Eye of the Storm

Chapter 2

All of the sudden I feel my body lurch forward and back, we’re moving. The chatter turns into excited squeals.
“Almost in the air, aye Ez?” Ethan exclaims, turning from the window to me.
“Yeah.” I wrap myself up in the hoodie, whispering a silent prayer. Soon enough we’re soaring through the air, pushing against the wind and lifting up into the clouds. The feeling in my body is unlike any I’ve ever felt before. Cheers arise from many people around the plane.
“WE’RE ON OUR WAY!!” Lorenzo yells, throwing his arms in the air and almost hitting Alexia in the face. “Sorry,” his sheepish grin makes up for it.
“Can we take our seatbelts off yet?” Emerald asks, seemingly having a fight with her seat. “I’m so uncomfortable,”
“Not yet,”
“Fine,”

Leonardo stares out his window, looking focused, as if he’s looking for something amongst the nothing. I turn my attention back to Ethan.
“Look at this view!” he cries out, pulling me closer to the window and him. I see the whiteness of the clouds caressing the windows. It truly is magnificent up here in the air, but I can’t help but feel… weird. Something isn’t right. Perhaps it’s just my paranoia. Or perhaps I’m right. I shake my head, trying to drown my thoughts in the sea below us. “Esme?” I hear. I look at Ethan.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been calling your name for a minute,” his eyebrows arch upwards. “What’s wrong?” his fingers creep down my wrist towards my hand.
“Nothing.” I snatch my hand back so he doesn’t notice the shaking. “I’m fine, really.” I wish I sounded more convincing, but it’s convincing enough as Ethan throws his attention back to the view.

“Hey, can you come here for a second?” Leonardo asks me.
“Sure,” I lift my body up from my seat and plant it on the seat only about half a metre away. Leo pulls me close to him.
“Something’s wrong, I can hear all sorts of strange sounds coming from the engines that shouldn’t be happening,” he whispers. I knew it! I’m right! The pride of being right doesn’t last long as it’s soon replaced by the chilling feeling of terror.
“We need to tell the pilot!” I hiss.
“What are you guys talking about?” Ethan asks, leaning over.
“Something very important, I’ll be back,” Leo explains, jumping out of his seat and over me, towards the cabin. “Excuse me,” I hear, before he’s behind a wall and his voice to me becomes nothing but a whisper.

Minutes pass before Leo slowly walks out. His face is white as paper, as if all the blood was drained out of him. With wide eyes he turns towards everyone, who instantly gives him full attention.
“The pilot has…” he clears his throat. “Given me the duty to… tell everyone,” he fiddles with the end of his shirt, building up tension and nerves. “We’re not going to make it to Tasmania… we’re going to crash,” as the words escape his lips screams arise. I feel my heart stop, my blood being replaced with ice, making me incapable of moving. Crash? “I’m so sorry,” he chokes out. I don’t know if it’s just me but when he said those last words I could feel his eyes meet mine. “I really am,”

Everyone flies into an instant panic, screams bouncing off the cabin walls. But I can’t scream. Can’t say a single word. I knew it. I sit in my seat, my stomach doing flips as I feel the plane suddenly start to drop. Alexia flies into Lorenzo’s arms.
“WHERE THE F*CKING HELL IS THE PILOT!?” Nic yells what we’re all thinking. I stare up at Leo as I feel my whole life crash around me, quite literally. Instantaneously as our eyes meet he runs towards me, embracing me into his arms. At that very moment all my emotions come tumbling down as the plane comes hurtling towards the ground. Screams burst out of my lungs as the tears fly out.
“PROTECT HER!” is the last thing I hear as another person’s arms wrap around me. Then,
Nothing.