Chapter
9
By Rachel
I hopped to
the closest window and watched AJ and Howie's retreating figures until I could
see them no more. I said a small prayer for their safe return, and I also
included a small prayer within the first prayer, praying that Nick and Kevin
would get well again soon. For some reason, my eyes looked up towards the sky
and saw the sky was yet again becoming dark. I started to panic when I
realized it was probably another terrible storm approaching, and both AJ and
Howie were outside with no shelter.
A few moments
later a light snow started to fall. I looked out the window and watched
while the snow accumulated on the ground. It was hard for me to believe
that something as peaceful and beautiful as snow had caused all these horrible,
life-changing events to occur.
With a sigh, I
started to think about my family and hoped they would figure out something had
happened and send for help. I mentally kicked myself when I realized none
of us had called our families and told them where we was going.
Even though
both AJ's and Howie's families lived in Orlando, all of them were out of town,
and they also had no clue where we were. We didn't decide to go to
Colorado until the day before we left, and we never did call them, promising
ourselves that we would call them once we landed.
At first, we
were going to go to California, but we decided against it when we agreed
California was too much like Florida, and we all wanted a change of scenery for
our vacation. Out of sheer stupidity, I had allowed Nick to talk me into
skiing off of the expert trail at the ski resort. I sighed when I
realized now I wouldn't be able to ski with my broken leg and internal
injuries. I knew I would ski a hundred times off of the expert trail if I
could take back everything that happened, but I realized with a sad sigh that
that was totally impossible.
I nearly
jumped out of my skin when I felt someone come up behind me and rest their head
on my back. I immediately recognized the person as Nick only by the heat
I felt coming from his skin and also because Kevin wasn't awake.
"Hello
again, Frack," I gently said as I watched the snow for one last time
and turned around to face him. He lifted his head and gave me a small
smile. I then noticed his usually healthy complexion was now almost
completely pale and there were dark bags underneath his now dull blue
eyes.
I felt
sympathy for him as he looked at me with his big blue eyes filled with terror
as he also seen the dark storm clouds approaching. It was then he noticed
that two of our members were missing and asked me about it. I looked
towards the front of the plane as I explained to him the best that I could,
that they both had left earlier to go look for help.
He let out a
sigh as he mumbled, "I hope they will be alright," and I nodded. I
was thinking the exact same thing.
Both of us sat
there silently watching the snow fall on the world outside of the plane, which
was now felt like a prison cell to. The silence was interrupted by Nick
who whispered, "I'm going to lie back down, B. I don't feel too
well." I turned back around just in time to see him stand up and
stagger back to where he was sleeping earlier.
I sighed a
deep sigh as I watched him lie down on the plane floor and curl up into the
fetal position to keep himself warm. Seconds later, I heard his deep
breathing, and I slowly rose up from my seat. I unsteadily hopped over to where
he was sleeping and picked up the blanket he didn't use.
Instead of
taking the blanket for myself, I put the blanket over Nick's body and smiled as
Nick smiled a small smile and let out a sigh in his sleep.
I again heard
the low moaning I had heard before I passed out earlier and immediately rushed
to Kevin's side, praying this time he would wake up. I watched over Kevin
and held his hand as he kept moaning for a few minutes, and then it was
suddenly silent.
My hope had
diminished, and tears filled my eyes. I then realized that he may never
wake up, and I immediately hated myself for thinking that.
The next time
I looked down into my cousin's face, my eyes again filled with tears, but this
time they were tears of joy, not tears of sadness. Kevin's green eyes were
open, and he was slowly looking around the plane. He locked eyes with me
for a few moments, and his eyes shut, he was asleep again. Even though he
wasn't awake very long, the action restored hope within me, the hope that we
all would make it out alive.
***
