Lost in Paradise

"Is it always this rough?" the elderly man asked, gripping the arm rests as the plane suffered another rough patch of turbulence.

"No, the weather looks pretty nasty out there. But don't worry, it's going to be okay. By this time tomorrow we will be relaxing on a beach in Jamaica laughing about the bumpy ride," Scott replied smiling at the man reassuringly.

"I don't like beaches...I burn," the man said, his eyes still wide with concern as he looked past Scott, watching the flight attendants at the front of the plane. "I'm going down to see my daughter's hotel. She's an architect."

"Okay, well, this time tomorrow you'll be relaxing at the bar in the hotel," Scott said.

The man appeared not to hear him, glancing out the window then back at the flight attendants, then out the window again. Finally he turned to look at Scott, "I don't drink."

I give up, Scott thought, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the bathroom. His sister had left her seat several minutes ago, complaining of being naseous. Not seeing any sign of her, Scott turned back around, reaching forward and pulling a magazine from the back of the seat in front of him. As he began to flip through the pages of the magazine, there was a shrill whining noise followed by a loud boom like an explosion. The plane immediately began to shake violently, banking sharply to one side, passengers screaming in alarm.

Scott struggled to see the source of the explosion through the small window but he couldn't see anything. Then the pilot's voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentleman,we have lost the right engine..we are descending at a rapid rate. Please follow the attendants instructions and please remain calm and in your seats."

Immediately the passengers erupted into shouted questions and panicked cries. Scott nervously checked his seat belt as the flight attendants did their best to calm people down and make sure everyone was buckled. The looks on their faces told him they were just as worried as everyone else. Then he realized his sister was still in the bathroom. He looked around frantically trying to get the attention of one of the flight attendants, but they were dashing around the plan trying to calm passengers down.

Just as Scott decided that he should unbuckle himself and go find his sister, the oxygen masks dropped from the pannels above the seats. Scott helped the man beside him, pulling the mask down to his mouth. The man was in tears now and all Scott could think in the moments before the impact, the ocean waters rushing at the plane like a speeding train, was the man would never get to see his daughter's hotel.

The walls of the plane seemed to ripple and the whining noise grew louder and louder as they continued to plummet downward. He must have blacked out when the plane impacted. The next thing he knew he was underwater, still buckled into his seat. He panicked for a moment, thashing from side to side but after a moment he realized where he was. He turned to his right to find that the elderly man beside him had not survived the crash. He sat motionless his eyes still open, gazing at nothing.

The left side of the plane had been ripped open by the impact. Scott struggled for a second with his seat belt before he was able to get loose. Once loose he took one last look at his section of the plane to see if there were any other survivors. Seeing none, he launched himself out of the plane.

He broke the surface of the water taking a much needed breath. Turning around he saw that he was perhaps a hundred yards from the tail of the plane, which jutted up from the ocean almost perpindicular to the water's surface. He waded there in the water for several minutes in shock, staring at the impossible image of the plane crash, the wreckage...the bodies.

Finally he pulled his eyes from the destruction and focused on his situation. He had to try to swim back down to the submerged section of the plane. He had to see if his sister was still down there. Taking a deep breath, he dove under water and swam down trying to grab hold of anything that he could use to pull himself down the length of the sinking plane. Using seats, bodies, whatever he could, he slowly worked his way toward the rest room. His lungs burned with the need for air as he finally pulled himself to the bathroom. The door was ajar and the small room was empty. He looked around desperately, looking for some sign of where his sister had gone. Had she already made it out? Was she dead?

Knowing he couldn't stay underwater any longer, Scott kicked off of the bathroom door and swam toward the surface. As he burst from the ocean waters, gasping, fresh air filled his lungs. He was exhausted from the effort to find his sister, he needed something to hold on to, something that would float. Spotting a small mini fridge from the plane he swam his way over to it and latched on. That was when he saw the island on the other side of the plane. Mustering the last of his energy he began kicking his legs, propelling himself toward the beach.

Reaching the shallow waters he let go of the mini fridge and stood, slowly trudged the last twenty yards. Pieces of wreckage were everywhere, scraps of metal, luggage, and more bodies. He willed himself past all of it until he finally cleared the water's edge, falling to his knees in he sand. He immediately vomited, his body shaking with exhaustion, fear, and relief.

