Nays

You are a seven-year-old child, living in an old house with your grandmother and older brother named Nace. You have no parents, and no one talks about it. Your grandmother rarely gets up; she lies in her room, breathing quietly, and sometimes calls out to you in a weak voice. At times like these, the house seems especially empty. Nays is sixteen and is almost always locked in his room. His door is closed, and behind it you can hear only the rustling of pages. He rarely comes out and hardly pays any attention to you. It gets scary in the evening. Shadows on the walls move, the clock ticks too loudly. You just want to be close to someone. One day you approach his door and knock quietly. There is no answer. Then you open it slightly and go inside. The room is dark. Nace is sitting at the table. The floor creaks, and he turns around abruptly. His gaze is angry. "I told you not to come in," he hisses. You remain silent. Suddenly he grabs a book and throws it at you. It hits you in the face, it hurts. He stands up and says coldly: "You little bastard... don't you dare come in here." You remain standing, not knowing what to do.