From the Sky to the Sea

**Please note that this story contains the following: death**

“Hey,” A distorted and hazy voice rang out. The word floated in the dark like a smoke trail from a dying cigarette. Opening her eyes slowly she didn’t know where she was.

“Hey,” it said again. This time it was accompanied by a nudge. Squinting in the dark space she could scarcely see anything.

“Hello?” she called out. Her fluttering heart seemed to pause as an echoed laugh rang around her.

“You’re awake!” the mysterious speaker cried out. Its voice was deep and distorted, sending chills up her spine. “I was worried you wouldn’t.”

“Where am I?” She asked, sitting up. Her head pounded and what she could make out blurred as a splitting headache rang about her head.

“What a shame it would’ve been if you hadn’t woken up. Tsk Tsk,” they continued on, ignoring her. “I put a lot of effort into getting you here in one piece.” She removed her hands from her face as her head began to clear. A gasp echoed as she felt a sticky substance rather than saw it.

Fear cradled her being as she reached a hesitant hand up her face, “What happened?” she breathed.

“A lot happened,” was all that she was told nonchalantly.

“Okay... okay.. okay,” she told herself as she put her hands down. She squealed when her hand was submerged in a different liquid. On the verge of tears, she inspected the space around her. She was sitting on something solid—that she could feel—but when she tried to stand her feet began to sink. “Ok, not okay. Now it’s not okay,” she panicked sitting back down quickly. Another chuckle rang out as she tried calming herself.

“It’s best if you don’t move,” she was told.

“Why?” she snapped. Angry heat swelled in her chest as she tried to think of other options.

“I thought that was obvious,” the voice told her with disdain. “Hmm, maybe you aren’t as smart as I had hoped.” Her eyes flickered, blinking away the growing tears. Weren’t your eyes supposed to adjust to the dark?! Why couldn’t she see anything!

“Think,” She stiffened as she felt the breath against her ear. Feminine yet masculine, high-pitched, yet deep as anything she had heard. It caressed her skin as ghostly fingers ran over her shoulder. “Where were you?”

She couldn’t think. Her thoughts were racing as a hand grasped at her neck ever so softly.

“Where?” the voice hissed in her ear. A howling wind blew through the space. She raised her hand as the gust rushed around her. It almost knocked her off her tiny spot of safety. She gripped the solid object tightly crying out as sounds of lightning and thunder began to ring through her head.

The streak of lightning had lit up the space and through squinted eyes and a new splitting headache, she tried to make out where she was. When she noticed the water around her, she breathed a sigh of relief. It’s just water, she thought to herself. She could swim, she didn’t need to stay on whatever this was—fabric-covered plank, she discovered by another flash—gaining no answers. Standing once more the howling wind sprayed her face with water and she remembered the blood that was coming from her head.

Hissing she wiped some of it away, but it only seemed to aggravate the wound. What the hell had happened she thought furiously. Maybe the voice would know? No, she shook her head. It was not helpful, and she no longer felt the grip around her neck as the sensations and environment around her changed. She made up her mind, she would venture forward, if she began to sink, she wouldn’t panic as she knew it was just water.

“It’s the same with you all!”

She screamed as she was forced back, the impact making her head ring.

“It’s as if you want to die!”

“Where am I!” she cried out, clawing at the hand that gripped her neck. It grew tighter as the flashes of lightning made the specter somewhat visible. She squeezed her eyes shut as she made out the barely visible sharp teeth.

“Think!” the voice growled at her. “Where were you?”

“I don’t know!” she screamed. The wind grew stronger, it felt like she was tipping as water splashed over her. Panting through tears she panicked when a wave hit her in the face. Spluttering, she paused when she tasted salt.

“The ocean?” she tried and all she received was a punishing shove.

“Close,” the voice hissed.

Thunder cracked and rolled as it seemed to grow angrier at her lack of response. She wanted to go home, she was scared, she was tired, she was wet, and she was injured. She didn’t understand what was happening and whatever had her by her throat was not inclined to indulge her.

“I want to go home,” she moaned, her tears spilling into her mouth. The grip on her neck loosened as a hand reached up to smooth back her hair.

“You are fighting it,” a softer voice called out. “I am—despite my methods—trying to help you. Though you, little human, are not making it easy.” She almost sunk into it, the softened hands rubbing her face. The feminine voice that reminded her of her mother. She wanted to sleep.

Maybe when she woke up, it would all be a dream.

“I thought you were stronger,” the voice faded in her ear. “But alas, sleep little one. I shall cart you off in a field of dreams and peace.”

******

A scream shattered through her consciousness.

