
Prompt from https://promptuarium.wordpress.com/category/dialogue-prompt/
“pa” Tony received on his phone. The text was from his girlfriend, Catherine, and it made his heart race. PA stood for Panic Attack, and it was not something Catherine sent lightly. He grabbed his coat and sprinted out the door and down the stairs of his apartment building, going straight to his car. He drove down the road at the maximum speed he could go without being reported, and prayed Catherine would be alright when he got there.
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Catherine sat on the floor in her kitchen, hyperventilating. Her entire body ached and her vision blurred, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was the sound of her front door closing and footsteps. She saw a person move into her kitchen, slightly panicked. “Catherine? Catherine…” He said, kneeling on the cold tile floor in front of her. “T-T-Tony…” Catherine sputtered through sobs. “Catherine, just listen to me. Listen to my voice, alright? That’s all you have to do right now.” Tony said, trying desperately to calm her down. “I… c-can’t… b-breathe…” Catherine told him, taking short, gasping breaths in between words. “I know, I know. I’m going to help you, alright? Just listen to me, babe. Just listen.” Tony told her, taking her hands. “C-can we… g-go to your… ap-p-partment? I d-don’t want to b-be here.” Catherine gasped out. Tony nodded, picking her up and carrying her out of the house.
Tony carried Catherine through the door of his apartment, setting her gently on the couch. Her breathing had slowed slightly, but her head still pounded and she couldn’t stand up. She rocked back and forth, bringing her knees to her chest and pressing her hands to her forehead. “Alright, Catherine, just listen now.” Tony told her. She nodded, breathing unsteadily. “Okay, baby, breathe. Breathe with me. Ready? In…” Tony instructed, inhaling deeply. “And out…” he exhaled. Catherine matched her breathing to his. It calmed her down, making her vision stop blurring, and her lightheadedness go away. She looked into Tony’s eyes, seeing the calm in his brown orbs. “What happened, Cath?” Tony asked. Catherine nodded, running a hand through her hair. “I d-don’t know. I heard… g-gunshots. Outside my house. I was scared. There was screaming.”
Tony looked at her, his eyes widening. “Gunshots? Did you call the police?” He asked. Catherine shook her head. “I got down as fast as I could. There were more shots and I didn’t know what to do, and I could only think about calling you. I was just r-really s-scared, and I-I… oh my God.” Tears filled her eyes again as she hugged Tony, burying her face into his jacket. “Hey, hey. You are safe now. You are here with me and I’ve got you.” Tony told her, running a hand over her hair and wrapping an arm around her upper back. She nodded, sobbing quietly. “You can stay here until it’s safe, okay? I’ll call the police and I’ll talk to them. You don’t have to.” He whispered, soothingly. Catherine nodded again, sobbing still. “Do you want to watch a movie? I just got some new ones.” Tony said. She pulled herself away from him and smiled slightly. “Do you have The Breakfast Club?” She asked. Tony nodded, smiling slightly.
“Hey, babe.” Tony said quietly, shaking Catherine lightly. Her eyes opened and focused on him. “Hmm…?” She asked, drowsily. “I called the police. They went and investigated and they, uh, found… a body… in your backyard. They found evidence and know it wasn’t you, but you can’t go back home for a while.” Tony told her. The breath caught in Catherine’s throat. “A-alright. How long is a while?” She asked. “A month maximum. I, uh, got something of yours, though. Just some stuff I thought you’d need.” Tony said, handing her a small cardboard box off the coffee table. “It may not be much, but it’s yours.” He said. Cameron looked in the box, seeing stuff from her bedroom. Her blanket, her pillow, her small turtle stuffed animal off her dresser. All of the stuff she loved. Catherine let out a sob. She dropped the box and hugged him abruptly. “I love you.” She whispered. Tony smiled, hugging back and whispered “I love you, too.”