Lost In Tomorrow

Chapter 2: Into The Unknown

The plane lurched violently, throwing Alph against the window. The oxygen masks dropped, and the screams of passengers filled the cabin.

'Hold on!' Damian shouted, gripping the armrests as the nose of the plane tilted downward.

Alph's heart raced "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Outside, through the windows, the endless sky was rapidly replaced by a blur of reddish-brown as the thick jungle canopy below came into view.

The trees rose like jagged spikes, and the horizon tilted as the plane spiralled downward, its propellers now motionless.
Inside the cabin, chaos erupted.

Luggage tumbled from the overhead compartments, oxygen masks dangled loosely, and the passengers clung to their seats in terror and disbelief.

The rapid descent made the air thin, filling the cabin with a cold, whistling wind.

Ryder gasped, eyes wide, while Leo clutched the armrests, his knuckles turning white.

"Brace yourselves!" Damian shouted again, though his voice was barely heard over the roaring wind.

The plane crashed through the dense canopy of trees. Snapping branches filled the air as the aircraft's wings sheared off. It hit the ground with a bone-jarring impact, skidding and dragging along the forest floor until it finally came to a halt, half-buried in foliage and debris.

Smoke rose from the wreckage, mingling with the heavy, humid air of the jungle. Inside, the group sat in stunned silence, the aftermath of the crash slowly sinking in.

"What the hell happened?!" Ryder questioned.
"How the hell are we in a forest?!"
"Is everyone alright?" Elena asked, scanning the group.
"No, Felix is injured! His leg is badly bruised," Alph said, his eyes wide with concern.

Felix had hit his leg hard against the seat during the crash, causing a painful bruise to form along his shin. Though it wasn't broken, he was limping, wincing with every step as he tried to put weight on it. The swelling was noticeable, and he grimaced as he leaned against a seat for support.

"I'll be fine," Felix muttered through gritted teeth. "Just need to walk it off."
"We need to keep an eye on it," Sophie warned, "If it gets worse, you'll need to rest."
"Well if you can't walk, you can lean at us" Leo exclaimed.
"Guys, Everyone in the plane is dead except us!"

They froze, the weight of those words sinking in. One by one, they moved through the wreckage, checking the other passengers. Leo leaned over a few people, shaking them gently, but no one responded. Ryder checked for pulses, his hands trembling. Sophie covered her mouth in shock as she saw the lifeless faces, realizing there was nothing they could do.

Each of them came to the same conclusion: They were the only ones who had survived.
When they went outside the plane to check their surroundings, they were shocked!

"What the hell is this place! Why are leaves all reddish-orange?" Ryder remarked.
"The same thing is with the leaves, it is looking so dry," Chloe mentioned.

The Leaves were yellowish-brown, orange and grey. Some leaves were shriveled and curled, showing signs of extreme dehydration and heat stress.

The grass was a mix of pale yellow, brown, and beige, looking dry and scorched,  with some areas completely dead and other sections hanging on with faded, sickly colour.

"This place... it feels like another world" Sophie whispered, almost to herself.
"Woah is this Fiji Island!" Leo Exclaimed.
"Of course not, you idiot" Felix replied.
"We are all alone in this red forest!" Ryder gasped.
"But first we've to find someone to help Felix, and also us," Alph remarked.
"Your phone, dial the emergency number" Damian stated. "Mine is switched off"
"Our phones are also switched off" the rest of the group explained.
"We have to do something to survive for the night!" Sophie muttered.
"Yeah, finally some adventure!" Leo exclaimed.
"You moron, are you thinking this is some kind of a joke! There is no one here except us, we will die if we don't do anything!" Felix shouted.
"Look at you, you can barely stand, you will be a burden to others! This isn't a joke Felix—I am the only one who has a basic idea of how to survive here. This must be the first time I am putting use to that knowledge." Leo shouted.