Preg-napped

Introduction

A cold wind blew through Crown City that day. It rushed down roads and maneuvered through trees and alleyways. Pedestrians wrapped themselves in jackets as they crossed the bustling streets. Vaporized breaths mixed with the town smog to create a dull white haze. Flags rustled in the breeze and cars crunched along the old roadways. The low gray skies left a somber feeling in the air.

A lady named Deanna Burns had found shelter in a quaint coffee shop on second street called La Steam. The place smelled inviting and the orange wallpaper gave her a sense of home. There wasn't much to be heard except for the occasional slurp or sniffle. As people mindlessly clacked away on their laptops, Deanna sipped a streaming cup of tea, with extra sugar. As the soothing liquid slipped down her throat, she could feel it warming up her whole body, hugging her from the inside. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She hadn't taken the time to relax like this in months.

A news report suddenly flashed up on the small television in the corner of the room, and everyone glanced up at it lazily. A balding man clad in a blue suit stood in front of a weather radar map. He talked as if he had a can opener lodged in his throat. As he gestured towards the pixelated figures on the map, he explained that the cool wind today was coming along with a rather harsh thunderstorm.

"I advise everyone to get to their homes and wait it out," the man said in his grating voice. "The rain will start coming in waves at around three p.m. and won't stop until midnight."

Deanna looked down at her black leather watch, which read 2:43 p.m. A long sigh passed her lips. She supposed she should get out of here before the rain hit. She downed her last sip of tea and packed up her things.

As she started to stand up, people stared in her direction out of the corners of their eyes. They saw her heft herself up with some effort, revealing the large bump in her lower torso.

Deanna could feel the people looking at her. She rubbed her stomach uneasily and then pulled her jacket around it. Obviously, her thin pink shirt had not been enough to cover up her girth. She pursed her lips and threw her trash in a nearby can. Quickly, she exited the shop, and the gazes dropped from her figure.

It wasn't easy being pregnant. Deanna had been putting up with it for the past thirty-two weeks. Not only did she look and feel like an upright hippo, but her back ached, she got really bad heartburn, and her organs were squished, causing her to need the bathroom frequently.
And yet, it seemed as though people couldn't take their eyes off her.

Deanna shivered slightly in the unrelenting wind as she travelled down the sidewalk. Her golden brown hair was whipping in the breeze and tiny raindrops were beginning to hit her face; these were sure signs of an impending storm. She wrapped her jacket even more tightly around her body.

Visibility was getting low as the street led Deanna into a cloud of fog. She squinted her eyes and turned her head, but she could only see shapes and some dull lights glowing through the mist.

The strong wind blew harder against her back, and her teeth started to chatter. She came to a stop, the heels of her boots digging into the concrete. The storm was quickly getting worse. Her home was only a few blocks away...hopefully she would make it.

Deanna was about to keep walking when something caught her eye. She looked up in front of her, brushing wild strands of hairs from her face.

Two bright yellow lights were coming through the haze to her left. Deanna blinked, unable to see what the source of them was. They just sat there like beacons in the icy fog.

She heard a door slam shut, and suddenly, the air around her seemed to get colder. So, they were headlights...big enough to be from some sort of truck...

Deanna looked to her right and saw a shadowy figure standing next to the vehicle.

"Hey!" She yelled through the wind and rain. "Who--"

Suddenly, she felt a prick of pain on her right arm. She grimaced, hunching over slightly. Had a bee gotten her? Why would there be bees out in this weather? She carefully moved her hand to the point of pain. She felt something large and curved coming out of it. Confused, she moved her eyes to look at the thing. It appeared to be...some sort of dart.
Where had that come from?

As Deanna heard footsteps nearing her, she was hit with some realization. But it was too late.

The figure that had come out of the vehicle was becoming more clear. It was a man wearing a dark trench coat, a bandana around his nose and mouth, and thick sunglasses on his eyes. He was breathing heavily.

Deanna's eyes were wide, her mouth dropped open in fear. She wanted to say something, but...she just didn't seem to have the energy to do it. All she could do was watch like a deer in headlights as this tall, creepy man slowly strode up to her. She could feel inside her that this man was up to no good. Even the baby inside her felt it. It was squirming in her womb nervously.

The man's lips moved beneath his mask, and Deanna could tell he was grinning. "Hey, gorgeous," he said. He sounded like someone that would have horrible breath from years of smoking cigars and playing poker.

Without any hesitation, the man planted both of his gloved hands on Deanna's belly.

A noise of surprised anger came from Deanna's throat. She attempted to run, but her limbs felt like lead. She was feeling very tired all of a sudden. Her mind was telling her to get away from this freak, but her muscles weren't getting the message.

The stranger proceeded to rub her belly in big circles, even going as far as to push up her shirt to feel the skin. He was mumbling things under his breath and smirking.

Deanna was panicking. It was obvious that she couldn't move away from this guy. It was also obvious that no one could see them due to the fog. Her own vision was getting fuzzy around the edges. The sounds of wind and the man's voice were becoming muffled.

She was able to see the man look up and say, "Looks like the storm's coming." Then he looked back at her. "Let's get you inside, sugar."

He stopped fondling her only to grab her wrist. She could do nothing as he started to drag her away.

Everything in sight was blurry. It all seemed to be going in slow motion, as if time were gradually freezing. The sounds she heard were mere echoes, and she could feel nothing; not the rain, nor the breeze, nor the bony hand on her wrist. Her brain was slowing down as well, barely comprehending what was happening.

The last thing Deanna saw was the bed of the man's truck.

Then, everything went black.