Over the following days and weeks, milkman continues to track down middle sister while she’s shopping, working, reading, etc. As time goes on, she begins to feel that milkman is present everywhere, including in her bedroom when she’s trying to sleep. She gives up running not only out of fear, but because constant stress is impairing her stamina and balance. Meanwhile, the public scrutiny is exacerbating her anxiety. She initially attempts to deal with questions, accusations, and insinuations by feigning ignorance and adopting a blank expression. However, the more emotionless middle sister acts, the more alienated she truly becomes from what she’s thinking and feeling: “Thus my feelings stopped expressing. Then they stopped existing [...] My inner world, it seemed, had gone away” (178). Nevertheless, she can’t see any way out of her predicament; the community would likely blame her for the situation even if she told the truth, and she can’t go to the police because her community is more or less at war with them.

Middle sister’s relationship with maybe-boyfriend is also suffering. To her frustration, he doesn’t seem concerned when she tries to warn him about potential car bombs.