The Book of Bones and the Stars

Tyler

    Foot tapping impatiently wanting this line to hurry up and be over. I keep thinking to myself why in the hell did I agree to go on this trip? Damn it my throat is getting dry and feels like it's closing. God why does Tampa, Florida airport take forever to fucking board.

    "Ty, hey it's going to be okay. It's just one flight. Here take a sip of your Dr. Pepper." Ryland, my twin, says to me handing me my drink. I take a swig of the Dr. Pepper feeling slightly better.

    "Thanks Ry. I'm so nervous this is the first time I've flown since the accident." I said slowly tearing up at the thought of what happened that day.

    "I know, but you're strong you can get through this flight and we will be sipping tequila on the beach in the Bahamas." She said breaking out in a smile that lights up her face. She is wearing her brunette hair straightened and flowing down her back, simple graphic tee and some jeans with sandals. She looks like a goddess while on the other hand there is me. I'm wearing a hoodie saying Love Wins, sweatpants with sneakers and my dirty blonde hair in a messy bun. I'm the black sheep and a disappointment to my family. They are hoping this trip will knock some sense into me and become normal instead of my issues affecting our family.

    "Thanks Ry." I said giving her a smile back and get ready to hand the flight attendant my ticket. I handed over the ticket nodded my head and boarded the plane. I headed towards the middle of the plane and waited for my sister to take her seat by the window. I put my duffle bag in the overhead bin and set my backpack under the seat in front of me. I took my seat next to my sister and tried to relax despite my anxiety eating away at me. I put my earbuds in and began to shuffle my Spotify playlist. Once I found a song I closed my eyes and laid my head back. I can feel the plane moving and I know it won't be long until we take off. The flight attendants are talking but I have no desire to listen to them, not like I haven't heard it all before. The crash starts to come to mind and I shake away the thought. I can feel the plane lifting off the ground and I grip the armrests in panic. My twins hand covers mine in reassurance and I smile at her and mouth thank you.She smiles back at me and glances back outside at the clouds. I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves, but something in my gut keeps telling me to stay alert. I take out my earbuds and roll them up in my phone and put them away in my bag. I can hear arguing towards the back of the plane and a child crying towards the front. Nothing out of the ordinary that I can see or hear at the moment.

    An hour and a half into the flight that's when I see a man get up from the middle of the plane and walks towards the front and turns around. I quickly start to panic and people are murmuring around us. I shake Ryland, "Buckle up and stay low." She nods and I can see the fear in her eyes, probably just as well she can see mine.

    I look back up and see the man removing his coat revealing pounds of C4 attached to his chest. Panic starts to rise around us and people start screaming, others hunkering down hoping someone will take him down. I can see a man across the plane start to slowly sneak around hoping to take the guy down. I slowly watch him as he weaves in and out through the rows of seats, until he makes it beside the man. He charges to take him down, but the man heard him coming and without hesitation jammed his thumb on the detonator. Human remains spray across the plane as it explodes in two and quickly falls out of the sky. People are screaming and trying to hold onto something, but its no use. The belts are useless and people are being thrown from their seats. I grab onto my sister and hold her down while trying not to be flown from my own. The oxygen masks deploy, but I'm terrified if I reach for them I'll be flown from my seat and out of the plane. I grip the seats hard, the smell of burning flesh fills my nose, and my eyes tearing up from the smoke. Then the plane suddenly crashed into the ground jolting me out of my seat, causing me to hit my head and instantly see darkness.