The trees swayed as the mid afternoon wind whistled peacefully. The cloudless sky was only cut by the single airplane gently gliding over the expansive forest. Flocks of wild birds flanked the flying giant, and squaked satisfactorily at the engine’s roar. From the cabin, only a faint growl could be heard, and the wind hardly phased the flight. Though sparsely decorated, the cabin was exquisite; its premium look was brought by simplicity.
One voice, that of a guide, cut the serene silence of the plane, “This forest is well known as ‘The Forest of no Return.’ The Shi Forest has never been fully explored, and everyone who has tried has never returned.” The end hung in the air and ruined the serenity of the moment.
“Thanks for the tip, Cap. We really needed to know that.” One of the passengers pierced the newly attained, ominous air. “How big is it, anyways?”
“Well, the Shi Forest expands far, well exceeding 500 square kilometers.” the tour guide gleefully interjected.
“Nice to know.” The same passenger snarkily replied. This passenger, although pudgy, was quite energetic. He sported tight, blond curls and a baseball t shirt. His worn jeans were at the brink of falling apart. He was reclining arrogantly in his seat, munching casually on a pastry.
“Oh, William, will you please just be quiet? It’s been less than two hours and you’re already causing a ruccous.” The svelte, formally dressed teenage female spoke with a cold honesty. She was wearing a perfectly maintained suit, with small framed, studious glasses. Her gaze was warm, yet piercing and unforgiving.
“How about you shut up, Lauren? I haven’t said a word before now, and the first thing you do is complain.”
“Watch out, if your head gets any hotter, those curls might catch!”
“Alright you two, calm down.” The peacemaker is a slightly younger, but much quieter boy. He keeps his cool through the ongoing firestorm, trying (without success) to soothe it. Suddenly, William redirects his fire.
“THIS ISN’T YOUR PROBLEM, DANNY!” The small, somewhat frail boy scuttles back with fright.
The plane abruptly falters and dips, but regains altitude. This ends the ferocious war. “What was that? Are we crashing?” Danny stutters and starts profusely sweating. His shaking, more like quaking, is more of a miniature seizure than a fright.
“Danny, everything’ll be alright. It was simply a wind gust, I assure you.” Lauren’s reassuring words are utterly ignored by Danny. He starts crying, and Lauren embraces him with a calming hug.
“Sis, w-we aren’t g-g-going to make it, are we?” Danny slurs through oceans of tears, looking up at his sister.
“Everything's OK, see? Every little thing is going to be alright.”
“Gah, this is so boring. I wouldn’t mind if the plane crashed right now, I’m dying from boredom, anyways.”
“William! Don’t say that!” Lauren protected her brother. A loud groan filled the cabin, all of a sudden. From a cot on the other side, a young man slumps out and meanders towards the three. “Wha-what happened?” He was groggy and had not yet realized the situation.”
“Nothing, Aex, the plane just hit a wind gust.”
“I was in such a deep sleep, too. I might as well stay awake.” He let out a massive, satisfying yawn and sat down next to Lauren. He was in a large, black t shirt and jeans. His broad shoulders and muscular arms gave a sense of aggression to him, but his warm and inviting face reversed that. “How long has the flight been?”
“About two hours. Two hours too long for William, apparently.” William started to protest, but gave up. He had never won before, nor would he this time. The plane faltered again, this time to a greater magnitude. It recovered, but after a few long moments. Danny let out a piercing screech
“HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME!”
“Danny, quiet. It was nothing, just some turbulence.” Lauren attained a shiver in her voice this time, but stayed calm for her brother.
“Danny, listen to your sister. I’m getting a headache.” William got up and headed towards the bathroom. As he did, the plane nosedived down and William fell to his feet. Danny was knocked onto the floor and Alex held Lauren to the seat. The pilot yelled out and the guide ducked under a side table. smoke clouded the windows as fire engulfed the outside of the aircraft. The cabin went dark as the plane impacted the ground with an explosion. The scene was silent after, and all that was left was a burning mass of metal.