ATLAS 776

24

"It's just turbulence. Don't worry." Kate said in a reassuring tone. She touched Victoria's sweaty hands, and held on to them firmly. "What's wrong?" she asked her friend, who was now exhibiting signs of trauma.

The plane was rocking around, experiencing heavy turbulence. Victoria felt extremely uneasy. Even in the safer scene that is her current reality, the tremors and shakes that she is experiencing during this turbulence was unnerving. Victoria looked around her surroundings.

She wasn't on the plane. She could see the dark sky clearly,  and no visual of anything that resembled a plane cabin. No seats, no windows, nothing. She was suddenly in a different environment. In front of her  was a dimly lit road, its streetlights flickering by the second. Everywhere else was just rows and rows of forest trees towering the backdrop, covered in total darkness. There was a red hatchback car on the road, its entire top half was mangled, flames spewing from its engine compartment. Everything became familiar then. Victoria could remember this place.

Victoria could not remember very clearly of the night her parents crashed their car into a streetlight whilst driving down a dark winding road, but she could make out the details of what happened roughly. The sound of tires screeching, her father shouting. It all started coming back. Victoria felt an uneasy sense of familiarity. She cautiously approached the vehicle, taking small crunching steps, which increased in paces the nearer she got. Victoria burst into tears as her sorrow took over, overwhelming her as she ran full sprint at the hatchback.

"Mmm..." a calm voice echoed. Victoria accustomed herself, and found herself sitting on a log beside her father. "Dad...?" she gasped. "Calm down, Vicky. Why are you so worked up?" Victoria knew this could not be real, but she was out of her own emotion's control. "Dad! Wha...". "Kelvin?" her mom's soft voice echoed. 

"WAKE THE FUCK UP."

"WAKE THE-"

Victoria gasped and took a deep breath, as she found herself back in the confines of the metal tube that is an airplane. Kate was aggressively shaking her. "VICTORIA." she shouted at the girl, confused and afraid. Victoria pushed herself off the ground, and grabbed onto her best friend's arm. "Are you really Kate?" she let out. "OF COURSE, IDIOT." Kate shouted back. 

Victoria was not sure of anything at this point. The entire situation had spiraled into a disaster, far detached from her sense of reality. She did not know what was real at this point, nor could she afford the time to think.

"They are coming. WE HAVE TO RUN." Kate screamed at her friend, who was responding slowly. "Run?! Why-" Victoria started to ask. No time. Kate grabbed her arm and pulled hard as she sprinted out of the cabin. The heavy sound of clunky foot steps could be heard from not far behind, dragging a somewhat metallic object with the clinking sounds of metal chains. "What the fuck is that?" Victoria let out. Kate was sweating profusely as well, the look of pure terror frozen on her face. "Not some... Not... Fuck do I know." Kate tightened her grip.

Kate then stopped for a breath. "But... That's not what we have to fucking run from."