“Help! Please!” the desperation seemed to almost choke them. She was too tired to look. The thunder faded and she no longer wished to know where she was.

“I can’t die like this!”

“I just wanted to go home!”

“Anyone! Someone!”

“Wake up! Don’t fall asleep!” A voice snapped.

“I’m tired,” a small response came.

“We all are, but you can’t fall asleep!”

They echoed in the distance. One of them sounded like the little boy she had seen at the airport. He had been cute, with a buzz cut and clutching a bag of toys he had been determined to share with her.

His parents had apologized for their son’s nuisance, but she didn’t mind. How in awe she was at how humans started so small and grew to be so big. So, she played with him and showed him the plane they would be taking.

“It looks scary,” he had told her. She didn’t tell him that she was terrified too. That she normally avoided them with a passion.

“It’s not that bad,” she bluffed her way through. There was no reason to frighten a small child for life. “They give you snacks and sodas—”

“My mom said they have movies!” he interrupted.

Laughing she nodded, “That’s the best part!”

It had been the best part. She had ignored the sight below her that caused her anxiety. There were dark clouds in the distance, and the ocean no longer looked calm, but she refocused on the screen in front of her. The pilot would climb higher, and they would fly over the storm.

“You can’t keep living like this!” the man on the screen cried out to his lover who was wasting away.

“I didn’t ask you to join me!” the woman yelled back. “If you’re here to judge, then leave!”

“I can’t,” he said dramatically. She was enraptured by the scene playing in front of her. She ignored the announcement that was echoing outside of her headphones as she turned the volume on her phone up.

“Sometimes you have to face your worst nightmare. And losing you would be mine.”

How sweet, if not a little over the top. Melodramatic, but it fits the atmosphere of the cringy movie she had picked. Losing the one you loved could be a nightmare, she supposed. Though compared to her own she—no, she wouldn’t think of it. Why manifest something on accident while flying thousands of feet over the swirling ocean that was currently upset, hissing and thrashing its waves. The pounding of fear slowly began to overtake her as she looked out the window for false reassurance that they were alright.

This would be the last time she boarded a plane; she thought to herself. Tearing her gaze from the small window she looked around. No one else looked scared or on edge, sighing she shook her head and refocused on the screen. Except the little boy from earlier caught her eye. He had stuck his face to the glass, and she stifled a chuckle as his father held on to him tighter. The wonders of childhood, she thought. The cute smile and innocent babbling as he pointed to something outside his window.

A pit grew in her stomach as the boy’s father stiffened and pressed the call button for the flight attendant. She straightened in her seat as whatever the boy was saying began attracting more attention. It was too late by the time the attendant made it their way, the plane shook, and blaring echoed around them.

Oxygen masks dropped in front of them, but she was paralyzed. She couldn’t move and when the person next to her shook her shoulder she looked with wild eyes.

“Put it on!” they told her bringing the mask closer to her. Nodding wildly, her hands shook as she tried to put the string over her head.

Her headphones slipped from her ear and the screams of terror and instructions filled her ear. What a terrible omen her movie had been. Her worst nightmare came true as they began to plummet from the sky.

******

“A plane!” she croaked out. Her eyes snapped open. “I was on a plane!”

Through the streaks of lightning, she could see the surprised deep-set eyes of the wispy person above her. Their face contorted into a small grin.

“You’ve proven me wrong, little one,” they told her. She shut her eyes again at the lights and thunder splitting her head once more. A ghostly hand smoothed over her forehead before she felt the breath in her ear, “Go on. Face your fears.”

Before she could inhale, a spray of ocean water washed over her face. Another touch to her head and her headache was gone.

“I will do what I can to push you forward,” was the last thing she heard before she opened her eyes.

The ocean was indeed thrashing and swelling before her. The darkened sky was covered in grey clouds and rough winds. Sitting up slowly she saw she had been lying on an overturned plane seat. Her idea of simply swimming to safety now seemed insane as she tried to take in the chaos around her. Bobbing up and down as she swayed with the ocean's ever-growing current her breathing filled her ears as she tried to look for the voices that she had heard earlier.

“Hello?” she called out, coughing as the water in her lungs made their way up. “Is—is anyone still out there?” she twisted and turned trying to catch sight of any yellow jackets or bright red tubes. It had all happened so suddenly, she hadn’t had time to put one on, but maybe… Her thoughts trailed off as no one returned her call. Pieces of debris floated past and sank with no word as a new panic rose in her throat.

She was alone.

Alone, with no way to call for help. Tears bubbled and distorted the view in front of her as she tried swallowing them back.

“Is anyone there!” she screamed into the abyss.

“Ehmp meughh,” a grunt sounded. Gasping she looked for the source of the mumbling.

