✯ North Star ✯

2 - The Storm That Knows My Name

"Guys. Guys. Is everybody good?" Kie's voice cuts through the chaos, shaky and loud over the roaring water.

I turn — and my stomach flips.
JJ's eyes are closed.

"JJ!" I shout just as he blinks awake, startled and coughing, and relief crashes through me before I even have time to register how scared I'd been.

"JJ! Wake up man. We gotta get out," Pope says, shaking him by the shoulders.

"We gotta get out of here," John B says, shoving the door until it screeches open.

"We gotta get out before it sinks," JJ adds.

John B looks toward the shoreline.
"Oh no. They don't look friendly."

"No they look very unfriendly," Pope agrees, eyes wide.

"We gotta go. Come on. Star let's go," John B urges.

"I'm coming. Go!" I yell back, pushing off a crate, water rising fast and cold around my legs.

Kie and I are the last ones in the plane — the water rushing up to our stomachs now, the plane groaning around us like something dying.

"Kie! Ella! Get out before it sinks!" JJ yells from outside.

We scramble to the cockpit, water sloshing, and grab Portis by the arms.

"Portis. Come on. Portis wake up," I say, shaking him, panic climbing fast in my chest.

"Wake up!" Kie shouts.

Finally — his eyes start to blink.

We drag him out just as the cockpit fills. The tail of the plane dips, groaning, slipping beneath the water behind us.

We swim hard, holding Portis up between us. By the time we hit shore, my arms feel like they're going to fall off, every muscle screaming with the effort.

Two men rush over and pull him from our grasps.

I collapse into the sand, gasping.

"Why is it us that always have to be the good guys?" I mutter at Kie.

Portis coughs violently, spitting up water. When he sees us, his expression softens.
"Thank you," he rasps.

"You lied to us." My voice cuts sharp, exhaustion and betrayal tangling together in it. "Who are you?"

Before he can answer, I hear footsteps — multiple. Getting closer.
"Oh God. You should get out of here," Portis whispers.

"Shit shit shit," I mumble, scrambling to my feet.

Kie and I take off running, sand kicking up behind us.
"Kie get back to the crew!" I call.

"No! I'm not leaving you."