15 Days

Day 1.
Written by,
Ian Toomey

Four kids, all unaccompanied minors on flight number 0235, service to

Sacramento, California, sat at gate 23B at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport,
completely bored. Although these kids dont know each other now, what they were
about to experience would change their lives forever.

Jeffery stood up and went with his mom to get some food before they got on
the plane. They went to a McDonalds and got some burgers and fries for dinner. The
two talked while they ate, and when they were done, Jeffery went to the bathroom,
then together they went back to the gate to find that first class boarding had begun.
All unaccompanied minors, please report to the gate agent with your stuff.
Please have your lanyard and ticket ready.
Jeffery squeezed his mom tightly, then the two broke apart. Mom took
Jefferys hands and held them. The two embraced in a loving hug.
Jeffery, have a great flight, kiddo. Ill see you soon.
See you soon, mom. I love you.
I love you too.
Mom released her grip on Jefferys hands, and made sure he got all his stuff.
Then he went to the gate agent. The agent, a tall, redheaded woman, getting kids
together that had the same lanyard around their necks as Jeffery, so he went over
to them.
Hi. You must be Jeffery. The woman said, smiling.
Yep. Thats me.
Awesome. Its time to board. Do you all have your tickets?
Everyone did.
Well, alright then.
We waved goodbye to our parents, then the lady at the gate scanned our
tickets, and led us onto the plane. There were four of us, two boys, and two girls. We
were seated in the back of the plane right by where the flight attendants prepared
the food and snacks. The lady helped us put our suitcases in the overhead
compartment above our seats. I had a window seat, and the other boy sat next to
me. The two girls sat on the other seats across the aisle. I slid my backpack under
my chair and put on my seatbelt, anxious for the flight to get going. I watched the
men outside load suitcases on a conveyer belt that carried them up to another man
who was loading them onto the plane underneath us. People boarded the plane
around us, and soon the entire 737 was full to the brim with passengers.
Fifteen minutes after we boarded, the pilot finally said it was time to go. The
plane started to crawl backwards, and the flight attendants did their safety briefing.
I listened intently as I watched the plane move backwards, away from the gate and
onto the busy LA airport tarmac. A loud roar announced the starting of the jet
engines, and I smiled. I had always loved the power and pure raw amazing power of
a jet engine. They had fascinated me since I was only four years old. A little while
later, the plane lurched forward on the runway, and we gained speed. The boy
sitting next to me gasped anxiously, and I turned around. Fear was etched in his
face, and he was grasping the arm rests of the chair tightly.

Hey, you okay? I asked. The plane gained even more speed as we raced
towards takeoff speed.
Not really. Im just scared of flying.
The plane angled up, and we took off into the sky, both jet engines screaming
at full speed.
Oh. Well be okay.
Yeah. Im alright. Its just takeoff and landing that really freaks me out.
Well, takeoff is over, and we dont land for a long time. Youre good.
-//The weather in LA had been sunny and nice, but all of that changed a few
hours into the flight. When we were over what I think is Las Vegas, the weather had
turned dark, and lighting flashed, illuminating the dark clouds around us.
Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking from up front here.
Were going to be encountering some bad weather up ahead, which means were
going to be hitting turbulence. The fasten seatbelt sign is on, so please remain in
your seats with your seatbelts fastened. We hope to get through this part soon.
Flight attendants, please be seated.
A beep sounded throughout the cabin, and the fasten seat belt sign
illuminated. The plane shook and rattled, and I started to feel a little sick. I gripped
the arm rests and sat back, closing my eyes and focusing on my happy placecuddling with mom while we watched a movie together. The bucking and rattling
lasted for a while, and I began to wonder how long it would go on for.
Five minutes later, the plane was still bucking and shuttering. I was feeling
sick now. I opened my eyes and looked out the window. I could barely see the wing
outside it was so foggy. I just hoped the ride smoothed out soon. I looked down and
could see a tree below us. We werent very high up. The plane angled upwards, and
we gained altitude, flying back into the black clouds. Lighting flashed all around us
and rain hammered against the window like bullets riddling a mountain side. The
plane bucked, and we fell briefly. This happened a couple times.
Brace! Brace! Brace! the flight attendants yelled. Heads down, stay down.
Heads down, stay down.
They repeated these two messages again and again, and I obeyed, getting
into the crash positon.
A few moments later, there was a deafening explosion, a flash of light, and
pain in my left arm, then everything went black.
-//Debris littered a hillside as rain fell and lighting flashed. A piece of the wings
one place, a flap another place, a twisted bar of steel hung from a tree. One jet

