Approximate time on plane: Eight hours. Location: The middle of the ocean.Natasha was awoken by a violent rattling of the airplane. Beside her Willow looked completely calm as she stared out the window, as if this sort of thing were normal. Daring to peek around her, Naty noticed that it was pitch black outside, and that the clouds, the gusts the she could see of them, were soaring by them. With growing alarm she began to panic, jumping from her seat and yelling for help but no one seemed to notice. Everyone kept about their merry way, even as the plane soared straight for the water. With a scream she threw herself onto her chair and clung to it just as the plane was hitting the water and crushing the entire front half. Water rushed in, filling the cabin. As the water began to come up over her head, and with her last gasp of airâshe woke up.
Gasping for air and in a sweat, she looked around the calm cabin of the plane. Breathing a little heavily, she attracted a flight attendant who worriedly bent down to ask if she was alright. "She's fine," chimed in Willow with a smile. "She's just one of
those people... you know, the ones terrified of planes?" As Natasha was busy catching her breath and giving a small nod, the plane jerked suddenly. Eyes growing wide, Natasha looked to the attendant in alarm. âEverythingâs alright, miss, itâs just a bit of turbulence. Completely normal,â the sweet flight attendant assured her. With a nervous glance back to Alli for some reassurance, Naty glanced to her watch. "My grandmother's watch..." Willow glanced over and looked at what had upset Naty now. "It's just stopped working, Willow... Alli, my watch stopped working!" With growing alarm, Naty shifted in her seat and passed her watch back to Alli, hoping she could fix it or something. Willow rolled her eyes and glanced to Alli, circling a finger by her temple to indicate that Naty was nuts. Giggling as Naty shoved her book bag onto Willow's lap, Willow tried her best to look upset as Natasha stood up from her seat in a rage. Jerking her hair bow out of the tips of her hair, since it was about to fall out anyway, Naty stormed her way to the tiny bathroom at the back of the plane. Sliding the lock into place, she let out a heavy sigh and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked rough. Slipping her hair bow onto her wrist for temporary safe keeping, Naty ran her fingers through the blonde mess in an attempt to make it look a little better.
Just then the âFasten Seat Belt' sign flashed on and the captain came across the overhead. In as calm a voice he could, he slowly informed the passengers that they were going down. Assuring them that everything would be alright, he asked that everyone remain calm, return to their seats, and fasten their safety belts for a rough landing. As the cabin began to rock more violently Natasha was thrown into the wall of the bathroom, too stricken by what the captain had said to be able to move. Willow's eyes grew wide as she held her carryon between her legs, and Natasha's in her lap. "Ma'am! Ma'am! My friend-- she's in the bathroom!" Willow called to a rushing by flight attendant. The plane began to shake harder and the clouds cleared in the window to reveal the black depths of the sea, only visible by the moonlight. Within moments they would make impact, and the captain came over the intercom again, advising everyone to brace themselves, and reminding them of the exits, flotation devices, and safety rafts.
The flight attendant was banging on the door to the restroom, bringing Natasha back to her senses. She was just about to open the door when the plane made contact with the water, sending her slamming into the wall of the tiny restroom once more, only this time her head made contact with the wall, dazing her.
