As I slouched in my warm seat, I started to relax.
All my fear of the bumpy, lurching take-off faded.
My racing heart slowed to a normal beat.
Yawning, I glance out the window, the bright flash of the light of the wing cutting through the darkness of morning.
A ding pierces my thoughts, the captain's voice comes through a static speaker telling us ''we are at cruising altitude'' and that ''this is a fine morning for flying''.
I let out a long heavy sigh, only one gruelling hour into the flight.
Fading back in my chair, I noticed that the distant rumbling had grown louder.
The low rumble had become a sharp crack; bright blue filled the sky.
''No no no'' I thought to myself.
But it was inevitable we were tearing into a thunderstorm.
I began to panic, feeling my grip tighten on the armrest, my knuckles turning white like winter snow.
My heart pounding as a crazed drummer, cold sweat spread along my brow.
Suddenly, the plane lurched violently as though it had hit a pothole.
An ear-splitting shriek broke out, ringing through the cabin.
Like clockwork there was a comforting voice through the speaker above my head.
''Don't worry,'' it told us.
''It's only a wee bump.''
A bright blue flash filled the cabin, blinding my eyes; the rumbling was deafening; it stung my ears like angry bees.
A huge boom erupted from outside. As my eyes focused I glanced out the window seeing horror itself!
Thick black smoke and bright yellow flames erupted from the mangled turbine; long cracks lined the plane's wing.
The end of the torn wing was flapping limply in the wind.
Terror struck the cabin like wildfire; bloodcurdling screams filled the air.
My stomach lurched as we began to spiral out of the air.
People were thrown around the cabin like rag dolls in a drier.
I was thrown forward violently, the belt digging into my torso, cutting my breathing.
The ball of fear inside me erupted, spreading through my body, the trickle of sweat turning into a steady river flowing down my face.
This is it, I told myself.
An enormous crash ripped through the cabin.
Everything went black.
• By Max Stewart, Year 11, St Kevin's College
