Marie's forehead pressed hard into her palm. Her toes curled tight against the icy floor. Shivers ran through her body in waves, deep, uncontrollable. Stomach knotting up from cold.
She had stumbled out twice already to the corner bucket, retching until her throat burned raw. Each time Tess followed closely, boots heavy on the ground, silent but watching. Eyes dim with questions, maybe fear too.
Now Marie sat slumped, legs drawn up. The thin foam mattress under her offered no warmth. Her torn wedding gown bunched around her thighs, stained with dirt and dried blood. She breathed slowly through her mouth, trying to steady the nausea that rolled in her stomach like bad water.
Across the small room, Tess sat on the low wooden stool. Legs wide. A thick log of wood still balanced across her
