The Lovers Survivors

1. Other Side Of The Waves

Later, Leighton sees the flight attendants running in the corridors. They try to smile to the passengers, but deep down, he knows they are terrified.

People start screaming when they see the smoke coming out of the burning trailing edge.

Leighton closes his book and puts it inside his bag. He rests his back against his seat and tries to calm himself down. But it's impossible. Hearing the captain's voice ask them not to worry just made him angry. How can they not worry when their plane is on fire? When there is no chance of survival?

Leighton looks at the kid sitting next to him and tears burn his eyes. He looks confused and keeps looking at his mother wondering why she's sobbing. He then looks at the rest of the passengers and grows curious about why they're screaming and begging for a miracle to happen.

The boy turns his head and looks at Leighton who gives him a small smile. He pats his head gently and takes a lollipop out of his bag to give it to him. The child mumbles a quiet ‘thank you’ and asks his mother to help him open it.

Leighton looks through the window again and his chest tightens. The fire is worsening, it's reaching other parts of the engine. There is no chance.

He sees the flight attendants instructing the passengers of what to do such as put on the

lifejackets in case the plane falls in the middle of the sea and breathe in the masks if they feel suffocated.  But is there any chance that the plane falls into the water? Judging from its state, it will probably explode in the air.

The flight attendants follow Julian Evans who runs in the corridors, screaming and sobbing for his life. He pulls his hair and kneels on the ground. He asks them to tell the captain to find a solution even if he knows there is no hope anymore.

The passengers don't give him attention anymore. When death approaches, there is no famous and no rich. People only think of themselves and all the things they will leave behind.

A loud bang provoked screams. The plane engine took fire and exploded. Leighton watches it detach from the vehicle and fall, crossing the endless clouds.

Suddenly, the plane turns upside down and the passengers find themselves depending on their seatbelt. The suitcases and bags fall, the children's screams get louder, people's sobbing doesn't stop and the hope disappears.

Leighton shuts his eyes and clenches his fists. He thinks about his mother and Tyler. He left them smiling and happy for his marriage. And Evelyn, the poor woman will be left without the man whom she loves.

He starts crying for his bad luck. He always wished to live a happy life with the woman he admires, and his little family whom he adores.

When the things were finally going on their right way, this incident had to happen.

Tears fall down his cheeks as he prays for all to be just a bad nightmare. He wishes he could just wake up and find himself in Evelyn's arms or lying on his mother's lap while she caresses his hair.

Leighton feels a small hand against his. The child tightens his grip on his wrist and it only breaks him more. The poor kid doesn’t deserve such a tragic death. 

Their fingers intertwine, the small ones under the big ones. He feels his moment arriving, and he wishes his family and his fiancee find their happiness after the sadness of his loss. He prays for his brother to realize his dream, and he feels bad and regretful because he won't be able to help him anymore. He hopes that his mother's health will get better even if he knows it will only worsen after the incident. Then, he thinks about the woman he loves and his heart hurts. He pictures her beautiful smile in his head, he can give everything to see it again. He will miss touching her soft skin and kissing her sweet lips.

Other explosions occur and his hearts bursts at each of them. He sees death before his closed eyes, he sees the end of his days, the edge of his happiness.

He opens his eyes for the last time and watches the little kid. Surprisingly, he's crying silently, he can't even hear his voice. He sobs instead because of the child's strength. He's impressed by his patience and the way he comforts his mother by caressing her hand with his small thumb.

The moment arrived. The engine reaches its limits, as well as their hope. Leighton looks around him, he sees people cry, faint, look at their loved

one's pictures or hold them if they're close. He sees mothers kissing their children, couples holding hands and elders pray for all.

Then his eyes rest on Julian Evans. He's not sobbing anymore, he's just looking in front of him, his eyes look empty— dead.

Leighton sighs heavily and closes his eyes again. The moment arrived. The last explosion occurred. 

The trees waltz with the rhythm of the gentle morning breeze, the leaves sing along with the birds, creating a symphony, a beautiful melody which reigns around the endless forest.

The sun is burning and spreading its shining beauty all over the sea waters. The sound of the waves competes with the song of the chirping birds, their majestic movements make them reach the shore in the most calming and admirable way.

