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~ 11 ~

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes Away from Dead

 

 

 

 

 

Date: May 22nd 1999

 

Time: sometime around 9 in the morning.

 

Place: Just outside of Philadelphia, Pa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+ Kevin +

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought for sure we were going to die right in that moment. The explosion was so loud that my ears were not only ringing but actually hurt. I couldn’t hear a thing. The heat coming off the now barely recognizable plane was unbearable. Every muscle in my body was telling me to move but my brain was preventing it from happening. We all just laid there on the ground as the plane continued to burn. I’m not sure if anyone said anything because I couldn’t hear, but one thing was clear, they all looked as shell shocked as I felt.

 

 

 

It was Howie who was the first to move. He stood up and slowly made his way over to me mouthing something as he lent a hand and helped me off the ground.

 

 

 

“I can’t hear you!” I couldn’t even hear myself.

 

 

 

We then both went and grabbed for AJ who was sitting up and staring at the plane. As Howie was helping him to his feet, I walked over to Brian as he was slowly getting himself up.

 

 

 

I grabbed his shoulder and for the second time in the span of about fifteen minutes, asked him if he was all right.

 

 

 

“Think so….” I was grateful to hear.

 

 

 

My attention immediately went to Nick who was still laying there motionless. Maybe he was hurt. My pulse started to rise as I tried running toward him but since my ears were still off kilter, so was my balance and I went sailing back to the ground.

 

 

 

“You okay?” Howie asked, quickly by my side.

 

 

 

“Yes.”  Brian and AJ were both sitting by Nick now. “Is he okay?” I asked as they both looked at me.

 

 

 

“I think so, he’s not saying anything.” AJ answered.

 

 

 

I found myself looking in the same direction as Nick and instantly understood why he was speechless. There about three feet away from him was clearly a part of one of the pilots. It looked like an arm, charred and smoldering. The only way I knew it was one of the crew was the white sleeve.   

 

 

 

“Jesus Christ.”

 

 

 

Everyone was looking now, all with intense expressions on their faces. “Maybe we should get away from here.” I said when there was still no help anywhere to be found, the whistling before the explosion suddenly coming back to me. The plane didn’t just blow up by itself.

 

 

 

“Good idea.” Brian said while helping his best friend to his feet.

 

 

 

Nick still didn’t say a word as we all kind of huddled together and started walking away from the accident scene. There was really nowhere to go. It looked as though we landed in a field of some kind but nothing was growing in it.

 

 

 

“Think this is someone’s farm?”

 

 

 

I turned towards AJ and nodded, “Maybe but…”

 

 

 

“More fire.”

 

 

 

We all turned to Nick who was pointing at a house in the distance.

 

 

 

“What’s going on?”

 

 

 

I turned to Howie and shrugged. I wish I had a clue as to what was happening. Something was definitely wrong. It was too quiet for two huge fires blazing out of control.

 

 

 

“We really should get out of here. I feel like we’re too out in the open.”

 

 

 

I agreed with him. I felt the same way. Glancing around quickly I tried to find a place for us to hide until we could figure out what the hell was going on. I noticed a barn not far from the house that was on fire.

 

 

 

“Over there.” I started walking towards the barn at a fast pace and heard the rest of them following behind.

 

 

 

As we were walking, my brain was slowly processing all that had happened in such a short amount of time. Why did the pilots suddenly lose control of the plane? It’s not like there was bad weather. Not bad, but cold. “Is anyone else cold?”

 

 

 

I stopped briefly and turned to my band mates. “It feels like winter, or is it just me?”

 

 

 

“It is kind of chilly.” AJ pulled his arms around himself and let out a breath which we were all able to see.

 

 

 

“Doesn’t that only happen in the winter? Why can I see my breath? What the hell is going on here?”

 

 

 

“I am having a bad feeling.”

 

 

 

“Me too.” I placed my hand on AJ’s shoulder and continued to walk closer to the barn, hoping it would provide some safety.

 

 

 

The smoke from the house was slowly making its way across the field like a fog you’d see in a horror movie. “Something hit that house. That’s not just a regular fire.” My cousin said.

 

 

 

The house was almost split in half and ash was starting to slowly fall around us. For some reason I felt the need to pick up my pace to a slow jog. I felt like a kid inching closer and closer to base before getting pegged at tag.

