Take Off

The ocean waves slammed into the sea stacks off the island's coast. A young boy with ginger hair sat on the seawall of the beach, watching the waves recede and advance time after time. His skin was pale, and freckles outlined his nose. As he stared into the distance, his light green eyes reflected the color of the Cruipalo Sea.

In the distance, a pod of dolphins could be seen, leaping and playing in the waves. Their sleek bodies seemed to glide effortlessly through the water, their movements fluid and graceful. They leapt into the air, spinning and twisting before diving back beneath the waves with a splash.

As they played, their clicks and whistles could be heard, a symphony of sound that echoed across the ocean. It was as if they were communicating with each other, sharing in the joy of the moment.

Their playfulness was infectious, and anyone watching couldn't help but smile at the sight. With the exception of Elio, of course. They seemed to be enjoying themselves without a care in the world, lost in the freedom of the open ocean.

"Are you looking at the dolphins, Elio?" A youthful and energetic voice came from behind him, causing him to turn slightly to face the owner of the voice. "No, there's a rock formation in the distance. I'm looking at the one on the far left."

The rock was rugged, its surface speckled with patches of moss and lichen; smoothed over time by the relentless pounding of the waves.

But it was the seashells that drew Elio's attention, arranged meticulously in the shape of a heart on the surface of the rock. They were of varying sizes and colors, a mosaic of nature's artistry.

Elio couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder as he gazed at the shell heart. It seemed like a symbol of something more significant, a reminder of the beauty and mystery of the world around him. Unlike some of the disgusting things he had witnessed people do. The sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the salty scent of the ocean filled his senses, creating a peaceful and contemplative atmosphere.

As he sat there, lost in thought, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled his ears, and the salty breeze ruffled his hair. The world seemed to stand still for a moment, as if frozen in time. For Elio, the seashell heart was more than just a collection of shells; it was a symbol of love and beauty.

Other than his family, Elio didn't think he'd ever truly find something like that in another person again. Elio didn't think he could trust someone again like he had in the past.

"How unfair… How can you see that far!" The girl squinted as she tried to look in the direction Elio had indicated. Elio chuckled under his breath. The girl knew she wouldn't be able to see that far, but she tried anyway.

Elio sat quietly, his mind lost in thought as he reflected on his sister. She had always been there for him, a constant source of support and guidance throughout his life; a beacon of hope and support in times of need.

As he thought about her, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of trust and admiration. He knew that he could always count on her to be there for him, no matter what. Her unwavering support and encouragement had helped him through some of the toughest times in his life.

Elio remembered the countless times his sister had listened to him, offering a kind word or a sympathetic ear. He thought about the times she had helped him with simple things; his homework, or taken him out for ice cream, or just sat with him and watched the stars.

He knew that his sister was someone he could always rely on, and that she would never let him down, that he could always count on her to be there for him, no matter what. She had always been his rock, his constant source of strength and support.

He knew that no matter where life took him, he would always carry the memory of his sister with him, and the trust and love that they shared would never fade; a constant reminder of the power of family and the bonds of love that held them together.

After breaking away from his thoughts, Elio smiled and looked over at his sister, vowing to always be there for her in return.

She was dressed in a white off-the-shoulder tank top with flowy sleeves. Underneath the tank top was an orange halter bikini top and high-cut bottom swimsuit that outlined and highlighted her pear-shaped body.

Elio, on the other hand, was dressed in blue swim trunks with horizontal blue stripes. He was also dressed casually in a white short-sleeve V-neck button-down shirt. "Don't strain your eyes, Eleanor."

"Ah?!" Eleanor yelped in response to Elio's words. "I saw them, Elio. I saw them!"

"Then what shape do the seashells outline?" Elio asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A heart! Though I only saw it for a split second…" Eleanor was overjoyed to have discovered the seashells on the rock formation. She was a girl that would get easily swayed by new experiences.

Eleanor's eyes lit up with excitement, she couldn't believe her luck; she knew that she had found something truly special.

Elio said with a slight nod, "That's correct; your vision is usually terrible. I'm curious what happened." The ocean waves had receded further than they had in the previous few minutes, Elio noticed. "Hey! That's so rude. Is that how you're going to treat your older sister?"

Eleanor's face flushed with anger as her brother's insult hit her like a sharp slap in the face. She felt her blood boil as she struggled to hold back the rage that was building inside of her.

Eleanor's fists clenched tightly as she glared at her brother, her eyes blazing with fury. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how wrong he was, but she knew that it wouldn't do any good.

