Chapter 3 - The Friction of Skin
The blonde woman’s arm snapped downward.
The movement displaced the heavy fog, creating a sudden vacuum of air.
Her palm struck the kneeling woman’s face.
The sound cracked like a dry branch snapping under a heavy boot.
It echoed off the polished surfaces of the surrounding headstones.
The pregnant woman’s head jerked violently to the side.
Her wet hair lashed across her own eyes.
She did not scream.
She did not even whimper.
A sharp, ragged intake of breath hissed through her teeth.
Her hands instantly tightened their grip around her swollen belly.
She folded herself even closer to the wet earth, her chest nearly touching her knees.
On the left corner of her mouth, the pale skin began to change.
A harsh, bright red swelling blossomed across her jawline.
It pulsed with a hot, localized heat.
The welt perfectly mirrored the shape of the blonde woman’s fingers.
The pregnant woman bit down hard on the inside of her cheek.
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A metallic taste flooded her tongue.
She pressed her eyelids together until stars burst in the darkness of her vision.
