Journey to Angel's core

'Noooo'

"Nooooooooo" Ariana screamed in utter shock as her heart sank in disbelief.

"It can't be" voice shaking, she ran her hands over the wall as though in search of a hidden window. 

"Jack" turning abruptly her huge belly bounced off him "did...did you do this?"Ariana asked with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Cupping her cheeks in his hands he answered "I would never...something is at play here, I don't think we are the only survivors. We have to stay alert"

Swallowing she said "But how...how will we know when its time Jack?"

"Hey....look at me, look at me Ari" her sobs lessened as she stared deeply into his blue eyes "Everything will be fine, when its time you'll know and we will have our baby safe in our arms like we have always dreamed it to be. This situation will pass and our lives will be back to normal again I promise." He said as his right hand cradled her tummy. "I LOVE YOU"

"I love you more" Ariana answered giggling lightly. She tiptoed as their lips met in a warm loving kiss.

A MONTH EARLIER

"Really, do you have to go that far? You can have a romantic getaway in a close by location."

"Ooh Nana, you worry too much" Ariana said as she stood up and walked over to give her grandma a peck on her chin "we'll be okay, its for my birthday remember" rubbing her tummy in a circular motion she continued "this will be the last trip I make before becoming a mom. I just want it to be different."

"It'll be different alright" her Nana wasn't having any of it "you are pregnant and should stay closer to home and not on a far off island."

"Well, doctor Philips said I have like twelve more weeks before baby arrives. I have some time and I want to use it well, with Jack."

"I can't stop you from traveling, it's not like I can tie you to a chair or something. Though I would if I could, but I am too old for that now aren't I?" Nana asked rhetorically as she laughed and Ariana joined her "yes you are."

"I love you Nana, we'll be safe. I, Jack & the baby" Ariana hugged her from behind as she was still seated.

Patting her arm she replied "I love you beyond words granddaughter, the lord will grant you safety to & fro."

The both chorused "Amen"

Ariana's granny has been there for the most part of her life for as long as she could remember. Having lost both parents in a fatal car accident when she was only five years old, her mothers mother Anne took her as her own. Growing up never felt different because Anne did everything and anything for her. Lacking the closure of both parents didn't really affect Ariana as she never felt alone to miss them badly and her memory of them is really vague. Grandma Anne has been her rock, shelter and home until she met jack and all other things seemed to add up.

It was in her final year at college, Jack had graduated a year earlier but had come by to see a friend. She was sitting in the waiting room of her supervisor when a tall young man walked in and sat at the other end of the cushioned bench. They were seated for almost an hour without saying a word to each other until he asked her for a pen,

"Hey, do you have a pen on you? I can't seem find mine." He had said while still searching his trouser pockets.

"Yeah, I do. Here..." She said handing him over a blue pen. Their eyes held each other for a brief second, it was clear that they found each other attractive. He was mesmerized by her beauty, a brunette with sparkly big brown eyes and she was aware of his. They got talking for the next hour, from random topics to getting to know each other a little bit. She was waiting to see her supervisor and the other boy inside was the friend he was waiting for. Ariana wondered how someone that young could have graduated already, they were practically age mates both twenty two. His angular face had a pair of captivating ocean blue eyes sitting on it and ash blonde hair, his features are angelic she thought. They exchanged phone numbers before his friend came out and she had to go in.

"I'll call you" he said and she shyly waved goodbye smiling as she turned to walk into the supervisors office. And for the next three months they only talked on the phone as mutual feelings blossomed in their hearts.

Fastforward, a year later and Ariana has graduated college and they are expecting their first child together. It was a long flight from west wades airport to flying above the different islands on the archipelago of the pacific ocean. Jack rested his head on the plane window as he stared outwardly at the waters below, it was crystalline and blue. He wondered which island would be 'Angels core' the one they where headed to, as the last four announced by the attendants as they flew over were not it. He looked sideways at Ariana sleeping beside him, she had her long hair in a high bun with few strands playing at her cheeks, her eyes were closed yet her lashes fluttered lightly as her tummy rose and fell each time she breathe, she seemed so peaceful. she is arguably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen & he would do anything for her. It had been his idea to go out of town for her birthday, but she had "a better plan" she had said, and now they were on their way to their first island trip together. The loud piercing sound of the airplane alarm brought him back to reality, the emergency lights were blaring red as it went off and on, it was followed by disruptive bumps as the whole plane vibrated.

