California Love

Chapter 38: Heart Shattering

Just for if anyone wants a background song for this chapter - these are the songs I listened to while writing it.

We're in heaven -DJ Sammy (slow)
Not about angels -birdy
What hurts the most (candlelight remix)
A drop in the ocean-Ron pope
The hanging tree - taliesin orchestra

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I open my eyes, gasping for air. My lungs burn at the first breath and I feel like I'm about to pass out again. I cough a little as the waves continue to roll and thrash against the wind. I am about to give up and let the heaviness in my eyes and the burn in my lungs take over when I spot the waterproof satellite phone floating over the waves.

I notice while I have been out that the storm has somewhat calmed. I have no idea where Chaff or the boat is. Struggling against my will to just give up, I weakly try and swim against the smaller, but still huge, waves and reach the satellite.

I dial the emergency number but it rings out and tells me the number is not available. That's when I remember we had entered Australian waters. I know the emergency number for Australia is 000, so I dial that and before it hits the second ring, someone answers.

I now realise I can't speak. I cough and let out a gasp. "Help." I say and the voice says again, "Miss, where are you?"

"In the ocean somewhere," I gasp out as a wave crashes onto me. "Boat...crash...help me." I gasp and that's when another waves comes along. I'm too weak to resist it. I let the wave take me. I know that they can track the satellite phone and know the general area I'm in. At least they can, if I haven't floated too far.

Peeta's POV
*four days earlier*

I walk into our hotel room and see my mother hanging up the phone. "Who was that?" I ask and she jumps around quickly, dropping the phone. "How much did you hear?" She snaps and I eye her suspiciously. "Nothing. Why, who was it?" I ask again and she shakes her head. "No one." I let it drop and mother walks past me out of the hotel room at the same time Rye walks in.

"Hey Peeta, did you know there's a massive storm in California right now?" He says and sits down on the bed. "No, really?" I ask distracted by the sight of my mum's phone on the floor. I drown out Rye's talking as I walk over to the phone and pick it up.

I go into recent calls and see the last call she made was to Katniss' phone number... Why would she be talking to Katniss? I call her phone but she doesn't answer.

*Present time*

"Hey Peeta, you better come have a look at this!" I hear Josh call out worriedly.

"What is it?" I call back.

"Hurry! Now!" He calls and I run into the living room of our hotel in Queensland, to where Josh is watching the news.

"What's this?" I ask as the opening song rolls on. "Just watch." He says worriedly and I know he saw something on the preview for tonight's news.

We watch to about halfway through the news when it shows a video of a boat overturned on a very stormy, wide sea. "Watch this." Josh says and I pay more attention.

"A young woman and man, both in their twenties, have been saved from the treacherous ocean just north of Queensland. The man, whose condition was not severe, was able to let us know what was happening, and some background information on this disaster."

I lean forward and look closely at the screen. "Chaff, aged 25, is a sailor from California," As soon as I hear the mention of California, I tense up. Is this why Josh called me in? I notice my whole family is also in the room watching.