Chapter One: From Tokyo with Fear
There was Mariko, the class president, with her almost waist-length plain black hair; Rumiko, the sweetheart of Tokyo Jokyu Gakuen, her brown hair gathered in a messy bun on each side of her head; Yurika, the aspiring idol singer, her hair blonde and bobbed like her favorite singer; Sanae, the star of the volleyball team, her hair kept short for convenience; Asuka, book-smart but incredibly friendly, her stick-straight brown hair stuffed under a Rakuten Eagles baseball cap; and Reiko, the tough, street-smart girl, her wavy reddish mane hiding her scowling face and contraband nose piercing. On the meager boys� side, there was Yuichirou, the future politician, his hair in a fresh buzz cut; Ryuhei, Jokyu Gakuen�s resident anime fan, sporting a plain greasy black bowl hairstyle; and Shuya, the incredibly fast pitcher for the baseball team, his brown hair just long enough to support a small ponytail.
�Mr. Koyanagi,� Yurika began cautiously. �I think some of us are hungry.�
�Well, let�s get through security and down to our gate first. We don�t want to be late, do we?� Koyanagi smiled, showing his students the way to the security checkpoints. In order to keep track of his students, Koyanagi had them dress in their school uniforms, the white button-down shirts, burnt orange and brown plaid skirts or khaki pants that they were accustomed to. He walked through security first after being given the all-clear and stood waiting for his charges on the other side of the metal detectors. The scanner seemed to have an issue with Reiko�s nose ring, so she had to remove it and have it scanned separately.
Waiting at gate A15 was nearly soul-crushing. The only real form of entertainment was CNN International or the newspapers scattered around (the Mainichi, the Asahi, and the Yomiuri) and they had all been read by the good young doctor, who felt like this was truly purgatory. A simple bar, named The Airport Bar at Narita, seemed to call out to him and he proudly answered. He despised air travel, so he would need the help of a few good Sapporos to reach Hawaii.
�Masaharu Ito, huh?� the cute young bartender girl asked, looking over his driver�s license to verify his age.
�Yes, ma�am,� Masaharu replied. �I�d like a nice, cold Sapporo, please.� The bartender nodded and knelt down to retrieve a cold longneck bottle. She set a napkin down on the bar and gently placed the Sapporo atop it.
�So, where are you headed to?�
�I�m going to Honolulu. I�m celebrating getting through my residency,� Masaharu explained. �But,� he added, gulping half the beer. �I hate flying.� To this, the girl giggled and covered her mouth.
�Many people do; in fact, it�s what keeps me in business.� The two laughed together while Masaharu drank.
�Come on, baby, stay together. Hold my hand, okay?�
�Okay, mommy.�
An elegant-looking young woman wearing a black power suit and an excess of jewelry walked alongside an equally elegant young man in a button-up and khakis. Skipping along beside them was a little girl, her long black hair twisted into a sleek braid, tied off with a furry rainbow-colored scrunchie.
�Mommy, I want to go to the gift shop.�
�I don�t know, Chiyo. There might not be a lot of time to before our flight takes off. Masao, what do you think?� The woman, confused, turned to her husband for advice.
�Akina, who could it hurt? C�mon, there�s a shop right by gate A15.� Masao pointed to a map, where a shopping bag icon hovered directly over the label for gate A15. �Let�s go.�
�Yes! The new Iken came out!� Asuka and Rumiko were shopping around inside the store nearest to gate A15. Rumiko was checking out the wide array of snacks while Asuka pulled a large, glossy magazine with a painted beach scene on the cover. The characters forming the word Iken, or �opinion�, were written in bright white.
�Gonna buy it?� Rumiko asked, pondering a bag of chocolate chip cookies.
�Already am.� Asuka plopped some money down on the counter and took up her bagged magazine. �This is gonna be a long flight. I need some entertainment.�
�Yeah, I wonder if they�ll show a movie.� Rumiko paid for her bag of cookies and tucked them into her backpack.
