Jon+T

=__**//Cataclysm//**__ =



__Chapter 1: Beyond The Horizon__ Panic ate away at me like a parasite; my hands were scared stiff. Clumsily I grasped the cold metal of the latch. Took one last deep breath, and the click of the seatbelt was a bittersweet reassurance of safety. The strap never felt tight enough, a cold sweat arose. This was really happening.

Every jolt rocked the seats, back and forth, as to throw them from their hinges. A hard jarring motion followed along with the sharp groan of tearing metal, a gaping hole grew rapidly, engulfing the ceiling ten rows ahead of me. The outer skin of the plane was being pulled back like a can of sardines. Time had anchored itself, slowing the progression of the present. Rushing air howled as it sucked anything within reach out into the inevitable watery abyss below. Beyond the horizon was an island, far enough out of reach that it had eluded the suns rays. A glow was cast over the waters, illuminating the scattered clouds, few and far between. Reds and oranges brushed the sky in a magnificent arrangement of color. Blackness began to overwhelm the sky, throwing a curtain over the beautiful canvas. The last glimpse of light glared through the emerging gash; blinding me from the sight of bodies hung limply in their seats. Suitcases flung from the storage compartments dispersing a shower of clothing, funneling out of the plane. A shriek came from behind me. “Watch out!”

In an instant my body began to quiver. I felt a blunt force strike the back of my head propelling my face into my knees. My head throbbed with excruciating pain. Numbness befell upon me ceasing every muscle in my body. Blood ran down to my nose unrestricted. I swayed with the motion of the aircraft. Surrendering myself to fate; I closed my eyes tranquilly. * * *

It is a dreary day outside. Rain has been falling all through the night, and has taken a toll on the highway. The cab driver drove cautiously, peering past the blotches of light coming from the oncoming traffic. We exchanged few words. He was focused on what was happening past the windshield, being refreshed by the constant clatter of the wipers. All was cut short by the abrupt jerk of the taxi; swaying me into the door my head bounced off the window. The vehicle was stubborn to control, but was guided back to sanctuary.

“I’m so sorry sir that car stopped too quick. I was too close, and I had to swerve,” he cried.

“Don’t worry about it, hopefully everything else goes well,” I uttered while rubbing my head. “How far to the airport?”

“About ten minutes.”

With an unneeded groan, I rested my head on my bag, a grueling trip awaited me. The boss would have me off his hands for a week, sending me out to India with the job of talking with company representatives about the recent dive in sales. As I exited the taxi, I was pelted with monsoon rain. Dark spots tarnished the light grey of my suit. Inside the airport was a very dull atmosphere, considering it was 9 o’clock, there were a considerable amount of people in line to get on Flight 13. I made my way over to a waiting chair; looked down at my feet, and waited. The drain of the jet engines helped flush my ears from the commotion inside the cabin. It was a frantic race to store overhead luggage. When all had calmed down, a reassuring voice came on. “ Please fasten your seatbelts.”

__Chapter 2: The Sky Above__ Sturdy waves shoved my pruned body further and further onto shore, filling my ears with frigid water. I stared aimlessly at the sky above. Salt water washed away all the thoughts I had; the sea was suffocating me.

Sounds of gut wrenching pain spilled out of my mouth as I tried to stand. My ribs tighten on my lungs. I felt my legs break under the weight of my body, and plunged to the sand. My body lay crooked, and helpless.

“Hello? Are you there? Hello?”, Her voice seemed to caress my ears in an angelic and caring tone, “Please speak up!” The figure stood over me, blocking the suns rays from reaching my eyes. My eyes were blurred with tears, I had been saved.

“Yes, I’m here,” coughing dryly. “Thank you.”

“The names Edith,” she said.

“I’m Danté”

Edith helped to get me on my feet, and I began to make out that she was older then I expected. Her hair was bleached grey and was frayed at every angle. Her eyes sparkled behind her eyeglasses as the rays of light hit them. She wore a light pink sweater and jeans.

“Where’s the resort? Do you know?” she demanded. “I wonder where the others are.”

Is this lady losing her mind; I thought, maybe she hit her head during the flight or is she in shock. She was shaking: which made me realize we need a fire. So I told her to stay on the beach and try to find any other people who would have drifted ashore. I began to walk the shoreline in the other direction, no idea where I was heading. Off in the distance was a shimmering object that was swaying with the waves. I frantically ran right towards it, but my body was still recovering which made it impossible to go as fast as I would of liked. I reached down and plucked a mirror from the ground. It had very intricate markings on it, and was no bigger then my fist. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a red bag that rested in the sand. It turned out to be a first aid kit, what luck it was to come across such a thing. Containing a Swiss-army knife, a few feet of rope, and various other items. I grabbed the knife and stuck it in my pocket, and walked to the forest.

I had not realized how beautiful the landscape was until now. The sea surrounding the island was a turquoise in colour that faded into a darker blue farther out. The reef peered out over the horizon of blue, and was repeatedly being swamped with crashing waving that sent water sprawling in every direction. White sand surrounded the island acting as a thin border, protecting the blanket of green from the might of the sea. At one side of the island, there was a ridge that cast out a dark shadow into the lurking canopy of trees. Moss grew thick on the jagged cliff; trees grew in twisted forms that clutched to the rock. From the moment I started to listen, I heard a large clatter of birds in the canopy. Every once in a while they would shoot up into the sky and dissipate into smaller and smaller groups, all of which would regroup somewhere else. This time it was at the highest peak of the island. A mountain that forked, jabbing at the atmosphere. The mountain was covered in grass, funneling down to a narrow scar dotted with fruit trees. Resting at the trunk of one fruit tree were two figures in the shade. I urged myself to go over, but was scared by the possibility that they had gone mad, worse then that old lady. I stepped over with caution; quickly the figures became more detailed as I came closer. To my surprise the two people only looked at me for a second, and continued to eat the fruit contently.

