California Love

Chapter 5: Drowning

Hey everyone, go check out mine and @katniss123557 new hunger games account @hungry_mockingjays!

You're all going to hate me for this chapter...

Katniss' POV

I walk down to the public pool that was right on the beach front. It was a hot day and the sun was beating down on everyone who had any sense and was out enjoying the sun. As soon as I got to the beach, I saw that it was packed so I made my way to the pool where I saw Peeta was on his shift and was sitting up in the lifeguard chair, keeping a good watch on everyone.

He is only wearing boardshorts and I can't help but admire his chest and his perfectly toned muscles. "Hey Mellark," I call up to him. He looks around and then finally looks down to where I am standing on the ground. "Hey Katniss." He takes one last look around before climbing down the ladder and taking a few short steps towards me.

He pulls me in for a hug and I hug him back. I can't help the feelings that arise whenever he touches me or talks to me. I think I am falling for him but I'm not sure whether I'm ready for a relationship yet, I'm just scared because of what Marvel did to me.

I feel safe in his arms though. He pulls back a little bit and whispers in my ear, "Are you going to the music festival on the beach at sunset tonight?" I giggle because his lips and breath tickle my ear. I nod and he whispers again, "Do you want to come with me, as a friend?" He adds the last part on hurriedly. "Yeah, sure, you can pick me up from my apartment." He grins and gives me another quick hug.

"Hey, Mellark, stop flirting and get back to work." I see Finnick call over from where he is sitting with Annie on a beach lounge. Peeta waves at him and then turns to me. "Duty calls, I'll talk to you later." I smile and nod as he turns around and climbs back up the ladder to his watch out chair.

I walk back around the edge of the pool, letting the sun soak into my skin, when someone grabs my arm and twists me around. She has a tall, lean figure and long blonde hair. I think I saw her at the volleyball match on my first day here. "Hi, I'm Glimmer, and you are...?" She looks at me expectantly. "Katniss Everdeen," I say slowly.

"Right, well you better stay away from Peeta because he is mine. If I find you go anywhere near him, you will be dead. Understand?" Pft, sure. "Look, I can do what ever I want, and Peeta is not yours, he is mine." Why was I acting like a jealous girlfriend? Glimmer stares at me, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, really?" I nod, "Peeta would never go out with some dumb bimbo barbie like yourself." I spit at her.

Before I can even think about what is happening she has pushed me towards the pool with a lot of force. My foot slipped on the edge and I let out a scream as my ankle collided with the pool edge and I went tumbling into the water. I was so surprised and it happened so quickly that my mouth was open when I fell in. I swallowed tons of water and it was getting stuck in my throat. I was upside down underwater in the deep end, trying to thrash my way to the surface while I was becoming weaker and weaker. I was choking on the water and I couldn't breathe. I wanted to scream out for help or get somebody's attention.

I let my motions go limp as I slowly sink down into the depths of the pool. My vision blurred. 'This is it,' I think to myself. 'I'm gonna die.' Just when I feel myslef slipping, someone's strong arms wrap around my body and I feel myself getting pulled back up through the water. I know that it is Peeta. Once we hit the surface, Peeta pulls me out of the pool and lays me on the side. I cough as my head starts to get dizzy. I try to draw in a breath but I choke on the water that I swallowed and it is stuck in my throat. "KATNISS? KATNISS, STAY WITH ME!" I hear Peeta shouting and then it is all blackness.

Peeta's POV

I can't believe she said yes! Katniss Everdeen actually said she would come to the music festival with me tonight. I was so happy. I look out at the crowded beach and semi-crowded pool. Just then I hear a scream. My head jolts towards the sound just in time to see Katniss go crashing into the pool and Glimmer standing there with a smug look on her face. I start to climb down the ladder but it's not fast enough. I jump down from halfway and sprint over to the pool.

I see Katniss thrashing around underwater and then her whole body goes limp. My eyes widen and I don't hesitate before I jump into the pool and swim down to the bottom, where I can see Katniss has nearly blacked out. I wrap my arms around her and pull her towards the surface. Once we hit the surface I pull her out of the pool and lay her on the ground.

She coughs and splutters and I see her eyes rolling into the back of her head. I lean over her body. "KATNISS? KATNISS, STAY WITH ME!" I'm really worried now. Finnick comes rushing over. "She's swallowed too much water," I say to him and I start panicking. "Peeta, calm down, you're no help to her if you're panicking." I nod and take a deep breath. I look at Katniss and see that her eyes are slowly closing.

"No. No, no, no Katniss, please don't go." I bend my head down to her chest and listen. Nothing, silence. I let out a strangled scream. "Shit." Finnick mutters under his breath. I do the first thing I can think of. I bend down and place my lips on her's, while pinching her nose. Her lips are sweet and soft, but I can't think about that right now, the girl I am practically kissing is dead.

I breathe a big breath of air and then pull back while I place my hands over her heart and try to get it to start beating again. I place my lips on hers again and fill her lungs with more air, placing my hands over her heart again. "Come on Katniss, please wake up, please." I cry to her. I attach my mouth to her's again, breathing air into her lifeless form. I have tears coming out of my eyes, this is seriously one of the scariest things I have ever been through. "Please, Katniss, PLEASE!" I'm screaming out through choked sobs.

"Shit, shit, shit." I can hear Finnick mumbling in the background as he calls everyone and lets them know what is happening. When Katniss still doesn't move I call out to Finnick. "FINNICK, CALL THE HOSPITAL! SHE'S SWALLOWED TOO MUCH WATER AND IT'S GONE DOWN THE WRONG WAY!" I keep trying to revive Katniss but she doesn't even move. I press my ear to her heart again but there is still silence.

"FINNICK!" I scream at him and by now there is a big group of people surounding us, watching with worried faces. "Katniss, please baby, please wake up." I'm crying now. I can hear the sirens and the ambulances screaming as they screech to a stop before us.

"Everyone please step away from the incident." One of the paramedics say, while putting up a rope barrier to separate the crowd from us. "Katniss!" I hear a little girl scream. I look up and see little Prim fighing against the rope to get in to where Katniss is. "Prim, stay back." I say to her and she stands limply at the barrier. The paramedics rush over to us and they check Katniss over and listen to her heart.

They exchange a silent word and then one of them nods. The one that nodded goes over to the ambulance and pulls out a stretcher with a body bag on it. "NOOOOOO!" I scream at them and shield Katniss' lifeless body with my own. I can hear Prim screaming for Katniss and Finnick and Annie are trying to calm her down while they have tears streaming down their faces as well.

"We are very sorry Mr Mellark, but there is nothing we can do. She's gone." Those two words bounce around in my head. She's gone. They try to lift me off of her but I cling to her body, my tears dripping down onto her. "NOOOOO! PLEASE, NO SHE CAN'T GO, PLEASE!" I scream at them. "She's already gone, Peeta." My body goes weak with sobs and they put Katniss into the bag and then into the back of the ambulance. Prim breaks free of the rope and rushes over to me. We are both screaming out for Katniss while everyone else has silent tears streaming down their faces.

I'm really sorry everyone! Please don't hate me! But let me know what you think and stuff! This is all leading up to something big that i have planned...

Edited by SunshineRainbow7

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