AN EXCERPT OF A STORY I'VE GIVEN UP ON
I looked out my plane window, watching everything I’ve ever known shrink into nothing. I was on a flight to my dad’s out in Oregon—it was the only place left for me to go ever since about a month ago, when my mom collided with an eighteen wheeler. Despite the burning hatred I had for my father because of his purpose absence in all of my seventeen years, I suppose I needed someone to help me get through this ‘spiraling depression’ according to my school counselor.
I stared at the puffy white clouds gently floating in the sky… how did that feel? To be weightless and have nothing to hold you down like burdens and sadness and to just feel completely… free. As the thought swam through my head and Coldplay sang to me through my earbuds, I felt the soft tug of sleep pull me away.
And then I was suddenly shaken away—literally.
I looked around the cabin, groggy and confused. The lights above flickered frantically and the plane rumbled furiously, making my Coke beside me slosh in its cup. I looked out my window but my eyes could only find the dark night sky. A voice came on the speaker.
“Uh, sorry folks we’re experience just a bit of turbulence here. It should return to norm—“ the pilot was interrupted by the gasps of fear and surprise caused by the sudden darkness in the plane. The lights were cut off. I sat up straight and pressed the light switch above my seat—dead. The shaking of the plane grew more violent and I felt my pulse race just a smidge.
“We’re caught in a minor storm but we are trying to fly to safety. Please stay calm, as everything will be alright.” One of the slightly unnerved flight attendants came over the speaker.
We all sat in the dark, soft murmurs of my fellow passengers surrounding me. The only sound was from outside, with the rain pattering and the thunder rolling. I was on my own here, an un accompanied minor. To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure if I could believe the flight attendant who claimed that “everything will be alright”. From experience I knew nothing would.
“Oh my god!”
A man shouted aloud as we felt the plane drop, as we dropped. We lost flight but there was no explanation for it. Something tightened in my chest and I looked out my raindrop covered window. Flashes of lightning burned my eyes and it painted the inside of the cabin a midnight blue. Screams of horror erupted and as the lightning went on, I could see quick glimpses of people holding onto each other. Strangers or not, they were clutching onto each other for their lives. Crew members scrambled among the aisles, trying to keep everyone calm, while in the control room it was hell.
Is this what it feels like now? I thought as I held on tightly to my arm rest, my knuckles white. To be weightless?
I had no idea where we were going to crash but I was certain there was a slim chance any of us would survive. In the moments of free fall, I observed what was going on. I looked to my left, onto the opposite side, and I could barely make out the one person sitting there. He looked around twenty and he had his arms held out wide open. Almost as if he was going in for a hug of some sort. I was in shock, as I could see maybe the slightest chance of a smile on his face. I wasn’t sure if his eyes were open or not. But I watched him the entire time, through the rest of the free fall and spinning. I think I was still staring at him when the plane veered to the right, causing me to smash against my window as we descended to the ground.
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