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My breath is hot and fast against the mask, the plastic feeling claustrophobic. Every part of me is screaming to run, to do something, but I’m pinned here, helpless. I look up at Asher, his face calm and composed, his eyes focused. Why isn’t he afraid? Earlier he was terrified, but now that’s completely gone. Yet, I’m grateful for his steady comfort and I would’ve passed out by now if it wasn’t for him.
“You’re going to be okay,” he says, his voice barely audible over the din.
I want to believe him. I cling to his words, to the strength in his gaze. But the plane dips again, a gut-wrenching plunge that rips a sob from my throat. I hear the sickening crunch of metal as the aircraft begins to break apart.
“We’re going to die!” someone screams, the raw terror in their voice echoing my own fears.
The nose of the plane tips forward, and we’re in freefall. The pressure is unbearable, crushing me into my seat. I grip Asher tighter, my knuckles white, my whole body trembling.
“Hold on,” he murmurs, his voice a magical pill in the chaos. “Just hold on to me.”
The ground is rushing up to meet us. I can see it now, the dark earth looming larger and larger. The finality of it hits me like a punch to the gut. There’s no escaping this. No more time.
The impact is sudden, violent. The world explodes into noise and pain. Metal screeches, glass shatters, and bodies are thrown about like ragdolls. I’m jerked forward, the seatbelt cutting into me, and everything goes black for a moment…
When I come to my senses again, the plane is a mangled wreck. Smoke fills the cabin, acrid and choking. The lights flicker dimly, casting shadows over the devastation. People are moaning, crying, some unnervingly silent. I struggle to breathe, my chest tight with panic and pain.
I turn to Asher, my hero in this nightmare. He’s still there, still holding me, his face smudged with dirt and blood but alive. Relief washes over me, mingling with the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
“We survived,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.
“Yeah,” he replies, his eyes fierce and determined, filled with gratitude when he looks at me and cups my face. “Thank fuck nothing happened to you.”
My chest constricts, his care and consideration overwhelming.
The world around me is a web of pain and chaos. Smoke fills the air, the scent of burnt metal and jet fuel stings my nostrils.I cling to Asher, my body shaking with sobs. The terror, the pain, it all crashes over me in waves, but his presence is everything. In this moment of utter devastation, he’s the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.
”Without you I wouldn’t have made it,” I whisper, but Asher is already unbuckling my seatbelt, his hands steady and strong.
“Come on,” he urges, pulling me to my feet.
My body aches from the impact, but I force myself to move, to breathe.I stumble, my legs shaking. Asher supports me, guiding me through the wreckage. The cabin is a twisted maze of broken seats and debris, but we make our way to the exit, stepping out into the harsh, cold air of the mountains.
Other passengers are emerging, some dazed, others crying, a few injured. The landscape around us is stark and brutal, snow-capped peaks looming in the distance. The plane is crumpled on the rocky ground, evidence of our near-death experience.
“We need to help the others,” I plead, my voice trembling and I’m about to run over to a group of wounded men when Asher stops me.
He frowns. “I’ll check on them,” he says, pointing at the men huddled near the tail of the plane. “You see to the woman by the wing.”
I rush over to the woman clutching her arm, her face pale and contorted with pain. “It’s okay,” I soothe, examining her quickly. “It’s a fracture, but you’ll be fine. We’ll find something to splint it.”
My training kicks in, my hands steady even as my heart races. I move from person to person, assessing injuries, offering what comfort and medical care I can. A kid with a gash on his forehead, an elderly man with a possible concussion, a young couple bruised but otherwise okay.
Asher’s as effective and heroic as always, helping everyone in need and over-exerting himself for their sake and my heart pounds for him.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” I hear one of the passengers mutter, his eyes wide with fear. “What are we going to do?”
I glance around, seeing the worry etched on every face. The pilot steps forward, his voice commanding attention. “There’s a river nearby,” he announces. “We’ll follow it and find our way back to civilization. It’s our best chance.”
A murmur of agreement ripples through the group, but I notice Asher’s frown. He pulls me aside, his eyes dark and intense.
“I don’t think it’s safe to go with them,” he says quietly. “Everyone’s fighting for survival. Things could get ugly and I don’t want you in the middle in case people get aggressive.”
”They’re just scared, not dangerous,” I say. ”I think we should go with the pilot.”
The frown between Asher’s brow deepens. ”You trust his judgment over mine? Same pilot who nearly got us killed?”
I blink, taken aback. “What else do you suggest?”