�They have to! It�s a 7 hour flight, they would be sadistic not to,� Asuka pointed out right as Akina, Masao, and Chiyo walked in. �Aw, what a cute little kid.�
�I like her little dress,� Rumiko added. Chiyo was already dressed for Hawaii in a pink dress with white flower patterns. �Come on, let�s go take a walk.�
As usual, Chiba Central station was abuzz with life. All kinds of people, running the gamut from businessmen to schoolgirls, hustled around the large station, worrying about missing a train, not getting there on time, or being crammed into a carriage with hundreds of other people. A woman who looked so pregnant that passers-by thought she could go into labor at any moment struggled down the platform, juggling two suitcases with her extremely off-balanced body. She wore a white blouse and grey sweatpants that were made for pregnant women along with slip-on shoes. She had short brown hair tied into two pigtails and was sweating.
�Ma�am!� a girl in a blue and white sailor-style school uniform called out, rushing to the pregnant woman�s side. �You shouldn�t be carrying those.� She took up the two bags in her hands.
�Ah, thank you.�
�No problem�� The girl angled her head to read a luggage tag. �Haruka. Hey, that�s my name too!�
�No kidding? That�s really cool. Hey, do you know when the Narita Express is coming?� Haruka asked, rubbing her swollen belly.
�Um�� Just then, the chime used to represent a train�s arrival rang out in the station, a cheerful medley of bells that sounded like it would fit better in a Christmas movie.
�An express train to Narita International Airport is now arriving on platform 1. Please step behind the yellow line and wait until the train comes to a complete stop before boarding. This express train makes only one stop. Arriving now on platform 1 is the express train to Narita Airport.� Both Harukas watched as a long silver train emblazoned with an ad for the airport pulled in, stopped, and opened its doors to accept passengers.
�I guess that�s you,� the younger Haruka said, following the older Haruka onto the train and placing her bags down in an area marked for luggage. �I gotta go, or I�ll be late for school. Have a nice flight!�
�Thanks!� the older Haruka yelled, sitting down, as the younger Haruka ran off the train, nearly knocking over a gaggle of flight attendants. A bell sounded, red lights above the doors flashed, and the doors gently slid shut. Yet another small chime sounded and the train took off towards its destination.
�Next stop is Narita International Airport.�
�Oh, I can�t wait to go to Hawaii again, can you?� one of the attendants, a woman in a white blouse, a V-shaped pink tie, a pink pencil skirt, and pink flats asked her friends, who were clad in the same fashion. She had her wings pinned to her chest directly below a nametag identifying herself as �Kaori Terachi�.
�Yeah, maybe we can stay longer this time. 2 nights just won�t cut it,� another attendant, a �Yukari Kazuma�, replied. Haruka twitched in her seat following an incredible kick from her baby. She wondered how much longer it would be to Narita as she looked out the window and watched Chiba speed by.
Reiko hated the smoker�s lounge. It was the single most hopeless place in the whole airport. Everything had a grey tinge to it, from the grimy linoleum floor to the uncomfortable plastic chairs and the seldom-used pay phone on the wall. The room was populated entirely by older men that gifted Reiko with a full pack of cigarettes and a box of matches based entirely on how she looked. Maybe, she ruminated, men do respond to rolled-up skirts and unbuttoned blouses. She lit up and smiled.
Yurika sat at the gate, headphones firmly placed in her ears, her CD player tirelessly striving to provide her with music. She was doing small hand motions to the music, in lieu of dancing, and singing along. A few rows back from her, Yuichirou sat next to Ryuhei, crinkling his nose in disgust.
�Does she have to sing so loud?� he asked.
�Chill out,� Ryuhei replied, nose buried deep in his manga. �She�s not bothering anyone.�
�She�s bothering me! I�m going to go tell her.� Yuichirou stood up and defiantly walked over to Yurika.
�Sekai wa all for one�and one for all,� Yurika sang, bringing her outstretched arm out in front of her and forming a 1 with her finger, accidentally poking Yuichirou. He frowned and pointed to her ears. She hit pause instead of taking her headphones off.
�Can you do me a big favor and stop singing that foolish racket?� Yuichirou demanded.
�Hm�no,� Yurika replied, shrugging slightly.
�Why not? It�s annoying.�
�Only to you! Nobody else cares, so why don�t you go put on your own music to drown me out?� Yurika grinned. Defeated, Yuichirou walked off and Yurika hit play again. �Ima kara sa mirai wo tsukamou furuki ni manabi kenkyuu shita bun koujou suru kara!�
�She�ll only stop when she wants to. Besides, her singing is cute,� Ryuhei commented.
