Three weeks. That's how long I've been here.
This man, their leader, is pure evil. He does anything and everything he wants to us. He's killed many of us already.
So much for a rescue team.
Now I know he only took us for his own benefit. The little b-… Kimber's shout of pain ends my train of thought and I spin around to face her. "The baby! It's coming!" She wails.
No, not now! I don't know if we even have the resources to deliver a baby! I'm the oldest one left here besides Kimber, so I turn to the younger girls.
"Get as much hot water and clean towels as you can find!" Turning back to Kimber, I roll up my sleeves. "We're going to deliver a baby."
If any of the guards heard Kimber's screams, they're not coming. Like they care.
A few girls come back with a tub of water, and another with an armful of towels. "Jade, the only water we have in this dump is cold." A girl says sadly.
I wonder if…
Using a random screw I find laying around on the floor, I sketch a transmutation circle into the cold, hard ground. "Set the tub inside the circle." I say, and the girls obey. I clap my hands together, and then touch the both of them down on the ground on the edge of the circle.
Please let this work! I think to myself. I focus on doing alchemy and sparks fly from my hands. When I look at the water again, I can see steam rising.
"Whoa!"
"She heated the water!"
The younger girls exclaim in amazement. I stand again and start instructing the girls on what to do, while helping Kimber deliver. This isn't good. She's becoming weaker and weaker. If this continues… If this continues, she won't make it.
I count to ten again before I hear the shrill wail of a baby. I look down at the small child and I smile, tears in my eyes. "It's a girl Kimber, a healthy baby girl." I say quietly as I wipe the baby clean in the towels.
One of the girls fetches me a blanket, and I wrap the small child in it to keep her warm. "She's beautiful Kimber." I whisper, laying the baby on her chest so Kimber can see her.
There are tears in her eyes as well. "My beautiful baby girl." Kimber whispers weakly.
"What's her name?" I ask quietly, hiding my fears that the child won't ever know her mother.
"Lilly." Kimber whispers, looking sadly at her baby girl. "Mommy loves you, don't ever forget." She looks up at me and I know she won't make it through this. "Jade, please. Look after my baby." I nod, tears spilling down my cheeks.
"I promise Kimber, I promise to look after her." Then Kimber's eyes close for the last time, a small smile on her face. I know she's gone. Lilly starts to cry and I gently pick her up, rocking her in my arms.
"We should burry her outside." One of the girls, Katy, says quietly. I nod and rise from where I'm kneeling, keeping baby Lilly close to me. I just hope that HE lets us do what we need to. I think of their leader.
"Well now, seems like she finally had that little brat. Too bad she didn't make it. She was such a prize." Speak of the devil. I curse lightly under my breath and keep my protective hold on the baby.
"Don't talk about her like you own her. She had a husband who cared for her, but you had to take her away from him." I hiss angrily at the man.
"Don't use that tone with me, Jade." The way he says my name sends unwanted chills up my spine. "You know what I'll do to you." It's even worse, because I do know the things he does to us.
"Fine, but at least let us burry her body. And we'll need things to take care of the baby. I won't let you take her from me." I say strongly. He can't know that I'm afraid of him, he can't.
"Very well, I'll allow my men to let you into the yard." He yawns, obviously bored already, and walks off to tell his men. After a proper burial for Kimber, one of the guards brings in a bag of baby items. I nod to him, and he to me, before I look through the bag.
I keep Lilly safe in my other arm as I inspect the items. Good, so the idiot knows what baby formula and bottles are. And diapers, that's good too. I swear to you Kimber, I'll look after Lilly. I promised. I pull out some of the formula and one of the younger girls pours it into a bottle. I know that it should usually be warmed, but hey, we have to do the best with what we're given. Lilly drinks the formula happily, and I burp her before rocking her to sleep.
The poor baby, will she ever know her parents?
Or will she be like me, alone for all her life?