Slowly and steadily, the plane picked up speed as it taxied along the runway. And then, leaving the setting sun behind, it launched into the sky graceful as a dove.
I relaxed in my seat, the belts holding me in place until we got to the right altitude and the plane leveled out. With the frequency I used to travel these days, I knew all the flight procedures by heart. I loved traveling with my entire being. I could travel for anything and everything, even the tiniest reason.
I just loved the thrill of going to new places and meeting new people, getting to interact with a new environment and climate. It was always memorable to me. And thankfully, I never lacked the financial backing for my numerous trips thanks to trust funds and investments my father and grandfather had made in my name. I could live like this for the rest of my life and still never go broke.
But that would have been the easy route for me, as they had left a legacy for me I had to do the same for my unborn children. And the only way I could think of was through doing the thing I loved; traveling.
I am a travel vlogger, I record my trips on camera and share them on all my social media platforms which have all been monetized. This makes me tons of money that the videos now sponsor my trips and I do not have to touch the trust fund anymore.
And tonight, I was going on another of such trips.
We were currently on our way to Maldives where I was planning to spend a week creating quality content on the country, and as with all my other trips, I am looking forward to it. Not everyone gets to ever be in my position; doing what you love. So I am always grateful for this privilege.
I work alone, make my videos with my phone and edit them myself. I had noticed that working with a crew was just too stressful for me. After all, if you wanted something done right, you just had to do it yourself.
And so, as we flew through the night sky, the drone of the plane was silent to our ears. I wore the headset provided and was listening to cool music, nodding my head in rhythm to the tune.
And that was when the plane began to shake.
“This is your Pilot speaking,” the pilot’s voice came over the speakers. “We are experiencing some bad weather, so everyone needs to remain seated and have their seatbelts on. Thank you.”
The bad weather got worse as we kept flying. Then it began to rain, heavy drops of water splashed across the surface of my window pane, huge drops of it that scared me. The next thing we saw were lightning flashes, zipping through the sky.
Many of us were now getting really scared, some were already praying profusely for God to send help from above. The tension was contagious and it was spreading through the passengers like a virus, children were crying and people were screaming in hysteria. Some disobeyed the orders of the pilot and got up from their seat, but the plane was shaking so terribly that they lost their balance at once and tumbled down the aisle. I was sure that if the doors had been opened they would have jumped out of the plane.
My heart thumping furiously in my chest, I looked out the window once more and saw that we seemed to be surrounded by lightning strikes. The area surrounding the plane must have been charged with serious electricity. Thunder was roaring, even the soundproof windows could not keep the terrifying sounds out.
I had no choice; it seemed this was going to be the end for all of us. Maybe I should have another hobby to turn into a profession. So, I began to pray as well, calling on the Most High to come and save us all. I was not ready to die.
Then, all of a sudden, the weather cleared and we were driving through clear skies once more. It seemed all the storm had vanished into thin air the same way they had come. The tension ebbed quickly and everyone was now screaming for joy, clapping their hands for the skillful pilots that had seen us through the storm.
The men that had fallen down the aisle got up; although they were smiling like everyone else they were also favoring their arms. It looked like they had dislocated or broken something.
The noise went on for over fifteen minutes before the air hostesses struggled to restore order on the plane.
“The storm is over,” the pilot’s voice came over the speakers once more. “I repeat, the storm is over. You can relax now.”
This only elicited more rounds of applause from all of us; it was usually near-death experiences that made one really appreciate the true value of life.
The flight went smoothly after that, and hours later, and as the sun began to rise the plane landed at Velana International Airport in the Maldives, taxied along the runway, and cruised to a halt. As we began to make preparations to disembark, from the windows we saw vehicles driving at full speed towards our plane. They were blowing sirens and they were up to seven in number.
They screeched to a halt at the door of the plane and armed airport officials ran out, pointing their guns at the plane.
“What the…” I muttered, wondering what the hell was going on. Had we harbored a terrorist?
We all held our breaths as the leader of the officers climbed aboard and spoke to the pilot. He was asking why we would fly into the Maldives without permission, but the pilot assured him that we were permitted. He listed the flight name and number.
The leader’s mouth widened with shock, “that is impossible.”
“What do you mean?” the pilot queried, “I have the papers to prove it okay? You can call my superiors they will tell you no different.”
“I don’t think so,” the leader muttered, and then he repeated the flight name and number.
“That is correct.”
“You guys have been missing for ten years,” the leader said, looking at all of us. “It was all over the news, the commercial plane that vanished into thin air. Everyone thought it had crashed somewhere or had been hijacked by terrorists… but here you all are. What a miracle!”
Shocked to my bones, I fell back to my chair feeling numb all over.
Apparently, that storm we had encountered had not been an ordinary storm.
The End.
Thank you for reading.