We are survivors

One Way Ticket To Hell

The next morning consisted of Avery and I running around my flat chucking the last few items into our suitcases. Looking satisfied with the mess we've created in my flat, we finally leave to get into a taxi to the airport. I'll worry about the mess when I come back.

"So have you actually thought about what you're going to say to this James?" Avery breaks me away from my thoughts gazing out the car window, as a pit grows in my stomach. I've thought about what I would say a couple of times but each time I end up with a stupid outcome.

"Hey." She reaches out and brushes my shoulder, noticing my uncomfortable expression. "I don't mean to make you anxious girly but you can't exactly just walk up to him and be like 'hey I think we were in that plane crash together, you know the one where we were the only survivors? Yeah, I'm Maya.'  I push off her hand playfully , laughing at her attempt to make me feel better.

"I don't know Avs. I think it's going to just have to wait until I actually meet him. I mean as horrible as it is, at least we have common ground?" It comes out as a question as if to convince myself that this was all a good idea. Silence fills the car as we pulled up at the airport, no turning back now .

In usual Avery fashion, she spent far too long in the toilets dolling herself up, for what , we will never know, meaning we had to sprint through the airport like two lunatics.

We managed to get to the gate just in time for it closing and we were let on the plane with no trouble. It was only when I sat down, it felt like my whole word was suffocating.

I began tapping Avery on the leg as she attempted to put our luggage in the overhead compartment. One look at me and she knew what was happening, she shoved the suitcases in the locker and sat with me.

"It's not happening. You are safe now. We are safe. Breathe in. Breathe out." I chant the same thing out loud whilst doing the breathing exercises Sarah told me about. A pit began to form in my stomach as flashes from the crash invaded my every thought.

I'm upside down. My seat belt the only thing holding me in place. Mumbles and groans filled the deafening silence as cries from injured people called out for their loved ones. I turned to my left and saw that my mum, my brother; my whole world was gone. They were dead.

My breathing picked up as I tried to tell Avery to get a flight attendant.

"Excuse me miss, is everything okay?" An attractive woman was stood next to our seats, a worried expression taking over her face. Avery answers for me.

"This might sound a little strange but would you be able to get the pilot down here to speak to my friend. She was in a plane crash 2 years ago due to the -excuse my french- asshole pilot being under the influence. As you can imagine , this is my best friends first time on a plane since and so if you pilot could come give her some reassurance that he is in fact completely sober, that would be great." Avery takes a huge breath in as she spoke all of that way too quickly.

As the words hit the flight attendant she scrambles "oh my gosh yes of course, it shouldn't be a problem, i'll be right back."

The pilot comes and goes and I'm confident he is 100% sober. The plane ride goes the same the whole way, anxiety and panic attacks swallowing my body whole but Avery was there the whole time making sure I was okay. I'm not sure how I'll repay her.

We finally landed and I felt exhausted. My body felt like it had used every single muscle into making sure I didn't completely freak out, I couldn't wait to text Sarah and let her know I made it!

As we stepped off the plane, the realisation hit me of what I was about to do. Although it terrified me, I knew so strongly, strongly enough it felt like my mother was telling me that in this moment, it was exactly where I was supposed to be. I took another step forward , unsure of my fate; unsure if this would all go wrong and it wouldn't solve anything but for now, I pushed those thoughts aside and was ready to face James Carmichael.