Emma thought back to what it was like during her time in Italy. The water on her feet was cold, but soothing nonetheless. The sun on her back made her feel at peace with the beautiful nature around her. Everything was finally coming together. As she swam in the salty water, the laughs and screams of children playing on the beach reminded her of what it was like back home. The seabirds flying in the sky made her remember why she came to Italy in the first place. The hundreds of animals she helped while touring European shelters, now had a place to call home, and it was all from the help of the generous volunteers of her new Italian friends. Emma was finally content with where her career path was heading, and so she rewarded herself by laying back in the Mediterranean Sea.
After a few minutes, Emma realized she was a little further out into the water than she intended to be. That’s when the current of the sea started to pick up, getting stronger as she swam. Grey clouds began to form in the sky, causing many people get out of the water. Emma however, could not. The water was getting rougher, making it harder to stay afloat. The polyester airplane seat belt wrapped around her ankle was pulling Emma under, she would drown if she couldn’t get it untangled in time. It didn’t help, as she quickly noticed, that the seatbelt was still attached to her deployed seat, E31. She called to the children running along the beach, but they were no longer there. Instead, the remains of the European aircraft she boarded just hours before, littered the beach of an unknown island, as their replacement. Emma quickly realized she was no longer in Italy.
Of the short breaths she could grasp from the tropical air, Emma noticed small figures scattered across the beach, looking just as confused as their fellow survivors. “Help me!” she screamed “Please!”, to them. Emma however, realized that she was too far away from the beach for the figures to hear her calls. With the current picking up, she realized that the ocean waves would drag her out to sea if someone couldn’t see her struggling. Emma flung her arms up into the air to try and get herself noticed, however, the waves were too big for her arms to reach over, and it was impossible to stay above the water without constantly wading the current.
In her peripheral vision, Emma noticed something bright, something abnormal that stood out from the water. It was an unoccupied life jacket that floated effortlessly amongst the rough weather; her sign of hope, of surviving. To the best of her ability, she kicked with her free leg to get closer to the jacket. It seemed that the ocean water was working against her, but she fought on. With the last of her strength, might and adrenaline pumping through her veins, Emma took a deep, crisp breath of relief as she finally rest her arms over the neon life-preserver. Her breathing steadied, but her vision was deteriorating. “The waves are still too large for my arms to be noticed” she thought. “But wait, they might see this! They might see the jacket! They’re gonna see the jacket I know it!”. With that, Emma cautiously sank back off of the jacket, then shot it into the air and waved it vigorously towards the beach.
After a minute of frantically waving the jacket, Emma could see some of the figures on the beach gathering together, and quickly making their way to the shore. “I knew it! They saw me” she said to herself. Emma hesitated to climb back into the jacket, in fear that the survivors would lose sight of her, so she waved the jacket with all the strength that she had left. “We need to get her out of there or else she’ll drown!” She faintly heard one of the survivors shout the the others, and she felt hope. At the same time, Emma was becoming weak. Certain that the people on the beach knew where she was, she brought the jacket down and around her head.
After what was feeling like an eternity, Emma could feel her circulation cutting off. She was becoming colder and colder by the everlasting moments that she remained in the unidentified water. With her vision losing focus, Emma could still make out the figures on the beach trying to reach her. “It’s okay…I’m gonna make it… I’m gonna get out of here….. deep breaths Emma, deep breaths.” She closed her eyes and prayed that the people on the beach would be able to reach her, if they decided to come at all that is.Trying not to think selfishly was the difficult part in this situation. “How did I end up here? Why do I deserve this? I’ve helped so many animals and so many people. Now, I have no idea that if in the next 5 minutes, if I’ll still be alive or not.” Emma thought about her plans for the future. She was after all, only 22; too young to die. “Just remember it’s okay…I’m gonna make it… I’m gonna get out of here…deep breaths.” She heard splashing, and the voices of strangers calling out to her. “We’re coming! Hold on!” Trying to hold on, even though she felt herself losing consciousness, Emma thought one last thing, “My life is too short, Especially when everything was finally coming together.”