**Trapped**

Trapped was exactly how Ashley felt as she stared at the small stick in her hand, the words "Positive" seeming to scream at her like a cruel joke. She felt like her world had come crashing down around her, like she was drowning in a sea of despair. She thought back to the days leading up to this moment, the days that had seemed so endless and suffocating. The days of abuse and fear, of being trapped in a never-ending nightmare. And now, it seemed, she had a new reason to be afraid. Ashley's mind reeled as she thought about the implications of her pregnancy. She was only 19, barely an adult herself, and now she was responsible for another life. A life that would be subject to the same abuse and neglect that she had suffered. She thought about Zach, about the way he had looked at her when she told him she might be pregnant. The way he had reacted with violence and anger. She knew that this was just the beginning of her ordeal, that things would only get worse from here. Ashley's eyes welled up with tears as she thought about her future, about the life that was growing inside of her. She felt like she was trapped in a prison, with no escape and no one to turn to. She looked down at her stomach, her mind reeling with thoughts of the baby growing inside of her. She felt a mix of emotions: fear, anxiety, and a small spark of hope. She knew that she had to find a way to get out of this situation, to protect herself and her unborn child. But for now, she was trapped. Trapped in a situation that seemed impossible to escape, trapped in a body that was no longer her own. Ashley felt like she was losing herself, like she was disappearing into the darkness. And as she stood there, frozen in fear and uncertainty, Ashley knew that she had to find a way to hold on. To hold on to her sanity, to her dignity, and to her life. She didn't know how, but she knew she had to try.