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In Life and Death
In Life and Death
Episode One
First Death
13-year-old Emily sat in her bed, talking quickly on her phone. As a black car pulled up, she paused in her consistent talking. "I'll have to call you back."
"Why?" her friend questioned, sounding irritated.
"I'm going to Fiji!"
"You won't be able to call me back!"
"I'll have my cell phone. Duh."
"Right. Have fun. Fine a cute guy."
"I will. Gotta go. Mum's calling. Bye, Trish."
"See you later, Emily."
"EMILY! GET DOWN HERE!"
"COMING!" Emily looked around her room one last time, arranged a few last things, and then sighed. This was the last time she was going to see her room for three weeks. As her mother called her again, Emily finally turned and hurried downstairs. "Hi mom! Brad... Chris, good to see you again."
"Same to you. Ready to go?"
"Yes, I am. Mother, I shall see you soon."
"Oh, baby, I'm going to miss you so much," Emily's mother cried, pulling her daughter into a tight hug.
"Mom, I'm going to be all right. I have these two watching over me. Nothing could possibly go wrong. I love you and I promise you I'll be back in three weeks in one piece."
"Call me as soon as you get on the plane and then when you arrived in Fiji. Ok?"
"Ok. Bye."
"Love you, hunny!" Emily's mother watched as her daughter ran outside to greet her 15-year-old friend, Jordan, who would also be going to Fiji with her. "Promise me you'll watch after her and keep her safe? I don't want anything to happen to my Emily."
"We swear on our badges, Mrs. Venex. Shall we leave now?" Chris said, putting two fingers to his temple.
"Yes, yes, you are dismissed." Chris and Brad saluted Mrs. Venex before turning and leaving. Once Emily and Jordan were settled in the car, they pulled off to leave a waving Mrs. Venex in tears...
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vanessa asked for the hundredth time as her sister picked up her bags.
"Yes, Vanessa, I'm going to do this. What are you so worried about?" Rhea said, sighing impatiently.
"Well, after 9/11, you must consider..."
"That was at least four years ago. nothing that serious has happened since. I'm going to be fine. Just... watch over mom. I bet she's already crying over me leaving."
"Promise you'll come back?"
"With my book finished."
"I love you, Rhea. Don't get hurt."
"I won't, I won't. I love you too, Vanessa, but I really have to go. That was the last call for my flight and you know how slow I am." Vanessa laughed slightly, but waved her sister away anyway. "I'll call you every day. And write when I can."
"You better. Two months is going to be a long time without you."
"I can only imagine. Bye!"
"Good-bye Rhea!"
Rhea grinned as she stepped onto the plane to find it already crowded. "Great. Now I have to find my seat while being squished," she muttered, pushing down the aisle.
"Woah, watch it!" someone screeched as she ran into a man. Unfortunately, Rhea turned at the wrong moment, causing the man to fall.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there," she said, quickly moving around her bag to help him up.
"It's ok. I'm fine."
"Good. Umm, do you know where seat C5 is?"
"Right here. Wow, good introduction. I'm Charlie."
"Rhea. Are you sitting in C6?"
"Yeah. Want some help with that bag?"
"Oh, if you wouldn't mind. Thank you." Rhea watched, smiling, as Charlie easily picked up her bag and put it next to what she guessed was his.
"So, Miss Triton, how are we?"
"Good. Figured it out already? You're the quickest one."
"I love your books."
"Really? I haven't heard that in a while."
"Your recent one, Light of the Locket, can only be described in one word."
"And what would that be?"
"Ok, maybe a couple. Absolutely, amazingly, and beautifully written! I was so shocked to find out you had used yourself as one of the characters. Definitely something worth reading."
"Well thank you, Charlie. Who was your favorite character?"
"Besides you? Hmm, lemme think." Rhea laughed slightly as he stuck his foot in the aisle, put his elbow on the armrest, and rested his chin on his palm. After a minute of ######## concentration, he straightened up, a look of triumph now playing upon his face. "Lynne Black! The cunningly human-like Lilope!"
Rhea laughed even harder this time as Charlie received reproachful looks from a few older people. In response, he stuck his tongue out at them. 'I should've known. You remind me of her."
"Are you accusing me of being child-like? How rude!" Rhea laughed again before sighing and leaning back in her chair. Of all people she could have ended up with, she felt Charlie was going to be great fun to talk with...
About an hour into the ride, Rhea had fallen asleep, leaving Charlie bored but soon occupied. After searching through his bag, he found his notebook and a pen and took them out. Criss-crossing his legs, he stuck the end of the pen in his mouth and looked at the unfinished writing in his notebook.
"Hey, dude, is this seat behind you taken?" a distant voice asked, snapping Charlie out of his trance.
"Huh? Oh, no. Only taken by you."
"Thanks. I'm Dominic, by the way."
"Interesting name. Charles."
"Very funny. You can call me Dom."
"Good, cuz I wasn't planning on saying Dominic every time. As for me, I prefer Charlie. What's got you to sit back here? Some jerk up there with a stick up his ass?"
"Yeah."
"Picking on you constantly not only because of your foreign name, but also because you're the funniest-looking dude on this plane?"
"Hey!"
"Just kidding. Oh, sorry, manners. My sleeping companion here is the one and only Rhea Triton."
"Cool. Why is that so important?"
"She's a famous author, genius."
"Oh. I don't read."
"Really? You look like the sophisticated type.
"Yeah, ok, and you don't."
"I know. Looks can be deceiving. You drink?"
"Yeah."
"A round... on me," he added, waving his hand for the guy with the menu to come over.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"The name is Charlie. Sir is too... formal... Jack. A Budlight."
"Yes, sir. And you, sir?"
"A Corona."