As he knelt there he saw movement. Unsure whether it was another survivor or just wreckage disturbed by the incoming tide, he stumbled to his feet and squnited at the point in the distance where he had seen the movement. There it was again. It was definitely a person and they were alive.

Name:Nicole "Nikki" Anderson
Age:19
Height: 5"6
Weight:110 lbs.
Hair:Brown hair, falling to mid-waist.
Breasts:C34
Eyes:Caramel brown with highlights of yellow and green.

IC:

Nicole didn't do well at plane rides, or any kind of ride for the matter. Ever since their parents had died in a car crash when she was a teenaged girl, she had started hating any kind of ride inside anything with wheels, she could hardly stand being on a bike.

She had refused on coming, but her brother Scott had persistently insist that she came with him on the plane ride, to keep him company as he had phrased it. Not even half way into the flight, her stomach had started churning. Her breath had grown heavy, her skin starting to dote with sweat as she looked around frantically for the impossible escape.

Not wanting to worry Scott, she had told him that she felt nauseous and had ran for the bathroom her first chance given. Once she was in there, she had ended up vomiting in the toilet, her head spinning as she leaned heavily against the wall. She thought that her head was spinning, but it was really everything around her.

Nikki couldn't decipher what was real, and what was happening inside of her head, she was so confused. She heard screaming passengers in the distant background, the yelling of flight attendants, sirens going off, the lights glitching above her as she fought to catch her breath.

Opening her eyes, everything was dark and the screams were gone. She felt wetness everywhere, her clothes were soaked. She pushed her hands against the wall to steady her balance as the water was quickly rising all around her. Before she knew it, she was drawing her last breath of fresh air, she was then submerged underwater completely.

Her lungs were burning, her eyes were burning, her legs were kicking furiously, she didn't think she was going to make it. She had had to push her way through the plane, trying to find her brother. She saw the old man she had left him with, but Scott wasn't there.

Sending a silent prayer up to God, she pushed her way from the sinking plane and kicked with all her might to get away from the pulling current that was pulling the sinking plane down, towards the bottom of the ocean. She was gazing up at the sun that was streaming down into the ocean's depths, that was her only hope.

Nicole thought that she would pass out before she reached the top, but just as she was going to give up, she burst forth through the top of the water, her lungs gasping for breath, her back arching, a series of coughs escaping her mouth as her chest rose and fell rapidly, fighting for air.

Looking around wearily, she saw an island that was about fifty feet ahead of her, looks like she was 'shipwrecked'. Pumping her legs hard, she wanted to get out of the water as quick as possible. Feeling liquid running down her forehead, she reached to wipe the water out of her eyes, only to reveal red liquid on her head. Reaching to touch again, she realized there must be a gash on her head somewhere.

Pumping her legs even faster to get out of the water that may carry sharks and other unknown animals that were hazardous to her failing health, she could feel her body resisting. She knew that she couldn't fight for much longer, but she just had a little way to go. Getting closer, she saw someone laying on the shore, she wasn't alone!

Squinting her eyes, a gasp left Nikki's mouth. It was Scott! With that little bit of adrenaline pumping through her veins, she started kicking her legs and moving her hands in the water to push herself forward as fast as she possibly could. When she felt the sand beneath her feet, she cried out happily and crawled the rest of the way onto the beach.

Before she knew what was happening, her back was arching and vomit was splurging from her mouth, spraying the beach shore beneath her as she groaned. Once finished, she rolled onto her back and breathed heavily, her chest heaving.

"Scott, is that really you?" She called weakly, tears streaming her face.

The sun was beating down on the white sand beach, forcing Scott to try to shade his eyes with one hand as he peered toward the movement he had seen. Afraid that whoever he had seen walking out of the ocean moments before could be injured, he tried to push himself into a slow run, but his body didn't want to cooperate. The soft sand of the beach, and the salt water drenched clothes that clung to his body made him feel as though he were running in quicksand. He tried to call out but his voice was little more than a garbled croak.

