'The Price To Pay', Episode 1

Crash

It was when I walked into the airport when I felt it. That wierd, warm feeling in your stomach that tells you that someone special was around you. But how could that be?, I thought as I looked among the chaos around me and several people were running around, meeting loved ones at the arrival gates, others gathering luggage; one man in a suit was shouting at an employee behind the desk, something about a funeral. Nobody here stands out that much, I thought. they must be lucky. Suddenly a voice sounded above all the ruccus that got my attention.

"Passengers of Flight 815 must get to Gate 23 now please. I repeat, Flight 815 is boarding."

I yelped and joined the scramble to Gate 23. As I walked down the noisy corridor, I tucked a lock of treacle coloured hair behind my ear and looked up at the taller people also boarding the plane. Being 5ft 7in you can be rather intimidated with taller people around you. But what really worried me was that feeling again. The warm feeling, it was bigger, and it seemed closer. It was as if I was walking closer and closer to a huge bonfire, only the fire doesn't hurt, but gives a feeling of euphoria. I looked around again at the passengers and still saw nothing much of interest, only a few men who were very good looking, the only shame was that one of them was at least 6ft. Hmm, I thought again as I walked onto the plane, Must be just nerves. Although I had been on a plane before, this was a very long journey of Sydney to LA, so I'm gonna say i'm a little nervous. A few minutes later, I had, believe it or not, gotten lost on the plane. I couldn't find my seat.

"Um, excuse me?"

I looked up and saw a very large guy with frizzy brown hair and an American accent.

"Yes?" I said back, with my painfully posh English accent. The man looked very embarrassed.

"Um, you're kinda uh...in front of my seat."

"Oh!"

I looked around, and indeed I was standing infront of two unacounted-for plush patterned seats. I turned at the man and smiled apologetically. I stepped to the right so he could sit down.

"Sorry."

"Thanks."

He shyfully smiled back, and I was about to walk past when he thrust his palm out.

"I'm Hurley."

"Uh...Melanie."

I shook his hand, which rather felt like squeezing a bunch of bananas, and smiled again. Feeling like the matter was closed, I looked down at my ticket again.

Seat 23-C

As I looked up yet again, I saw that seat 23-C was right opposite Hurley. I smiled and stuffed my carry-on bag on the compartment. I sat down opposite Hurley, who was looking at me in a peculiar way.

"Look's like i'll be sitting here then...Hurley."

"Uh huh."

Suddenly the plane lurched forward and I squealed. Relax, I told myself, the plane hasn't even taken off yet. Hurley and I put our seat belts on (something of which was a problem to him) and heard the Air-Hostess on the intercom.

"Hello, and welcome to Flight 815. We are currently preparing to take off so please put on your seat belts. We hope you are comfortable and our employees will tend to your needs. Thank You."

I took a deep breath and looked out of the window at the airport filled with people. I was a bit agitated at the passengers squeezing past and one of them took one look at Hurley and had to supress a rude remark. I frowned at the tall man and he shuffled off without a word. I was just returning my gaze to the window when I noticed Hurley giving me a sad look.

"What's the matter?" I asked, all sympathetically. Hurley looked like he was going to cry.

"I'm uh...sorry you had to do that."

"Do what?"

He nodded at the tall guy who almost remarked on his size. I looked back at Hurley and leaned forward.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. I was doing what needed doing. Don't you worry about it."

"But arn't you put off?"

"Put off by what?" I was clutching the arms of my seat because the plane had just started moving and the airport was slipping from the window view. But I hardly noticed, because Hurley was staring at me like I was a lunatic.

"Well i'm...ya know..."

My eyes widened.

"Why would I be put off be your size? It doesn't make you a bad person."

Hurley stared at me in the same way for another few seconds, then his face slowly changed into an expression of that of a person who had just been given something they really wanted.

"Hey, thanks!"

"Don't mention it."

----

It was six and a half hours in and a violent shake woke me from my sleep. I looked around sleepily, but another jerk woke me up completely.

"Hurley!"

"I'm here."

As my eyes found Hurley, I noticed that his eyes were filled with horror, he looked just as I felt. Terrified. I suppressed a scream as another wave of turbulence caused a ripple of yells and shouts across the plane. Yet another jerk of the plane sent my heart into my throat, and oxygen masks fell as the plane violently shook. But before I could have the chance to grab one, a large section of the back of the plane was suddenly gone. I stared with wide eyes as some unlucky ones were thrown out and the wind made my ears ring. But then I just couldn't look anymore and shouted at Hurley to take a mask, as he had his eyes tightly shut and was yelling. Suddenly there was another battery of violent shakes and the sound of whistling wind worsened, and the volume of the screams of my fellow passengers grew. As I grabbed my oxygen mask and put it to my mouth, I just couldn't take it anymore and screamed as loud as my lungs would allow.

And the last thing I remember of the crash was blackness.