 

 

 

Once we got close to the barn, I hesitated before walking in. I hadn’t really thought about something being in there we wouldn’t want to encounter, until it was too late to do anything about it. Luckily, the barn was empty. It looked like it hadn’t been used as a barn in a really long time.

 

 

 

There were a few bales of hay sitting around as well as what looked like old chicken feed or cow feed. There used to be living things in here once upon a time.

 

 

 

“Matt is dead too, isn’t he?” We all looked over to Nick who had taken a seat on one of the bales of hay and was running his hand through his hair staring off at nothing in particular.

 

 

 

Ever since seeing the pilot’s arm, I hadn’t allowed myself time to think about it, but yes, he was right. Matt was dead. We were almost dead as well. Really we were only minutes away from dead.

 

 

 

“That could have been us.” He continued as if reading my mind.

 

 

 

Brian went and hugged him, “But it wasn’t.”

 

 

 

Nick wiped a tear from his face as I walked passed him and looked out the window. Still no one was coming while two huge fires blazed around us. In addition to ash falling, so was snow. Snow in May in Philly? It’s not like Pennsylvania was so far away from New York which was pretty hot and muggy when we left.

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to shield the guys from it but it was too late, “Is that snow?” my cousin asked.

 

 

 

“Yes.”

 

 

 

“My cell phone isn’t working.” Howie tapped on his phone and held it up as high as he could, hoping to get a signal.

 

 

 

“Did you say it was snowing?” I heard AJ ask in the background as I took out my own phone and tried it only to get the same result as D.

 

 

 

“I don’t understand why help hasn’t come yet.” I was starting to go from worry to panic. Things were not right. Here we were, a huge music group that just crash landed by a pretty large city. There should have been help by now. I found myself opening the barn doors and looking out at the house again that was still smoldering as was the plane. They were like catastrophic bookends. Squinting, I saw that there was another house a little past the one that was on fire and just past that, a small dirt road.

 

 

 

“I wonder how far away from Philly we are.”

 

 

 

“I have no idea Brian.”

 

 

 

“I can’t get reception either. None of us can.”

 

 

 

I bit on my bottom lip trying to figure out what we should do. Every bone in my body was telling me to just stay where we were. Help would come eventually and then we’d be back on track. Something else was telling me to get us the hell out of here and as far away as possible. I knew the questions would be coming soon, the look for guidance and assurance. I needed to be ready for them.

 

 

 

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll just sit and wait for a little bit. I’m sure we’ll be rescued in no time.”

 

 

 

“I think we should get out of here.” Nick whispered. “I’m getting a really bad feeling. I don’t feel safe here.”

 

 

 

“It’s snowing out there and none of us are really prepared for that.” AJ said, pointing to his outfit which was luckily more ‘fall’ than ‘spring’ but still not nearly warm enough for a trek through the snow to God knows where. Howie was dressed similar to AJ, but Nick, Brian and I were in spring clothes. Nick was in shorts for God’s sake.

 

 

 

Still, I was inclined to agree with Nick, as scary as that sounds. Maybe we sensed the same thing. “I haven’t even heard any birds or anything since we’ve been here. It’s too quiet.”

 

 

 

He was right about that as well. In fact, there wasn’t a bird to be seen anywhere and considering how we seemed to be on a farm in the middle of the country, there was not a single animal at all.

 

 

 

“Maybe we should go. Get closer to a main road and maybe try to flag a car or something.”

 

 

 

I nodded at Howie. “Good idea.” I let out a long breath, trying to calm myself and think clearly, “Let’s go guys.” 

 

 

 

We walked outside and headed diagonally across the field towards the small dirt road. Hopefully we’d find a car to help us out. As we got closer to the road and further away from the accident, I allowed myself to look back at the plane. It was completely enveloped in a cloud of smoke that was billowing for miles up into the snowy sky.

 

 

 

“This whole thing doesn’t seem real.” I found myself saying out loud.

 

 

 

“Maybe it’s some kind of psychic dream we’re all sharing.” Yeah, that does sound like AJ logic.

 

 

 

There were two cars parked by the house and I allowed myself to breath normally for the first time since we landed. “Should we try the house first?” before I could answer him, Brian ran up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

 

 

 

I was trying not to let the chill in the air start to psych me out. I rubbed my arms as Brian rang the bell again. “Maybe they left to go get help already.” Howie said with a hopeful tone.

