The Dream State

Preface

"Yeah, yeah mom. I'll be fine." Christian rolled his eyes as he checked the time on his wrist watch, a graduation gift from his father. The time read one-forty-five, only fifteen minutes until his plane took off. "Planes are safer than driving anyways, don't you know that?" he chuckled, both to help comfort his mother as well as himself. He adverted his gaze from his watch to the boarding gate, which already had people in line ready to board the "metal death trap" as his mother liked to call it. "Look, my plane is about to board, I have to go or I'll be stuck in Iowa longer than I'd really like to be. I'll see you in a few hours, please don't forget to come pick me up." He joked, mumbling a quick goodbye before shutting his cellphone off, setting it on airplane mode, and slipping it into the back pocket of his worn out jeans. Bending down, he grabbed his carry on bag off the eighties carped airport floor and headed towards the gate that would take him home.

"Ticket please?" The older woman at the gate smiled, revealing red lipstick smudged on her teeth, before scanning Christian's ticket and letting him continue on the plane.

Heights were never one of Christian's favorite things. He had originally driven all the way from New York to Iowa in his beat up Dodge truck that his father had given him for his sixteenth birthday. However, the sixteen hour drive had taken its toll on the old truck and he had to scrap it shortly after arriving. This was just going to be another "I told you so" moment from his mother who never liked the idea of Christian going away to a college that was more than an hour away from home. If she had things her way, Christian would be going to NYU instead of a college in a completely different state. He knew it was just her way of showing that she cared, especially after his father passing away earlier last year. She wanted him close for comfort, where he wanted to get out of there and far away from the horrible memories.

The plane taking off was always the hardest part, the swaying of bodies in their seat as the wheels lifted off the ground made Christian's stomach churn. He had to close his eyes and focus on his breathing before he could calmly relax back in his seat, which much to his misfortune was right next to a window. 

"First time flying?" A woman next to him questioned, a small smile forming on her snow white face. 

"Not really, though I'm not a frequent flyer either." He admitted, closing the blind to his window.

"Don't you know that-" 

"Planes are safer than cars?" He finished, smirking. "That's what I've been told."

The young woman, who couldn't be much older than he was, let out a small laugh. "Don't worry, the hard part is over. Now it's just smooth sailing from here on out."

Christian was doubtful at the stranger's remark, but he wasn't in the mood to argue beliefs with a stranger. "I'm Christian Evans." he greeted with a small nod. He would have offered a hand to shake, but his hands were preoccupied with gripping the arm rests of his chair at the present moment, as though he was holding on for dear life.

"Taylor Cook." she greeted in return, snickering at Christian's knuckles turning white as he gripped the arm rests tighter.

The next few hours went by, as Taylor said, smoothly. Christian soon relaxed to free the arm rests from his death grips, forgetting he was thousands of feet up in the air. Instead, he turned  his attention to the conversations with his new friend. He learned that, like him, Taylor was looking around at different colleges. Though she didn't think she'd be going to school until she could afford it, much to Christian's disappointment. The thought that he could be attending the same school as Taylor did give him butterflies.

In the midst of their conversation, this time about their family, Christian felt the plane begin to shake; snapping him back into reality that his feet were not planted safely on the ground. The seat belt signal turned on, and while Christian had never taken his off to begin with, Taylor quickly buckled hers back in place. 

"It's probably just some turbulence, it should be over in no time." She said, waving off Christian's panicked expression. 

"Does turbulence usually feel this rough?" he asked though clenched teeth as his body shook around in his seat again.

Taylor shrugged but didn't look alarmed. "It's different every time, at least that's what I think."

Just then the pilot came on over the intercom, making Christian catch his breath. If this was just usual turbulence, why then was the pilot speaking to them?

"I do not mean to alarm anyone and ask that everyone remain seated and calm." The old man's scratchy voice rang out through the small speakers above their heads. "One of the planes engines is failing and we have to make an emergency landing. I ask everyone to again, remain seated and calm. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

No.No, this was not happening. Christian thought as he gripped his seat tighter, his knuckles now turning redder than a tomato. How was the engine failing? Wasn't this something they were supposed to check before  the plane even takes off?

His heartbeat was racing, all he could concentrate on were the shakes of the plane, violently moving him back and forth in his seat. He could faintly hear Taylor trying to talk to him, trying to get him to calm down, but fuck, who the hell could stay calm during a time like this? Were they even anywhere near an airport to make an emergency landing? Or would they have to land in an open field, like he's seen planes on TV do before? Would the engine even last that long?

Were they all going to die?

Christian could just see it now, his mother telling his lifeless body, "I told you planes were dangerous!" And after telling her over the phone that he would be fine, it was just his luck to end up on a flight that would be anything but "fine."

He could feel the plane dipping forward, and judging by the screams coming from the other passengers, this wasn't in his head. Without thinking, he reached out and took Taylor's hand in his, squeezing the two together. He wanted at least some form of comfort, or human interaction, before he met his fate.

The plane began to spin, increasing the screams of the other passengers. Christian wished he could let out a scream, some sign that he was currently still alive, but his mouth stayed clenched tightly shut.

Why didn't he do as his mother suggested and just rented a car to drive home? Or better yet, why come all the way out to Iowa to look at schools? Was NYU really all that bad compared to what he was facing now?

The plane quickly descended closer and closer to the ground,still spinning out of control,and Christian was glad his blind was shut so he couldn't see just how close to the ground they actually were. He shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to see the exact moment when the plane crashed head first into the soil, bursting into flames.

Christian's whole world became dark.