"Do not panic. strap in your seat belts and stay calm" a voice rang through the fuselage.

Ariana jerked to consciousness, "What's happening?"

"I don't know, i think we hit turbulence" Jack said as oxygen masks dropped down

"Oh my god...Jack what do we do?" Ariana asked grabbing one of the masks to breathe in from. Just then they began to fall as the plane dropped and went sideways.

MOMENTS LATER

"Jack"

"Jaaaack"

Ariana screamed his name as she ran along shore, the last thing she could remember was falling from the sky before it all went black. She woke up on the shallow part of the water close to the sand and had swam out quickly. She could see luggage's and pieces of broken bits from the plane scattered around but she couldn't find anyone. She had thrown up at least three times already due to shock and was about sitting down to rest when she spotted something, no, someone swimming to shore. She stood up and ran screaming in hope that it'll be Jack.

"Jaaaack" she screamed, voice shaking as she started crying.

"Ariana"

"Jack" she couldn't believe it was him. Running they met where the water last touched the sand. They hugged as Ariana kept sobbing. "Are you alright, did you get hurt?" asked Jack

""No..no I'm fine. Are you okay?" She asked

"Just a few bruises here and there, I'll be okay. What about the baby, any changes? Do you feel pain?" He asked with so.much Care in his eyes.

"No I don't, i don't feel anything yet"

He touched her tummy "Not even kicks?" 

"No" Ariana answered and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his chest. Jack kissed her on the head and wrapped his arms around her as well.

Closing his eyes, Jack said "Thank God you are safe, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you." 

"Jack! Your arm is bleeding." Ariana said alarmed as she untangled her arms to get a closer look.

"Its just a scratch Ari, don't panic" he answered laughing.

"We should get it cleaned up nonetheless. Where are we?"

"On an island. We need to seek shelter before nightfall and source for food from the luggage's around, I saw the head of the plane far ahead while swimming to shore" he said pointing ahead.

"Really?" 

"Yes. Tomorrow I'll go check it out and maybe find a means to call for help. I wonder if we are alone here or the rest swam to a different island."

"I hope they're safe."Ariana said.

Later that evening they were inside a part cave tent, Jack had used some sheets he found in the luggage's to form a tent entrance to a little cave that they found, he put some on the floor as well and kept the rest for sleeping. Ariana got candles and four cans of food, beef and corn from two luggage's, they had eaten and were getting ready to sleep. Jack lit the candles using stones as Ariana was busy scribbling things on the wall using sand chalks.

Jack hugged her from behind, rubbing her tummy he asked "What are you doing?"

"Keeping track of my pregnancy." She said as she scribbled another set of seven vertical lines on the cave wall. "I don't know how long we'll be here and we've both lost our phones, so for each day that passes I'll tick one off, then for each week I'll strike seven until we are finally able to leave." she said on a sad note.

"We will, I'll do everything I can to make sure we do" Jack said as he pecked the side of her head "This is a very brilliant idea, you know. Keeping track."

"You think?" She asked rhetorically as she turned around smiling wrapping her hands around his neck.

"Mhmmm" Jack responded and just then, the baby kicked.

"Oh..he's moving"Ariana said & held her tummy and Jack did the same.

"See, he agrees to that as well." He said, as their laughter ended in kisses.

Ariana woke up the next morning with a new surge of energy running through her veins. Jack wasn't in the tent cave, so she went out to check on him. She walked until she got to the beach, the island was so beautiful. This wasn't the get away she had hoped for, but this was heavenly. There were ripe fruits on the trees which she hadn't noticed the day before. She sighted jack a few miles away picking some off the floor.

"Jack!" She screamed running to meet him.

"Ari? You're awake." He said before enclosing her in a warm hug "I hope you got your much needed rest?"

"I did. I hope you did too?she asked smiling up at him.

"Yeah babe. I wanted heading off to the plane, but I wanted you to wake up first. Here take this fruits, have breakfast when I get back I'll have mine. Okay?"

"No Jack, I'm coming with you...I can eat on the way, but I can't stay alone. At least not today."she said

"Ari, you shouldn't stress much. Just seat out & enjoy the beautiful scenery, I'll be back before you know it."

"Jack, I am full of so much strength. I wanna go with you. Please"Ariana asked.

Knowing he couldn't convince her otherwise he accepted "Alright let's go". Hand in hand they walked the far distance to the other half of the plane with only a few breaks on the way. 