Tripping over a piece of luggage that had washed up in the tide, Scott fell face first to the sand, his body and mind too exhausted to even curse as he landed heavily. He rolled over onto his back, trying to find the energy to get up. There could be people nearby who can help try to rescue other survivors, he told himself. That could be Nikki I saw! She could be hurt. I have to get to her, to help her.

Finally, with a deep, painful breath, Scott forced himself to sit up. He reached down and pulled his water logged shoes and socks off, then pulled the button down shirt he was wearing off, tossing it to the sand. He considered removing his khackis, but decided against it. Rolling over onto his knees, he pushed himself up into a standing position.

Every muscle in his body burning with exhaustion from the swim, Scott willed himself to begin walking down the beach toward the distant movement. He did his best to keep his eyes focused on the spot where he'd seen the movement, but every step was a struggle with his exhaustion and muscle fatigue. He stumbled a dozen times or more, at least three times because he had tripped over bodies from the crash, bodies of those who didn't survive. And each time he looked down and saw that it wasn't Nikki, he felt a sick sense of relief.

Finally he was close enough to see that the person who had emerged from the water had collapsed on the beach. And it was a woman, that much he could see. Racking his brain to try to remember what Nikki had been wearing, Scott awkwardly jogged the last twenty yards, dropping to his knees beside the motionless figure. As he rolled the body over, he was rewarded with the sight of his sister's face. And she's still alive, he thought as he noticed her chest rising and falling. Too relieved and too overwhelmed to process the sheer miraculousness of both of them surviving the crash, Scott simply collapsed onto the sand next to her, one arm draped over her body as if to somehow protect her.

Nikki coughed up some of the remaining salt water that was gurgling in her throat, the liquid running down her cheek and onto her chest. She coughed a few more times, trying to clear her throat as she breathed heavily and gasped as a hand rolled her over onto her back. The blinding sun filled her gaze as she heard a body collapse onto the sand next to her.

She felt weak, irresistibly weak. She squinted against the harsh rays of sunlight, her eyes traveling the blue sky as she slowly rolled her weak body onto her side, her eyes traveling up the naked torso of the man laying next to her. She saw his chest moving, her eyes moving upwards until she saw his parted lips, his pointed nose, and then his deep blue eyes.

Nikki drew a breath of relief as she saw her brother's face once more. She smiled weakly as she layed her head on his chest, her breath stabilizing once more as she nuzzled her face into his chest and smiled. She didn't care where she was, or what disaster they had just came from, she was just happy that he had made it out alive with her.

"Oh thank God, Scotty." She breathed against his chest.

Scott's lungs were burning, his heart racing as he lay in the sand, Nikki's body laying against his, the tide lapping at his bare feet. He couldn't speak, even to gasp his sister's name, though he did manage to lift an arm and place it around her shoulders, pulling her tighter as if he couldn't take the chance that she might somehow slip away from him and be lost.

As they lay there trying to recover some strength, Scott could feel the sun beating down on them, sapping the energy from his muscles. Taking several deep, painful breaths, he managed to slow his heart rate slightly.

"Nikki...we've got to get out of the sun..." he managed to say through dry, cracked lips as he did his best to push himself up into a sitting position and pull his sister up at the same time. Every movement was a struggle but soon Scott was on his knees, then on his feet. He pulled Nikki up beside him and then started toward a line of palm trees at the edge of the beach.

Nikki nuzzled her face into her brother's chest, her breath heavy as she felt his arm wrapping around her body, lazily pulling her closer to him. She licked her salty lips and fought to catch her breath as she squinted from the harsh ray's of the sun that were threatening her eyesight.

Hearing her brother's words, she realized they were on the same page and she nodded her head weakly. Unwillingly, her eyes closed and all she wanted to do, was sleep for a little while. She groaned softly as she felt her body being pulled up into an awkward, hunched over, sitting position. She could hear movement next to her in the sand, but she was too weak to look up.

Before she knew it, she was being pulled to her feet by her brother. She whimpered softly and then followed his lead. She didn't know where they were going, all she could think about was getting to a safe area, of keeping she and her brother safe, and of lots and lots of sleep.

