That April morning was just plainly unpleasant and I should've known the day wouldn't get any better. Why couldn't I just stay over there some days more? I wouldn't have to pass through that terrifying flight experience. It all started in the middle of the flight. The plain trip was fine. On the take-off I stared reading a new book. I had found in a convenient store. The view was astonishing as always and the seats were semi comfortable. What more could I ask for a 3rd class plane ticket.
When we were about 24,000 ft. high there was loud explosion. The plane jolted and there was a smell of burning machinery. There were a few screams in the crowd of people. It seemed as if one engine had failed. The truth was that it wasn't just one it was both of the engines, making the plane impossible to stay on air.
Some when they took in the situation we were on started panicking. Others tried to stay still and calm. I got the security pamphlet and read it twice. I remembered my family, my friends, and even those people that I never liked but never hated. I thought that this could be my death, and I thought of those few people that impacted my life in a way I never could imagine was possible.
I had lost enough time and needed to get out of there and fast. I took the life vest and went to the emergency exit. It was close, which I thanked for. It saved my life. Then I heard an announcement "This is the captain, brace for impact". I thought that I should have stayed in the seat but I kept going. What had I to loose. "My life" a voice inside my mind said. I finally got to the door. I saw that they had trouble opening it. The flight attendant was too far away and someone had to do something.
The plane had landed and it wasn't pretty. I wasn't prepared for it either. I hit my head twice and my arms got some scratches on impact. I fell and used the seat near me as support to regain my balance. Even with my headache I could see that the flight attendant was having difficulty getting to the door. I kept going. The door was only about two feet away. I don't understand how they let elderly people in those rows. When I got there I brought back the memories from when I read the pamphlet. I opened the door and received back a small amount that entered the plane and blast of cold air.
I helped some other passenger get outside the plane. The passengers that went through that wing helped to take the rubber dinghy out. We were about 10 that got inside the dinghy.
The waters weren't on our sides that day. The cashed and fumbled against each other and there was a small storm coming towards us. It was difficult to hold our balances with all the waves moving the dinghy. It was basically impossible to paddle the dinghy, a strong robust man named Robert tried to do that and he failed miserably. He almost fell out of the boat and die that day if it wasn't for Serena who saved him just in time.
We had passed just about a day and a half trying to find something or waiting for somebody to rescue us. The small food that some of us brought was made to scraps and the emergencies food is won't give us enough for all if we didn't get to somewhere soon.
That night wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The waves calmed themselves and we could make a small advance. Some of us had some sleep while the others watched for some form of rescue. I was on the first watch with a guy named Tristan. He was nice a bit cocky but nice. We introduced ourselves and he told me he was visiting his family for new years.
"How did you pass it?" I asked him while looking over the horizon.
"It wasn't worth it Avery, they always are in arguments when it comes to reuniting the whole family, and you know with the plane accident and all"
"How about you, how did you pass your New Year's" he asked.
"I just spent some time with my sister in a small hotel watching TV. For the whole day, we see each other yearly and basically do that all the time."
He did a barfing motion and said "You really do that, I thought you were like going in random parties and all" I rolled my eyes, could he be any more stupid.
We spent the night just talking about random stuff like "why can birds fly and a cat can't". We chatted until about 2 in the morning. Then two guys, one named Talon and the other Duncan took over our "shifts".
One day and a half later, we finally found an island. I have only talked to Robert, Tristan and Paige on the whole trip. Paige had lost her family in the crash. She is about seven, the smallest passenger to aboard the dinghy "Lady Bee". Paige and I called it that after arguing on what it looked like. I said it looked like a bee because of the strips and she argued saying it looked like a ladybug with the red and black colors.
Seeing land after three days in a boat with people I didn't acknowledge most of the time was alleviating. Well I can't say I didn't acknowledge all of them considering I spent most of my time with Tristan and Paige but it was good getting out of that little stuffed boat.
I remember getting out of the dinghy so fast I tripped and fell face front on the shore. Tristan grabbed my arm, lifted me up and said "Wow you were really that desperate to get rid of me"
I laughed and said "Yeah, because I wanted to rid myself of one of the two people that didn't annoy me in that thing called a boat."
He made a sarcastic gasp and said "Awe, you actually do care about me." and with that I threw a ball of sand to his face. "Oh no you didn't Avery" he said throwing a sand ball in my left shoulder". "This means war" I yelled at Tristan. "Children, children why don't you stop it with the fight and help us search for food" Robert told us with a disapproving look in his face. "Ok Robert but this isn't over Tristan". "Games on, catch me if you can Klutz" he said running in the direction toward some palms. "I intend to do so snail" I howl while running to catch up.
We picked up enough wild berries and coconuts to last for about five days between all of the survivors. That night we devoured a third of all the food recollected. When my stomach decided to feel satisfied I went to the shore. My mind rushed through all sorts of thing like "When are we going to get out?" or "What would happen when we finally got out of the island?" and I also thought of what would happen to Tristan and Paige, especially Paige, I don't want her to be a homeless child, it crushed my heart thinking about her parents.
While looking at the ocean I saw a small light. It looked as if there was something over there. I thought it was just my imagination but the light didn't leave. I came up with one conclusion. It's a boat. "It's a boat!" I thought again. I had to tell all the others and so I did. I told Robert first and then told the rest of the group.
"Who knows how to make a fire?" I asked them knowing we would have to capture the attention of the passengers of the boat. A girl name Rayna, who was just about 17 years old told us she learned how to make fires when she was a little girl and that she could try to make one now.
We all gathered dry leaves and branches. Rayna did her job by generating enough heat to produce a spark and some minutes later a fire big enough to be noticed by the people on the boat.
We yelled towards the boat to see if I could turn our way. When we were getting tired, miraculously the boat did a sort of a U-turn our way. We all felt blessed that this was going to be it and we were going to go to our respective homes.
It took about an hour for the boat to arrive close enough that we could enter it. I helped Paige enter the boat so that she could be safe. Then it was my turn. When I entered I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the boat would look like a ditch but it was all clean. The ship had some cabins enough to fill all of us comfortable. I talked with one of the members of the crew and he said they were going to dock in Palm Beach, Florida.
It took four days for them to get there. In those days I just spent time with both Tristan and Paige. Paige was able to communicate with her aunt and I called my sister. Tristan was the clown in the group. He always made us laugh with his sarcasm and his jokes.
After all of what happened I always stayed in contact with Tristan and Paige. Paige decided to live with her aunt. I went to my normal life as a college student and Tristan still has problems with his family. Maybe after all that crash wasn't all that bad. After the crash I have still traveled on planes without being afraid of them. I know it was a onetime thing and that it wasn't likely to happen again.