engine was engulfed in flames as it came to rest against a mighty oak tree. And the
inside of the jet liner was silent. Not one soul stirred. No one except for a young boy.
He stood up and rubbed his arm. He felt for his glasses, and found them
sitting in his lap. He put them on, and his vision became clear. The boy couldnt see
very well without them, and he was glad they had survived the crash landing.
Taking a deep breath against the pain, he clambered through the mess of suitcases
and bodies, grimacing as he stepped on a mans hand accidentally. The man did not
react. He continued until he got to a door, then undid the latch and pushed, but the
door remained closed. Growing claustrophobic, the boy used all his weight to slam
his body against the door, causing it to pop open. The boy scrambled through it to
discover that the plane was sitting in a forest of trees, wings sheared off and debris
everywhere. The plane was on its side, with the door facing upwards. The door on
the other side was held shut by the weight of the cabin, and there was no way
anyone could get out on that side of the plane. Not without the help of a crane to
roll the plane over, at least.
The boy wondered if he could get to the cockpit and tell authorities they had
crashed landed on the radio. He scrambled down and went to the cockpit, only to
discover the door was locked shut from the inside. There was no way he could get in
there without some sort of tool or machine to force it. The boy hoped that someone
would come looking for them soon and discover their fate.
The boy stopped to think. Was he the only one who had survived, or had
others survived, and they just hadnt woken up yet? How would they survive until
rescue came? How long would it take for someone to discover their fate, find the
survivors, and rescue them? Would they ever be found?
The boy had a lot of questions, but almost zero answers.
Suddenly getting an idea, he scrambled back to his seat in the back and
retrieved his backpack, then he got his suitcase from the overhead compartment.
He stuffed as many pieces of warm clothing that he could into his backpack, then
layered the rest on himself. At least now he had a little more protection against the
rain and wind, but he knew it still wouldnt be enough to last a long time.
He didnt know what to do next, but he figured if he stayed in the plane then
he was gonna be better off than wandering around in the wild alone. He put his gear
in his seat, and set about clearing the aisle of luggage. He crawled over the people
lying in the aisle, and shoved suitcases, bags and suitcases back into the overhead
compartments and locked them.
It took him a while to get all of it packed back away, but when he finished, he
felt good. He went back to the back of the plane and snitched a snack from the
cupboards, eating it quickly to avoid being caught if someone woke up. Just as he
threw away the wrapper of the fruit snacks, a groan caused him to jump. He looked
around, and saw the boy he had been sitting next to rubbing his eyes. He winced,
and clutched his upper arm.
Ow! he muttered.

The boy went over to him.

Youre alive, too? he said.
Yeah. I, I guess. Are we the only two who survived?
I think so. No one else on the entire plane has moved. Are you okay?
Yeah. My arm hurts, but it isnt broken or anything. I think I banged it on the
arm rest when we hit the ground. You okay?
Yep. I cleared the aisle of peoples stuff, then stole some food. You want
something?
Yeah.
The two boys went to the back, where they got some food. While they ate,
they tried to decide what to do next.
Where are we, anyway?
I dont know. It looks like were in the mountains, though.
I just wish I knew which range we were in, then I could figure out where we
are.
Yeah, me too.
Whats your name?
Jeffery. Whats yours?
Patrick.
At least two of us survived. We should stick together. That way we can get
help together.
Good idea.
Patrick smiled.
Wanna be friends? Jeffery asked.
Patrick nodded.
Cool.
We should go look around, see if someone lives nearby. Maybe they saw the
plane crash and have already called for help.
Good idea. Do you have any warm clothes? Jeffery replied.
Patrick shook his head.
Jeffery peeled off his sweatshirt and gave it to Patrick.
Here. This will help.

Oh, um, okay. Thank you. Wont you get cold?

