I do not own Flight 29 Down or it's characters.
Daley
Daley lay curled up on her side in the girl's tent. Sandwiched between Melissa and Taylor; she had been faking sleep for several hours. She held her breath and listened to Melissa's soft, but steady breathing. "One down, one to go", she thought as she slightly opened her eyes to get a look at Taylor. She was lying on her back, with her head rolled over so that she faced Daley. Her lips were parted slightly, and she had a hand resting up near her head. "Two down" thought Daley.
She took a few moments to wriggle out of her sleeping bag, as to not wake the others. She carefully unzipped the tent, slipped out, and zipped it back up as carefully as before. Although it was dark, Daley fearlessly made her way down to the beach. She smiled knowing she would have never gone out alone at night of she were home. There were too many elements to be afraid of. Not here though. There was no one here that wanted to hurt her. She was safe. The entire island had become both a hindrance, and security blanket over the past few weeks. She sat down in the sand indian style, and traced "Daley" into the sand in front of her. She looked up and studied the stars above, while subconsciously pulling sand into her hands and letting it run out slowly; like sand in an hourglass. A small star flickered like an old light bulb, and the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" made it's way into Daley's head uninvited. She hummed it to herself, and it took her back to when she was only five years old.
"Mommy! Watch me dance for you!" Five-year-old Daley practically pushed her mother onto the living room couch. Mrs. Marin giggled. " So I take it you liked ballet class Miss Daley May?"
"I loved it!" Daley squealed and skipped, actually skipped, over to her Hello Kitty CD player. She pressed play, maybe a little to hard, and a chorus of children erupted in "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Daley pointed her toes, and pranced around the room making the picture frames shake. She paused only for a moment to study her mother. Mrs. Marin was laughing, and smiling that smile that gave Daley a feeling that nothing would ever be wrong in the world. She would never forget that face. Daley started to spin; she spun faster and faster until her legs refused to hold her up. She fell to the floor panting and so dizzy it felt like someone was beating her head with a mallet. She was just about to cry when she felt her mother's soft hands scoop her up, and carry her over to the couch. She cuddled Daley in her arms, and gently guided her head to rest on her shoulder. She stroked her daughter's curly red hair, and whispered into her tiny ear.
"That was beautiful sweetheart."
Daley sighed and smiled to herself. She shifted her body so she would be even closer to her mother. She loved her Mommy more than anything in the world. Even more than dancing. Then she said Daley's five favorite words: " I love you Daley May."
"I love you too Mommy" Daley whispered as she fought away sleepiness. She lost the fight.
Daley stared out to the ocean, and tried to conceal her tears. She was successful; she has gotten to be quite good at it since crashing on the island. She looked back up to the stars. "Am I looking at Heaven? Is my mom looking at me," she thought. She smiled up to her Mom, and stood up. She could feel her mother there, with her, and she realized all that was missing was her dancing. She had not danced since her mother never came to pick her up from her dance class. She waited for over an hour, and finally her father showed up and gave her the grave news. A drunk driver had hit her mother's car. Mrs. Marin was killed on impact. That was the last time Daley had ever danced. No one knew she used to be a dancer, not even Lex.
She gave the sky one last look before whispering "Mommy, watch me dance for you." So she danced. Dancing the last routine she had ever learned before she quit dance classes. She moved gracefully, but powerfully completing leaps and turns with perfection. The sand sank under her feet complicating her dancing, but she continued on. Her hair swung wildly around, and her shadow mimicked her every move. Despite the fact she had not danced in years, she moved beautifully; her silhouette creating a story of it's own. She stopped for a brief second, and then started to spin; slowly at first, but faster and faster until everything around her was a blur. It reminded Daley of her own life; being lost, and trying to get a clear view or understanding of what her life was all about. The sand shifted under her feet, and she fell to the ground. Her stomach lurched on impact. She got on her hands and knees, and threw up. She used one hand to hold back her tangled hair, and the other remained on the ground to steady herself.
This time there was no one to pick her back up. There was no one to cuddle her, and let her know that she is loved. Daley's tears hit the beach for the first time. She sobbed so hard she threw up again, and then covered the pile with sand. She beat her fists on the ground, and stomped her heels into the earth with rage. She stood, still dizzy, and stumbled around the beach sobbing. She didn't care who heard her anymore; she didn't feel like being quiet.
She picked up a coconut and hurled it at a tree with a soft screech. It wasn't fair. She lost her mother, her best friend, to some idiot that she didn't even know. She hated him. She hated herself. If she would not have been at that stupid dance class, her mom would not have been out on the road coming to get her. She would still be alive, safe, and with Daley. That's all she ever wanted, just to be with her mom again. Daley lay down on the beach, and composed herself. She was tired, and cold, and did not want anyone to wake up and find her in this condition. If they saw their leader like this... Daley felt like they would all lose hope. She had to be the strong one, at least when everyone was around. In the sunlight she had to be fearless, and keep a bunch of kids alive; when she is only a child herself. Here in the darkness she could dance, and cry, and get everything out to build strength to face tomorrow. She could be weak, and vulnerable, and no one had to know. Daley went to the cooler and rinsed the pain off her face with a squirt of water. She unzipped the tent as carefully as before, and slipped back into her sleeping bag.
She stared at Taylor, and listened to Melissa for a few moments. It was if time had stopped when she left for the beach. She smiled. "Just as I left you." Daley fought off sleep just for a few more moments; she whispered " I love you Mommy", and then lost the fight.
A/N: I just wanted to give Daley a moment alone, and wanted to create a story about her mother. So here it is! Please review, and tell me what you liked or disliked. I am open to anything... and constructive critisism is awesome! I am open to any opinion positive or negitive, so don't be afraid to tell me what you think! Thanks!