CHAPTER 2: Without Purpose.

Evelyn awoke to a howling which she had been distantly aware of for some time, but had not registered until she was awakened by a strong hand planted firmly upon her shoulder shaking her. She was very cold. The wind had whipped her blanket off and rain had soaked clear through to her undergarments. It took her a moment to realize that they were in the middle of a vicious storm, but, as soon as she did she asked Izzy if there was anything she could do to ensure their safety. His reply was, "Oh don't worry, she'll hold together alright. While you were off saving the world I made some new modifications to this ship. We'll be out before ya know it, as long as we don't run into any of your 'friends' which you seem to have many of these days."

Just then a deafening crack and then a groan was heard by all throughout the length of the dirigible. The rain suddenly turned sideways as Evelyn felt her stomach leap and buck under the tremendous pull of gravity she was simultaneously experiencing. She and the contents of the air ship were slammed hard into the starboard side. Another deafening crack was followed by a small yelp that turned into a child-like scream.

"Alex!" She shouted. It had no effect. The storm was too raucous. "Rick! Jonathan!" She continued to be tossed around in a most painful matter, not to mention her heart beating a mile a minute. She knew this feeling all too well. They were going to land, and they were going to hit hard.

The whole infrastructure must have collapsed because she could feel a heavy weight pressing down upon her. Beginning to panic and feeling quite trapped she screeched with fright. The falling sensation seemed to last for an eternity, but could have only been about a half a minute. The grinding and tearing, the screaming, and the shrieking of ropes with too much stress put upon them filled her ears as they plummeted. When they finally collided with what she thought was the ground she felt as though all hell had broken lose.

Tearing herself free from the wreckage Evie attempted to stand and look around. She was extremely light headed and felt as though she was about to vomit. A trickle of something wet was running down her spine and she had no doubt in her mind that it was blood. The thought sent her reeling and over the edge. She clutched her stomach and collapsed to the sand covered ground in a retching heap.

When she had finished she teetered to her feet and unsteadily began to move slowly forward. Though the slightest motion teased her stomach she managed to arrive at the main frame of the torn and completely ruined dirigible before vomiting again. "Alex!" She coughed and sputtered. "Alex, Rick, someone answer me!" The only sound audible was the crackling of flames sizzling in the wind whipped rain. Her hope sunk, but nonetheless she retried. "Alex, Rick, Jonathan!" her voice cracked from screaming too hard.

"Evelyn, is that you?" Izzy's voice replied, breaking the void. He was stumbling towards her from behind.

"Oh, Izzy, thank God it's you!" she turned wobbly to face him. "I was just beginning to get scared." she paused, tears beginning to form. "Do you think the others made it?"

"Well, one thing's for sure, we won't have any idea until we look." Izzy replied. With that they approached the mass of leather, fire, and rope, all the while Evelyn called out her family's' names.

They pawed through rubble with no success. Every once in awhile they would pause to catch their breath while Evelyn would call to her loved ones more. It was like a giant puzzle with no end. A half an hour had gone by when Izzy had come to the conclusion, with great reluctance that no one else had survived. He was just about to break the news to Evie when a small cough was heard amongst the dust and burning debris. Hearing this noise put a renewed strength in Evelyn's limbs as she called her son's name. "Alex! Talk to me Alex!"

"Mum, Is that you?" A weak voice questioned hopefully. "Mum, I'm hurt!" He cried. "It hurts!" A deep breath and then nothing else. She had never heard her son in more pain before.

"Alex, we're coming in for you. Hang on sweetie. Is Dad or Jonathan around you? Can you see anything?" There was still no reply.

"He may be unconscious, Evelyn. We must work faster; the fire is spreading."

The first impression she had of Izzy had quickly changed within the hour. He was beginning to show that he could be quite a gentleman, and that his thoughts weren't only of women and gold like her brother's. The vigor that she had shown earlier returned again as she forced her body to put the nitrogen needed into her muscles. The tears were coming fast, and her heart felt as though it would burst. She was dizzy with fatigue and her body ached; she was visibly wearing down, but she would not cease until they had reached Alex. Distantly she heard voices lift lightly on the breeze. Her expectations regenerated.

~*~

While Evelyn and Izzy were trying to reach Alex, Rick and Jonathan were having a little adventure of their own. Both, having been thrown free of the craft before it crashed, were trying to piece themselves back together before returning to see what had happened.

Rick's already fighting-sore body was even worse now from the impact of landing in the desert sand. He could feel the miniscule grains burning inside his various cuts grinding their way into the damaged flesh. His head burned with fever and his body throbbed.

He slowly came to a stand, all the while pressing his eyelids together tightly, forcing away the blackness that tempted to consummate his mind. He knew Jonathan had landed safely next to him because he had seen him when he had tried to move the first time. Head dipping momentarily to check if he had left anything behind he walked slowly towards the wreck, praying someone was still alive, praying Jonathan had already made his way over.

His shook his thoughts clear, opening his mind, letting reality seep in. His slow determined walk did not falter as he crept around the edges, scanning what he could see of the interior with his eyes. He called out, "Alex, Evelyn?" The sand swished under his feet, and the stars above him burned clearly into his view, but he was not answered.

He continued his painfully sluggish forward movement with persistence until he was finally hovering amid the smoke. He coughed as the gases entered his lungs. This forced him to double over, wincing as his inflicted chest worked overtime to expel the noxious fumes. "Someone answer me!" He croaked. "Evelyn, Honnie? Alex, Jonathan?" His vision was blurred and he could have sworn he had seen something in the distance amongst the rubble. He rubbed his eyes vigorously and began staggering towards whatever it was. The wind picked up and whistled through his ears. The whole effect- the burning ship, the noises around him, and the smoke stretching it's way towards the sky threatened to push him to the brink of his sanity. It was like a dream, a dream where you can't see where you are going, and you feel as though you can't move. He couldn't open his eyes; they wouldn't work. Everything was in slow motion. He knew where he needed to go the only problem was, getting there.

Just as he thought he could no longer take the feverish tricks his mind was playing on him he ran into something or rather someone, smaller than himself. Then, he felt it. Small hands hooked around his waist, fingertips touched his eyelids, forcing them open. In an instant his dream was gone and in its' place a beautiful image of all he held close was put before him. Alex- he was in Jonathan's arms. Evelyn- she was latched onto him as though she would never leave, much less let go, and Izzy- well, at least he was alive.