Unclear...

• Jasmine Cooper-McCredie, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

The Black Smoke covered the sky, the high ear-splitting sound of windows cracking became a reality. Tia held the box in her small, cold, frightened hands. Oxygen masks fell from the ceiling Tia grabbed her mask her hands trembling as she put it on. Tia’s mum Sylvia was screaming in her ear, “You’re worthless you’re the one that murdered your father!” Tia cried at the thought that the last thing her mother would say to her is that she is insignificant .Tia clenched the unopened box her father had given her and whispered to herself “I miss you dad.”
Sylvia’s cold heartless hands ripped the box from Tia’s hands and flung it out the cracked window. Her eyes filled with terror. That moment the pilot announced it was the end. Mothers were screaming, kids were crying and the aeroplane smelt like blood, sweat and tears.
The Plane CRASHED debris fell everywhere; Tia opened her eyes she choked as the cabin was full of smoke. Tia’s chest felt bruised and weak where her seat belt slammed into her on impact. Tia saw her mother, she touched her mother’s cheek it was cold and lifeless. Tia’s eyes were red rimmed as tears poured out of her once blissful eyes.
She looked around her, at the demolished plane, she could hear groaning as she realised some people were still alive. Tia looked out of the plane and saw a beautiful blue sea, as waves collided on the shore. Tia thought in her mind how outside could be beautiful and inside were splatters of blood and dead bodies.
Light was streaming in through a rip in the side of the plane. People were gradually helping each other towards the light in a scramble to get out as they heard the hissing sound of gas escaping into the cabin. Tia staggered out of the cabin towards the rip and was helped by some adults to get onto the golden sand. The group on the sand were yelling “get away from the plane” A small group was watching as an outburst of red and yellow fire erupted from one of the engines and engulfed the plane.
Tia looked out on the sand and saw: food, clothes, and toys, and in the corner of her eye she saw her little box. She slowly staggered over to her half opened box and was about to pick it up when she was interrupted by a boat engine. She turned around and saw a boat coming up on the shore. Tia grabbed the box and ran exhaustively up to the boat; she collapsed in it, her whole body felt drained and painful as if someone punched her in her ribs. she was in the middle of the ocean when she looked inside her box. She found an old dusty photograph of her family, Tia’s dad and mum was there with her as a baby, but then she thought, that is not my mum she looks nothing like her UNLESS…