Chapter One: departure
"Dad, come on, I have an hour to get out of the country."
"We'll make it Tara," Will laughed, unloading their duffle bags from the jeep, "And I think God will forgive you if we miss the flight to the Philippines.
Tara gave a fake smile, picking up her duffle bag, "Thanks Will, I'll, go check this in," she laughed.
Will went back to the jeep, "Well Dad," he sighed.
Before Will could say anything, the seriousness on his father's face told him that this conversation wouldn't be any different. Although since it was in public, the volume wouldn't raise quite as high. "Will," he sighed, "Tara's gonna be in the Philippines,"
"Dad,"
"Who knows what she'll run into,"
"She's going with her youth group,"
"Will just," their dad sighed, "Take care of her, a youth group doesn't promise anything."
Will sighed, heavier then his dad, same old same old, he thought, I'll never get it right, and you'll never accept it. I was just never all that you could have wanted. And I never will be.
"Promise me everything's going to be okay." Jenna cooed. Like her boyfriend was her puppy dog.
James couldn't help but smile, "I can Tell you every things going to be okay, but," he squeezed her hands and drew her closer to him, "Promise?"
Her smile faded slightly, "Are you going to be okay?"
But James kept smiling, "I will be, don't worry."
She loved that about her boyfriend, he Always trusted that things would be okay.
"I'm standing right here," their lips parted, and James remembered his brother Seth was three feet away. He was staring disgustedly at them with a raised eyebrow.
"Ehem, sorry Seth," James laughed.
Nearby chatting absent mindedly were three other members of Seth and Tara's youth group, Peter, Trevor and Ehrit. "Dude," said Trevor, "I heard the world's second deadliest snake is in the Philippines."
Ehrit laughed.
"Dude," said Peter, "that's Costa Rica."
The three of them laughed, not suspecting that it would a long time before they shared a laugh again.
"Whatever," Trevor said.
"Dude," said Ehrit, "I heard the beach Pastor Rob is taking us to at the end is sick for skim boarding."
"Ahh, dude," Trevor and Peter laughed in unison. "This is gonna be awesome," Peter laughed.
None of them would ever have known which definition of awesome, in four and a half hours the fate their lives would fall into.
"hey guys," It was Pastor Rob, "let's board the Philippines are awatin."
Marco and his freshmen brother Danny had just caught up with them. None of them knew what God had really planned for them. No one knew how much trust in Him they would have to have.
Chapter two: unexpected complications
"Passengers we are experiencing slight turbulence so please stay calm and keep to your seats."
The term slight was an understatement.
Sudden jerks threw them against the windows and the seats in front of them again and again. "Slight turbulence?" Tara repeated.
"Slight," said Seth, "Barely existing, not that big of deal, the turbulence was slight, s-l-i-g-h-t, slight." James laughed.
Will could barely fake a smile.
"Seriously," said Trevor. Absent from thought's of consequences it would entail, took off his seat belt, "What's going on?"
He leaned on the seat in front of him for balance, and stood, "Dude, Trevor," said Seth across the row.
"Typical Trevor," murmured Tara to herself, so only David stood up with him.
When they swore it had calmed, Trevor and David fell to the floor of the isle. "Trevor, David," Pastor Rob ordered, "Get back in your seats now."
Only ignorance above all was all that Pastor Rob received. Even Will unbuckled his seat belt. "Will," Tara scolded.
"Someone's gotta help them Tara,"
But Peter was already trying to help Trevor up, "you okay man?" Trevor nodded.
"Passengers please keep,"
It almost began to make no difference, wearing a seatbelt, was beginning to seam pointless, the turbulence was empowering too fast.
"Will,"
Will had been thrown into the seat in front of him, "I'm fine Tara,"
With sudden feeling of weightlessness, came the increasing intensity of each jolt as the aircraft rickashayed and picked up speed off of the winds.
"This is slightly uncomfortable," Seth said in an awkward voice trying to be optimistic.
Ehrit tried to laugh but seconds later everyone screamed feeling the sudden sensation of free fall.
"We're all gonna die!" cried David.
Shrieks sounded from the male passengers, but the girls were oddly quiet, except for Tara.
"We gotta get outa here," Ehrit said breathlessly in fear. He tore off his seat belt and staggered into the isle. Peter slowly but surely followed in suit at Ehrit's heals, then did Seth and Trevor.
Pastor Rob exploded, "Guys, sit down now! You could be killed!"
"They're gonna die anyway!" shouted David.
"We gotta figure out some kind of plan," insisted Will, who also had stood.
Tara cried, "Will, sit down please," she pulled on his arm and he saw the tears beginning to drip down her cheeks, "don't die,"
Before she could finish, he was thrown into the isle. "Will!"
"What kind of plan you have in mind?" Ehrit asked out of breathe.
"Ehrit!!" Pastor Rob shouted.
"Will!"
"Seth! You idiot! What are you doing! Do you want to Die!"
"I haven't decided yet," Seth answered.
"Will please sit down!" Tara begged.
Will looked back at her, Will; just take care of her, his father's words thundered in his head like the thunder outside the aircraft.
He struggled, but stretched his hand back toward her, and said simply and sweetly in a brotherly tone, "Take my hand."
She took his hand but with caution and scooted in their row to be closer to him, gripping his hand tighter. "It'll be okay," he said in a soft reassuring voice.
Tara began to murmur a quick prayer for safety over then both. Will couldn't help but a small look of silent of disbelief. Suddenly he felt an urge to pull his hand away, but he kept it there for her comfort.
"So are we getting out of here or not?" Seth insisted.
"Don't move!" James ordered. "You're staying right here! Until the flight attendant, or the pilot, tells us what to do!"
"Your brother's really bossy,'" said Trevor.
A white figure suddenly passed the window of many passengers and many of the passengers recognized it as a suicide attempt from the flight attendant. Now the last parachute was sailing in he unseen depths of the storm.
"Uh, I don't think we'll be able to ask the flight attendant for help!" yelled David.
"So now what are we gonna do?" someone from the back shouted.
"Jump?" suggested another. But looking at the storm, no one like that idea.
Chapter three: I love you
Jenna sat in Starbucks, checking her cell phone constantly for new text messages.
Finally, what she had been hoping for, a message from James arrived with a silver light in her purse.
Te smile that she wore while opening her cell phone, disappeared, as she read is message three times over before she could take in what it said:
Jenna, I just wanted to say I love you one last time.