RUBY

"Mom, I'm scared." Hazel hugged my mother's arm tightly, her head buried in her shoulder. I stood in front of them, my arms outstretched to shield them behind me. I staggered slightly due to the dim lighting.

As the eldest child, I'm also a woman. Yet I had to confront them without any regard for my life. A group of men who, if they wanted, could have dragged me, raped me, or even tortured me.

"It's okay, Mom, Hazel! Don't be afraid," I tried to reassure them.

I don't know how those ...