31 Days of Halloween

Flight 192

The screeching of metal twisting and tearing, wrenching away as the body of the plane disintegrated mixed with screams from terrified passengers. Her hands flew to her ears to block the audible assault. Swallowed by the rubber trees and palms, they hit the ground, bouncing before being shot upward and crashed hard, breaking into three sections. The screaming stopped as an eerie silence fell over the accident site, the smell of jet fuel permeated the air. Lindsey Ryan battered and bloody, hung upside down in 18A. Trying to regain her bearings, she knew the gentleman in the middle seat was dead. From her vantage point, she couldn't see anyone alive, but being upside down and shaking didn't make it easy to see anything. If they weren't dead, they were unconscious, there was no movement at all. Take a deep breath and think, don't panic. You have to get out of here, Linds, she tried to console herself.

In shock, her body convulsed uncontrollably as she struggled with the lap belt before falling to the ceiling which had become the floor. After checking her arms and legs for broken bones, she stood up, swooning as a wave of dizziness washed over her, she grabbed onto the nearest seat for support. Noticing the light from the rear area of the fuselage, she began to fight her way through the debris, climbing over and avoiding the dead bodies. Fear engulfed her as the reality of the situation sank in. All she knew was she was alone, in the Amazon rainforest, somewhere in an isolated area of Brazil. Getting out of the mangled, aluminum grave — her first priority. Finding the other sections — second on her list. There had to be others, she couldn't be out here alone.

Reaching the sheared edge, she grasped on to hoist herself over. Liquid oozed down her hand as a sharp, burning pain shot up her arm. Pulling her hand back quickly she saw the gash splayed over her palm. Drips of blood hit the floor as she searched for anything to staunch the flow of blood. Tying a small towel around it, she knew she had to push through the pain. Carefully stretching up again, she managed to get her leg up and over without further injury. On the jungle floor, a thought occurred to her. You're in the jungle. There are wild animals out here. She felt sick at the idea. No movement came from anywhere in the surrounding area. The birds began to sing again, and there were a few other sounds she was unfamiliar with, but nothing human. Able to see the cockpit from where she stood, it wasn't difficult to tell there would be no survivors.

Dusk had stained the glistening foliage with shadow and murk, leaving Lindsey fearful. As nightfall descended, the sounds of the jungle began to ebb. She knew she would need to return to the inside of the plane, for shelter and for safety. Uncertainty hung in the warm, wet air. New sounds started to emerge from the jungle around her — footfalls and rumbling growls of predators walking their hunting ground. Fresh panic set in as realization dawned upon her. She had to spend the night in plane torn apart, filled with dead people – in a jungle with predatory animals. Being the sole survivor of a plane crash suddenly paled in comparison to the horrors she could come face to face with.

Back inside, she hunted for the safest place to hide overnight. If anything did get in she would have to remain out of sight. There was only one place which would be secure — the tiny restroom in the front, the only structure which remained intact after the crash. Clothing from fallen luggage could be used for blanketing. The air was laden with moisture, everything inside already coated with the slick, dewy liquid, it would help keep her dry. Along with the clothing, she grabbed whatever water or soda bottles she could find, with the flight attendants carts tossed around, the bottles were spread out everywhere, as were the tiny bags of snacks. With everything she needed, she made one long sweeping glance around her, stepped into the cramped bathroom and locked the door behind her.

Plunged into darkness, she used a hand to feel for the sink and small counter space. A few rays of remaining light outside trickled in, letting her eyes adjust she was soon able to see the shapes of her surroundings. Sitting on the toilet to rest, she leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Shock, exhaustion, pain, and fear all hit at once. Tears rolled down her dirt-streaked face, feeling more alone than she ever had, all she wanted was her family. They wouldn't know if she was alive or dead, and who knew how long it would even take to find her. Sleep summoned her, and she gave in.