"I... I need to get back to work," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. She took a step backward, but the barn wall was already at her shoulders.
"You need to learn something first," Chase said, closing the distance between them in two quick strides. His hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of her shirt. The fabric twisted in his grip as he yanked her forward. "About knowing your place."
His face was inches from hers now, eyes bright with cruel enjoyment. "You think you're so special with your organic vegetables and your fancy customers?" He slammed her back against the barn wall. The rough wood scraped through her shirt. "You're nothing but dirty farm trash."
Kyle's massive form loomed beside Chase. With a savage grin, he knocked the basket from Nia's hands. The remaining vegetables scattered across the dirt, tomatoes bursting like wounds against the ground. "Oops," he laughed. "Guess nobody's getting their delivery today."
"Get your phone out," Travis called to Ethan. "You'll want to record this."
Ethan fumbled with his smartphone, nervous energy making his hands shake, but he was grinning too, caught up in the mob mentality of the moment. The camera's lens gleamed in the sunlight as he pointed it at Nia.
"Please," Nia whispered. "Just let me go."
Chase's response was to shove her harder against the wall. The racial slur he spat made her flinch more than the physical pain. "Shut your mouth. You people need to learn you don't belong here."
Travis circled around to her side, his thin face alive with anticipation. "Maybe we should teach her that lesson real good this time."
Without warning, his foot shot out, catching Nia in the ribs. The impact drove the air from her lungs. She would have doubled over if Chase hadn't been holding her up.
"Again," Chase commanded, and Travis obliged.
Each kick sent waves of agony through Nia's body. She tried to protect herself, but Chase kept her pinned. Tears streamed down her face as Travis landed blow after blow.
"Make sure you get this," Kyle called to Ethan, who adjusted his camera angle with shaking hands.
"This is going to look great online," Ethan said, his laugh high and nervous. The phone's screen captured every moment of Nia's torment.
The assault felt endless. When Chase finally released her shirt, Nia crumpled to the ground beside her ruined vegetables. Dirt and bruises covered her clothes, and every breath sent sharp pains through her ribs.
Chase crouched down beside her, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Tell your family something for me. This land belongs to real Americans. The sooner you understand that, the better."
"Got it all?" Travis asked Ethan, who nodded eagerly, stopping the recording.
"Every second," Ethan confirmed, pocketing his phone. His earlier nervousness was replaced with cruel pride.
Kyle delivered one final kick to the scattered vegetables. "Thanks for the entertainment, farm girl."
Their laughter echoed off the barn walls as they walked away, leaving Nia curled up in the dirt. The sun beat down mercilessly as she tried to catch her breath through the pain. Each sob sent fresh waves of agony through her battered ribs.
Time blurred. She wasn't sure how long she lay there before familiar footsteps approached at a run.
"Nia!" Naomi's voice cracked with horror. "Oh, God. Nia!"
Strong hands gently helped her sit up. Through tear-blurred eyes, Nia saw her sister's face transform from shock to rage. Naomi's hands trembled as they brushed dirt from Nia's face.
"Who did this?" Naomi's voice was deadly quiet. "Tell me, who did this to you?"
Nia could only shake her head, sobs racking her body. The pain from her ribs made it hard to speak. Around them, the ruined vegetables lay like casualties in the afternoon sun.
Naomi pulled her sister close, careful of her injuries. But beneath the gentleness of her touch, Nia could feel the fury radiating from her twin's body. It rolled off her in waves as palpable as the summer heat. They stayed like that, Nia weeping into her sister's shoulder, while Naomi's rage simmered in silence. The barn's shadow grew longer as the sun began its descent, marking the end of a day that would change everything.
Inside the farmhouse, darkness pressed against the windows like a living thing. The old oil lamp on the side table cast flickering shadows across the worn furniture, making the room feel smaller than it was. The familiar scent of chamomile tea and healing salve filled the air.
Nia lay stretched out on their grandmother's faded floral couch, her face swollen and mottled with bruises. Each breath came with a slight whimper that made Naomi's heart twist. Grandma Rose sat beside her, methodically dabbing at cuts and scrapes with a warm cloth. Her weathered hands moved with practiced gentleness, but her eyes held a storm of their own.
"Easy now, baby," Grandma Rose murmured as Nia flinched. "We need to clean these proper." She wrung out the cloth in a bowl of warm water, the liquid now tinged pink with blood.
Naomi couldn't stay still. She paced the length of their small living room, her work boots striking the wooden floor in a rhythm that matched her racing heart, her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides, knuckles white with restraint. The fury inside her felt like a living thing clawing at her chest, demanding release.
"They filmed it," Nia whispered, her voice rough from crying. "Ethan recorded everything on his phone. They're probably laughing about it right now."
The lamp flame jumped as Naomi spun around, her sudden movement stirring the air. "Those cowards!" she spat. "Four against one. They're nothing but filthy cowards."