Shallow Grave

Chapter 2

The process of nightfall was in full swing when I returned to mauling my way out of my seat. My finger tips had had a few hours of recovery and were suitable enough for my last attempt. I ignored the shear agony and proceeded on with my mission. I could feel the material around my lap-restraint buckle becoming weaker. It was beginning to fray slightly, which encouraged me deeply to carry on. Somebody out there was definitely looking down on me. 

With every last effort I pulled at the frayed material until I heard the comforting sound of the ends parting. It happened so quickly that I forgot I was suspended in mid-air and would need to gently lower myself down. Instead, I fell sideways out of my seat and landed awkwardly upon the sand. Thankfully, it was sand that broke my fall and not the jagged debris that littered the beach. I took a moment to steady myself. Sitting upright, I stared at the seat I had spent the day in. I was in a state of shock. I could not believe that this had happened to me. I wasn't somebody who should be in a plane crash, I should be a home now, unpacking my suitcase with a glass of chilled white wine. The cold sand beneath my body kept me in check. I was here... and this had happened.

My mind was going into overdrive. I had surges of adreneline rushing through my veins. I couldn't contain my emotions and how I wanted to react. My best method of coping was to scream. From the bottom of my lungs, I let out the most stereotypical horror movie scream I had ever done in my whole life. It felt good. It felt appropriate. It seemed to last forever, but when I finally collected myself, the whole area seemed deathly quiet without me occupying the air with my desperate sound waves. I sat listening for a whole minute. I wanted to hear the groan of metal. I wanted to hear something.

I was able to distract my thoughts of feeling completely alone, by filling them entirely with the sound of Simon's voice. This was all the motivation I needed to spur me on. Nervously, I got myself to my feet and composed myself. I needed to think straight. My mind needed to be clear. The first step of my plan was to find Simon. He should have been sat right next to me, but his seat must have been torn from the structure upon impact. I stepped away from the seat I had just been in and positioned myself so that I could see a wider area of the beach. Pure terror struck my thoughts. As I stepped away from my seat, I could see debris strewn across the beach for a far as my eyes could possibly see. This would make my task of finding survivors extremely difficult. Then, turning one-hundred and eighty degrees, I engulfed the jungle that lay behind me. Debris was also scattered throughout the trees and in the shrubbery.

I had to devise a plan. I needed to be able to scower the area and not cover anything twice. I needed my search of Simon to be efficient and take as little time as possible. If Simon was injured, there was still a slim chance of him being alive somewhere, considering that he had kept himself in the shade. He was a smart, intellectual young man. He would be somewhere safe and well shaded. That's where I would begin my search.... in the jungle behind me. The only problem facing me was that it was dark and I didn't have the slightest clue as to what animals inhabited this island... great. 

Calming my breathing and thoughts, I approached the line of shrubbery. I was focused on what lay ahead, however, I hadn't prepared myself for anything beyond the thought of saving Simon. Thoughts began to flash through my mind. I would see bodies in there. I would see limbs lying around. The anticipation of what was out there was frightening me deep within. My legs didn't want to move, but I had to do it for Simon's sake. Slowly, I edged into the dense bushes. The branches were snagging at the skin on my sensitive shins. The scratches felt like knife wounds and the thorns felt like swords. The pain was unimaginable for such a small defense mechanism.

It wasn't long till the shrubbery began to clear away and I was stood upon the opening of a cleared space. It didn't take me long to realise that one of the planes Rolls Royce engines had created the large crator in the centre of it all. The blades inside were spinning gracefully. The evening breeze keeping them alive. Looking at the dark patches on the engine and the surroundings, there must have been an explosion from them earlier on in the day and the fire had now died out. This was satisfying enough as I reassured from the scorch marks that I would be safe enough to search the area. 

I started by observing around the engine. Thankfully, it looked as though no one had been crushed upon the engine slamming into the innocent ground. Only bushes and a few trees had suffered the consequences and were laying around the crash site. I pressed on further. No life or no further debris was to be seen behind the engine. It was a relieving fact, but my theory of Simon being in here was slowing slipping away. I took the opportunity to stand where I was and summon up the best plan I could. If I retraced my steps back to the beach, I could begin my search from scratch going by no assumptions. I would walk down the beach and try to map out where everything is, tending to survivors (if there were any) on the way. Simon was my priority; water came second. 

It didn't take me long to reach the silenced beach. The waves had settled and the palm trees had assumed their positions. I felt alone. For the first time today, I was petrified. I had not heard of any rescue efforts during the day and so far, I had heard nothing tonight. Would anyone actually come for us?

Shaking the thoughts from my head I stepped closer to the waters edge. It gave me a clearer view. The jungle was a no-go area at night. I would make that rule number one. Until I had a clear understanding of what was in there and how dense it was, I would remain safely on the beach. The fuselage would offer me protection from the elements and whatever else could be lurking out there. The seriousness of the situation was kicking in. I have to be a survivor, even if that means me alone.