped, pulling back and sitting on the ground again, crying. She began scratching the ground with her feet, continuously glancing at the house.

Time passed, and it grew dark. Mina was still waiting for Nina outside the house.

Nina emerged wearing different clothes, her hair damp from a bath.

"What happened?" Mina ran toward her and hugged her.

"Nothing. I was preparing food for you. Let's eat." Nina led Mina into her room, and they both drank hot soup together.

It was midnight. Nina felt physically relaxed, a rare moment of comfort. Her father was still drinking outside, while her mother slept on the floor clutching a belt.

Nina opened her eyes and realized she was only in her undergarments. Looking back, she saw Mina wiping her bruises with warm water.

She panicked and turned to cover herself. "What are you doing?"

"Please, Sis. When you're hurt, it hurts me too. I know Mom hit you with a belt. Your back is completely covered with bruises and scars. Please, to make me happy, don't go to such lengths. I can't stand to see you get hurt. I love you more than anything else." Mina was holding the warm cloth.

Nina hugged her and started crying. "Please forgive me, Mina. I didn't want you to know. Because you look so beautiful with a smile, not with tears." Nina then glanced at the laptop with a determined look.

A black circle appeared, and Nina and Mina stepped out into a new world.

"Sister, what is this place?" Mina held Nina's hand tightly.

"This is a better world, where we don't have to live in fear. Hey, Mina, are you scared?" Nina sat beside her and patted Mina's head.

"Sister, if you're with me, I can even walk through hell. Because I know you'll protect me." Mina smiled.

Nina began crying, seeing her sister laugh after so many years.

Two days later, Nina entered a bar in Solvana.

"Can I get a job here?" Nina asked the manager.

The manager was stunned by her beauty. "Sure, why not?"

Nina was happy, though some patrons constantly stared at her with evil intentions.

A male staff member noticed them but said nothing.

Later, as Nina left the bar, she realized she was being followed. She quickened her pace, but it was no use; the men cornered her.

"Don't run from us, Miss." The first man sniffed her hair.

"Please, leave me alone. Or I'll file a complaint against you!" Nina pulled her hair away.

The second man pinched her cheeks. "Oh, we're so scared. But you'll need to escape from us first."

"Hey, don't be rough with her. Don't you know how to handle a beautiful flower?" the third man teased.

"Miss, I heard you're looking for a job. We can offer you one with high pay. You'll earn so much in no time." The third man grinned.

"That's right. All you have to do is satisfy a lot of customers. With a figure like yours, it's a perfect fit," the fourth man added, stepping closer.

They closed in on her. Nina saw a gap and ran, but the first man caught her and pinned her down. The others began tearing at her clothes.

"No! Help! Let me go! Someone!" Nina screamed, but the fourth man covered her mouth.

Suddenly, the fourth man burned to ash without a sound.

All the men froze, their throats dry with fear. Nina, still on the ground, was crying in shock.

"Yes, sir. Please take care of them. They were assaulting her," a man in a pristine waiter's uniform approached, accompanied by guards.

Unable to see his face clearly at first due to the sunlight, Nina gathered herself and recognized him. He worked at the bar where she'd gotten her job.

"Wait! She made a contract with us! She's a prostitute! We paid her, but she ran away. That's why we chased her!" The men pleaded desperately.

But the guards showed no mercy, burning them alive.

Nina was still in shock, crying. The man knelt beside her and covered her torn clothes with his suit.

"Don't worry. Please, everything is all right now. We're going to be colleagues starting tomorrow. My name is Draven. Nice to meet you," Draven said with a warm, radiant smile.

One soldier watched them intently from a distance.