57 days

Prologue

I stared at the empty stack of paper in my hands, I'd been doing that for almost an hour now. My eyes often lost focus and ended up looking through it at the floor instead. Nothing I did seemed to provide me with inspiration. It's not that I didn't have a topic to write about - I'd been planning out the details this whole time - but the correct words absolutely refused to come to me. 

My brain was filled with activity; yet it was also surprisingly empty.

I turned my head to look out the window of the commercial aircraft. Outside, over a thousand meters below us, stretches of forestry and mountain lay ends on end, touching the horizon line where the sun has just begun to set. Looking away didn't me help at all with getting ideas, but my tensed shoulders relaxed a great deal. I shifted in my seat, trying to be more comfortable in the confined space. Beside me my girlfriend Tris shuffled in her sleep, perhaps disturbed by my movements. I froze, fearful of waking her up.

I felt the plane jolt, wings rattling loudly. The seatbelt sign lit up and the announcement snapped on, a soothing voice telling everyone not to be afraid of temporary turbulence. Passengers were whispering amongst themselves, but soon quieted down as the shaking ceased.

Tris murmured something illegible and rubbed open her eyes. She sat up and glanced around, a confused look on her face. 

"Hey", I asked, "are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm still pretty tired though. I have no idea why i randomly woke up."

"That must have been the announcement. There was a little disturbance and people were anxious about it so the crew had to calm them down."

"Oh, ok." Tris nodded, slightly reassured. "How many hours until we arrive?"

"Can't be long now. We're probably already in the northern parts of Canada."

"Okay," she smiled, "I can't wait to see my family again."

"Yeah, me too."

Suddenly the vibrations started again, this time more violent and intense than the last. The plane rose and fell abruptly. People all over the aisles were expressing their worries. The announcement switched on again but it didn't seem do much for the crowd and their scared voices.

I checked out the window again but all I could see was a huge puff of cloud blocking the view. Through the vapours I could barely make out some remaining sunshine in the distance. Suddenly a loud sound was heard. In a bright flash one of the engines of the plane exploded. Pieces of metal fell from it to the depths below. The surface of the floor veered a sharply. Even the crew members were frantic.  

In a mess of cries, shrieks and alarmed shouts the metal bird of 253 patrons spiraled downwards into the unknown.