𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 | 𝟏𝟖+

13

I burst through the side door, stumbling out into the cool night air. The sudden freedom is dizzying, the expanse of the dark woods stretching out before me like a promise and a threat all at once. No sooner than I take a gulping breath of fresh air, another contraction seizes me, doubling me over with its intensity. Blood trickles down my thighs, hot and sticky. But I force myself to move, to put one foot in front of the other. I have to get away, have to put as much distance between myself and that hell as possible. My life depends on it - and more importantly, my baby's life depends on it.

I run through the underbrush, heedless of the branches that whip at my face and snag in my hair. Each step is agony, my battered body screaming in protest. But I push through, fueled by adrenaline and desperation. But another contraction brings me to my knees, a ragged scream tearing from my throat.

As I kneel there, panting and shaking, a new fear crystallizes in my mind. They could be right behind me. My captors, with their guns and their chains and their cruel, grasping hands. If they catch me now, like this...

The thought is enough to get me moving again, staggering to my feet with a herculean effort. So I run. I run like the hounds of hell are on my heels, like the devil himself is breathing down my neck. I run until my lungs are burning, until every muscle is trembling with exhaustion. The woods seem to go on forever, a labyrinth of shadow and moonlight that I fear I'll never escape.

But finally, blessedly, I start to hear a new sound over the thundering of my own heartbeat. The distant roar of cars, the hum of tires on pavement. A highway. Help.

With a final burst of energy, I crash through the treeline, stumbling out onto the grassy part of the road. The headlights are blinding after so long in the dark, the rushing wind of each passing vehicle like a physical blow.

I try to flag them down, waving my arms wildly. I scream, a raw, animal sound that tears at my throat and echoes. I stagger into the road, I do everything I can to flag down the cars that just keep going, their taillights fading into the night like the dying embers of my hope.

No one stops. No one even slows down. They just swerve around me as if I'm nothing more than a piece of roadkill.

I scream to God. "Haven't I been through enough?! Haven't I suffered and bled enough for my sins?!"

I don't have the strength. I don't have the energy. All I have is pain, as another contraction brings me to my knees on the cold, hard ground. I'm going to die here. I'm going to die on the side of the road, alone and forgotten, with my baby still inside me.

A little red car screeches to a halt in front of me, the driver's side door flying open almost before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. An older woman, her kind face creased with concern, leaps out and rushes over to me.

"Oh my goodness, sweetheart, are you alright?" she asks, her voice trembling with shock as she takes in my battered, bloodied appearance.

I try to speak, to explain, but another contraction rips through me. The woman is at my side in an instant, her gentle hands steadying me as she helps me off the ground.

"It's okay, honey," she soothes, guiding me towards her car with infinite care. "It'll be okay...I'm going to get you to the hospital, get you some help."

Tears of gratitude sting my eyes as I let her help me into the passenger seat. As she gets back into the driver's seat and starts the car, I struggle to focus, to get the words out before the pain and exhaustion pull me under.

"My name...Catherine. 22," I manage, my voice raspy and weak. "...labor. Baby's coming."

The woman nods, her expression grave but determined. "Okay, Catherine. Just hold on, honey. We'll be at the hospital soon."

I grab her arm, sudden urgency lending me strength. "Please... my boyfriend. Damien. You have to...call him...where I am."

I rattle off his number, repeating it over and over until I'm sure she has it.

"I'll call him as soon as we get to the hospital," the woman promises, patting my hand reassuringly. "Don't you worry about a thing, honey."

I nod, slumping back against the seat as another wave of pain crests over me. My vision is starting to blur, the adrenaline that's been keeping me going is finally running out.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice thick with tears. "Thank you...stopping, helping me."

I can feel the darkness creeping in at the edges of my consciousness. "I think...pass out now, ma'am," I mumble, my words slurring together as my eyelids droop.

"It's okay, sweetie. We're almost there, I promise I'll call." Her words follow me down into the darkness, a soothing lullaby as I finally let go.

︻デ═一

"Where is she? Where the fuck is she?!"

"She's in there, sir. But please, try to calm down. She's been through severe trauma and—"

The door to my room bursts open. I know it's Damien, I can feel him gather me into his arms, his touch achingly gentle and protective.

"Oh God, baby," he breathes, his voice cracking. "What did they do to you?"

He's kisses me, his lips soft and urgent against my forehead, my cheeks, my closed eyelids. Each press of his mouth feels like a desperate plea. "I love you, baby. I love you so fucking much," he whispers, his breath warm against my skin. "I never stopped looking for you. Not for a second."

I want to hold him, to bury my face in his chest. I've been longing for his comfort for so long. But my arms remain stubbornly still, my body disconnected from my mind's commands.

I hear the doctor's voice again.

"Mr. Caine, I'm so sorry. But the baby... I'm afraid the baby didn't make it. From what we can tell, it appears the baby passed away approximately two weeks ago. We had to perform an emergency C-section to remove..."

The rest of his explanation fades into static, drowned out by the sudden, wrenching sound of Damien's sobs. It's the wail of a man whose heart has been shattered into a million jagged pieces.

And in that moment, I feel my own grief rise up to meet his. My baby. Our baby. Gone before she even had a chance to draw breath, to feel the warmth of my arms around her.

It's a pain beyond words, beyond comprehension. I want to scream, to rage against the cruelty of a universe that could allow such a thing. But I am trapped in this unresponsive shell, a prisoner in my own broken body. And so I can only lie there, silent and still, as Damien weeps over me, his tears falling like rain on my skin.