During my entire, unlucky life, I knew something terrible was going to happen to me. And now that it's happened, the end is in sight.
"I want to see the world, Mom!" Even though my mother disapproved, she let me travel on my own. "An experience everybody should have." As I read in so many articles online. As I was boarding the plane, I turned back one more time, and there was my mother, waving me goodbye. It was going to be the first time we were apart from each other. I figured it was good practice before I left for college.
I don't know what happened to the plane. We were flying over the Pacific Ocean, and I began to see the stewardesses moving quietly, but frantically. Then some mild turbulence started occurring. The "Fasten Seatbelts" light came on, and I began to panic. And suddenly, the turbulence wasn't so mild, anymore. I heard the pilot's voice telling us that everything was going to be alright, we would just have to land in the middle of the ocean. But if we followed procedure, we would all be fine.
Thinking back, it gets harder, and harder to remember the details. Many minutes later, we were plummeting down. My heart sunk to my stomach the way it does when you're in a crazy, carnival ride. Except that at the end of this ride, my mother wasn't going to greet me with her loving arms and a smile. This time, it was darkness, and the unknown and terrifying depths of the ocean.
I closed my eyes, and grabbed on to the armrests with all my might as if this was going to keep me in the air. The lifeboats were out, and when we finally hit the water, the staff was in action to get us all to safety.
My mind left my body, and I just followed their instructions. I was in a lifeboat with 6 other people, and I was grateful that I wasn't alone. Time passed as the boats tried finding each other, and we waited for help. And because fate can be so unfair, and I, so unlucky, a storm broke out, and we were pushed around by the power of the wind, and the strength of the ocean's waves.
Suddenly, I was in the water. I don't know how it happened, or when, but in the water, and darkness, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was here, in this seashore.
I cried in desperation because I was useless in the face of danger. I looked at my surroundings, and I realized that this place is actually very beautiful, and that if I weren't in this circumstance, I would actually love this place. I tried to channel my inner survival skills that I've gathered from years of watching television. But all I managed to do was build a weak refuge from palm trees, and the sturdiest logs I could find without venturing too deep into the jungle.
The jungle terrified me, and I only walked in there for a few feet to search for fruit, and coconuts to eat, and drink something. It rained very often, and at night, it lulled me to sleep.
Finally, I decided to once again, search my mind for the survival skills I've seen on TV, and try to build a fire, and a small fort to protect it from rain, to keep me warm at night, and maybe even serve as a form of signal for help. I doubted anyone would look for me, but maybe I'll be lucky this one time.
I lost track of time. I simply knew that it had been a few months since the last time I had human contact. I started keeping track, and even measured my menstrual cycle, but as time went on, I started losing hope, and simply gave up on that. I had discovered a small cave while exploring the seashore, and I began using it as a refuge. I had wiped out my safe section in the jungle from food, and I was forced to scout deeper in. In my search, I found a small water hole, and I laughed with glee as I jumped into the water with joy.
After being refreshed with the sweet water, I sat on a tree trunk, and I took in the beautiful, and calming sight. So immersed in my happiness, I was, that I didn't see the snake approach me. I just felt the bite on my wrist, as I was sitting on the tree trunk. I yelled out and started running back to the shore. I tried to suck out the venom like they did in the movies, even though the internet had disproved this, but it was all I could think of doing.
I cried with pain, while inside my cave, and I sat by my fire. After the initial pain was over, I started to simply feel sick. I'm lying motionless as the rain begins to fall, and my tears now flow with the same intensity as the rain.
Now, I feel tired, the calming noise of the rain is putting me to sleep. And I am starting to feel like I'm home again. Warm and safe in my bed, I can fell my dog's body heat as he keeps me company during the night. And I hear my mom moving around in the room next to mine. I can even see my nightlight approaching me. Slowly coming in from the sea...
