The pain started soon after.
It hit fast and hard, and I knew—I was going into labor. Fear gripped me, but there was no time for it. I had no choice but to deliver my baby alone.
Hours passed in a haze of agony and determination. And then, finally, the cries of my baby girl filled the air.
Tears streamed down my face as I held her close, her tiny body warm against mine. For the first time in what felt like forever, hope blossomed in my chest. “Chloe... My baby...”
But exhaustion won. My eyes closed, and the world faded.
When I woke up, she was gone.
Panic tore through me as I scrambled to my feet, searching the field house. I called out, my voice breaking, but there was no answer. My baby—my precious baby—was gone.
I ran outside, the cold biting into my skin, but I didn’t care. I ran and ran, searching the endless fields, my heart pounding in terror. But there was nothing. No sign of her.
Desperation drove me to the highway. The sound of an approaching car made me stumble forward, waving my arms. The last thing I saw was the blinding glare of headlights before the impact.
And then—darkness.
When I woke again, the scent of antiseptic filled my nose. I blinked against the harsh hospital lights, my body heavy and aching. And then the memories crashed down on me.
My baby.
I tried to sit up, but pain held me down. Tears filled my eyes.
“Where’s my baby?” I whispered.
No one answered.
“My baby!” I screamed, my voice raw and frantic. “Where is my baby?!”
Wires and tubes were attached to my arms, restricting my movements, but I thrashed against them, my heart pounding wildly. My hands clutched the sheets, my nails digging into my palms as I fought against the overwhelming panic.
The door burst open, and a man and a woman rushed in. The woman came to my side, her hands reaching for me, her voice soft and soothing, but I didn’t want comfort. I wanted answers.
“Where is she?” I sobbed, my voice breaking as tears spilled down my face. “Where is my daughter?”
The man’s voice was sharp and commanding. “Calm down.”
I barely registered him as I continued to cry, my body shaking uncontrollably. But then his voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
“If you don’t calm down, I will return you to the place we found you.”
I froze.