SILENCE

The days dragged by in agonizing torture as Halle remained trapped in her personal hell. Time ceased to hold meaning within the dingy confines of the small room that had been hers as a teenager under her mother’s cruel control. The peeling walls oozed with memories of past suffering, the very air thick with hopelessness.

And now, heavy with her unborn child, Halle felt more trapped than ever. Her mother’s daily visits always ended with fresh bruises blossoming on her skin, dark reminders of her powerlessness. When not enduring her mother’s rage, Halle spent the empty hours curled miserably on the cot, arms wrapped around her belly as if to shield the precious life within from the darkness pressing in around them.

On the fifth night, Halle lay tense and sleepless, every creak of the old brothel putting her nerves on edge. She stared dry-eyed into the gloom, too weary even for tears. The baby’s steady kicks were her only comfort.

When the familiar scrape of the main door opening reached