War on the Beach

“42-niner niner, do you copy?” I started to get worried.

Why weren’t they responding? I took a deep breath.

It’s okay, I told myself, what could go wrong anyways, you’re a pilot. BEEP BEEP BEEP! All of a sudden, lights, sounds and sirens lurched at me, just as the plane tumbled down.

“42-niner niner, come in, I’m about to crash! 42-niner inner do you copy? 42-niner niner come in, PLEASE!” I pleaded.

I started pulling random knobs and I was pushing all these buttons, what was I doing? Why can’t I remember anything? Then, I remembered something from my flying lessons: If you are experiencing sudden turbulence and drop in altitude, point the nose of the plane up.”

I pulled the throttle up as the plane climbed the blackened sky. It was working!

I then tried my radio again. Nothing but static. I took another deep breath. You’ve got this, George, you know how to do this. I slowly let go of the throttle as I pushed the air flow button, which allowed the plane’s wings to release any air that was trapped inside. I smiled. My plan had worked. I released the throttle to its original position. But the plane spin around, going in full circles down. The engine had failed, and this time, no lights, no sounds, nothing. Just the sound of my screams as I landed, with a thud, into the ocean.

It felt like I was on a stiff mattress, with little beads all around me. I flopped my arm over to pet Lucky, my dog, but my hand landed with a “plop” into the water. I groggily rolled onto my back as I opened my eyes. I heard crashing and chirping, and instead of seeing my ceiling fan, I was shrouded with a cloak of bright blue. I bolted up, frantically looking all around me. Salty waves slowly kissed the sandy shore. The sea gulls danced around the sky. Where am I? I thought.

Memories of yesterday flooded my mind. I crashed, I remembered. I slowly got up and brushed the wet sand that clung to my humid clothes. I slowly turned around to face a luscious green island. It was dotted with coconuts and palm trees. Its beauty lured me in. The ground was covered with big green leaves, the size of my thighs. My mouth was dry, tongue heavy and lips cracked. I scanned for food, then, in the middle of the island, I spotted a berry bush. It’s crimson shades of berries were too delightful looking not to eat. I didn’t stop, handful after handfuls of them. I laid on the ground, as my stomach ached with pain like a balloon had just popped inside of me.

Exhausted, I fell asleep. Shortly after, a bright light blinded me. I blinked, but soon it disappeared. I heard voices, no, I hear talking. I leapt up in joy. Someone had found me! I ran around the island like a mad man searching for the people. I know they’re here, I repeated in my head, over and over again. I broke down crying, finally realizing, after several hours of playing tag with the wind, that no one will ever find me. I hiked back to the berry bush as I watched the night crawl back into the sky, just as I fell asleep, too.

I was moving, I was being jerked, up towards the sky. Oh no, I thought, not again. I sat bolt upright, breathing fast, I was on a place.

“No, no!” I yelled. I can’t do this not, again.

“It’s alright sir, you’re safe, we saw the pane and searched the beach to find you,” a woman with a red cross on her coat and a soothing voice said.

Safe, I repeated that word over and over again.

Safe.

It was a comforting word.

“Safe,” I whispered, as I wrapped myself in a nearby palm leaf, adorned with black beetles and tiny inchworms.