Tracey  cringed,  as  she  watched  the  menacing  light  dance  along a scalpel's razor-sharp edge.  She had  never felt the  bite of a knife before. Tracey  desperately  clinched  her  restraits,  while  she prayed for a quick ending.  A  light  too bright for her eyes, and too hot for her skin,  lingered above her,  not even three feet from where she lay.  She felt a tremble  in her stomach that let her know it was time.

    Her blood felt hot,  escaping her body in rhythmical spurts as the  blade tore into her flesh.  She desparately fought the  urge  to  scream,  though the pain was more than she could  bare.  A  masked  face  stood  over her with  only  narrowed  eyes  revealing  an  identity.   The  person   intently penetrated  layer  after  layer.   Perspiration  stung  her  eyes and Tracey turned  her  head trying to clear it .  The burning wasn't as intense as the probing hands that pealed her flesh back pulling at her muscles and tissue, robbing her of the child she patiently awaited for nine long months.

    She cusred Daniel for leaving her.  If  he were there, he could save her, but he wasn't.  Tracey realized for the first time how alsone she was.  Her boyfriend had abandoned her, the projects didn't offer the  best of  friends and  her parents put her out when she told them she was pregnant.  Many times she tried to reconcile their differences but they didn't understand, at least they didn't seem to understand.

    Tracey felt a tug and out popped her baby.  She  could  see  the child's penis  saluting proudly between his  bowed  legs. "It's  a  boy."  The  voice behind  the  mask said narcissistically.   She wiped the child with the towel she pulled from her bag, then wrapped it in a receiving blanket followed by another blanket.

     Things  were  getting  dark  by  the  second. Tracey knew she couldn't hold on much longer.  The agonizing pain subsided and her legs  ceased  to writhe then the sensations ended.  She began to feel faint, and  instantly, her heart stopped beating.

      One  out  of  every  thousand children being born are kidnapped within the  ages  of  one  and  five.  Half  that number are taken from local parks while  unattended,  while  the other half wander away from their parent or guardian while shopping in a supermarket.

     Five  children  are missing,  there are no records of their births and the only  evidence  of  their  existence  are  the  gutted  cadavers  which one harbored them.

     No clues, no evidence and no refuge. Missing Births is a mother's worst nightmare, and her last.