Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Beneath the Rubble

“Bella?  Talk to me, Bella.  Are you alright?”

Bella slowly became aware of someone calling out to her, the far-off sound reminiscent of the tin cans-and-string telephones she’d made as a child.  Someone was patting her arm.  She tried to open her eyes and found that she couldn’t, that no matter what she did, everything was black.

“Tanya?” she croaked, her throat dry, dust-filled.  She coughed, relieving a little of the discomfort.  She noticed that their voices were oddly muffled.  “I can’t see,” Bella said.

“Bella, thank God!” Tanya exclaimed.  “It’s pitch dark.  We’re under the building,” she explained.  “You were out for a few minutes.  How are you?  Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I don’t know.  My head,” Bella began, reaching up to touch her forehead.  It felt wet and sticky.  I’m bleeding, she thought.

“I’m afraid you might have a concussion.  We’ve got to keep you awake,” Tanya was saying.

“What about you?” Bella asked.  “Are you hurt?”