Chapter 1

I absentmindedly ran my hand over my swollen stomach. I should be happy. Happy that I finally escaped that hell hole. But instead, I was numb. I couldn't feel.

I was no longer in the room, but back in the same woods I was in a little over an hour ago. The cold wind hitting me in the face like shards of glass. Running from the nightmare that went on for four years. Running from the family that made me feel like I was nothing and treated me like a dog.

Actually they treated me worse than a dog. Dogs got toys and belly rubs. All I got was a mat, a blanket and a bucket to piss in a literal cage in the basement with the spiders and rats. The only time I came out was for food. I wouldn't, no couldn't, let myself go back there. I shoved those memories deep into the recesses of my mind. Those scars, both physical and emotional, may never completely heal.

My captors were like giant spiders. Able to spin a careful web of lies to make them seem like the perfect couple. They had fooled me too. They acted nice the first few weeks to try to get me to trust them. They succeeded. I had liked them despite everything that had happened. Then they took their silk and wrapped it around me like a cocoon and slowly began to pull me in till they devoured me. No matter how much I struggled, their silk tightened around me until I could no longer breathe.

I know what you're thinking. They kidnapped you why would you trust them to begin with? When you're a scared 11 year old girl who just lost the only family she had with no one else to go to, you'd take anything. Even from strangers.

"Sweetie?" a warm hand is placed on my shoulder.

I flinched.

I looked up into the eyes of the woman who shook me out of my reverie. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Black wire rimmed glasses framed her bright blue eyes. She had on a grey pantsuit with a blue shirt underneath and blue heels.

"Hello, sweetie. I'm Johanna Avery, from social services."

I said nothing.

"What did you find out," Johanna asked the doctor.

The doctor was a young male. He had short brown hair, green eyes, a long nose, and freckles along the bridge of his nose. He was dressed in all white and had a clipboard in his hands.

"I don't even know where to begin." He shook his head. "Aside from the fact thats she's obviously pregnant, there's significant bruising along her body. There's vaginal scarring. She has multiple scars along her back that appears to be from a whip. Some of the wounds are old and have scarred up while some are fresh. Cigarette burns covers her chest and stomach. Who ever did this to her was careful to only wound her in places that can be covered easily."

"How far along is she?"

Almost 7 months.

"Well the lungs are fully developed so I'd say she's at least 28 weeks."

"When will the rape kit be processed?" Johanna asked.

"Honestly, it could be finished in a month. Maybe longer depending on how backed up they are."

"And the baby?"

"Despite her injuries the baby appears to be unharmed."

"Is it a boy or girl?" I whispered. The sound of my voice was foreign to me.

"It's a girl." The doctor smiled.

It's a girl.

At that moment it.. she moved inside me. Twisting and turning like some sort of dance. It felt weird but not totally uncomfortable.

So it's okay. Despite the circumstances, I was glad to know it's ok. My body was at war with itself. My brain was telling me to hate it. To want it out of my body even if it needed to be cut out, but my heart saw it a different way. It's not it's fault. It didn't ask for this. Then again neither did I. Suddenly I felt exhausted. And my eyes felt heavy.

"It seems like the medicine we gave you to help you sleep is finally kicking in."

Johanna layed a comforting hand on my arm. "It's okay. Get some rest, sweetie."

I nodded. Grateful that I was able to finally fall into a restful sleep.