Stay Together Chapter 7 by Maira Dawn
Chapter 7
(COPYRIGHT©2024 MAIRA DAWN)
James peered out the small window of the plane, staring through the large windows of the airport into the bustling corridor on the other side.
Beside him, Emily shuddered and then gazed wistfully at the brightly lit airport. “I wish we were still in there, enjoying on our snacks.”
James sighed, “Me too. I hope whatever this is, I hope it doesn’t last long.” He glanced at the other nervous passengers, some who remained on their feet, clearly wishing they could rush the metal doors.
Liz sent an anxious glance his way.
“It’ll be okay,” he told his wife, though he wasn’t sure he spoke true. He was a wound up as she was.
She nodded in agreement anyway. They’d both been parents long enough to know that saying words aloud soothed others, even if there was no way to know the future.
As if in response, the plane’s engines roared to life and what seemed like a thousand lightbulb blinked on, causing most people to shield their eyes.
A rush of relief flooded James. Finally. He smiled at his wife and children.
“Awesome!” Mike said, as the passengers cheered.
The plane immediately began moving into position to taxi down the runway.
“Sun and surf, here we come!” Liz said, smiling.
James double-checked his seatbelt and settled back in his chair as the plane taxied further and further down the runway, picking up speed.
The children grabbed each other’s hand in anticipation of take off.
A sharp jerk as the plane’s engines sputtered and died, ended their fun. Once again, the cabin plunged into darkness.
His muscles tightened, and he grabbed the armrests when the aircraft violently stuttered down the runway. Was the pilot using some sort of emergency brake to stop the plane? He glanced out the window, thanking the Lord that the plane was still on the ground when it failed the second time.
“What is happening?” Liz asked as she pulled her son closer to her.
Emily squealed and clenched the armrests of her seat.
Others screamed as the aircraft weaved from one side of its designated path to the other. A woman behind them sobbed hysterically.
The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom. It was barely audible above the chaos.
“Attention passengers, we have lost all power and are experiencing mechanical issues. The aircraft will make an emergency stop.”
There was a loud screeching as the tires protested a hard skid. The plane bounced slightly and came back down - hard. The impact jolted everyone and reignited the passenger’s panic.
Heart thudding, James threw an arm in front of his family as seatbelts strained to hold them in place. Someone in front of them hurled to the floor, groaning on impact.
The plane started into a spin, causing him vertigo. It came to a stop with a loud thud. The compartment above them flew open. Suitcases and fabric bags rained down on everyone beneath them.
“Ow!” Mike shouted.
James grabbed the suitcase that had fallen on his son and held it over the boy’s head to protect him from any more bumps on the head.
With tears in his eyes, Mike rubbed the top of his forehead.
“Are you okay?” Liz asked him.
“Yeah. It just hurts,” he said with a sigh.
For a few seconds after the plane came to a stop, there was complete silence on board as everyone tried to process what had just happened. Then slowly, people began unbuckling their seatbelts and standing up, some shaking and crying in shock.
The screeching of the plane’s sudden stop still ringing in his ears, James jumped up. Something was wrong with this plane. Very wrong. And he wouldn’t spend one more minute on it. He shot up out of his seat.
“Grab your carryons and follow me!” he told his family.
Other passengers around them followed suit and the main aisle became a chaotic frenzy — some passengers trying to bolt to the exit, some digging for the carryons scattered on the floor and piled on empty seats.
A flight attendant’s shrill voice echoed through the cabin. “Sit down! Everyone stay seated! It is policy that all passengers stay seated until the exit has opened.”
An argument ensued between her and a loud-mouthed woman passenger. A male flight attendant came over to stand behind his fellow employee and started ordering people around.
Muttering to themselves and others, many passengers turned back to retake their seats.
An older man standing near James caught his attention. “You’re a sturdy fellow, and that’s what we need. I’m a pilot. Or was one. I’ve seen passengers stuck on a plane for hours. None of us wanna be a part of that. I can get us out of here. And if we are gonna make a move, it needs to be now, before the attendants regain full control.” The man raised an eyebrow. “What do you say?”
It took James all of three seconds to decide, but he glanced at Liz anyway to get her input.
His wife kept it simple. She nodded.
“Great!” the older guy said. “By the way, my name is Ian.” He put an arm around a woman about his age. “This is my wife, Nancy.”
Ian began pushing his way down the aisle and recruiting any other muscular guys he saw.
James waved his family toward him. “It’s crowded here. Stay together. Hold on to one another if you need to. We’re going to follow Ian. He can get us out.” When both the kids gave him a serious nod, he knew they would fall in line behind him.
“I’ll bring up the rear,” Liz said and pulled the kids between them, then tightening the line.
When a man tried to break between them, she pushed him back. “Sorry,” she said, “but my family needs to stay together.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course,” the man replied.
James gave his wife a quick smile. She was tough. Determination etched across his face and shoulders back, James created the path to the emergency door for his family.
Ian was already there, scanning it for the release mechanism. Two other muscular guys stepped up behind them, ready to help.
Ian pulled a lever on the door and it easily moved to the side revealing the night sky. It shook James. Had so much time passed already?
The older man pulled on an inflatable slide built into the floor. “Stubborn thing,” he mumbled. He stood and pointed to the two guys behind James. “You two okay with helping people get on the slide? Especially watch the old and the young.”
The two men agreed.
“James, you and I will go down first. Then, our families. We can all help people get off the slide in an orderly manner, so this can go quickly.”
The flight attendant with the shrill voice shouted at them. “You cannot do that! You cannot!”
Ian turned around and gave her a piercing glare. “Marilynn, it’s me. Shut up and do something constructive.”
“Oh! Oh! But Captain . . .”
“But nothing. I’m getting these people out of here and I’m doing it now. You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution.”
Marilynn pursed her lips, then said, “Yes, Sir!” She turned to the first row of passengers. “Please check the area for any of your possessions and prepare to deplane.”
James looked at Emily as she leaned around him and stared at the tall, seemingly flimsy slide. She put a hand to her face as it drained of color.
Continued . . .
Please remember this is a developing story and in a rawer state than what I publish. As such, it has only been self-edited and you will see some errors.
In addition, some changes may occur between now and publishing, including major storylines. I try to avoid this, but it sometimes happens.
Maira Dawn’s Novel News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
I welcome your kindly worded feedback. :)