The Contracted Stripper

Iris jolted awake to the blinding sunlight filtering through the barred window of her room.

For a moment, she felt disoriented, the events of the last few weeks crashing back into her mind with a painful clarity.

She had been locked up here for what seemed like an eternity, and every day was a reminder of the uncertain future that awaited her.

She shifted on the thin mattress, her body stiff from the confinement. But just as she tried to get comfortable, a sharp, unbearable pain shot through her waist and stomach, radiating down to her legs.

A sudden sensation gripped her, one she had felt creeping for days but had brushed off out of fear. This time, it was undeniable.

Iris gasped, her hand instinctively moving to her stomach, her fingers trembling. The pain increased, a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her breath caught in her throat, and before she could process what was happening, a scream ripped from her mouth.

The sound echoed off the walls of the small room, her panic and agony filling the air. The men standing guard outside the room were alerted immediately.

Two of them burst through the door, their faces a mix of confusion and alarm.”What’s going on?” one of them demanded, eyes wide as he scanned Iris’s writhing form.

Iris tried to answer, but all that came out were gasps and sobs. The pain was overwhelming, and she felt as though her entire body was being torn apart. Every muscle, every nerve in her body screamed in agony.

The second man crouched beside her, trying to assess the situation. “I think… I think she’s in labor,” he muttered, panic creeping into his voice.

“Go get the nurse-quick!”The first man didn’t need to be told twice. He bolted from the room, his footsteps pounding down the hallway. Iris gripped the sheets beneath her, her fingers turning white as the pain continued to build.

Her vision blurred, and she could hardly breathe through the intensity of it all.

Within minutes, the nurse arrived, her face tight with urgency. She knelt beside Iris, assessing the situation with the calm professionalism of someone who had dealt with emergencies before.

“Untie her,” the nurse ordered the men, her tone firm. “She can’t deliver like this.”The guards hesitated for a moment, exchanging a look of uncertainty.

“Now!” the nurse barked, snapping them into action. They quickly undid the bindings that had kept Iris immobilized for days, and the relief of being free from the restraints was brief as another wave of pain surged through her body.

The nurse placed a hand on Iris’s shoulder, her touch surprisingly gentle. “It’s okay, Iris. I need you to breathe for me, alright? Focus on breathing. In and out.

“Iris tried to comply, but her breath hitched with every contraction. The pressure was unbearable, and her mind was racing with fear. She wasn’t ready for this. Not here. Not now.

The nurse glanced over at the guards. “I need towels, hot water, and scissors. Go. Now.” Her voice was calm but authoritative, and the men quickly dispersed to gather the necessary items.

The nurse returned her focus to Iris, her face softening slightly. “I know you’re scared, but you need to stay calm. The baby is coming.”Iris’s eyes welled with tears as she shook her head.

“I-I can’t,” she gasped between breaths. “I can’t do this. Not here.”

“You can, and you will,” the nurse said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. “But I need you to stay focused. If you panic, it will make things worse.”Iris’s heart pounded in her chest, the fear mixing with the pain, making everything feel impossible. She didn’t know how to be strong right now. She felt so alone, so powerless.

Moments later, the guards returned with the supplies the nurse had requested, placing them on the table beside the bed. The nurse moved quickly, preparing for the delivery as efficiently as she could in these less-than-ideal conditions.

“Alright,” the nurse said, her tone even as she turned back to Iris. “When the next contraction comes, I want you to push.

Can you do that?”Iris barely had time to nod before another contraction hit her, and she cried out in pain.

The nurse positioned herself, giving Iris instructions as calmly as possible.”Push, Iris. Push now.”Iris squeezed her eyes shut, summoning all the strength she could muster.

Her body trembled with the effort, every fiber of her being focused on bringing the baby into the world. She had no choice. She had to do this.

The nurse kept her voice steady, guiding Iris through each push. “You’re doing great. Keep going. Just a little more.”Sweat poured down Iris’s face as she bore down, her entire body shaking with the strain.

Time seemed to blur, the moments stretching endlessly, the pain becoming her only reality. But amidst the agony, she could feel it-the baby was coming.”I can see the head,” the nurse said, her voice rising with urgency. “One more big push, Iris. You’re almost there.”Iris clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she gave it everything she had.

Her scream echoed through the room once again, and finally, with one final push, the pressure released, and she collapsed back onto the mattress, gasping for air.

There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of a tiny cry. The nurse held up the newborn, wrapping the baby in one of the towels before gently placing it in Iris’s arms. “You did it,” she whispered, a small smile on her face.

“It’s a girl.”Iris stared down at the tiny, wriggling bundle in her arms, her heart swelling with a mixture of exhaustion, relief, and overwhelming love.

Tears streamed down her face as she cradled her daughter, the weight of everything she had endured momentarily forgotten in this one beautiful moment. But the peace was short-lived. The door to the room slammed open, and the leader of the guards strode in, his expression grim.

He glanced at the nurse, then at Iris, and finally at the baby in her arms.” I just informed the boss,” he said, his voice low and serious. “He’s not happy.”Iris’s heart skipped a beat, and her joy was quickly replaced with dread.

She clutched her newborn daughter tighter, instinctively shielding her from whatever danger was about to come.”What does that mean?” the nurse asked, her voice cautious.

The guard didn’t respond right away, his eyes locked on Iris. “It means the boss wants her and the baby kept under even tighter watch.”

The nurse frowned. “She just gave birth. She needs time to recover.”The guard shook his head. “The boss doesn’t care. He wants to see her as soon as possible.”Iris’s blood ran cold. She knew exactly who “the boss” was.

And she knew that nothing good would come from whatever he had planned for her and her baby.

“Please,” Iris whispered, her voice trembling. “Just give me a little more time. I can’t move right now.”The guard’s eyes flickered with something-pity, perhaps?-but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

“You’ll have to face him sooner or later.”Iris looked down at her daughter, her heart breaking at the thought of what might happen next. She had to protect her, no matter the cost. The nurse placed a hand on the guard’s arm.

“Give her until tomorrow. Let her recover. I’ll take full responsibility.”The guard hesitated, then sighed. “Fine. But tomorrow, she’s coming with us. No more delays.

“With that, he turned and left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Iris breathed a shaky sigh of relief, though it was a temporary one. She looked at the nurse, her eyes pleading.

“What am I going to do?”The nurse sat beside her, her expression softening.

“For now, rest. You and your baby are safe here tonight. We’ll figure something out tomorrow.”But even as the nurse spoke, Iris couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out.

Tomorrow was fast approaching, and with it, whatever the boss had planned for her and her newborn daughter. She tightened her grip on her baby, vowing silently that no matter what happened, she would do whatever it took to protect her child.

The nurse’s words were reassuring, but deep down, Iris knew that tomorrow would bring more danger than either of them could anticipate.

The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the room as Iris lay there, her mind racing. She had survived so much already, but this felt different.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The stakes were higher now. The future, once uncertain, now seemed darker than ever. And somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew that the real fight was just beginning.