The Darkest Minds - "I'm a red,"

1.

I didn't trust her then, but she might be the only person I can trust now.

I quickly dial the number on the card as someone pounds on our door.

"Hello?" The familiar voice asks, the voice I haven't heard in weeks.

"Catherine? It's Jia-" she cuts me off.

"Jia! Are you okay? Is your mom there?" She asks, the pounding on my door growing louder.

"You said I could call you for anything. My mom- she called someone to come get me- soldiers I think. I need your help, I-" my door is knocked down, people yelling.

"Jia, talk to me! Are you at home? I can come to get you, I need to know where you are!" Catherine urges over the phone, she sounds as panicked as I feel.

"Yes I'm at home but..." they pound on my locked door and I whimper.

"I'm scared..." I finish.

"Listen to me, Jia. I'm coming to get you. Try to find somewhere safe, somewhere to hide," Catherine says. I can hear the sound of a car starting.

Looking to my left, I see the space under my bed. It's not much but it's all I have.

"Ok. I'm crawling under my bed. It's the only place to hide," I tell Catherine, wiggling underneath my bed.

"Good. Good, that's smart. Stay there, Jia. I'm coming,"

The door to my room is busted open and multiple pairs of boots come rushing in.

"Where are you? Come on, we won't hurt you. This is for your safety," one soldier says.

"Don't listen to them, Jia. Stay hidden and quiet," Catherine urges.

I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to slow my breathing and shaking. I stick the phone into my bra, hiding it. But suddenly my foot is grabbed and I'm pulled out from the bed. I scream.

"There you are!" The man says, turning me over.

Without my control, my powers activate. Fire flairs from my hands and burns his face. He screams and scrambles away, holding a hand to his burned flesh.

"That little shit is a fire bomber!" Another soldier cries.

Something hits me in the face, the butt of a gun, I'm guessing. My vision explodes to white on impact and I'm dazed.

I can feel my hands being drawn together in front of me, cold metal being slapped onto them and tightened to the point of pain. Handcuffs.

But I hear a chain rattling and the smell of leather fills my nose. I gain my vision back in time to see a leather muzzle coming towards me.

"No! Please, no! Stop!" I cry, whipping my head around wildly to try and escape the piece of leather.

"Stay still you bitch!" A soldier barks. Another pair of hands hold my head still while the leather is put over my mouth, the strap tightened behind my head.