Chapter 100
The damp cellar air was shredded by Sarah’s scream, a raw, jagged sound that bounced off the concrete walls and died in the heavy shadows. She was drenched in sweat, her fingers hooked into the metal mesh of the cage so tightly her knuckles were white. The world had narrowed down to a cycle of blinding, white-hot pain and the terrifying silence that followed.
At the top of the stairs, the light from the kitchen framed Genie’s silhouette. She didn't look like a midwife; she looked like a butcher checking a stopwatch. Her thumb tapped the phone’s screen, marking the interval.
“Two minutes and forty seconds,” Genie called down, her voice casual, almost bored. “You’re getting closer, Sarah. Try to keep the noise down, though. It’s bad for your blood pressure, and I need you to s
