After several minutes, the C-5 began to level. David leaned back and closed his eyes, thanking God that he was finally airborne, and on his way home to see his family. He especially looked forward to seeing his wife, Sherry, the girl he loved and had been married to for nearly 22 years.
At some point, his drifting thoughts faded into sleep. His dreams, sweet at first, abruptly turned violent and he found himself back in the capital of Colombia during a terrorist attack. Something like a bomb exploded and David’s head snapped forward, causing him to open his eyes in fright. Rapidly blinking and adjusting to the darkness, David looked around.
Suddenly, the jet dropped straight down, causing a loud thud-type sound as if it landed on something and bounced back up. The lieutenant next to David looked worried as she clutched the seat in front of her. The plane took another bounce, much like the first one, only worse. The bouncing seemed to be getting harder.
A Lieutenant Colonel was yelling and preparing to remove himself from his seat. This turned out to be an unwise decision. The jet jerked again, sending him down the aisle and against the wall with a thud. He hit hard.
The plane tilted to its side violently, sending passengers grasping for something solid. Equipment flew around like birds trying to escape from a cage. The lieutenant next to David screamed. The aircraft began spinning to its left and then to its right. The lights flickered on briefly and then back off. David heard popping sounds, like firecrackers.
Yelling and commotion increased and reached a fever pitch when the huge aircraft bounced again. This time, the impact was all she could take. David spun around like a top, still strapped to his seat. Holding on for dear life, rucksacks, weapons, and other equipment flew past his head like missiles.
Seats flew by, metal ripped, and the sky opened before David’s eyes. His seat suddenly lifted up and was sucked out of the jet as if a tornado had grabbed it and flung it like a toy. David remained intact in his seat.
Sailing at full speed, back against the wind, David remained strapped in his seat. He could now see what was left of the aircraft, lying in pieces on the desert floor. Patches of fire spread across the sand like miniature bonfires.
David wondered how bad it would hurt when he would finally land on the ground. The desert floor rushed up towards him. He drew a deep breath and then yelled, “I love you Sherry!”
“Aaaahhhh!” David felt the jarring sensation of impact. The force kicked up a pile of sand that fell back down on him like rain. His body ripped from the cushions as both he and the seat, finally separated, both rolled across the wasteland.
The rolling stopped. David opened his eyes, then spit. Not being able to move his 175 pound frame, he wiggled his fingers. A third of his face was buried in the sand but his nose was above the surface, clearing his nostrils to rapidly grasp oxygen.
“I’m still alive!” He choked. “Oh God, I hurt. Everywhere.”
Surrounded by darkness David heard the crackling sound of fire echoing near him and for a couple of seconds, a male voice yelling, “Help me! Help me!”
Then everything grew silent. The landscape seemed misty and dark. In the distance, David thought he heard the sound of rotor blades beating against the night sky. A gust of wind blew in increments whipping across his motionless body.
“Sherry,” he whispered. The stars above him twinkled brightly, and then faded, then blinked again, as if they were sending a coded message from heaven. David felt weaker and weaker. A numb sensation engulfed his body, and then he closed his eyes.
"Eternal Eye" Now available on Amazon Kindle:
http://ow.ly/Km3K2
At some point, his drifting thoughts faded into sleep. His dreams, sweet at first, abruptly turned violent and he found himself back in the capital of Colombia during a terrorist attack. Something like a bomb exploded and David’s head snapped forward, causing him to open his eyes in fright. Rapidly blinking and adjusting to the darkness, David looked around.
Suddenly, the jet dropped straight down, causing a loud thud-type sound as if it landed on something and bounced back up. The lieutenant next to David looked worried as she clutched the seat in front of her. The plane took another bounce, much like the first one, only worse. The bouncing seemed to be getting harder.
A Lieutenant Colonel was yelling and preparing to remove himself from his seat. This turned out to be an unwise decision. The jet jerked again, sending him down the aisle and against the wall with a thud. He hit hard.
The plane tilted to its side violently, sending passengers grasping for something solid. Equipment flew around like birds trying to escape from a cage. The lieutenant next to David screamed. The aircraft began spinning to its left and then to its right. The lights flickered on briefly and then back off. David heard popping sounds, like firecrackers.
Yelling and commotion increased and reached a fever pitch when the huge aircraft bounced again. This time, the impact was all she could take. David spun around like a top, still strapped to his seat. Holding on for dear life, rucksacks, weapons, and other equipment flew past his head like missiles.
Seats flew by, metal ripped, and the sky opened before David’s eyes. His seat suddenly lifted up and was sucked out of the jet as if a tornado had grabbed it and flung it like a toy. David remained intact in his seat.
Sailing at full speed, back against the wind, David remained strapped in his seat. He could now see what was left of the aircraft, lying in pieces on the desert floor. Patches of fire spread across the sand like miniature bonfires.
David wondered how bad it would hurt when he would finally land on the ground. The desert floor rushed up towards him. He drew a deep breath and then yelled, “I love you Sherry!”
“Aaaahhhh!” David felt the jarring sensation of impact. The force kicked up a pile of sand that fell back down on him like rain. His body ripped from the cushions as both he and the seat, finally separated, both rolled across the wasteland.
The rolling stopped. David opened his eyes, then spit. Not being able to move his 175 pound frame, he wiggled his fingers. A third of his face was buried in the sand but his nose was above the surface, clearing his nostrils to rapidly grasp oxygen.
“I’m still alive!” He choked. “Oh God, I hurt. Everywhere.”
Surrounded by darkness David heard the crackling sound of fire echoing near him and for a couple of seconds, a male voice yelling, “Help me! Help me!”
Then everything grew silent. The landscape seemed misty and dark. In the distance, David thought he heard the sound of rotor blades beating against the night sky. A gust of wind blew in increments whipping across his motionless body.
“Sherry,” he whispered. The stars above him twinkled brightly, and then faded, then blinked again, as if they were sending a coded message from heaven. David felt weaker and weaker. A numb sensation engulfed his body, and then he closed his eyes.
"Eternal Eye" Now available on Amazon Kindle:
http://ow.ly/Km3K2