The Search for Safety

Part I - The Disruption

I feel like this is all a dream. A hazy, dim dream that just doesn’t make sense.  One of those dreams, where it seems so real, but when you wake up, it doesn’t piece together. Time’s slowed down to me, all beginning with the crash. Just as the alarms went off, blaring and warning us to brace for the impact, everything just became… abnormal.  

I’ll start from the beginning. Our shrimpy plane was flying across the brilliant navy ocean. This was my first airplane ride ever and I was glued against the seat in absolute dread. The turbulence was rough, jostling everyone and everything around on the rickety plane.

One single attendant paced  up and down the aisle making sure everyone was content with their ride. She straightened her modest uniform every couple steps, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. She looked fairly new to the job and I sympathized for her. Why on Earth would someone want to be a flight attendant? She locked eyes with me as she rambled past and I nodded my head reassuringly; but more to myself than her. My faced turned strict as I struggled to keep calm and her eyes flashed in alarm. I waved her away, of course, desperate for no extra attention. I longed to ask when we were going to reach the mainland, but I didn’t take the chance of opening my mouth with the tremendous bouncing.

The turbulence slowly subsided, and the ride became easier to stand. The loud motor buzzed in my ear like a bee, but the sound was soothing due to its consistency. I slowly drifted off. It was sort of a disturbed rest, but at least I was relaxed. My eyes fluttered open every once in awhile, mostly because of unexpected mammoth bounces. The girl placed next to me tapped my shoulder and offered a me a ginger chew as she observed my discomfort. She explained that the ginger helps settle upset stomachs. I smiled gratefully and popped the golden piece into my mouth, only later to realize I was in urgent need of water. I flicked my head around, searching for the attendant. She must have gone into the cockpit. I tried to ignore the burning on my tongue. I snuggled back into the semi-soft seat, sliding down as far as I could. Someone shuffled past me noisily before my eyes drooped closed and I completely fell back asleep.

I escaped into a vibrant land, one I don’t exactly remember. It seemed vague, but wonderful, somewhere I had never been, nor had I dreamed of going. It was a majestic land, beautifully colored, like a painting. It felt suspiciously peaceful, though. Something about it was eerie and unsettling, as though something horrific was going to happen.

A screaming alarm began to blare in my ear, pulling me rudely out of my rest.  Obnoxious red lights flashed above the seats, warning the other kids and I to fasten our seatbelts and stay calm. It was sort of a hard thing to stay calm for, you see, because basically we were diving to our death--or at least, that was my first thought. Always think negative, because then you won't be disappointed.

My heart began beating with such anticipation and panic, it felt like it might burst. The periwinkle clouds began to rush by us, as I could see through the small oval window. I could tell we were descending rapidly. My ears popped painfully at the elevation loss, and the wind rushing past the windows let out a loud whooshing hum, replacing the engine noise. Or was it? I listened closely, even closing my eyes. I felt no vibrations, no indications that the motor was even running.  My stomach made its way up my throat like a drop on a rollercoaster. My eyes started to black out--spiteful spots zooming and twinkling around my vision as I felt consciousness slipping. From the panic or the drop, I couldn’t tell. All that I remember is the final scream of the girl sitting next to me.

*     *     *

I woke up to the smell of dense smoke. Rays from the sun shined intensely into my eyes, seemingly trying to penetrate the lids clamped over them. I could hear faint chattering, but it was muffled out by the pain in my ears. I felt around, my eyes still crushed shut, afraid of what I might see, as I recollected my thoughts and cleared my mind. My hands graced the seat I still sat fastened tightly in, the coarse fabric somewhat reassuring.