Crashed

ELEVEN

The rain continued to pour for about an hour and a half. When the downpour ceased, we walked out tentatively, as if we were afraid that a bolt of lightning would suddenly burst through the sky and electrocute one of us.

The earth was muddy and stuck to my shoes as we stepped out. Alex walked over to what used to be the fire pit and kicked the useless remains. Several water droplets slid down the leaves and splattered onto our heads.

I saw Jonah emerge from one of the tents and glance around worriedly. When his eyes landed on me, a relieved expression passed over his face. He immediately began walking toward me. As soon as he was close enough, he wrapped his large arms around my body and pulled me against him. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his rapidly beating heart. He kissed my forehead and rested his chin on the top of my head. "I was so scared when you didn't come back right away," he mumbled.

I pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I told you I'd be fine," I reminded him.

He nodded shakily and was about to say something when Seth suddenly shouted, "Be quiet!" We all stared at him in shock. Seth rarely spoke a word, so to hear him shout so demandingly was quite odd.

Alex stormed up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he growled.

Seth's eyes widened in fear. "Just listen for a second," he said while pointing at the sky.

We all looked to the sky and waited for something to appear. After a few seconds, Alex looked back at Seth. "Is this some kind of joke?" Alex hissed.

Seth shook his head rapidly. "I swear, I heard something! Just listen!"

Neil's head suddenly jerked up. "I hear it!" he shouted.

"What?" we all asked him.

He began running around the camp searching for something. "A plane! It's a plane!"

I began to hear it too. The whirring sound of airplane engines was getting louder as it quickly approached our location. I looked up at Jonah and smiled widely. I felt a flicker of hope inside me and I tried to hold onto it for as long as I could. Neil was running around, peeking into random tents, searching for something at a rapid pace. He cursed loudly and looked around. "Where are the goddamned flares?!" he howled.

We all began rummaging through the tents, desperate to find a flare to get the plane's attention. I glanced up and saw that the plane was directly above us now. Several people began jumping up and down, screaming and waving their hands even though there was no way the pilot would see or hear us.

As the plane passed over us I felt that little spark of hope fizzle out and die. Neil stared at the plane as it flew away and screamed. He grabbed a rock and hurled it into the forest before kicking the mucky dirt, spraying himself in mud. He crouched down and shook his head. "We were so close," he muttered.

Jonah and I sat next to him and Kiana slowly followed. Corey approached next, with Zoe not far behind. Before I knew it, the whole camp was sitting in a circle, around what used to be the fire.

When Jonathan spoke up, everyone's attention was on him. "Where did the flares go?" he asked.

Neil shrugged. "I have no idea..."

Alex stood up and announced, "I'm going to try and find out where the flares went."

Mr. Burke began to walk away as well. Neil watched him curiously as the teacher strolled into the forest. "Where is he going?" Neil questioned. No one had an answer. "I'm going to follow him," he said.

He began to jog in the same direction when Alex stormed out of a tent and grabbed Jonah. Everyone stared at Alex in confusion as he shoved Jonah harshly. Jonah stood up and furrowed his brow. "What's you problem?" he asked.