Chapter 1

The smoke billowed like a chimney from each part of the wreckage. A cylinder, gold and silver, streaming midnight black smoke, which soared towards the sky like a running faucet of water on full, defying gravity. Embossed on each side of the cylinders, the jig-sawed fuselages lay scattered on the ground, imprinted black were the words “Phantom Airlines.” The sections laid in three parts each exposed to the elements, shattered and crumbled in-between trees and rocks. Inside of each of those sections also laid debris of suitcases, airline pillows, seats – and bodies. The stench of death – burning flesh and petroleum jet fuel made an unusual perfume. Outside of these lay more disfigured bodies. However, a lone presence sat upright adjacent to the carnage – a woman in business attire.

She wore a dark navy blue pants suit with pinstripes, which accentuated her figure even while she sat. Her legs folded underneath to one-side as she stared off into the distance trying to figure what to do next. Ash from the fires fell throughout the forest, and covered the woman’s clothing. A pungent odor of sulfur assaulted her nose and her taste buds reacted to the foul smell. Meanwhile, lying by her knees a stranger bled out through his ribs not unlike Jesus when speared two millennia ago at his crucifixion. His royal blue shirt immersed in his blood look as if someone had washed it in coffee. His breathing grew shallow, choppy and congested. As she heard the change in his condition, and gurgling from within his lungs, her eyes filled with concern. Each breath became more difficult than the last – laboring, then … silence. A soulful empathy, in her dark primordial green eyes, sparkled from the mist of her tears. Another soul lost. She wept. Her grief ran down her face diluting her makeup, a mixture of salt, ash, and the grease slick mascara flavored her tongue. Trying to wipe the emotions from her face with back of her soft-silk sleeves, a bewildering feeling of comfort appeased her momentarily. The sunset silhouetted the man that had saved her life.

“What was his name?” she thought, but the memory of it escaped her. However, her mind evoked the memory of that morning’s crash – her face battered and bruised, she saw a shadowy figure. She had a translucent gaze of wonderment as the male passenger next to her stood up. He grabbed her, tossing her semi-limp body over his right shoulder, and gathered their personal effects. A metal object stuck out of his side. Her rescuer reached into the overhead cargo compartment. Meanwhile with his other hand, the wounded male passenger grabbed his laptop along with hers and her purse and slid them on his opposite shoulder. Stumbling at first and nearly falling down he walked over the wreckage from the plane and the passengers.

While she limply hung over his shoulder, she saw the bodies – bloodied, burned and melted; then, cool crisp air greeted her face. Her eyes cleared, and her body stiffened as the reality of events became clear. Somehow, the stranger that sat next to her during the flight worked his way through the devastation. His breathing became strained and his walking pace slowed. Finally, he found a spot under an ancient evergreen tree while it stood grandly reaching toward the sky; and, then he laid her on the ground underneath it. She remembered his name – Adam.

A crackling sound stirred her back from her recollection and then an odor of frankincense – then myrrh flared her nostrils. The unusual odors brought confusion to her face as the scents gave hint of a familiar taste. A savory tang grazed her pallet; and, then the smell of burning flesh impregnated the air. She looked down at Adam as his body rose from the ground.

Engulfed in a blue light it began to pulse to and fro, and his body leveled just above her head. The pulsating light intensified nearly blinding her. However, instead of feeling an intense heat on her skin, she felt a steely coolness. The surface of her skin felt like ice as frostbite began to set in. She raised her right arm to shadow her eyes, and when she thought the body might erupt – the light faded. Her cheeks reddened from the coolness of the light. Warmth filled her body as normal light returned to the forested area. Adam once more laid at her knees – then … a slight movement of his chest.

“Did his chest move?” she muttered.

She waited. Again it rose – slowly at first, then, steady and rhythmic as his lungs filled with air. His eyes fluttered open.

A question formed in Adam eyes, then in a raspy voice asked, “What happen?” But before the other could answer him his eyes cleared with recognition; remembering, the last event before he passed out underneath the Evergreen tree. Adam relived the memory of removing the broken piece of metal from his side while falling to the ground – then darkness.

Lifting his head toward the woman, he said, “Oh … Yeah … What a bad day…” and he returned to unconsciousness. His chest rose and fell without laboring and he sank into a restful slumber.

Posted at 7:51 PM

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