But today, the sea waves have brought a gift to the forest, a very unusual one.

It reaches the shore and lies on the golden sand. It's calm, it doesn't move, it's inert. The forest pushes the breeze toward it and makes it feel the coldness.

The gift then moves and lets out a strange noise, one which was unrecognizable to the trees and the birds. It coughs, water comes out and it starts breathing.

Little by little, nature gets used to the young man lying on the sand. His wet hair sticks on his forehead as well as his torn clothes, that became like a part of his skin. The small wounds on his

arms and legs burn, and his eyes can't even open because of the salt.

Leighton moves his lips and frowns because of the strange feeling, and the unusual salty taste inside his mouth. He tries to open his eyes, but the guardian of the sands and trees, the burning sun blinds him with its rays. He fights its power and succeeds to open his eyes, but it's blurry. He wipes them with his hand and only worsens it because it burns more now. He keeps trying and fighting until he can see, but not clearly.

The first things which appear in his field of vision are the endless golden sands. He moves his hands and touches its softness. He turns his head slowly and gets welcomed by the majestic trees towering him. He tries to sit down and groans because of the pain he feels in his entire body. He realizes he is facing the sea with its all beauty and greatness. 

Leighton looks around again and wonders if it's what paradise looks like. There are no buildings, no towers, no pollution. He can't even hear people's grumbling or the car horns. He sighs when he recalls there are quiet places like these in the world, and they are called islands.

Leighton doesn't know if he should be relieved that he survived the crash, or worried that he's lost in a deserted island in the middle of nowhere.

He sees no one around and wonders if he's the only survivor of the tragic plane crash.

His chest tightens when the image of the little boy crosses his mind. The poor child doesn't deserve such an end, he looked so innocent and strong.

Leighton pulls his knees to his chin and watches the seawater move forward and backwards before him. His body shakes, not only because of the cold but also because of the fear. The fear of losing everything he once had, his family, his friends and his loved one. He fears not to be able to see them again and embrace them.

But there again, he didn't lose what's even more valuable to him— his life.

Leighton starts crying and the tears mix with the salty water falling from his hair. He cries for the passengers who lost their lives, the little boy who didn't get to live his. He cries for leaving his mother and brother alone in the rooftop home. Now, they won't have anyone to feed them and look after them. He cries for his friends, those who have helped him achieve his goals and even paid the ring he offered to Evelyn. He will miss their laughs, their loud voices and the gifts they often offered him. And Evelyn, he will miss everything about her.

Leighton gets up after a while and starts walking on the golden sands. He watches the trees moving along with the gentle breeze and listen to the harmony of the songbirds and the waves of the sea.

He wonders if that's his fate and if he's destined to spend the rest of his days alone with nature. 

He walks inside the forest to be welcomed by a deafening silence. He hears the cracks of the branches every time he takes a new step. It looks abandoned, but nature is guarding it well judging from the greenery and the fresh leaves.

He stops and decides to go back to the shore. He fears to gets lost in the middle of a foreign forest, without knowing what there is deep inside.

The sunrays burn his eyes again, he covers them with his arm and keeps walking. His feet start feeling uncomfortable because of the water inside his shoes, so he sits down and takes them off along with his socks. He feels better when his naked feet brush the softness of the sand.

He looks around, hoping to find a boat or anything that might be of help, but he can't find any. He can only see the water around. But everything changes when the waves suddenly bring another gift to the forest.

Leighton widens his eyes when he sees a body appearing on the seashore. He runs with all his strength until he notices the blue hair hiding the man's face. He recognizes Julian Evans and kneels before him. He's unconscious, he doesn't move nor respond to his calls.

Thankfully, Leighton has worked on so many cases before. He saved numerous lives, it was his job.

He hurries to tear his shirt off and perform chest compressions. He's weak, but he gives all the strength he has left to help the unconscious man.

He checks his pulse and puts more pressure on his chest. His heart beats weakly, he can't breathe.

Leighton pinches his nose and opens his mouth to give him rescue breaths. He kept trying several times, giving his all, shouting his name as loud as he could until Julian finally breathed.