California Love

Chapter 18: Phone Call

I lay on the cold ground of the alley. The sky is a midnight black and there are no stars tonight. My hands are still tied behind my back and the cloth is over my mouth.

The cloth is making it hard for me to breathe because my nose is blocked from so much crying. I can feel my eyes are red and puffy and I have a pounding headache from when my head hit the ground, as well as all the crying and hyperventilating.

"Katniss!" I hear someone frantically calling my name but it is very distant.

My vision is blurring and I can hear each breath I take echoing in my ears.

"Katniss!" I hear my name again but this time it is closer.

I want to call out to them, tell them that I am here. But I can't bring myself to force the words out. My throat feels blocked. I'm struggling to breathe enough as it is.

I see a sideways blurry figure appear at the end of the alleyway. I try to make out who it is between the tears and my vision blackening.

I see a torch beam swing around until the light is directed at me.

"PEETA, I FOUND HER!" I hear the person scream. The light moves down another street and then back to me again. I see another blurry figure appear.

I hear frantic footsteps that echo and vibrate along the ground and onto my ear that is pressed to the cold concrete.

The blurry figures get closer until they both fall to their knees in front of me. I feel someone undo the ropes and take off the tape.

"Katniss? Katniss can you hear me?" I hear a voice. I roll my head so I am facing upwards towards the sky and see two faces blocking my vison.

Finnick and Peeta. I see Finnick's face move and I focus on Peeta.

I can see his mouth moving frantically as he is screaming something at me, but I can't make out his words.

I roll my head back to the side so my ear is once again pressed to the ground.

"Katniss?" I hear another worried voice, a girl's voice. I see Madge shaking violently in Gale's arms.

"Gale, Cato, get the girls away from here, take them back to my apartment. I'm taking her to Josh and Rye, they know a bit of medical stuff." I hear Peeta's voice say.

I see all of my friends who were looking at me like I'm a wounded puppy start to walk away.

I feel arms slide underneath me and I am lifted off the ground. I groan in pain and bury my face in his shoulder as I fist his shirt into my hands.

"Katniss, shhhh, it's going to be alright." I hear him whisper into my ear as he starts to walk.

"N-n-no hospital." I croak out. "No hospital, I promise." He says and I feel him shift me to one arm as he opens the car door. He puts me in the passenger seat and buckles me in.

Peeta goes to shut the door but I don't unclench my hands from where they are attached to his shirt.

"Katniss, please," he pleads as he carefully pries my fingers off his shirt. "Please, we need to get you to my brothers."

He shuts the door and gets in the driver's side as he starts the car.

"Talk to me, it will help." He says. I try my best to get words out. Not for helping me but for helping Peeta; it will assure him that I'm going to be okay.

"I love you." I croak out because that's the only thing on my mind at the minute. How much I love him.

He looks across at me and then does a double take as my head starts to loll to the side and my eyes droop.