When I stepped into the posh, colossal plane, I was kindly greeted by a polite stewardess. I imagined the most elegant leather couches and coffee tables with ornate cabriole legs. But in reality, I saw worn-down seats with a two-centimetre gap between them. I leisurely sauntered to my seat and sat down after putting my luggage away. The co-pilot announced that departure was within ten minutes. I grabbed the closest magazine and a blanket, making myself comfortable, oblivious to the journey ahead.

After years of saving up, I finally had enough money to travel to America. It had been my dream to travel to America as I had never toured internationally. After weeks of sleepless nights and constant planning for the perfect trip, never had I thought something would go as perilously wrong as what was to come. I fell asleep minutes after skimming through the magazine. 

Suddenly I woke up to a deafening alarm and glimmering red lights. I WAS IN A PLANE CRASH! My heart sank into my chest, making me breathless as the air pressure swiftly dropped. At the corner of my eye, I spotted black smoke and enraging fire coming out of the jet engine. Everyone was wearing oxygen masks. I began feeling nauseous, so put the mask on and held myself back, bracing for impact.

Just as my nausea minimises, my head thumps the rigid seat in front of me, crushing every fragment of my body. My mind seemed to play every moment in slow-motion. My body went from hefty to weightless within a second. My limbs felt like they were torn from my body and my head from my shoulders. I fell unconscious from the unbearable pain and shock.  

I woke up and squinted into blinding rays of the sun. I gradually stood up and found myself on a scorching bright desert island filled with shiny green palm trees. I looked around and saw residue metal which I assumed was from my plane. After recognising the heart-throbbing events that had taken place, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and began to painfully limp, pressing my feet into the scorching slimy, coffee-coloured sand. I was looking in every direction filled with confusion on my whereabouts. I looked into the horizon for a simple silhouette of a ship. I sighed in disappointment and hobbled towards the trees. Just where the trees and sand met, a winged, brightly coloured miniature human hovering aimlessly. I stumbled towards it, but it disappeared. Due to the extreme heat and exhaustion and the simple truth that fairies are non-existent, I concluded that it was me hallucinating.

I woke up the next day to the rumbling noise from my empty stomach. My pale legs dragged through the dry burning hot sand to a beautiful lime leaved tree. I saw bright fresh fruits, which were extremely smooth and moist. The juice dripped into my mouth, forcing me to experience the unbearable sour taste on my dry tongue. The bright sky covered the woods over the treetops which created a canopy over my head. There was a gentle breeze, creating the single sound of rustling leaves. 

I ventured inland through the thick isle trees and shrubs and spotted the same winged, masculine creature I had seen during my hallucination. I rub my eyes, but this time the creature didn’t disappear. “Don’t bother, I am real.” the creature said. I was stunned with shock and confusion. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to explode, and my breath swiftly grew faster as time progressed. I couldn’t move a single muscle; it was like I was trapped in time. I didn’t know what to do or say. An ice-cold breeze ran down my spine as questions simultaneously rang in my head. Is that a fairy? Are they even real? What do I do? As my rapid breathing finally abated, I asked the mysterious-looking creature if he was a fairy. “Yes, I am a fairy.” He quietly replied. “We rarely have any human visitors. The last one we had was hundreds of years ago.” The fairy said. “Follow me.” He added. “Where?” I asked. 

Before the fairy heard me, he had speedily flown into the thick shrubs and trees. I sprinted, trying to keep up. I spotted the brightly coloured fairy at the corner of my eye and followed him. Just as I caught up to the fairy, he suddenly stopped right in my face, he turned around and said “We are here. Welcome to my home.” I slowly peered upwards, only to see walls as tall as a mountain. Vines and moss ran down, leaving me to believe it was abandoned. Battlements ran along the very top of the wall. IT WAS A GARGANTUAN CASTLE! 

“This fortress was abandoned many centuries ago.” The fairy said. I slowly walked towards the entrance of the castle; there was a tall golden door. The door had thick wooden planks running down. I reached for the grand door handle and pulled. I tilt my head up to see what was on the other side. There were lush silhouettes, which blessed my eyes, colourful plants covering the ground and a crystal clear lake ran through the heart of the land. The smell of sweet nectar filled the air. I ventured further into the land and spotted millions of homes in which fairies lived. They all glared at me in fright and curiosity.

I turned around and ask the fairy “Where did you find this land?” “We had to migrate here after humans invaded our homeland. They polluted the air with their factories and automobiles. We couldn’t survive in that toxic environment, so we had migrated here, an island that isn’t known to the human race. Even if a human encountered this island there was no way to leave as there is a massive force field making us invisible to the outside world.” He replied. “WHAT?! Does that mean I can’t go home.” I yelped in shock. “Yes, unfortunately.” He said. My body became ten times lighter and my head started spinning. My eyes became wide open. All I could think about was that I could never go back to my old life and I was doomed to be on this island. 

After days of sleepless nights, I finally accepted that I would never be leaving the island. I walked outside and realised that this is where I would be spending the rest of my life. I took the frown off my face and smiled at the wonderful land I now called home.