“Have you spotted any others?”, The woman asked.

“Uh,” I stumbled. “Yes, an old lady helped me to shore. Is it just you two?”

“No,” said the Youngman. “There is one more of us-“

A bloodcurdling shriek echoed from within the forest, shooting birds up into the sky causing an overwhelming chatter. We all looked at each other, wide eyed.

“Rose!”

Following the screams through this jungle was a shot in the dark; the undergrowth was so thick that you could not see your feet. Thorns and rough branches tore at me. Hanging vines created an eerie essence. The screams got louder, and more agonizing. And there she was, clenching her leg with both hands, the veins on her neck were pressing on the red skin. Her hands were covered in blood that had run up her arm and pooled. I stood in shock, waiting for someone else to do something about it, someone else to be the first to move. Finally the others went in to action. They peeled her hands off her leg the reveal two gashes that resided about her kneecap. Blood was gushing and her screams had died down, she was on the verge of passing out. I couldn’t take my eyes off the wound, it was grotesque yet intriguing.

“Did you fall on a stick?” I called into her blank expression.

She looked up at me, and with one last gasp she replied, “Snake.”

__Chapter 3: Dip Them In Fire__

Through the sprawling glow of the fire, the solemn faces of the others were illuminated within the black depth of the gallows. Nobody talked, only the rustle of the leaves above us sounded. The birds no longer called, and the waves no longer bashed the shore. Everything was silent.

“You did everything you could; she had no hope of surviving,” Chris said convincingly.

I could only look and nod at him. I was overwhelmed with what I had witnessed: the poison had cut right through her veins, as she cried for mercy. Her face contorted with excrutiating pain. Her eyes flared with anguish. The last drops of blood were pumped through her swollen veins until the toxin reached the heart, and choked the life out of her. She froze in time, and tainted blue.

Now her body lay in the embers, clasped by dancing reds and yellows. The inferno swallowed her whole, roaring as it consumed her. The flames were only satisfied when it had devoured everything, until all that was left were ashes. The last of the sparks were shot up and lost in the sky. Darkness slowly drowned out the fire, and the stars began to shine.

* * *

I feel lucky to be one of few people to ever be on this beach. The view is always so captivating, so reassuring. This is the safe haven of this island. Evil cannot taint these warm sands, nor the glimmering sea. Worries simply wash away with the waves.

“Do you want to join me fishing?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, I’m getting hungry,” I replied.

“I’ll grab the spears!”

No matter the situation, Chris always seemed to have a helping hand in things. He has been helping Shanny since her pregnancy has taken a toll on her, and trying to deal with Edith-the old lady who may be insane- cope with the fact that this isn’t the planned destination for our stay.

“You ready for a little competition?” Chris remarked as he bobbed in the water.

“Come on, you should know me by now,” I declared. “I never back down.”

And the game had begun. We both plunged underwater, and descended to the reef. Hundreds of fish resided below us, masking the waters with colour. I raced closer and closer, eager to beat Chris.

I spotted a giant Triggerfish within striking distance. As I got closer, its blue and orange stripes began to show clearer. I torqued my arm back, and launched the spear. It whizzed through the water, jabbing into the side of the fish. After retrieving the spear I began to surface, feeling victorious.

“Ah, I will get you next time Danté!” Chris had been waiting up above. “What a beautiful fish you caught, that’s got to weigh 10 pounds!”

I swam to shore with my spear held high, and on the tip of the spear the fish still wiggled. Chris and I both had a few laughs, but got right to getting that fish over to camp. Shanny was in charge of dinner tonight, so we left the fish with her and left.

“Where is that crazy old lady?”

“Chris, she could be anywhere.”

“Well, it’s going to take a little while for Shanny to burn the fish, so I think we have a lot of time to burn!” he chuckled.

I couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Chris, tell me about yourself. I don’t think I've ever asked what you did for a job!”

“Well to put it all in a nutshell, I was a professional skier who had a job as telecommunications specialist. I was visiting my mom in Vancouver, got on a plane and the rest is history.”

“I can’t help but miss my mom; I wonder how she’s doing.”

“Danté! Look over there! It’s Edith!” The old lady sat on the shore gazing out into the sea. She was motionless, whispering to herself.

“Edith, what do you see?” I called.

She pointed out to the water. “Boat.”

I stared out in the direction she pointed. She was right, a ship rested on the horizon about a mile away.

“Oh my gosh Edith your right!” I was overcome with excitement.

I looked at Chris, and we both knew what had to be done. We sprinted to camp with energy to spare. The sand kicked off our heels as we ran. No time could be lost; this was a one-time shot.

“Shanny!” I hollered.

“Yes? What is it?”

“There’s a ship off in the distance!”

“How should we signal it?”

“Light the island on fire.”

It was a crazy thing to do, but it was our only chance. Nothing else was said after that, we all grabbed torches and dipped them in the fire. I ran to the scar, and lit the dry grass on fire. Soon it was a blazing hot bush fire. Spreading its way across the field. The fruit trees we once relied on were up in flames. The clatter of birds began again, while they dispersed into the blue sky. But smoke soon filled the air; I could only pray that the boat would spot us.

Our once captivating island was flooded with smoke, as flames swallowed up the forest. I could not bear the sight any longer. I ran to the shore, and looked for the others. All three were in a group on the beach. Staring in terror at the sea of flames, producing a massive plume of ash. The chaos boomed from within the island. Off in the distance came a deafening blast of a horn. I had gone mindless, agony had taken me prisoner. Edith shook me, and I awoke from my daze.

“Get up Hunny! Vacations over!”