�Cute? You think the Hello Project All-Stars are cute?!�
�You�ve got over 40 beautiful young girls dressed in school uniforms dancing about and generally being cute. As a red-blooded young man, you�d be a hardass not to think they�re cute.�
�Fine, I guess that I�m a hardass by your incredibly generalized standard.� Yuichirou pouted and turned away.
�No way! The Tigers are so much better than the BayStars,� Sanae argued. �I mean, they�ve won more games.�
�What does winning matter if the BayStars pitch such close games? Last time they saw the Tigers, the Tigers won 6-5, but the BayStars hit the only grand slam in that game,� Shuya retorted.
�The Tigers are going to be division champs, you know,� Sanae pointed out stubbornly.
�It�s still early on in the season. The BayStars could surprise us yet.�
�You guys were arguing about baseball all the way here!� Mariko, looking over the detailed itinerary, muttered. �Swallows, Giants, Marines, Golden Eagles, BayStars, Tigers, you�ll talk about every team before we get on the plane.� She laughed at the absurdity of it all.
There was horrible enka music piping through the speakers at the Narita Tokyo Souvenir Shop, but the blond-haired, blue-eyed freckled man shopping around honestly didn�t care. He was buying final souvenirs to ship to his family in San Francisco along with all of his belongings from his year spent teaching English in Saitama. To celebrate surviving the whole year, he was going to cool down for a week in Hawaii.
�Excuse me,� he said in Japanese, grabbing the salesclerk�s attention. �I would like to ship these to America, please.�
�You�ll need to fill out some forms. Do you want them in English?�
�No, Japanese is fine.� He was given a stack of forms and began filling them out, checking his watch nervously every minute or so.
A chime rang out through all of Terminal 1.
�Aloha Airways flight 714 with direct service from Tokyo to Honolulu is announcing its first boarding call. This boarding call is for children traveling alone, parents traveling with young children, and all first-class passengers. I repeat��
�Come on, Chiyo. It�s time to get on the plane,� Akina excitedly told Chiyo. �We�re special, so we can get on first.�
�Cool!� Chiyo exclaimed while Akina took out two boarding passes and showed them to the woman at the counter, who looked them over, nodded, tore a tab off each boarding pass, and ushered them into the jetway. Masao followed right as Haruka came up.
�Can I get on this boarding call, or do I need to wait?� she asked, visibly stressed.
�Oh, you can definitely get on now,� the woman replied politely, nodding.
�Thank you!� Haruka replied breathlessly, extracting her boarding pass, getting her tab torn off, and walking into the jetway.
Reiko heard the boarding call from inside the lounge and thought it was the one calling her group to board.
�Shit,� she muttered, stabbing her cigarette into one of the many ashtrays scattered around. She threw the matches and cigarettes into her purse and dashed off, running at top speed down the terminal to find her group still sitting at the gate.
�Well, good to see that you made it back, Reiko,� Mariko said icily.
�I was hungry, so I went to get some food,� Reiko lied.
�Please! You smell like cigarettes. There�s some perfume in that gift shop. Spray yourself with it or Mr. Koyanagi will suddenly learn where you�ve been.� Frowning, Mariko pointed to the gift shop and Reiko went off, stomping all the way. She found a display of some sort of perfume and doused herself in it, going back to the gate with a smirk on her face. Some of her classmates almost gagged on the smell.
As soon as all of the first-class travelers were all aboard, the chime rang out through the terminal again.
�Aloha Airways flight 714 with direct service from Tokyo to Honolulu is now announcing its second boarding call. This call is for all passengers in rows 11 to 25. Would all passengers in rows 11 to 25 please line up at the ticket window?� The nine students heard the sounds of people leaving around them but were unable to follow, as they were stuck sitting in the last rows of the plane.
�I should be going soon,� Masaharu told the bartender. �They�ll call my section up next.�
�So that�ll be your last drink?� Two empty Sapporo bottles sat nearby.
�Yeah�� Masaharu handed over his credit card and was presented with a receipt moments later. He signed it, marveling at the fact that he now had a bona fide doctor�s signature, took his card again, and said goodbye to the cute bartender as he made his way towards Gate A15.
After what seemed like an eternity of watching other people board, the third boarding call went out. Excited, the students picked up their carry-ons and followed Mr. Koyanagi to the counter, verifying their boarding passes and being shown to the jetway.