 “Where are you?” she didn’t want to leave her spot lest she not find another.

“’Elp,” another voice carried across the wind.

“Just let me go quickly Lord,” another voice croaked.

“I’m here,” she called out. She could see no one, and the beginnings of rain only made her vision worse.

 “Airport lady!” a small voice cried out. Snapping her neck, she saw him in the distance, flashes of yellow bobbed on top of one of the plane's wings. She could see two paths in front of her. Either she stays in the faux comfort of her spot, or she goes and does her best for a child who didn’t deserve this.

“Hey!” she waved making up her mind, and then cried out for him to stop when she saw him move to get off. “I’ll come to you!” she told him, and for all her terror and fear she swallowed it whole as she scootched off the seat and sank into the cold water. When she resurfaced, she focused on him in the distance ignoring the clothes attached to faceless bodies. They bobbed around her, each of them whispering their last words as she moved past.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. The closer she got to the little boy the further he seemed to appear as the wind rushed past her.

“Please,” she begged to the sky around her. “Let me get to him.” And as though they answered her prayers, she heard his cries as she swam closer. A ray of sunlight seemed to light her path as she reached him.

“Airport lady!” his eyes were wide with fear as tears and snot came from his face.

“You’re alright,” she tried to comfort as she attempted to pull herself up. “Where’s your mother? I thought I heard her,” she asked, and he simply shook his head.

“She told me to stay here,” he said. Nodding she looked up at the sky. The grey clouds faded, and the sea seemed to calm as she looked around once more.

“And you listened,” she breathed out. “What a brave boy you are,” she smiled. She frowned when her attempt to pull herself up ended with more water almost sinking the wing.

“Mama told me that I couldn’t go to sleep,” he told her.

“She was right,” she nodded reaching out to wipe the tears from his eyes. “We need to keep an eye out for help.” He nodded and turned his attention to the open waters around him. Her thoughts turned to mush, unsure of where to go. They needed to move away from the wing and as if she was being watched by a higher power voices called out.

“Hey!” she turned with a start. A life raft of a few people drifted in the distance. A shocked peel of laughter came from her as she waved her arm in the air.

“Hey!” she called back.

“Come on! I don’t think we’ll make it to you!” they called out.

“Do you know how to swim?” she turned to the little boy who looked at the water with fear.

 “No,” he said in a small voice. Nodding she blew out a breath.

“That’s alright,” she reached out an arm. “I’ll swim for the both of us,” she gave him a smile. He looked at her with hesitation as she convinced him to scootch towards her.

 “But mommy…” he said scanning the waves.

“Your mommy will find you,” she told him treading the waves. “We can look for her too from the boat.” Nodding slowly, she took him in her arms and swam backward through the debris and people that had sunk below the waves. She wouldn’t think about it, she couldn’t think about it.

“Grab his life jacket,” someone called as they met in the middle.

“You’re okay,” she heard someone soothe as he began to cry. She was hauled in after and laid on her back staring at the ever-clearing blue sky.

A face appeared over her, “That looks like a nasty cut,” they told her. Raising a hand to her head she remembered the wound. Her headache returned and she winced at the jolting pain.

“Not too bad,” she mumbled rubbing her fingers together. The grime and blood coated her fingers. More voices joined as they talked about rescuing and what had happened. She tuned them out as the streak of sun blurred her vision.

“How brave,” the voice returned and her eyes fluttered. Her speech was stuck in her throat as she tried to push out the words.

What now, she thought.

“They will live.”

And me?

“You saved that little boy,” she was told.

What about his parents? She asked.

A whispered shake of her head. “They have departed from this world. Doing their jobs in saving their child.”

How cruel, the thought rang through her pounding head.

A firm hand on her shoulder made her look up. They were saying something, but she couldn’t make out the words. Her hearing faded, and the world was blurring as she understood what was happening.

I’m dying she said to no one.

“Not in vain,” No one responded back.

I was supposed to die before, wasn’t I? she asked.

“It was a possibility.”

Then why? Her thoughts turned to mush as she blearily opened her eyes. Flashes of color and golden sun rays coated her vision. How beautiful.

“Without you, he would’ve died too. How beautiful that a stranger saves another adult’s bundle of hopes and dreams.”

He shouldn’t be afraid of the sky, was all she could think.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.”

What now? She asked. The golden streaks bled away as her breathing slowed. Hands touched and grabbed at her, but she could not feel them.

“You faced your fears and won. A feat not even most warriors can say they have done. So, come little one. I will take you to fields of hopes and dreams. They will cradle you to sleep in their eternal peace.”

…

“Marie?”

Yes, she breathed.

“Goodnight.”