Hold on Tight

Part 1

The plane rumbled to life. Ruby felt the tremors travel up through her feet then surge to the rest of her body. She turned and grinned at Jayden who had been looking at her. Their hands interlocked and she relished the hard ridges of his fingers that she was so familiar with.

The plane tilted and soon enough, they were hovering over the ground, soaring through air. Streaks of sunlight pierced through the small oblong window by Ruby's side. She peered at a vast expanse of land beyond her seat. The plane shifted and glided up until buildings were mere objects like the Lego pieces Ruby had played with as a child.

It was the type of honeymoon she had always dreamed of. She had met Jayden while in college, in London, pursuing her journalism degree. Their encounter was by chance, a small decision that had changed her life. To this date, Ruby reminisces that moment and how the wrong timing could have deviated their paths.

In her first year of college, she had accepted a dorm room with a roommate on the first floor. It was one stressful and hot afternoon when she had thrown out a banana peel through the large window. She had been aiming for the open trash cans right below the opening, but her target was off. The same banana peel had smacked against Jayden who'd been walking past the bins at that exact moment. He wasn't the type to brush it off and walk away. He had voiced his disapproval and called up to the window until Ruby had popped her head out and landed her eyes on the breathtaking view that was his face. She still remembers his strong features. He possessed narrow eyes beneath eyebrows that had been scrunched together in irritation. His golden hair that shimmered under the sun's incessant glare was brushed back, strands falling just above his shoulders.

He had stood there and lectured her as if he was older than his twenty years at that time. Ruby hadn't minded. She had maintained her position at the window, entranced by his voice. When he had finished, she was disappointed but he had cracked a joke and sent a dimple-smile up at her. The simple action had set fire to a chain of events. He came back the next day to the same place, him beside the trash cans and her at her window. They talked about anything and everything and Ruby had marvelled at the ease with which conversation came to her. She was awkward in general, the type of girl who stressed over uncomfortable silences while talking to a guy in class or on a date.

He had explained that he was due back up North in Scotland and that alone had made Ruby realise that their chance meeting was on a whim. If she had never flung that banana peel out, they may never have met and she wouldn't be here, married to the man of her dreams at the age of twenty-five. After that encounter, she couldn't let him go and neither could he. They exchanged contacts and their connection became unbreakable. They were miles away but their love blossomed and nothing hindered them because love recognizes no barriers.

Their flight to Paris would be a little over an hour. Now, clouds wafted past the plane, occasional blue making an appearance amongst the tufts white. Paris had been at the very top on Ruby's bucket list. Jayden had made it his task to make her dreams come true and she was grateful. He always told her how her happiness was his first priority and her heart swelled with love every time he said so.

"I hear that stomach grumble Ru, are you already hungry?" he teased her, placing his hand over her belly and kissing her temple. She squirmed away from him giggling.

"Maybe it was yours," she shot back, stretching to his face to place a peck on his dimple. The female flight attendant arrived at their seats and they made their meal choices. Ruby gobbled down her chicken piece and rice, occasionally glaring at Jayden who made fun of her bad etiquette. They were now flying over the English Channel and Ruby felt herself cuddle closer to Jayden. She had never been a good swimmer, barely able to float and due to that, the wide expanse of water wired her nerves with distress and discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Jayden asked, looping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

"Too much water," she said, burying her head full of chestnut hair into the crook of his neck.

"Oh Ru, we're definitely going to make use of that pool in the hotel. I need to teach you some skills," he chuckled. Just then, Ruby's heart sank. The plane was undergoing turbulences and she didn't know how to feel about it. It wasn't her first time on a plane and she did experience such, like the feeling of a car over a gravel road. "Here." Jayden had extracted his earphones and was handing her one earpiece. She plugged it into her ear and let her head loll against his shoulder, feeling herself relax and melt into him along with the music. No matter what was happening around her, he managed to make her feel safe.

Her eyelashes had been fluttering over her cheeks, on the brinks of slumber when a booming, loud noise awakened every cell in her body. The plane lurched to the side and Ruby and Jayden were thrown aside. The very breath was knocked out of her, panic shot into her veins and taking hold of every part of her. Her ears rang from the sound and her heart was slamming against her chest, on the verge of leaping out.

She was delirious with fear. Thankfully, their seatbelts were strapped on and the lurch hadn't caused serious damage. Her eyes caught Jayden's and his amber orbs were lit with terror. He wordlessly bundled her up to his side and darted his head back and forth across the aisle. Everyone was buzzing with shock. The sudden thundering sound had caused a ruckus. Passengers were talking over each other, asking what it was, their voices shrilling with disquiet. Ruby fisted Jayden's cream shirt at his chest and shut her eyes.

"Now that gave me a scare," he said, his voice trembling. "It's okay," he assured her, kissing the top of her head and despite his lack of confidence in his tone, Ruby felt better.

"Our apologies," the intercom crackled to life. "Due to an engine failure, we may be experiencing a complication. Please sit tight and stay calm," The pilot or the co-pilot, Ruby didn't know which, informed them. She wasn't educated on the operation of planes but an engine failure sounded bad. Her heart began an incessant thundering in her ears.

Just then, the plane dipped along with Ruby's heart. The sudden sway caused another downpour of panic. Screams filled the air including Ruby's. Her eyes darted to the small window beside her. She was sure smoke was hurtling past them.

"Ru! Hold my hand, it's going to be alright," Jayden shouted over the noise, engulfing her shaking fingers into his firm ones. Tears were spurting out her eyes. They couldn't die this way. Their lives together had just started and it couldn't end so soon.

The plane was violently trembling now, wavering from side to side in mid-air. Ruby wrapped her trembling arms around Jayden's waist and buried her head into his chest, feeling him encasing her. She needed to feel safe but the howls of panic around her were a constant reminder and she felt anxiety set in her stomach, disturbing its contents.

"We seem to have lost both engines. This is an emergency, I repeat, this is an emergency. Crush landing is out of the question. Evacuation may be underway. Please do not panic but prepare for the worst."

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Word count: 1329