So... Is This The End?

Aftershocks

"Ditch!" Yusuf yelled just as the colossal 767 came to a sudden, jerky stop after fishtailing through the Tapti for barely a few hundred meters. Ditching is a procedure that closes all the valves and openings below the aircraft to prevent water inflow so as not to let the plane sink before evacuation.

Christina flicked the switch. No response. Oh God no! "It's not on backup!" She screamed.

"Oh shoot!" Yusuf felt the blood rush back through this knuckles as he let go of the control column which he literally had been clutching onto from the past twenty minutes. "This is bad, this is way too bad!" He grabbed his temples. "We've got to evacuate. Deploy life rafts. NOW!"

Just as they flicked their seatbelts off and stood up, they felt the cockpit tilt forward, submerging half of the windshield under the black water.

"Oh no, we definitely got a crack!" Christina steadied herself against the seat as the plane bobbed. "My guess would be front right." With shaking hands she pulled out two flashlights from the emergency hold and handed Yusuf one.

"Let's get out of here." Yusuf grabbed the door handle and tried to push it open. What the... why's it so heavy? Then it dawned on him that there was probably a few hundred tons of water on the other side pushing against him. "Chris, brace yourself! This is going to be bad."

Christina nodded as she held on to her seat, aiming the flashlight at the door. Yusuf kicked hard and it finally gave way. The next instant swells of lukewarm, muddy fluid lashed into the cockpit knocking the flashlight off Yusuf's hand. Before they could realize, they were standing waist-deep in water.

***

"Evacuate!" The frantic cries of the flight attendants pulled Nasreen back into her senses. There was no light except the crew's flashlight beams sweeping up and down the aisle. The terrified shrieks of the passengers had resumed. She felt dizzy as the plane angled forward. She yanked open her seatbelt and stood up.

"Jump! Jump now! Onto the wing! The raft!" The emergency exits were opened and the attendants were focused on getting everyone out before the plane plunged to the bottom of the river. Sadly though, they couldn't toss the life jackets onto everyone. With each passing second the exits were inching deeper below into the water.

Nasreen felt an awkward knot in her throat. She had difficulty breathing. "Hey!" She finally found her voice. "Need some help here. He's unconscious." She said pointing towards the German tourist hunched in his seat beside hers.

"Ma'am, he's our responsibility. You've got to leave!" A crew member screeched as she almost shoved Nasreen into the queue of the exiting passengers. Nasreen didn't have a choice but to obey. Plus, people were pushing her from behind. Everyone was in a sick hurry holding on to dear life.

Just then the door to the main galley was pushed open violently. In the darkness Nasreen saw two ghostly figures struggle out into the cabin wading through knee-deep water. Oh Allah. They're the pilots!

"Onto the wings and rafts, everyone!" The man shouted from where he stood. Nasreen assumed he must be the Captain, Yusuf. "People, double check. Underneath the seats!"

Nasreen was getting closer to the small round emergency exit when she stepped onto something soft. She instantly recoiled thinking it could be a child! She stepped aside letting the other passengers pass as she bent down to inspect. She realized it was a woman's hand. Ya Allah! She grabbed her and pulled her to her seat. "Hey! She's blacked out. Possibly injured!"

Christina felt sick in her gut. Sarah, where are you? She realized there were only four people on board right now- she herself, Yusuf, that woman in a headscarf down there and the passenger she just pulled out from under the seat. "Ma'am, we'll take care of her..." she began.