Once they were well into the middle of the trees, the forest surrounding them, the sun blocked off, she fell to her knees and whimpered in dread. She was tired, her stomach was empty, she was sore, everything hurt. She curled up into a fetal position, hugging her knees to her chest as a teardrop ran down her cheek and she fell unconscious.

As Nikki collapsed to the ground, Scott leaned heavily against a palm tree, scared that if he sat down he might not be able to get back up anytime soon. He could see how exhausted his sister was, and he knew he probably wasn't in much better shape, but he also knew that they needed food and water, shelter, not to mention to look for other survivors.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he said to Nikki as he pushed himself away from the tree. "Just stay here and rest." He wasn't sure if she had heard him, but he started back toward the beach anyway, deciding he wouldn't go too far from her.

The brief respite from the heat of the sun had only managed to emphasize just how hot it was, and in what seemed like a manner of a few seconds, Scott's body was covered in a light layer of sweat. He trudged across the sand, his eyes scanning the ocean and the beach for signs of life. The plane was no longer visible above the water, though wreckage and debris floated across the surface. And bodies. Dozens of bodies in the water and on the beach. He checked each one he found to see if there was anyone still alive, but soon realized that he and Nikki were the only ones that had managed to make it to the island alive.

It was clearly an island, though it was difficult to tell from where he was, just how large it was. A deserted island in the middle of nowhere, most likely, based on where they had been at the time the plane went down. The thought of being stranded on an island, the only survivors of a horrific plane crash was almost too mind boggling to grasp.

With the exhaustion and the bleakness of the situation threatening to overwhelm him, Scott started back toward the cluster of trees where he had left his sister, carrying two bags full items he'd managed to collect. A handful of protein bars he'd pulled from a piece of luggage, and four bottles of water that were floating at the edge of beach. Some clothes and blankets, all of which would have to be dried. It wasn't much, but it was something, he told himself as he neared his sister.

Nikki slept as peacefully as a girl was able to while laying on the dirty ground, having just survived a plane crash, being stranded on an island, surrounded by the blazing heat, and having flies swarming your body, begging for something to eat. She tossed a little throughout her slumber, but for the most part, remained asleep.

It was a while later, when flashes and flashes of horrible images began to flash beyond her eyes. She was on the plane again, she was alone, and it was going down. No matter how hard she tried, the bathroom door wouldn't come unlocked, she was going to die. Just like the rest of the crew on board, she was going to die.

She was in the water now, her breath was being caught, her hair in tangles around her face, her mouth choking for some sort of air.

"Help me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Somebody, please!" She cried, tears rolling down her face. She took the last breath possible. "Scott!" An ear piercing scream.

Nikki really believed she were on the plane, underwater, her vision blurred, her hands grasping the handle to the plane door, blood seeping from her eyes from loss of oxygen and from from her head, from injuries. She thrashed on the floor of the jungle, believing that she was seeing the last of her life.

As Scott approached the spot where Nikki slept, he saw that she was tossing and turning violently. His first thought was that she was having some kind of seizure. Dropping the things he had found, he raced across the beach and threw himself down onto his knees next to her body. Grabbing for her arms, he tried to hold her down so she didn't hurt herself.

"Nikki, Nikki!" Scott shouted desperately. "Please wake up...Nikki?"

The fear he'd felt before, the fear of having lost her in the plane crash quickly returned. What if she'd suffered some kind of injury in the crash and she didn't wake up? It was cruel to think that he would find her only to lose her again.

"Nikki, it's me Scott...can you hear me?"

Feeling her arms being held down, she thought that the current had grabbed hold of her. She broke into a fit of coughs as another ear-piercing scream left her lips. She really believed that she were dying and that she wouldn't make it out this time, that she wasn't meant to survive the first time.

Nikki could faintly hear a voice calling out to her, her brother's voice, it was Scott! Whimpering softly in her slumber, she began to slowly calm down, her lip quivering as she trembled slightly. Her hand reached out to him as she grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him down to her face. She trembled slightly as she buried her neck in his face, whimpering softly.

She slowly awakened, her breath heavy as she panted, clenching onto him tightly as tears rolled down her face. "Scott." She whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I was so terrified."