Choose Your Own Adventure - ON HOLD

Chapter 4 ~ Disaster

You chose B) Watch a movie

CRASH! The car spins in circles down the highway, tyres squealing. A moment of silence. BANG! Flames engulf the vehicle, entrapping the four passengers. Sirens scream as emergency response teams pull up at the scene. Water gushes out of the firehose, abating the flames. A hand reaches out from the wreckage and a pol-

The screen turns black. You remove your head phones and, as you do, you hear a voice over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Be informed, we are encountering an unidentified force that seems to be jamming of the plane's location and navigation instruments. Now there is nothing to worry about, just know that we will be commencing a descent to 5 000 feet, to below cloud."

Out the window to your right you can see the white carpet of cushion rising towards you. Despite the captain's reassurances, you're on edge.

"Once again," the captain continues, "there is no need to be alarmed. Please fasten your seat belts and remain in the seat assigned on your boarding pass. Thank you."

Okay, now you're worried. "Fasten your seat belts" is pilot code for "you're probably going to die." Everybody knows that. And, the reason they ask you to remain in your allocated seats is so that they don't have trouble identifying your body.

You glance to your right at Janet and see that she's returned to her movie, seemingly unfazed by the announcement. You reach into your bag and retrieve the complimentary eye mask you found in the seat pocket earlier. Leaning back into your seat, you slip the mask on and close your eyes.

A shake like thunder startles you from a doze. You shove the eye mask up so that it sits on your forehead and listen anxiously as the intercom crackles to life. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking."

You feel your throat constricting in fear of whatever horrifying truth is about to be revealed.

"Please remain in your seats and do not panic. Listen to the crew, they are there for your safety."

That's it?! Who knew a man's words as empty as these could cripple one's rationality in such a way as they do yours. Obviously something is seriously wrong; everyone knows that "do not panic" really means "you are probably most certainly going to perish", not to mention the unexplained rumble that shook the plane like an earthquake.

You close your eyes and exhale slowly in an attempt to calm yourself.

WOOSH! In the blink of an eye, the plane nose dives and a million butterflies explode to life in your stomach. You can feel gravity pulling you towards the seat in front of you but your seatbelt holds you in an awkward half-sitting, half-standing position in your seat. Screams erupt from all directions and air hostesses climb down the vertical aisle using seats as footholds, urging passengers to refrain from panicking. Good luck.

The nose of the plane smashes the surface of the water with force and the crash shakes everyone on board. From a window you see that the plane is nearly entirely submerged, but, the impact seems to have levelled it somewhat. Upon instruction from flight crew, you slip a bright yellow life jacket over your head but don't inflate it. Water gushes around your feet and passengers around you are racing over seats towards an exit door.

Remembering that your closest exit is behind you, you motion for Janet to follow you and you make a beeline for the emergency exit. Hurdling over seats, you notice a baby boy sitting strapped in his seat, apparently abandoned by his mother. He looks to be only six months old. He's crying.

What do you do?

A) Keep going - you don't have any time to waste, not when every moment the plane in sinking deeper and deeper!
B) Take the child - you can't just leave him
C) Alert a crew member or maybe try to find his mother