Her brother had always been stubborn and set in his ways, and she knew that she would never be able to change his mind. Eleanor promised herself she would get him back one day.

Elio rose from the seawall and made his way to the stone stairway leading down to the sandy beach; leaving Eleanor feeling confused and surprised.

"Ah, Elio, did you know there's a legend about heart-shaped seashells in Cruipalo?" Eleanor quickly rose from her squat and followed Elio down the stairs, her anger suppressed.

"No, what's the story?" Elio disliked folktales, but he would listen if they satisfied his sister's whims. "There's a legend that says if you find a cluster of heart-shaped seashells that form a heart, you'll find your one true love within your lifetime!" Eleanor swooned as she spoke, her hands on her cheeks.

Elio laughed, "Even if such a thing exists, it'd be useless for me with the way I am now." Elio had always felt that something was wrong with him, something that made it difficult for him to connect with others on a deep, emotional level. He had been scarred by the incident almost a year before.

Elio had tried dating, but every time things got physical, he would freeze up and shut down, unable to let himself be vulnerable in that way. Maybe he was broken in some way, he thought, or maybe he was just too damaged to ever truly connect with someone else.

As these dark thoughts swirled around his mind, Elio began to feel a sense of hopelessness settle over him. He felt like he was trapped in a cycle of isolation and self-loathing, unable to break free and find the love and connection he so desperately craved.

But he couldn't, and he wasn't going to. In any case, not just yet. Even if his heart desired the comfort of another, yearned for the affection of a lover, his body would react violently if someone attempted to touch him sexually.

Even now, he disliked the casual touch of someone he didn't know, and being in crowded places made him uncomfortable.

Eleanor looked at Elio, He seemed distant, lost in his own thoughts, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness wash over her. Eleanor knew that her brother had been hurt before, hell when he told her what had happened to him the day she returned, all she wanted to do was turn back time and never go on the trip to visit their grandfather that week.

That he had placed his trust in someone he thought he could count on, and was betrayed in a way that had left him feeling broken and disillusioned. But lately, it seemed like he had given up on love altogether, like he had resigned himself to a life of solitude and emptiness.

Eleanor felt a deep sense of sadness and loss, knowing that her brother had given up on something that was so essential to the human experience. But even in the face of this sadness, she couldn't help but hold on to a glimmer of hope, a small belief that maybe, someday, her brother would find his way back to love once again. That was all she could do; she couldn't make him love someone; it would only turn out disastrous.

She could only hope that the legend of the heart-shaped seashells would one day bring him someone who could find their way into Elio's heart; a good person.

Elio and Eleanor walked down the rest of the stone steps without further conversation. They'd left their beach towels and duffle bags on the beach's shady area. It was cooler, and you wouldn't get as much sun as those who went to the sunnier part of the beach.

Every year, thousands of tourists visited the Cruipalo Islands, and the Giles family was no exception. They decided to take a vacation shortly before the start of the new school year to celebrate Elio's progress with his therapist.

They eventually came across familiar beach towels sprawled on the sand beneath a tall tree. Eleanor's beach towel was brightly colored, with streaks of red, pink, yellow, blue, and orange, and the words VACATION were printed three times on it. Elio's beach towel was blue with pink highlights and seashell patterns.

The leaves of the tree were long and wide, so they easily covered the beach towels. Eleanor quickly followed Elio in rolling up his beach towel. They returned up the stone steps toward the sea wall to the beach parking lot after packing their belongings into their respective duffle bags.

The sun beat down on their faces, warming their skin and causing beads of sweat to form on their foreheads. But even in the heat, Elio and Eleanor were happy, enjoying the simple pleasure of each other's company and the warmth of the day.

Eleanor took the car keys from the side pocket of her duffle bag and used her terminal to unlock the car. Elio opened the passenger door, placed the duffle bags on the seats, and shut it.

An interstellar terminal serves as a hub for communication. It provides a central location for sending and receiving messages between different worlds, allowing for real-time communication between civilizations separated by vast distances; in the form of a watch. It also served as a means of identification. Every citizen of the Oreseon Empire was issued one once they reached the age of 4.

Elio then sat shotgun while Eleanor stowed the beach umbrella in the car trunk. Eleanor started the car after taking a seat; she selected auto-drive, entered their destination, and they were soon driving down the stone pavement.

Hover cars had become commonplace on many continents, and Cruipalo was one of the fortunate island continents to produce them. They weren't as advanced as those on the mainland, but they were still cutting-edge.