�Finally,� Rumiko sighed. Asuka nodded. Shuya and Sanae continued their heated baseball discussion. Yuichirou was resolutely ignoring Ryuhei. Yurika stopped listening to her music for a moment, just in case she needed to hear any instructions. Reiko walked in the back of the group and Mariko led the procession.
�Welcome,� the chorus of flight attendants chirped, bowing, as every person entered the plane. Now walking in single file down the small corridor, the students deftly maneuvered themselves around people arguing over seats, people shoving luggage into the overhead bins, and other people jostling for their seats.
�Okay, we�re in rows 44 and 45,� Mr. Koyanagi said. �That�s all the way in the back.�
�Well, at least we�re close to the bathrooms,� Mariko noted.
�Look at your boarding passes to find your seat number!� Mr. Koyanagi bellowed as he sat down in 44F, a window seat.
�I�m in 44A,� Sanae reported, moving into her seat and settling in, tucking her backpack underneath her seat.
�45A,� Asuka sang, sitting down and looking out the window.
�45F,� Ryuhei muttered, seating himself and getting right back to his manga.
Mariko sat down in 44B and Reiko groaned, rolling her eyes, as she saw the seat number 44C printed on her boarding pass.
�You don�t talk to me and I don�t talk to you,� she told Mariko as she sat down. Shuya settled into 45E and Yuichirou into 45D, right across the aisle from Yurika in 45C. Rumiko in 45B was exploring the many different culinary options available on this long flight. It seemed as if there were a full kitchen on this plane, and she was overjoyed.
Chiyo was excited to sit by the window in 43F, and she was even happier to receive a plastic pair of wings similar to the ones worn by the flight attendants. Akina and Masao sat next to each other, holding hands. Haruka, due in part to last-minute cancellations and the airline wishing to help an 8-months-pregnant woman traveling alone, had seats 43A, B, and C all to herself. Masaharu looked over at her, worried. He was surrounded by Mr. Koyanagi on one side and a blond guy who was panting for air on the other.
�Hey, are you okay?� Masaharu asked in lightly accented English.
�What? Oh, yeah. I just had to run here.� Masaharu smiled upon realizing that he just spoke English that a gaijin understood.
�Welcome to Aloha Airways flight 714 from Tokyo to Honolulu. Please check your ticket to make sure you are on the right airplane, and if you are not, please alert a flight attendant. We�re glad that you chose to fly with us. As we prepare to take off on our 7-hour long journey, we would like for you pay attention to the front for a minute.� Flight attendants took their places on the plane. �Please stay seated and buckled up until the Fasten Seat Belts sign is turned off. To fasten your seat belt, take both parts of your belt and place them together. You will hear a click.� One of the attendants used a prop to demonstrate the correct method of seat belt fastening. �During take-off and landing, please keep your seat and tray table in the upright and locked position. Due to possible interference with air traffic controllers, turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones, CD players, PDAs, and laptops during take-off and landing. We will tell you when it is safe to turn them back on.� Yurika turned off her CD player and many of the other students turned off their cell phones. �There is no smoking allowed on this flight.� Reiko cringed. It would be a long 7 hours for her without nicotine. �In the unlikely event of a crash, your seat can be used as a floatation device. There is also a life vest available under your seat.� The attendant put on a life vest and inflated it. �Inflate your vest by pulling the red cord.� She pulled the cord and the vest immediately inflated. �In case of a sudden change in altitude, oxygen masks will drop in front of your face. Place the yellow part around your nose and mouth using the elastic band. If you have children, help them put their mask on before putting yours on.�
�I hate this part,� Mariko whispered. �Takeoff.�
�There are exits in the front, back, and sides of the plane.� The attendants placed their index and middle fingers together and used them to point to the doors. �If you need anything, press the call button on the console directly above your seat and a flight attendant will be with you shortly.� The plane started to taxi along the runway. �We are second in line to take off, so please fasten your seat belts and relax. Thank you for choosing Aloha Airways!�
�Flight attendants, prepare for cross-check and takeoff,� a strange male voice announced as the attendants walked down the aisles, peering into every row of seats before sitting down in foldout seats and buckling up. Sighing, Mariko leaned back in her seat and held on to the armrests like her life was hanging in the balance. The plane crept forward as another one took off, leaving the runway clear. When the runway was cleared, 714 drove forward, going progressively faster and faster, the engines roaring up, until the nose left the ground, the rest of the plane swiftly following. People sitting in window seats craned their necks to watch Tokyo get smaller and smaller underneath them.
