Distance

Few Seconds Before Impact

The plane was in chaos, rattling like a tin can in a storm. Passengers clung to hope and prayers, while others hurled curses at the pilots or anyone they could blame for this nightmare.

"Hey, dude, I'm scared," Austin said, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrest.

"Yeah, me too," Leo replied, his voice unsettlingly even.

"But you're awfully calm," Austin said, glancing sideways.

Leo gave a faint shrug. For someone who had already been living on borrowed time, this moment felt almost inevitable, like fate simply playing out its course. He didn't have the strength to fight it anymore.

The plane tilted sharply, throwing everyone forward like rag dolls. Leo's seatbelt dug into his stomach and chest, the crushing pressure sending a sharp pain ricocheting through his skull. Gritting his teeth, he clutched his chest, gasping.

Out of the corner of his eye, a blinding light pierced through the smoke—a crack in the chaos. The sun. He turned toward it and caught sight of something beyond the wreckage: an endless stretch of lush green, a sprawling forest teeming with life. Even at death's door, the beauty stunned him.

But then, as suddenly as it had come, the awe vanished. His chest pain, which had haunted him for months, disappeared in an instant, leaving him strangely weightless. Yet there was no time to ponder the relief.

A deafening roar. The ground rushed up to meet them.

Impact.

Thick black smoke billowed through the shattered remains of the cabin, mixing with the acrid stench of fuel. Every breath burned, the toxic air clawing at Leo's throat. Around him, the groans of the injured, some faint, others agonized—wove together into a haunting, discordant symphony.

"Hey! Dude, get up! Don't tell me you're dead, man!"

Austin's voice cut through the haze as he shook Leo's shoulder.

Leo groaned, his head throbbing. "Wha…what happened?" His words were slurred, and his vision blurred by the smoke curling through the cabin.

Austin let out a shaky laugh, relief flooding his voice. "Thank God, you're alive. I thought you'd cashed out on me."

"What? You thought I was going to die?"

"Nah, the day you die is the day I die. For now, we need to find a way to get out of this place. My seatbelt ain't budging."

"Yeah, let me check mine."

Leo shifted, pressing on his belt until it snapped open, sending him tumbling forward.

"Nice! Now check mine," Austin said, pointing at the buckle. Leo crawled, avoiding dangling electrical wires, and pressed on Austin's buckle, but it wouldn't release.

"Shit."

"What's 'shit'? Am I stuck?"

"Yup, we need to cut you loose."

Leo covered his nose and squinted, searching for anything sharp. His stomach churned as he stumbled upon lifeless bodies and severed limbs. He fought the urge to vomit.

"Will a nail clip do?"

"A nail…?"

"Check my right pocket."

Leo slipped his hand into Austin's pocket and pulled out a nail clip. He began cutting through the seatbelt until Austin was free.

"Oh my God, now I can breathe. Thanks, dude."

"Yeah."

They crawled out of the wreckage and collapsed on the ground, coughing and gasping for fresh air. Around them, a few survivors were already outside, some miraculously unscathed, others bruised or gravely injured.

"So, there are survivors too?"

"Looks like it…did you hear that?" Leo asked, peering back at the plane.

"I didn't hear anything—"

"Shh," Leo hissed, tilting his head. A faint sound reached his ears.

"Help…"

"Shit, someone's inside!" Austin exclaimed.

"Yeah… I'm going in."

"On your own?"

"Yeah, someone has to do something, and they're all injured." Leo pointed at the other survivors and moved back into the wreckage.

He covered his nose with his shirt and scanned the debris for signs of life.

"Hey! Anyone there?" he shouted.

The faint voice came again, "Help…"

The plea pulled him deeper into the wreckage. Ducking beneath sparking cables and sidestepping jagged shards, he finally found her—trapped and trembling.

His breath caught. "Elen?"

Her eyes fluttered open, glassy with pain. "Leonard?" she whispered.

"Yeah, it's me," he said softly. "Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here."