"Right away. Anything for the lady?"
"She'll have a, umm, a glass of red wine."
"Of course. Be right back."
Charlie nodded, waving him away before turning to Rhea. "Rhea, are you with us? The plane crashed and you're ########## in front of everyone."
"WHAT?" Rhea shot up from her seat, almost standing up, but Charlie pulled her back down.
"That's better. No, we're still flying. And, you're dressed. Unfortunately. Kidding, kidding. I got you something to drink."
"And how do you know what I like?"
"Your website."
"Oh."
"This is Dom. The guy who was being picked on by the jerk with a stick up his ass at the front."
"Hello Dom. I'm Rhea."
"I've been told. It's a pleasure to meet you..."
About a half an hour later, the three were laughing and talking about random things that came to mind when the plane gave sudden jerk. A few people around them worriedly reached for their seatbelts as the plane gave yet another jerk. "Nothing to worry about. Just a storm," Jack said from the front.
"Just a storm. Yeah, ok," Charlie muttered, also reaching for his seatbelt. A while after Jack had disappeared to talk to the pilot, the plane began to shake lightly at first, but grew soon enough.
"Safety seatbelts everyone!" Jack yelled over the commotion as he walked down the aisle. "It'll be getting a bit cold in a minute, so i suggest you pull out the blankets from above!" "You, sir, are not allowed back here unless you have a reserved seat. What is your name?" Jack suddenly asked, rounding on Dominic.
"Dominic Sintone."
"Back to your seat!"
"Ok, ok, I'm going. Jeez. See you two later," Dom muttered, heading towards his seat at the front.
A few minutes later, the plane calmed and they were once again flying safely. "Storm has passed. You make take off your seatbelts. You are safe now." Almost as soon as Jack had said that and everyone had gotten comfortable again, the plane dipped forward as a sudden air rush flew in from the back.
Heads turned and people screamed as everyone realized the end of the plane was gone. Before anyone could get secure again, however, they were all thrown from their seats...
When Charlie awoke, it was to a mouthful of sand. He spit it out, coughing as he did. As he struggled to sit up, he found it almost impossible. Turning, he found a large wooden thing crushing his right leg. "I have never been in a plane crash before, but that certainly wasn't what I would've expected it to be. Didn't feel a thing," someone said as Charlie fell back in the sand, finding it too hard to remove the wood.
"Dominic?" he questioned, putting a hand over his eyes to block the sun.
"The one and only. This is Jake. Luckily, we had a doctor on board. The other dude is Dan. Don't move for a sec, Charlie."
"Sure." As the weight was lifted from his leg, Charlie quickly moved out form under the wood as the three guys threw it aside. After taking an offered hand from Jake, Charlie stood up, looking around. "What happened?"
"Well, after the back of the plane broke off, we sort of dove into this island. Fortunately, not many people were hurt, but, I'm guessing there are some," Dean said, putting on a grim face.
"Oh shit," Jake hissed, looking at the remains of the plane. "Guys, get as far away from the plane without going into the forest as you can. Hurry!"
"Why?"
"Cuz it's gonna blow! GO!" As Charlie, Dominic, and Dean headed towards the forest, Jake ran off in the direction of a crying girl.
"Jordan! Where are you?" she was screaming as she fell to her knees.
"You have to go. Now," Jake tried, pulling her up.
"No! I want Jordan!"
"We'll find her. Please, find a man named Dominic. He can help you. He'll be near the forest." The little girl nodded before running off. "EVERYONE! AWAY FROM THE PLANE! QUICK!" Jake yelled, looking everywhere he could. "You there! To the forest! Now!"
"There's a girl stuck in the plane!" the guy yelled back.
"I got her, Jake," Dean said as he ran towards the plane.
"Dean! No! Leave her! You'll get..."
"Hurt? Yeah, I know! I'll be back!" Before anyone could stop him, Dean was climbing into the broken remains of the plane and following the screams of the girl.
"Hey, you there, what's your name?"
"Matt. What do you need?"
"There was a man around the age of 40 sitting next to me. He has a 10-year-old son. Find them."
"I'll try."
"Stay away from the plane if you can."
"Will do."
"Lady, you need to get away from the plane!"
"There's a man stuck here! Help him!"
Jake sighed, but ran towards the woman anyway. "Listen, I'll take care of him. Please, head towards the forest."
"Ok. God bless you and this man." Jake nodded before turning to the unconscious man stuck under what looked like part of the plane's wing. After called Matt over to help him, Jake managed to get the wing away and then pick up the man.
"I found the man's son, but couldn't find him. He wouldn't leave, though."
"Take this guy up to the forest. Have Rhea look after him. Where is the son?"
"Close to the plane. The guy in the plane said he saw him sitting on the edge of it."
"Ok. Run. Quick."
"Take care, doc."
"You too." Turning, Jake ran towards the plane. He had to do this quickly and not make a single mistake. As soon as he reached it, he saw a young boy rocking back and forth on the edge of the plane, crying.
"What is your name, son?"
"Tom."
"Ok, Tom, I found you dad. You have to go to the forest to find him, though. Find a man named Charlie. He will help you." Tom nodded before standing up and running off.
"Dean! Hurry up!'
"She's stuck!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
"Jake, go! I'll be ok!"
"Dean..."
"JAKE! GO!" Hesitating for the briefest second, Jake looked up at his friend.
"I'm going to miss you if anything happens."
"I'm going to miss you too, but you really need to leave. I promise I'll come out in at least two pieces." Smiling slightly, Jake turned and ran towards the forest. He had just reached it when there was a huge explosion from behind him. Turning again, he saw the plane go up in flames and then die down just as quickly.
"WHERE'S MY DADDY?" Tom screamed, causing everyone to turn his way...
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