The impact was as Willow would have imagined a head on collision between two trains would sound. The sound was deafening, and the belt around her waist had done it's job at keeping her in place, but had definitely left a bruise. Looking up from her seat, all of first class was crunched up. There was no way anyone up there could have survived. With the only useable door now at the back of the plane, and over the wings, people rushed to escape the sinking plane. Three flight attendants had survived and were trying to direct the flow of traffic and assist people with their life vests. The first wave of people were out and in the water, instructed by the flight attendant to abandon their belongings as it would only weigh them down. They assured everyone that the emergency beacon would work, and that help would arrive soon. Willow shoved her small carry-on (her camera bag) into Natasha's already full bookbag and zipped it closed. "Alli, Natasha's in the bathroom!" Willow looked around desperately for a way to get to the bathroom, but the flow of traffic was working against her. "Why is she not coming out?" With increased worry, it was finally her turn to get into the isle to exit the plane. "I'm not leaving without her!" "Ma'am, please, we will get your friend off the plane, please, we have to evacuate everyone." The flight attendant looked like she meant business, and never one to create waves, Willow looked to Alli with a sick feeling in her stomach. Following the line of people that were jumping into the water, Willow fumbled with her seat cushion that was supposed to work as a life vest. Glancing to the floor her heart started to bound harder in her ears... jet fuel was beginning to soak the carpet of the plane, the smell overwhelming. - How am I going to put this on and keep the bags?- she thought worriedly. The flight attendant didn't seem to notice, or care, if Willow followed the instructions on the bag detail, so Willow jumped down the inflated escape route by the right wing. As she left the plane, darkness swallowed her and it was as if she were in some horrific scene from Titanic. The other two flight attendants had already inflated 4 rafts, and they were all full. The remaining people clang to the sides of the rafts in the water with their life vests on, weighing the rafts down to a dangerously low level in the water.
The weight of the bookbag was surprising, but Willow was determined to save her camera from the salty depths. Keeping the bag above her head, out of the water, she struggled to get the life vest flat on the water. Once it was, she sat the bag on top of the seat cushion that floated effectively on the water. "Alli!? Alli, where are you!?" she called into the darkness, scared that her voice would be lost among the calls of everyone else who were also searching for loved ones. She and everyone else were drifting further and further from the plane, and Willow started to panic. She haddn't seen Natasha get off the plane. "NATASHA! Natasha where are you!?" she cried, her stomach twisting as she looked around helplessly in the water.
Meanwhile, back on the planeThe flight attendant took one last look around the plane and was about to jump off and into the water when one of the live wires snapped loose and set the jet fuel ablaze. The poor woman didn't even have time to think. Within seconds, an explosion ruptured through the air, blasting the plane in two. Now in flames, the two halves of the plane began to sink.
Natasha screamed, having made it out just seconds before the explosion. The flight attendant had shoved her down the escape hatch on the opposite side of the plan than her friends. Sobbing, Natasha rubbed at her eyes. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her head was pounding, and the light from the fire was just a haze in her vision. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her head, she looked around in panic. "Alli?! Willow?!" her voice was little more than a whisper, despite her efforts to yell. The shock was just too much. The salt and jet fuel taste in her mouth made her want to vomit, but the will to live made her hold it together. -Focus, Naty... Focus..- Taking a breath, she looked around, growing more and more exhausted by the minute. She had never been a very strong swimmer. Catching sight of the flight attendant, burnt and bleeding out, but holding something, Natasha swam closer to her. On her vest was a small light, and in her arms was a big orange bundle. -What is this... A life raft!- Feeling as if God had sent her an angel, she silently thanked the sweet attendant and pried the package from her arms. Swimming away from the sinking metal, Naty looked around, seeing only shapes in the water but hearing a muffled noise from people. The blast must have been louder than she thought. Her ears felt like she had just been to eight metal concerts standing in the front row. Yanking on the raft's string, she was overcome with joy as the
orange life raft came to life. Using what was left of her strength, she pulled herself into the raft. She was alive. It was a miracle.
Willow watched in horror as the plane bubbled to the bottom of the ocean, but her heart jumped for joy as she saw in the distance another raft. Unable to find Alli in the sea (pun not intended) of people, Willow began to swim for the raft with all her might, pulling the seat with her and Natasha's belongings on it. -Oh, please let there be room for one more.. please.. please...- As she made it to the raft, she could have died of happiness. "Natasha!" she cried, tears of joy running down her face. Some others had already found the raft, and she gently tossed the bag inside, accepting any help offered to her as she climbed inside. The eight man raft looked a lot smaller now that she was in it, the small triangle opening keeping out some of the sea spray. "Alli?" Willow looked around as she huddled next to her friend, holding her. Was she here? Peering into the darkness, she tried to see if she could identify her friend. She couldn't swim very well, Willow should never have gotten off the plane without her! Feeling guilty, but lucky to be alive, Willow huddled closely to Natasha who was struggling to remain awake. "I.... I think I have a concussion.. " Natasha mumbled. "W-where's Alli?"