"I'm stuck…"

Leo's hands moved instinctively, fumbling for the seatbelt buckle. Then he saw it, a jagged metal rod impaled deep into Elen's thigh, blood soaking her jeans. His breath caught in his throat.

For a moment, everything blurred. His chest tightened, memories surfacing. The sharp sting of loss.

"Please…"

Elen's weak voice snapped him back. He swallowed hard, shaking off the haze. There was no time for fear now.

The buckle released easily. He lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the wreckage.

"Elen?" Austin's eyes widened as Leo emerged.

"Call a doctor, nurse, anybody!" Leo barked and laid her down gently, and Austin rushed to seek help.

"Help! We need help! Nurse, doctor, anyone!" Austin shouted, waving his arms. But the other survivors, busy tending to their own wounds, barely noticed.

"You need help? What's the problem?" a young woman asked, approaching. She looked to be in her early twenties, with brown eyes and a ponytail of chestnut hair.

"Well, hello there, beautiful," Austin winks his eyes

"What?"

"No, uh, I mean, we need help urgently! A friend of mine—"

"Just take me to them."

Austin led her to Elen, who was writhing in pain. The woman knelt beside her, taking her hand.

"It's going to be alright, okay? What's your name?"

"El…Elen," she whispered, holding back tears.

"Alright, Elen, I'm here to help. You just have to be strong for me, okay?" Elen nodded weakly.

The nurse looked up at Leo and Austin. "I'll need clothes, anything you can spare."

"Take mine," Leo said without hesitation, pulling off his shirt. His scar caught her attention for a moment.

"Good. This will do." She bit the cloth and tore a strip. "Elen, bite down on this for me. What I'm about to do will hurt, but this will help with the pain. Just bite down, alright?"

Elen obeyed, biting the cloth.

The nurse looked at Austin and Leo "Do you want to stay and watch or...?"

"We'll stay"

Leo answered quickly receiving a cold stare from Austin

"Dude..."

Leo didn't bother looking at Austin "Please continue"

The nurse shrugged and worked quickly, wrapping the wound and drawing out the metal rod. Elen let out a piercing scream before passing out.

The treatment didn't take much time.

Leo stumbled to a corner, retching, while Austin stayed with the nurse.

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked, glancing at Leo.

"Yeah, leave him be. He'll manage."

"He's brave," she said softly. "Are they… in a relationship?"

"Elen and Leo? Nah, I doubt they've even met before." Austin waved dismissively.

"Then why go to such lengths for her?" She rubbed her chin, curious.

"Nahh that's not it at all. He did it for himself" Austin explained. "He's selfish, but in a good way. He does things because he wants to, not because he's thinking about what others want. It's just… Leo."

The nurse chuckled dryly. "I know what it's like, having someone like that around."

"So, what's your name?" Austin asked, grinning.

"I'm Kate."

"Oh, wonderful name! And this fine example of manly handsomeness before you is Austin," he said, puffing out his chest.

"Manly handsomeness?" Kate laughed.

Leo interrupted their banter. "Is everything done?"

"No, we've just completed the first phase," Kate said. "We need to clean the injury before it gets infected, and that requires water."

Leo sighed, glancing at Elen's sleeping form. "Where do we find water now?"

"That's enough. You boys have done enough. Let us take over from here," a middle-aged man said, stepping forward with a group of able-bodied survivors. "We scouted the area and found out a lot, we crashed at a near coastal region of the island. Water won't be an issue, but we need containers."

"I can get some," a flight attendant offered. "There should be empty bottles in this part of the plane."

The man nodded. "Alright, boys, rest now. We've got this."

Leo sank beside Austin, staring at Elen. Everything felt surreal. Hours ago, they'd been in school; now they were stranded on a remote island.

Austin's suddenly breaks the silence "Dude, I've been wondering…"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Have you noticed? Ms. Annie, Mr. Fletcher, and the others… I haven't seen them since we woke up."

Leo's gaze drifted to the wreckage. "You don't think right...?"

"Mmh. They're probably dead"