Chapter One
Toothbrush? Check. Socks? Check. Last Will and Testament? Check. I’m not kidding; I’m going to need it if I have to set foot on one of those flying death traps. My dad thought that, as my Aunt Sonya is ill, it would be a great idea for me to fly over to America to give her a surprise, especially as it’s coming up her 40th birthday. Of course, my mum agreed and, partly because I love Aunt Sonya more than words can say, and partly because I thought we would all be going, I went through with it and, well, it went a little like this:
“Great, we’ll get your bags packed, your ticket paid for and Aunt Sonya will get to see her gorgeous little Crystal again.” Mum concluded
“Wait…my ticket? What about the rest of you?”
“Look, sweetie, I’ve got business trips here, there and everywhere for the rest of the summer…”
“And I’ve got to stay with Simon; he’s far too young to fly.” Dad interrupted.
“It’d make Sonya absolutely overjoyed if you’d just go and see her for one week!” Mum stated.
And that’s the story of how a fourteen year old girl got stuck heading off to America on her own. Well, I suppose I’d better go and get in the car; I don’t want to be late for twelve hours of torture in a rusty old tin that could fall from the sky at any moment.
***
“OK, Crystal, remember, its terminal two, flight three hundred and seventy-nine, 379, from Bristol to LA. Give us a ring as soon as you’ve landed so that we know everything’s alright.” Dad instructed, pulling the car up to the drop-off point.
“Aren’t you at least going to see that I get on the plane alright?” I asked, baffled.
“Sorry, sweetie, but I’ve got a conference I just can’t miss in half an hour. I love you, but we have to go now.” And they vanished.
“Unbelievable.” I muttered under my breath, passing a disgruntled looking man who appeared to be smoking in a non-smoking zone.
***
Two hours of passport checks, baggage weighing and ticket double-checking later, I was finally sat in the waiting room, dreading the announcement of my flight. That was when I heard the most feared words I would want to hear from the two women behind the check-in desk.
“Is it an engine failure or possible fault? Possible fault, right, tell them they’re clear for take-off within the next half an hour, but be sure not to breathe a word about it to the passengers. I’m sure they’ll make it to LA just fine.” I heard a gasp from someone behind me.
Just minutes later, the robotic voice speaking the inevitable words came over the Tannoy:
“Flight 379 to Los Angeles is now boarding, terminal two. I repeat, flight 379 to Los Angeles is now boarding, terminal two.”
A steward checked my ticket, gave me a surprised once over then signalled that I was clear to board the plane, while another man took my bags. Reluctantly, I stepped aboard the aircraft. On this flight we were allocated seats, and mine was seat 139, right at the front. It was a two-seater, with a boy about my age sat by the window.
“Is this seat taken?” I enquired, double checking that the numbers were correct.
“No, not at all, please sit.” He smiled, but seemed nearly as edgy as I was. “Are you on your own?”
“Yeah, my parents, they, um, couldn’t come.”
“Neither could mine. That’s a bit of a coincidence, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m Robbie, and might I ask who you are?”
“I’m Crystal.”
“Crystal.” Robbie whispered my name, a vague smile on his face.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking,” Echoed through the cabin. “Fasten your seatbelts; we are clear for take-off.”
Within a few moments the nose was up and we were rolling across the runway, slowly rising until we were high above the clouds.
YOU ARE READING
Disastrophe
Teen FictionCrystal is forced to visit her poorly Aunt in America. Unfortunately for her, this means flying...alone. To make matters worse, Crystal knows something about an abnormal man who is scheduled for the same flight as her, but rather than telling anyone...