�You OK?� Sanae asked a pale Mariko.
�Kind of,� Mariko whispered shakily.
�Once we�re stabilized, it�ll be better. Takeoff kind of sucks anyway.� Sanae smiled.
Tokyo was just a collection of dots amidst a visible Mount Fuji when the plane finally righted itself. A bell rang and the Fasten Seat Belts sign clicked off.
�The captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belts sign. You are now free to move around the cabin.� A groan of relief went up from the passengers, especially the ones who had to use the bathroom. Lines queued up outside the tiny bathrooms almost immediately.
�We�re good now,� Sanae told Mariko, patting her on the shoulder. Reiko had been listening to loud punk music and chewing gum since she was allowed to. Asuka was deep in reading Iken, Rumiko was ordering a snack, and Yurika was still singing along to her songs. Ryuhei nibbled on a stick of Pocky while reading his manga, Shuya was napping, and Yuichirou was watching the in-flight movie, which was about a romp through the life of an assassin.
�Look, Chiyo, there�s the ocean,� Akina told Chiyo, pointing out the window.
�When will we be in Hawaii, mama?� Chiyo asked.
�Oh, not for a long time, maybe 5 hours. But Daddy and I are here to make it fun.� Akina smiled. �Mm, it�s pretty out there, isn�t it?� Chiyo nodded.
Haruka was somewhat worried, sitting in her lonely row. She knew that women in her stage of pregnancy weren�t really supposed to fly because of the pressurization, but Haruka had a special reason for flying. Her sister, who swore she would never love again and become a nun, was getting married in Honolulu, and she knew she had to be there. Plus, the flight attendants were being extra nice to her, giving her extra cups of water and snacks. In fact, she received another pack of pretzels and placed them gingerly on her tray table. Now free to move around, Masaharu came and sat next to her, instinctively buckling up.
�Ma�am, are you okay?� he asked her.
�What? Oh yeah, I�m fine.� Haruka smiled and rubbed her belly. �Why? Are you worried about a cute little lonely pregnant girl?�
�A little,� Masaharu replied honestly. �I�m a doctor.�
�Ah, okay, so it�s part of your job to worry. I have a really, really special event to go to. My sister�� Haruka took a sip of water. �My sister, when she was 16, she swore she would never love again after some guy dumped her. But now, she�s getting married, so I can�t afford to skip it! My doctor also said that I should be strong enough to fly.�
�Who�s your doctor?� Masaharu wondered aloud.
�Oh, um, Mitsuko Tanaka.�
�Tokyo General Hospital?�
�Yes, actually.� Haruka nodded. �I really trust her.�
�We work at the same hospital, then! I�m a general practitioner, so I don�t see the OB/GYNs too much.� Masaharu shrugged. �You seem lonely. Do you mind if I sit here?�
�No problem. The more, the merrier.� Haruka said sweetly. �Do you want some pretzels? I have enough here to feed the Red Chinese Army.� The two laughed and cracked open a bag of pretzels.
�Would you like a snack?� Kaori asked, pushing a cart stacked high with snacks to the group of students.
�Yes, please,� Mariko said, leaning over because Reiko was blocking her view of the aisle.
�I�ll take one, too,� Sanae added with a nod.
�Thank God! I was getting really hungry,� Yurika commented, taking her snack. Kaori made sure that everyone was offered a snack before pushing her cart past the restrooms, where there were still lines, to the kitchen in the very back of the plane. It was nearing the time for the first real meal of the flight to be served, so there were flight manifests to check, special requests to verify, and 108 meals to prepare and give out. Just as Kaori put her cart back in its place, the plane hit some turbulence. The passengers standing up to wait for the restrooms were shaken.
�Is everyone okay?� Kaori asked, as she was trained to do.
�Yeah,� was the general consensus until a patch of even rougher turbulence seconds later. Mariko turned pale again and immediately buckled up.
