Interrogations

My eyes feel so heavy. Almost as if they are taped shut. After a few tries, I force them open to see the lush green of a forest. I blink a few times, looking from side to side. Where am I?

Sitting up up and looking down at my belly, I realize that I’m not pregnant anymore. I push myself off of the ground, wiping the dirt and leaves that stuck to my palms away.

My fingers linger over the flat plane of my stomach.

Dread settles in the pit of my stomach as it finally dawns on me where I'm at. I’m inside of my nightmare again. This time, I’ve woken up in a different area than before. It looks familiar, but something has changed. The air around me feels more dense. It's harder to breathe as my lungs take in breaths of icy air.

I start heading north, climbing over fallen trees and trekking through heavy brush. It’s recently rained and running through the mud barefoot is becoming tiring. After a few minutes, my toes feel numb from the temperatures.

‘Iris, can you hear me here?’

Nothi