Stranded

I was in a deep sleep when I suddenly realized I was being shaken awake by Jackson. Startled, my eyes fluttered open to see flashing lights inside the plane. His face was no longer that of a focused businessman. Instead, it was now covered in a mask of worry and fear. I didn’t know what was going on, and clearly no one else did either.

I glanced out the window of the plane, and right when I did, I saw a huge flash of lightning and heard a clap of thunder louder than the clap of God’s hands himself. The plane trembled, its wings see-sawing back and forth, faster and faster. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was God telling me I shouldn’t have left.

I pulled one of the flight attendants aside. “What’s going on?” I shouted above the noise from the other passengers.

“It’s something with the engine,” she replied frantically.

I sat down, put on the oxygen mask that had dropped down, and accepted the fact that there was nothing I could do. This plane was going down. I looked to my right and noticed that Jackson and the middle-aged man had done the same.

I looked at the man, who had pulled out his wallet, and a picture of his family. He folded it once, and gripped it tightly in his right hand. He closed his eyes, and I could tell he was praying. The sight of him alone ripped at my heart.

Looking around behind me, I saw children, mothers, fathers, people who were going to be missed. Was I going to be missed? I doubted it. No one would know anyway. Maybe Rick would think of me. Tell his daughter about me. Hold her close, begging God not to take her away from him.

Suddenly everything got quiet, and I realized the pilot was speaking over the loudspeaker once more. Three words were all he said. “Brace for impact.”

With that, I grabbed tightly at Jackson’s left hand. His right hand was holding tightly to that of the middle-aged man beside him. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, preparing myself for the worst as the wails, screams, and sobs whirled around my head. We were heading faster, faster, and faster down towards the cold Atlantic waters.

I couldn’t breathe. Our plane collided with the water, and I felt as though a car had been dropped on my chest. I heard sounds of metal shredding, loud and harsh. I was ready to accept my death as I slipped farther and farther away, into the cold, cold darkness.