Elements of the Mountains

Crash

As I smile and wave to James, I hear thunder rumbling. Weaver and I look over the railing of the ship and see very low hanging clouds, that almost touch the water, with electric pulses running through them. "Well, that looks totally safe." I cross my arms.

"I know what you mean." Weaver nods.

"We should get ready for wheels up." Weaver and I get out things ready before going back to the deck, making sure our packs have water, extra film, and things like that. Once we are there the men are already loading on to the helicopters. Weaver and I take a few photos before starting toward the copter we are to load in. Once we get there, James is already in, waiting patiently, rubbing his hands as he does when he gets nervous. James looks up to me and I smile, before motioning for him to scoot over, once he does, Weaver and I load in. Weaver sitting across from me. I glance over to James, who is growing increasingly nervous, now messing with his hair. "Hey," I reach over and place my hand on his, "it's gonna be alright."

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?"

"Any other time yes. But I'm new to all of this so..."

"So you're the hopeful optimist." James laughs.

"For right now, yeah."

"Wait," Weaver looks between the two of us, "He's normally the optimist?"

"Sometimes." I laugh.

We buckle in and get ready for take off as the crew starts doing their final checks. "Battery?"

"Check."

"Generator start?"

"Check."

"Engine start?"

"Checked three times."

Once the helicopters start up, we can't really hear anything anymore. Since there are several copters starting up on just one deck. And then there is the Chinook taking off as well. Weaver and I lean forward, placing an hand on the other's arm as we start over the water, looking up the open door.

"Nice to see you girls are getting along." James shouts.

"Well, we figured if we're gonna die, why not have a friend to go down with." I shrug as the two of us laugh. Once we start toward the island Weaver starts taking pictures of the storm. "You have extra film, right?"

"Of course."

As we get closer to the storm our ride starts to get a little bumpy. I reach up to hold onto the railing above my head. As I do I look over to James, who's doing the same thing. "It's alright," he nods, "just some turbulence from the storm." Once we get into the storm it doesn't get any better. We begin to feel like we are being thrown like a rag doll. Our copter shifts from one side to the other and as I feel gravity start to pull me out I let out a yelp, soon after followed by James, "Amelia!?"

"I'm fine. Just not used to this." I call out to James. With the clouds filling the compartment on the copter we can't see anything or anyone. How the men are flying in this, I have no idea. James and I reach across and hold onto one another. We know that the other isn't going to go anywhere, since we are strapped in to the copter, but it helps relieve some nervous.

Once we clear the clouds everything all but stops, I look over to James and see the look of relief on his face and I sigh. Then I hear Weaver, "Amelia, get a look at this."

I look out and see the beautiful sky lines and trees rolling over the hills, "Oh, my God, it's beautiful." I smile and look over to James who is in the same state of awe.

I hear the click of Weaver's camera as she takes photos of the birds and the landscape. Before long we hear one of the men start playing a rock song. Weaver smiles of to me, "so that's what the speakers were for."

I nod, "Of course." I look down out the door and see what looks like water buffalo running under us. I jump slightly as I hear the explosion of the charges and look over to James who straightens up a little bit. I do the same. I can't imagine and don't want to imagine what we're hitting and what we're doing with those charges. But for some reason we no longer hear the sound of the charges. Or the whooping of the soldiers as they go off. As we look out the doors and toward the horizon I see what looks like a giant Gorilla standing, "What... the fuck... is that???"

I hear James' voice growing shaky, "I... I don't know... But I really don't want to find out."

We watch in horror as the ape knocks copter after copter out of the sky. I lean forward shout to the young soldier flying, "Pull out now. Pull out."

"I don't take orders from you!" the soldiers response.

Then I hear Randa over the radio, "get us the hell out of here."

The young pilot finally complies and starts to fly us away, "hold on." He glances back to us.

As he does, he doesn't see something flying towards us, "WATCH OUT!" James shouts toward the pilot. But when man turns around, another soldier hits the windshield of the copter, rolling up to the rotters and sending us into a tailspin.

"Oh, my God!" Weaver shouts as we all move toward the middle of the copter. Holding on to one another for dear life.

The pilot tries his best to stabilize the copter in what way he can, "Prepare to crash!"

We almost noise dive into the trees, probably the only thing that saved us. After we crash we hear the roar of the gorilla. As we start to get out of the copter James basically pulls me out of the copter, "Amelia?" Once I am out the two of us fall to the ground holding one another. James kisses my head, "Are you alright?"

I nod and place my hands on his chest looking him over, as he does the same to me, "I'm fine are you okay?"

"I'm fine." James nods.

I stand up and head back to the copter, which is only a few feet away, "Mason?" I call out.

"I'm fine, just stuck in this stupid belt." She calls back.

"Watch your head," I comment as I take out a pocket knife and cut her free.

Weaver tucks her head so that she falls on her back and then climbs out of the copter, as she does the two of us hug on another and take a few deep breaths. Soon after the pilot climbs out and looks around, "Is everyone alright?"

I walk over to the man, actually stomp over and shove him, "What the hell is wrong with you? You see a giant ape in the sky line and you think you should still follow orders." I push him a few more times, "What the fuck?"

Soon James steps between us and stops me, "hey, hey, he was just following orders."