I walked down the dark alley. As creatures skittered through the night, I turned frantically, making sure I wasn't being followed. A back door opened and a figure walked out, laughing. Loud music and laughter were silenced as the door closed again. I tried to blend in with the wall until the figure was gone. I calmed myself and walked past the door. I let out a sigh of relief as a hand clamped over my mouth. I tried to scream but couldn't. A gruff voice whispered in my ear,

"I know what you have and I know what you're doing. You should be more careful." Then the world fell into darkness.

.....

It all started when Lona's baby died. She was heartbroken, and all the girls at our workhouse, me included, did our best to comfort her.

One day, I was walking with her when we saw a guard carrying a baby. Lona stopped in her tracks.

"That's her," she whispered. "That's my baby!" She made to run after the man, but I held her back,

"Are you sure?"

"A mother always knows her child, Carina," Lona said sternly. I shrugged and let go. That was a mistake. She lunged after the guard, grabbing his cloak,

"You stole my child! You stole her!" He quickly unsheathed his sword and ran her through. I cried out and ran forward,

"No!" I knelt beside her, sobbing. "Lona!" He laughed,

"You servant girls are all the same.” I looked up angrily. He continued,

"Your only way out of servitude is to marry someone of higher status. And guess what. You're prettier with your mouth shut." He handed me Lona's baby. "If you want it so much, take it." He walked away.

That day, the girls and I found out that every servant girl who had a baby had that baby taken from her and killed. And we knew we had to stop it. So we became baby smugglers, taking the babies to safe houses in the countryside. It was dangerous, but it was necessary.

We all knew the risks, but we never thought we'd get caught.

.....

I woke tied to a chair in an underground cave. My servant's uniform was rumpled and messy, sticking to my sweaty skin. Thank God I had been on the way back from a delivery and hadn't had any children with me.

My head whipped back as someone slapped my face. A guard crouched in front of me,

"You didn't really think you'd get away with it, did you?" he sneered. I defiantly stared him in the eyes,

"Get away with what?" He spat in my face.

"You know what. And everything we don't know, we're going to get out of you." On that ominous note, he stormed out of the room.

I can be strong, I thought. I can be strong.

Another person stalked into the room.

"Karina Holschsmit?"

"That is my name," I said dryly. The man was not amused.

"Look, Karina, I don't want to have to hurt you. Tell me who's been working with you and your past deliveries, and we will let you off easily." I raised my chin.

"I am not a traitor." He grunted,

"Yes, you are. You have gone against this country and government." I cocked my head at him.

"Excuse me. I meant I won't betray people that matter." The interrogator slapped my face hard. My neck cried out from the whiplash.

"You realize I have to hurt you now, Miss Holschsmit." I looked him coldly in the eye.

"It's Mrs. Holschsmit, actually." He raised an eyebrow.

"So you aren't a servant girl?" I looked away.

"I married a servant boy." He frowned.

"You realize that we can't help reform you, then. There is no way to get you out of servanthood." I stared off into the corner.

"I married for love, sir. I wouldn't want it any other way." He made a disbelieving sound.

"Marrying for power is better. It actually gets you somewhere."

I just stared off into my corner. I thought of Emilie.

My darling Emilie, my angel, the beautiful daughter I had to give up.

But she could not exist in my mind. The interrogator left without me noticing. I just focused on the things I could not remember.

.....

Fyedka kissed me, the few who had attended the ceremony applauding us. The priest said,

"I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Holschsmit!" We practically cantered down the aisle, riding high on the waves of true love.

The next day, we were back at our jobs, living at our separate workhouses.

When I became pregnant, it was joyous but also scary. What if Emilie was the one I got caught smuggling out?

They caught me coming back from delivering her. I was slightly off my guard. I mean, I had just given up my baby!

No mother wants that.

.....

The interrogator came back in with a fire pit and pokers. I closed my eyes, preparing for the pain.

"First question," the interrogator said. "Who were you delivering tonight?" I turned my head away. I heard him sigh. Then I heard a poker scrape against the grate. A second later, a burning point was pressing into my back. I instinctively arched away, but he held me down.

"I said, who were you delivering tonight?" I gasped in pain, trying to stop from screaming. I can't betray Emilie. I can't! my mind chanted.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed, and then my vision went black.

.....

Every day, another question. Every day, another burn. But I would not give up Emilie. One day, the interrogator finally said,

"Shoot her."

They brought me out to the courtyard. As they pulled the trigger, I thought,

For the good and the beautiful, I will give my life.

THE END