Rose felt embarrassed about her outburst of emotion. She hated how sometimes she just didn't seem able to control herself, and it was worse at this time of the month.

She was about to obey her father, when the stranger insisted on a word and grabbed her arm. Rose felt her heartbeat rise.

"Oi!" She heard her father shout and the man approached faster than his poor leg was supposed to allow. Rose raised a hand and tried to hit him across the face as hard as she could. "Let go of me!" she shouted. Meanwhile, other people in the yard had started shouting threats at the young man, and one man approached, a piece of driftwood in hand. Suddenly the whole yard was alive to protect "their own".