 

 

 

“Maybe,” I answered even though I was doubtful. I was beginning to think that we managed to land in the middle of a ghost town or something.

 

 

 

Nick peered into the window, “It looks like there are plates and food on the table. Do you think they hid when they heard the doorbell?”

 

 

 

“I have no idea what to think, but we’d better just get going.” I led the guys off of the porch and back into the cold weather. I was perplexed to the point of getting angry. I couldn’t let my emotions get the best of me though. There was something going on here and it was bigger than any of us could handle. I just wish I had a clue what it was.

 

 

 

We began walking down the dirt road hoping that we’d run into someone who could help us out. I kept finding myself glancing at the trees hoping I’d catch a bird sighting or see a bunny hopping by. Hell at this point, I’d even be grateful for a millipede scurrying across the road. Yet, there was nothing, not a single sign of any living creature.

 

 

 

“Look, pavement!” Brian said pointing ahead to what looked like a real road up maybe a mile or so ahead of us. It also looked like there were both a stop and street sign. Once we got on a main road, things would be better.

 

 

 

I was wrong.

 

 

 

Once we finally got to the main road it was as bare as the small dirt one was, with one worrying exception, there were cars that seemed to be scattered around not moving. You would think maybe there was an accident or a traffic jam or hell, maybe even a red light that was stuck but none of that existed. The cars just seemed to be just sitting there on the main road abandoned.

 

 

 

“I don’t understand what is happening.” Nick said with a new urgency in his voice. I could tell we were all starting to get that panicked feeling.

 

 

 

“Are they all empty?” Howie asked as we all began to jog towards the first empty car.

 

 

 

I stopped at the first one and peered inside as the other guys ran over to some of the other cars that were just sitting there. It was so odd. It looked as if the car has just been left there in the middle of the road. There was a coffee cup from Dunkin Donuts sitting in a cup holder and it looked as if it had a layer of mold on top. “Jesus Christ, how long has this car been here?”

 

 

 

“This one is empty too” AJ shouted from up the road a piece.

 

 

 

I glanced over at Brian, “Same here.”

 

 

 

Howie and Nick were beginning to walk back towards me when that whistling sound came out of nowhere again. It sounded like the wind and it very well could have been except that the whistle was soon followed by a huge bang that knocked me off my feet. I placed my hands over my ears and closed my eyes, unsure of what would happen next. The ground shook a little and for a second I was afraid we were about to have an earthquake.

 

 

 

After a few seconds, I stood up, happy that I was able to hear this time. I quickly made sure I checked on all my friends who were in various stages of getting themselves back up off the ground as well.

 

 

 

“Shit!” The panicked way my cousin said that while pointing made my heart stop. I turned to what he was looking at and it was the abandoned barn we had left. It was on fire but even more disturbing than that was the sound that seemed to be coming from the dirt road.

 

 

 

“Kevin…” Nick said as we all started walking up the road to the last vacant car on the street.

 

 

 

I ran up to the driver’s side and opened the door, hoping I’d find the keys somewhere in there and not too shocked when I saw they were in the ignition.

 

 

 

“Get in,” I sat down and quickly turned the key as everyone else piled into the car.

 

 

 

The car made a coughing type sound and then died. “Come on!!!” I said again as the whistling got louder and the ground started to briefly shake under us.

 

 

 

“Kevin hurry!!!!” Nick cried out. They all were yelling at me to get the car to move but I tried to remain calm. I tried it again and once more it did the same.

 

 

 

“Kevin, we have to get out of here now! God…” Before Brian could finish his sentence the engine finally turned over. I took the car out of park and pressed the gas to the floor. We zoomed down the road just as the sound of another explosion hit in the background.

 

 

 

I wouldn’t allow myself to look back but I did glance out the rearview mirror and saw a fireball not far from where the dirt road met the main one.

 

 

 

“What the hell is going on?” Howie screamed.

 

 

 

He was met with the silence of four people who had no answer to his question.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

Sorry about the long delay. Thanks for sticking with this story and me. Now that school is out i'll be working regularly on it. I've already started the new chapter. That's progress, right? Hope you enjoy and as always, thanks for reading and the reviews! :O)