They were able to scavenge food supplies and water from the crashed plane and a satellite phone from the cock pit. Jack had tried making calls to the plane tower to no avail. They took it with them when returning back to their fort. That night Ariana ticked another vertical line from the wall before retiring to bed.

DAY'S LATER

"I did it, whoaaaaaa!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran through the bushes to meet Ariana at the cave tent.

Alarmed she asked "Jack, what is it?"

"After five consecutive days of trying, the call finally went through." Jack replied as he hugged her.

"Are you serious, I can't believe this. Wha..what did they say?"

"They got the location, and a rescue team will get here in a few days." Jack said.

"Few day's?" Ariana asked disappointed

"Yes. We'll get out of here Ari let's be patient" 

"It's hard to be, in our condition. But I have faith." She said

"I love you"

"I love..." There was a slight ruffle in the bushes which cut her short, as they both stared at each other in confusion. Jack grabbed a big stick & motioned for her to stay calm as he gently moved forward and out of sight to see what it was. A few minutes later Jack returned "I didn't see anything."

Unconvinced Ariana said "hmm, thats weird. It seemed like something caused the bushes to move. Could it be the wind?"

"I hope so." Jack said, both staring at the direction the noise came from "Common let's go inside, it's getting late." They both went in and had supper, after a long hour of chatting and laughing it was soon time to sleep and Ariana walked to the wall and picked up a sand chalk. After counting she ticked, then inhaled and exhaled deeply before striking out the first group of seven vertical lines "Tomorrow, another week begins we'll start afresh......I just wanna go home" she started sobbing and jack was by her side in seconds cradling her face in his chest.

"Please don't cry Ari, I am so sorry, this should never have happened" he said

"Its all my fault I should have listened to you & grandma. I'm so sorry Jack, forgive...."

"shhhh....don't do that, it's not your fault. come here" he led her to the makeshift bed and she lay to rest as did he while whispering to her and rubbing her tummy to make her feel better.

THREE DAYS AFTER

After the marks Ariana made on the wall to keep track of time got wiped off mysteriously, they had noticed foot prints as well close to the beach. It was frightening at first as to why anyone would want to play games with them until this evening. Jack and Ariana had taken a walk on the beach and were slowly walking back to their abode, when suddenly they could hear noises coming from inside. Ariana had waited behind as Jack picked up a stick for self defense as he approached, he raised a side of the tent and everywhere went silent. There were three people inside ransacking the place, they all raised their hands above their heads dropping the items that were being stolen. It was a man and two young women.

"We mean no harm, we are just hungry" one of the women had said. Jack and Ariana later got to know her as Zoey, the other woman Patricia and the man Daniel. They had survived the plane crash as well and woke up on an adjoining island, but had to find their way over because it was too open. The three of them had first met there.

"why didn't you just show yourselves? Why hide?" Ariana had asked an hour later as they all ate together inside the cave.

"We weren't sure you guys were survivors as well. We didn't want trouble" Daniel said

"All the sneakiness made us feel so unsafe." Jack told them

"We are really sorry for that. We just didn't know what to do" Patricia chimed in.

"Hey, was it you guys that wiped away my marks on the wall?" Ariana asked skeptical

"I..I'm not sure. But Zoey had spilled water all over there" Patricia said pointing over to the wall that had once had the tally marks "I think it got dried before you guys came home that day."

"Sorry for that dear" Zoey said

"Its alright" Ariana responded

"Have you been able to make contact with the outside world yet?" Daniel asked and Jack narrated to them how he was able to reach out after five days of trying, and their hope's increased. And just like that they all fell silent for as though in alignment with their faith a roar was heard in the near distance.

"Is that a..." Ariana started

"HELICOPTER" Jack finished, and all at once they all raced outside and to the beach and began yelling.

"We should light a fire, they'll see the smoke" Zoey suggested and they all gathered up dries woods and leaf. Jack lighted it up using two stones. They blew on it as Ariana kept screaming and waving. It was a black chopper, shining as the late evening sun reflected off it in the sky. It turned around, and began descending a few feet from where they stood. With tears in both their eyes Ari and Jack hugged each other in utter joy.

Six weeks after their rescue, they welcomed a baby boy in west wades hospital, with his great grandma by his side. The doctor said he might have come so early due to the crash impact and she was very lucky he stayed intact all through the time in the island, so he was put in an incubator for three more weeks. He was named 'Angel', Ari & Jack's little Angel.

THE END