Nah. Im okay.
Alright.
The boys finished eating. Jeffery opened his backpack and took out another
sweatshirt and put it on, then he stuffed as much snacks and food as he could
inside, then he slung the backpack over his shoulders. The two buddies walked out
of the plane and hopped down onto the ground. The door was about five feet up
from the ground, so the boys had to sit on the ledge, scoot over the edge, turn
around and hang by their fingertips on the edge, then let go and drop to the ground.
Jeffery went first, then he helped Patrick. When both boys were out of the airplane,
they put their hoods up to ward off the relentless rain that was already soaking
them. Patrick looked around, came to a solid conclusion.
Bro, were toast. We landed on top of a mountain. Now we gotta climb all the
way down.
Oh man. Were not prepared for that at all.
I know. Patrick said, already shivering.
The boys walked over to the side of a sheer cliff and looked over the edge.
Wow. Thats a big drop. Jeffery observed.
Yeah. Thats certain death if we fall. Lets get away from here.
You dont like heights?
Patrick shook his head vigorously. He looked close to tears.
Thats okay.
The boys moved away from the cliff and went back to the plane. They looked
around, and discovered that they could get down if they clambered down a slanted
cliff with rocks and airplane debris scattered over it. It took Jeffery a while to
convince Patrick to follow him down, but in the end, both decided to go down. The
rain suddenly turned into snow, and both boys knew they had to hurry. They went
over and clambered down the steep hill, helping each other climb up and over the
boulders, then jumping down on the other side.
-//The boys had made it to the bottom of the hill, and were walking through the
forest in the rain. As they had climbed down, the snow had turned to rain. Both boys
were completely soaked and shivering, but in high spirits.
Man, this feels like a boy scout campout, except we dont have a tent.
Patrick exclaimed.
I know, right? Jeffery replied.

What rank are you?

First Class. What about you?
Im still second class. Im almost to first class, though.
Thats awesome. Hey, we should make a shelter.
Good idea. Lets find a flat place to build it.
The boys set off on a search for a flat place to build their shelter. They
searched for a while, and finally found a spot in a clearing in the forest. The boys
collected logs and carried them over to their spot. Then they leaned the logs up
against each other to form an A-frame hut, which they piled moss and branches
over the top of to protect against the rain. They piled more branches with pine
needles over the front and back to make four walls. The boys now had shelter.
We have food and water from the plane, so were good there, we dont have
a way to make a fire, though.
What if we collected the fuel from the plane and somehow managed to light
it?
Yeah, that might work, the thing is I dont know how to get to the fuel, or
how to extract it. Do you?
Patrick thought for a minute, then shook his head.
Nope. No idea. Well, just forget that idea.
Lets warm up.
The boys went inside their shelter. Patrick laid down on his stomach, and
within a few minutes, he was asleep. As the older boy, Jeffery watched Patrick sleep
peacefully. Jeffery was fifteen, and Patrick seemed like he was only thirteenfourteen. Jeffery wanted to stay awake in case a bear or something tried to sneak
up on them and steal their food or hurt them. He wanted to be able to know if
something was nearby so he could defend themselves from whatever stumbled on
them. He wondered if anyone else had woken up in the plane. He wondered if he
and Patrick were the only two who were still alive out here. It would be getting dark
soon, and that mean no light, and that the temperature would drop as well.
Neither boy was well prepared for cold weather. Jeffery crawled out of the
shelter and tried to patch holes he had seen from the inside with thick pine
branches and moss, then he crawled back inside. Their shelter wasnt big by any
means. It was just big enough for both boys to lie comfortably next to each other. If
both were sitting up, one had to sit in the front, the other in the back. That way they
werent crowding each other.
The night came with bone chilling temperatures, and both boys huddled next
to each other, trying to keep warm.

If we survive this, well be okay. I never want to be cold again. Patrick

spluttered as his teeth chattered.
Same here. We shouldve stayed in the plane. Jeffery replied.
Just then a bright light illuminated the sky. The boys peeked out and saw a
giant fireball roaring off the top of the cliff.
Uh, about staying in the plane. I take that back. Exclaimed Jeffery in shock.
I thought so.
The fire raged on, but the boys went to sleep. Patrick was beginning to realize
they might have to spend a lot more time out here surviving that he had hoped for,
and that gave him a sick feeling in his stomach.
It took him a long time to get to sleep, and once he did, it was a restless
sleep.