Page 44 of Keeping Kara

Just then, a bright light flashed, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder.

Kara shrieked and jumped what felt like ten feet, turning huge eyes toward the window. For a moment, she could’ve sworn she saw a face staring back at her from the darkness.

Which was impossible, since the apartment was on the third floor.

But was it impossible? Nolan could have gotten a ladder…

Realizing she was spiraling hard, but not knowing how to stop it, Kara whimpered again. Looking around, she realized there was no place to hide. The closet was tiny and she didn’t have enough belongings to conceal herself there anyway. That left only one option.

Kara dove toward the bed and scrambled to get underneath it. She pulled the comforter down so it blocked her from anyone who might be looking into the window. She curled into a ball and shook as everything Nolan had done to her, and everything he would do in the future if he found her, ran through her mind.

The thunder and lightning continued, making Kara flinch every time the room lit up and shook. The storm would be the perfect cover for Nolan. Everyone else would be inside, staying dry, while he spirited her away.

“It’s all in my head. It’s all in my head,” she whispered, as she kept her eyes tightly shut. Her pep talk wasn’t working.

Before she knew what she was doing, she’d taken the phone that she was still clutching as if it was the only thing between her and certain death, and tapped it on. She clicked on Arrow’s name and brought it up to her ear.

“Hey, Kara, this is some storm, huh?”

“Arrow!” she whispered.

“What’s wrong? Where are you?”

The change from an easygoing greeting to his urgent questions was immediate. He’d obviously heard how freaked out she was in the one word she’d been able to get out. Just when she opened her mouth to respond, another extremely loud thunderclap echoed through the room, making Kara whimper yet again.

She hated how weak she sounded. And hiding under the bed didn’t make her feel any better. Didn’t relieve the anxiety she felt.

“Is Jen there? Kara? Talk to me.”

“No. Just me.”

“And you’re still at the apartment, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’m on my way. I’m going to stay on the phone with you the entire time. But you need to talk to me, reassure me that you’re all right.”

“I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“Him.”

“Right. I can hear you breathing too fast. Slow it down, Kara.”

“Can’t!”

“Listen to me, block everything else out. I want you to think of five things you can feel right now.”

“Feel?”

“Yeah. What are some things you can feel right this second?”

“Um…the plastic of the phone.”

“Good. What else?”

“The hard floor under me.”