Carrying a basket full of potatoes, onions and carrots Bug was heading to the market. Lately the old woman stared at her with even greater hostility. The girl hid the manhole moving a crate over it, and by the looks of it the elderly couple didn't find it. But just to be sure Bug decided to docilely accept any work. Today she was sent to exchange vegetables for a piece of mutton. While looking at the ground, the girl suddenly felt an intense gaze. It wasn't just curiosity from a random merchant; it was a familiar look piercing her like a hunter's spear.

Slowly she raised her head. Ehsan, the bully who had dragged her to the crevice with a strange egg, stood in the lane with his friends. As soon as their eyes met, Bug knew it wouldn't lead to anything good. The teenage boy grinned. Surrounded by his peers he acted even more brazen than usual.

"Hey, come here," the boy called. The familiar sense of fear and anxiety rose in her heart. There were no adults around, but Bug still tried to feign ignorance and continue to walk away from the teenagers. A tiny hope, along with a slight irritation, made her believe that she could pull off the trick. Sometimes just simply retreating with her head down would make them chuckle and whistle. Alas, they didn't limit themselves to making dirty jokes and laughing at her. Ehsan stormed towards the hunchback girl, angrily yelling: "I said come here, you stupid sow."

"Leave me alone," replied Bug holding tightly the basket.

"What did you oink, huh?" Ehsan grabbed the girl by the hand and forced her to face him. She glared at the bully, hiding behind the falling on her face brown hairs. 'If only someone from an adult were here, they would never approach me so openly.' The teenagers behind Ehsan's back were sneering and giggling. Their competition for the most ridiculous insult, Ehsan's way of boasting before them by humiliating the weak, the sound of their nasty laugh - everything about them made Bug's face grimace in disgust. Wolf ants would never commit such savageries. Three-legged who had lost its hind foot was still a valued member of the swarm. It stayed in the den, helping to look after the cubs and getting the same share of food and care as everyone else. She didn't even lack a limb, but the wolves would be astonished at the way people treated her.

The thought of the swarm made Bug's heart ache. If only she could go to them right now. Her legs moved on their own. Thinking, she was running away, Ehsan pulled her arm once again.

"Where are you going, dumb whore? Get down on all fours and squeal for forgiveness, and maybe I'll let this go."

His unshakable belief in his superiority over animals made Bug snort. 'He would squeal louder than any piglet in the pigpen if he faced a wolf.' Still, if it hurt his pride, she would be more than happy to reply in kind.

"Don't lump me in with the likes of you, you dirty swine."

Just the fact that she talked back was enough for Ehsan to snap. But to be called an unclean beast? The boy raised his hand, but before he could hit her, Bug pushed him with all her might. He fell to the ground further than she expected. She was not weak, but she was now bolder than ever. The accumulated pain and resentment exploded in the form of this push. It should have been enough to turn the page, but when the boy on the ground looked up, he suddenly screamed. Startled, Bug took a step back.

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"Monster!" screamed the boy, and Bug instantly looked down at her hands. They were the same as always, which scared her even more. As if to clarify the situation, specifically for her, Ehsan screamed again, "Monster eyes!"

People hurried to the street. Bug turned away from the bullies, trying to escape. But the teenagers were already shouting, "Hold her! Catch her!"

Their screams were taken seriously by men running towards the scene. A butcher, still wearing an apron stained with blood, grabbed the girl's wrist. The basket she was carrying fell to the ground, scattering vegetables on the road. Bug struggled to break free from his grip, but the butcher held her hand tightly. In seconds, he received help from several farmers. One of them pushed Bug to the ground and made her kneel. In panic, Bug bit the butcher's hand. He shouted and kicked the hunchback in the stomach. The girl groaned and bent over from pain. Her futile attempts to resist ended there.

Previously, the empty and quiet street was filled with noise and heated discussion. Teenagers started telling their own versions of the story, vying with each other. Ehsan pointed to the scratches he had received from falling, vividly describing the hunchback’s monster's eyes. While women wailed over poor children who had been attacked by a witch, men grabbed Bug's chin, looking closely at her face. They found no signs that she was a monster, but the idea of just releasing her did not even cross their minds.

Instead, they dragged her to the square. Now, that the merchants had left, the hitching post for horses was empty. Someone brought a chain and collar. When they started to put the collar on Bug's neck, the girl tried to resist again. The butcher, still holding the hand she bit, cursed and kicked her several times. One of the teenagers, inspired by the man's example, jumped forward and hit the hunchback in the face. He was pulled back by his mother's arms, but nobody reprimanded the boy. Finally, the men stepped back, leaving the captured girl in the circle of villagers. Bug touched her split lip, then the leather collar tightened around her neck. She tried to calm her racing heart and intermittent breathing, but to no avail.

"What should we do?" asked one of the men, and the butcher instantly replied:

"We will take turns guarding her. We will decide what to do with her when the head returns in the morning. And if she becomes a monster before then, we will kill her on sight."

The noise arose among the crowd again, though this time, most of them agreed with the proposal. Bug was listening to them buzzing like a hive annoyed by an intruder. There was not a hint of doubt or a single timid voice of objection. The only thing they were arguing about was whether they should wait or deal with her right now. She had never had a place in their world, not even the tiniest one that would have allowed her a fair trial.