It wasn't at first sight

Chapter 24

Hanna wakes up again. The cold that she feels is what makes her wake up. She is still not fully conscious because of the sedative substance running through her veins. Her eyes remain closed. When she tries to move her arms to wrap them around her own body to warm herself up, her arms don't respond. As much as she tries, they won't move. But unlike before, she gets scared this time. Maybe because now, it's been a few more hours since she was thrown there in the woods and very slowly, she's starting to recover her consciousness, and along with it, comes the fear.

So now, she doesn't only feel cold, but also scared, her body hurts, her head hurts much more and her confusion still doesn't let her think clearly.

/

The guys get together over the road a few miles from Rosewood's exit just as Toby told them.

They split up in order to make a better search and cover a greater part of the area that Caleb indicated them and they go look for Hanna.

Except for Caleb. He stays in Toby's car and keeps working on his laptop for a while longer, trying to find a more exact location to look for Hanna. But some minutes later, his anxiety and desperation win and he abandons his task to go look for Hanna as well.

He starts walking into the woods, but he only goes a few feet into them. Then, he starts walking parallel to the road, assuming that whether Hanna got there by herself or someone took her there, she couldn't be too far away from the road. Still trying to hold himself together, to stay calm, he pushes away any bad thought that could threaten his concentration and walks for several minutes. At some point, he takes his phone and starts calling her again. If her cell phone, and hopefully Hanna, are near to him, or to any of the guys, that could help to get there more easily.

He can't believe what his ears hear as soon as he starts the call. He doesn't know if what he is hearing is real or if it's just his desperate mind playing tricks on him. Anyway, he starts to run right away, in the direction from where he thinks that Hanna's phone is ringing.

He gets there in no time.

As soon as his eyes spot Hanna lying on the ground, he rushes over there.

Caleb "Oh my god! Hanna!" he yells while kneeling down next to her. His heart is racing and a shiver runs through his body when he takes her face in his hands and his palms come in touch with her very cold cheeks.

Hanna feels his touch. The warmth of his hands feels really good on her freezing cheeks. But she's too confused to know what's going on, and her eyes are still closed.

Caleb "Han, baby" he talks to her. "Hey, Han" he calls her again, seeking for a reaction from her.

And she recognizes his voice now, despite she is barely conscious, she hears him. She doesn't understand the situation, since her state of confusion doesn't even allow her to wonder what's going on, or even understand his words, what he is saying. But at least, hearing his voice, the sound alone, lowers her fear.

Still kneeling next to her, he wraps his arms around her and when he lifts her torso up from the ground, her head tilts back, like hanging from her body, and her arms too, they fall at each side of her. Her body looks very loose, and seeing that, makes Caleb even more desperate. Her body feels so heavy in his arms... and she is so cold... she looks dead.

Caleb "Guys! Please! Someone come!" he yells while placing her back on the ground.

Hanna wants to scream now. She wants to tell him not to let go of her, but her body still doesn't respond and the fear invades her once again.

His hands are shaky but still he manages to check her pulse and a huge relief comes to him when he finds it. Her pulse it's weak, but it's there.

Caleb "Baby, please... wake up" he tells her softly, despite the lump in his throat.