�Crap,� Kaori whispered, going over to her little foldout seat and picking up a phone as a small light turned on. �The captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belts sign again. Please make your way back to your seats and buckle up. Thank you.� The shaken standing passengers ambled back to their seats, working through even more rough turbulence, and all the flight attendants seated themselves in their foldout seats, as per protocol.
Another large bout of turbulence shook the entire plane and made the lights flicker ominously. A few seconds later, a shrill alarm started to sound and oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling. Some of the passengers, seeing the masks and knowing what they were generally associated with, began to panic, including Mariko. Sanae helped her put her mask on. Akina put Chiyo�s on first and Masaharu reached for Haruka�s to keep her from straining.
As Kaori put her mask on, she felt a sinking feeling deep in her stomach and wondered why she took a job in the airline business. She remembered that she wanted to travel the world and meet cute guys, and then realized that she could be dying. The plane wasn�t righting itself as it usually did. In fact, it seemed to slowly be going down, not up. Many of the passengers were beginning to embrace their mortality, realizing that death might not be knocking on their door at some far-off, advanced stage in life, but right now, situated in the blue polyester seats of a jumbo jet with oxygen masks clamped onto their faces. The shrill beeping alarm grew louder as the plane descended faster and faster.
Kaori squeezed her eyes shut and started counting up as far as she knew in English. It was an exercise she concocted to calm her down if she was feeling bad, and this was probably the best time for it. She would start counting and lose her place because the beeping and the screaming would interrupt her over and over. Her sinking feeling grew even stronger and she began to count once more.
�One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen�� An insanely loud thud was heard as the plane violently landed on its nose, shaking the entire cabin once more. Kaori hit her head on the wall and the last thing she saw was fire exploding in the first-class area. As soon as 714 crashed, those who were not rendered unconscious�or worse�looked around and removed their masks as soon as they realized that they were on the ground. They got up and went for the exits, staying away from the burning first-class area and choosing the doors in the back to exit from. A strong man pulled the red lever on the door and pushed it open, causing the exit slide to inflate in front of them. The slide inflated in a matter of seconds, stopping when it touched the sand of a pristine white beach. Waves gently rushed in and out, there was the sound of a bird chirping, and there was an overgrown green jungle in the distance. Passengers started to slide down the slide, their faces wrought with confusion and worry as they landed on the beach and helped others out.
�Where are we?� Rumiko asked when she landed.
�This definitely isn�t Hawaii,� Reiko commented when she landed. Ryuhei was holding his right hand to his head, because he hit his head against the window. Mariko slid down, surrounded by Sanae and Asuka. Mariko was as white as a sheet of paper and was confused, babbling about nothing.
�Someone help us!� Asuka and Sanae cried. �Something�s wrong with Mariko!�
Masaharu helped Haruka get down the slide and saw the pale Mariko as soon as he landed. He heard Asuka and Sanae begging for help and knew exactly what was happening.
�She�s in shock,� he explained. �Is she bleeding any?� Asuka nodded and removed her right hand from a large red spot on Mariko�s white blouse.
�She hit the armrest really hard when we landed,� Sanae explained to Masaharu. �What�s wrong with her?�
�Because she�s lost so much blood and she�s undoubtedly shaken by this whole thing�� Masaharu began, looking over Mariko�s wound. �She�s gone into hypovolemic shock. Here.� He undid his necktie and gingerly pulled up Mariko�s shirt just far enough to see the wound. Upon seeing it, the girls cringed. �It�s okay, she�ll be okay, I just need to stop the bleeding.� He wrapped his tie around her wound and tied it off. �Is that too tight?� he asked Mariko.
�No,� she replied shakily.
�Good. Now, lay her down in the sand, okay?� Masaharu asked the girls, who nodded and gently put Mariko down in the sand on her back. �Here.� He removed his sport coat and wrapped it around her. �She needs to get warmer, fast. I�m going to go look on the plane for some blankets. I�m sure a 7-hour flight has to have some blankets available. While she�s recovering, do NOT let her look at the plane. Trust me, it�s a bad sight.�
Aloha Airways flight 714 could never have looked worse. Its nose was squashed and fire was burning out of the first ten windows, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. Aside from the smoke and fire, though, the rest of the plane looked all right. The wings were even still attached properly, but the reality was there. This plane had crashed, people were undoubtedly going to die, and those who didn�t die were stranded.
CONTINUE to Chapter Two: Superstitions and Lessons
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