**NINA**
Waking up felt like being buried alive.
The sheets were satin, the air perfumed and still, but my chest was tight, lungs burning with panic. My hands immediately flew to my belly.
Still there.
Still safe
My limbs were heavy, too heavy. My thoughts lagged behind my body like they were trying to swim through mud.
I sat up too fast. The room swam.
And then I saw a woman.
Seated in a high-backed chair at the end of the bed like a queen on her throne. Legs crossed, red lipstick perfect, a silk robe the color of blood pooling around her. Her nails were long, glossy, sharp. She didn’t blink.
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
I scrambled back, one hand on my belly, the other gripping the sheets like I could somehow tear my way out.
“Where am I?” My throat was dry. My words cracked.
“
