Page 7 of Lost In Kakadu

The nose took the full brunt of the first impact. The seatbelt bit into her flesh, trapping her in the seat. A huge section of metal tore from the base of the cabin. The gaping hole gave her a close-up view of the forest below.

Charlie’s prayers turned to screams.

Abigail stared at a red stain on her shoe. She wanted to wipe it off but couldn’t move.

Her fingers bit into her ankles.

Charlie’s scream faded, as if he was no longer in the plane.

She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could cover her ears to block the horror.

Charlie’s scream abruptly cut off. There could only be one reason why.

Her eyes shot open as a branch the size of a man’s chest smashed through the side of the plane. It sounded like a freight train slamming into solid concrete.

Toni was flung from her seat. The girl’s dead weight dropped brokenly onto Abigail.

Searing pain shot up Abigail’s back.

Her world twisted. Her stomach lurched.

Everything went black.

Chapter Three

Mackenzie clutched the armrests in a vice-like grip and blinked at the surrounding carnage.

“Jesus! We crashed. Are you okay, Rodney?”

Rodney’s upper body slumped outside the plane. Mackenzie clawed his partner back in and shrieked. “Oh God. Rodney. No!”

Blood splattered Rodney’s face and half his jaw was disfigured beyond recognition.

Rodney was dead.

Mackenzie wanted to look away but couldn’t. Shock pinned him in place, making him take in every gruesome detail.

The creaking metal ticked off the seconds.One. Two. Six. Eleven.

Oh god.Nobody else is moving.

With tears blurring his vision, he forced his gaze away from Rodney.

Opposite him, Madonna’s body was doubled over, unnaturally still. He gasped at the metal pole sticking out of her stomach and looked away. His heart thundered in his chest as a fresh horror hit him.

Oh God! Is anyone else alive?

Behind him, the entire tail section of the plane was gone, sheared off barely inches from his seat. “Hello! Can anyone hear me?”

The plane was at a steep angle with the nose much higher than the back. He unbuckled his belt and was forced to grip the seat to stand.

A low groan broke the silence, and he spun toward the person infront. It was Toni; her neck kinked awkwardly. Thick blood oozed from her nose, and one eye remained open.

“Help.” A faint voice had the hairs on his neck prickling.

Spencer’s head was wedged backwards, and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Toni was in Spencer’s wife’s seat.

He stepped over the jagged hole in the floor and jumped when a hand snatched his ankle.

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