AN: Trigger warning
My heart races as the leader's iron like grip on my hair tightens. My eyes sting from the pain. It is like my hair is getting ripped out of my scalp.
"It is such a shame. No money in this world can save you now," he sneers, his breath hot against my cheek. I taste the metallic tang of blood pooling in my mouth, my gaze fixed on the tattoo of an octopus peeking through the open collar of his shirt.
"Boss, should we have some fun first before we do what we were paid to do?" one of the men pipes up, and my eyes widen in horror. The words strike my gut as a chill creeps up my body. I know he hates me but… does he hate me enough to kill me? If not him, who else hates me this much?
The leader's gaze hardens, filled with disdain. "Too cold for that," he replies, shoving my head down to the ground with a force that steals my breath. My heart races, pounding hard in my ears, as he gestures for the others to begin.
The soft click of a lighter reaches my ears as the man lights a cigarette. "Please," I beg, my voice trembling, "I'm pregnant." The words spill out of my mouth like a raw and desperate plea for mercy.
I hope they will let me go after hearing this, but all my reasons shatter as one of them swings a bat. The impact sent a jarring wave of agony throughout my body, making black spots dance before my eyes.
I scream for help, a raw sound that echoes through the alley, but no one answers. A sack is suddenly thrust over my head, suffocating me in darkness, trapping me in a world where pain reigns supreme.
I curl into myself, arms wrapping protectively around my abdomen to protect my baby, but the thuds of the bat rain down relentlessly. "My baby, my baby," I cry, muffled and broken. The pain is unbearable, a fiery torment that consumes every ounce of strength I have.
"Stop!" I plead, but my voice is swallowed by the night. My arm snaps under the weight of a swing, and I scream, an unending wail that pierces the silence, a call for help that is swallowed by the shadows.
And then, darkness.
***
I wake with a jolt, the world around me a blurred tapestry of white and crimson. A coldness seeps deep into my bones, paralyzing me in place. I try to inhale, but a sharp, stabbing pain slice through my chest, a cruel reminder that my ribs are broken.
Panic surges through my veins as I instinctively shift my body, and a scream escapes my lips, raw and desperate. My arm flares with agony. I realise that it is broken as the snow beneath me turns a deeper shade of red.
My mind races. This can't be happening. Where am I? I struggle to focus, and the cruel reality seeps in. This isn't just a nightmare. It is a living hell. I blink through the snowflakes that dance around me, like taunting specters, whispering secrets of my misfortune.
I press my palm against my abdomen, feeling a wetness seep through my clothes. The realisation sends a wave of terror crashing over me. My baby, something is wrong with my baby.
I can't breathe. Uncontrollable sobs escape my lips, muffled by the suffocating snow that blankets my body. The trembling of my blood-stained palm catches my eye, and I can't help but cry. I should have been at home, nestled in warmth, preparing to share the news. Instead, I am here, broken and bleeding, in a nameless alley.
I glance around frantically for my phone but recall my smartwatch. I check my wrist for it only to find it missing. It's as if the world has turned its back on me. As for my phone, I can't remember where I dropped it; all I can feel is the overwhelming urge to survive. I need to get out of this alley.
With every ounce of willpower I can muster, I bite down on my lip, the metallic taste of blood mingling with the cold air as I begin to crawl through the snow. Each movement feels like a betrayal of my battered body, a cruel reminder of the pain that envelops me.
The snow is heavy and unforgiving, but I won't give in. I push forward, gritting my teeth against the agony, my vision narrowing to the glimmer of light at the alley's end.
Finally, I reach the opening, and I raise my head slightly, straining to see beyond the barrier of frozen darkness. After what seemed like an eternity, a pair of headlights pierce the night. It is like a beacon of hope, a chance to save our lives.
I summon every ounce of strength left in my body and raise my hand, desperate to attract their attention. "Help!" I want to scream, but the word is lost in the icy grip of despair.
The car draws closer, and hope swells in my chest. I can do this. I will be rescued. But as the headlights wash over me, that glimmer of hope is extinguished. The driver doesn't see me, and it's too late for me to get out of the road.
The impact is sudden and unforgiving. Pain blossoms anew as I am flung through the air, my vision a kaleidoscope of darkness and light. I land hard, my body crumpling against the cold asphalt.
The sky above is a swirling mass of clouds, but I can't feel anything anymore. I am floating, detached from my own reality, watching the tears stream down my face as if they belong to someone else. What had I done to deserve this?
At that moment, I realised the cruel truth that is I am utterly alone in this world, a fragile soul adrift in a sea of chaos. The darkness swirls around me, and as I slip further into its embrace, I wonder if I will ever wake from this nightmare. Will anyone miss me? Will anyone cry for me? Will anyone remember me?