Elio leaned back in his seat and pulled out his phone. Before they arrived at the beach, he had been chatting with a friend. Eleanor complained that despite the fact that they went on this vacation for him, he wasn't having fun or going outside. So, with the help of their parents, she dragged him to the beach.

"Today was a lot of fun! Cruipalo delicacies are truly one-of-a-kind!" Eleanor delighted in recounting their day's events. "Oh! And the clam dessert is out of this world!" She took an auxiliary cord from her purse and plugged it into the speakers of the hover car.

"Please don't poison my ears with that song you've been playing on repeat whenever you get the chance, Eleanor." Elio glared at her as he raised his head from his phone. Eleanor's hand was hovering over her phone's play button.

"Elio, please stop exaggerating. I've only played it a few times!" Eleanor stood firm and puffed up her cheeks like a Tharian squirrel. "I understand that Willis is your new favorite mainland singer, but hearing the same song over and over gets tiring."

"Aside from that, you've already played that song 126 times; aren't you tired?"

"What are you, some kind of mathematician?"

Eleanor activated her phone's music player by pressing the play button. The car gradually filled with soothing music. Elio groaned and turned to look out the car window.

[Through the fanlight fanfare blew; he had left and we both knew]

[Traveled all the world to see; he left us, yes both you and me]

The song was one of Eleanor's favorites, and she knew every word by heart. She sang along, her voice blending seamlessly with the singer's, as if they were performing together on stage. The lyrics spoke to her on a deep level, and she felt as if the singer had written the song for both her and her brother.

[Forget me nots don't look the same, remind us of his timely betrayal]

[The marching band comes to town; announces of his interment]

The car sped down the highway, the wind rushing through the open windows. Eleanor's hair whipped around her face, but she didn't mind. She was lost in the music, lost in the moment.

[Never forget this dear day, Sunday morn he passed away]

[Throwing his cinders to the wind; a pining that was never fulfilled]

She opened her eyes and looked over at Elio as the song ended. They exchanged a smile; she knew that even though Elio didn't like her music taste and often yelled at her for her shenanigans, he cared enough about her to play along. Even though he scolded her for playing it too often, she knew it meant a lot to him.

The resort hotel where Elio and his family stayed had ten floors (not including the basement). The White Emperor Hotel was well-known and popular among visitors to Cruipalo.

The hover car entered the hotel parking lot and disengaged the automatic transmission. Elio was the first person to exit the vehicle; he had taken the keys from Eleanor and opened the trunk. Eleanor approached Elio and assisted him in retrieving their luggage from the trunk.

Elio and Eleanor walked past the security guards at the hotel's entrance and up one of the lobby elevators. As guests entered the lobby, they were greeted by an elegant marble fountain and the soft strains of classical music drifting through the air. The reception desk was staffed by friendly faces, ready to assist with any request.

As guests rode the elevator to their floors, they could feel the excitement building. Each floor had its own unique decor, but all rooms were spacious and comfortable, with plush bedding and modern amenities. The hotel was a haven; a place where guests could truly relax and unwind.

The Giles family's room was on the fifth floor of the hotel. While Eleanor was speaking with Elio, the elevator came to a halt on the third floor. Eleanor stopped talking mid-sentence to Elio and turned to face the elevator door. A boy about Eleanor's height stood on the other side of the elevator, with wavy black hair, medium-soft, high-arched brows, wide lips, and jade green, thin almond eyes.

The boy was followed into the elevator by an elderly woman. "Good evening, what floor are you heading to?" As her hand hovered over the number pad, the elderly woman smiled at Elio and Eleanor. "The fifth floor, thanks." Elio gave her a quick glance before returning his attention to his phone.

The elderly lady was dressed in a belted light brown trench coat and light blue bootcut jeans. Elio noticed she was also wearing platform heels. The elderly lady had dirty blonde hair that was slightly wavy, thin lips, thin rounded high-arched brows, and light-green round eyes.

"What a coincidence, that's also where we're going." When the elderly lady pressed "5" on the number pad, the elevator chimed before continuing to rise. The air in the elevator quickly became parched due to the lack of conversation.

Eleanor was becoming increasingly agitated, her eyes darting around the car as if searching for an escape. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, a telltale sign of her growing frustration.

As the seconds ticked by, Eleanor's agitation grew. She began to fidget, tapping her foot on the ground and nervously wringing her hands. Elio, who was standing next to her, seemed completely unfazed, as if he was completely unaware of the tension in the air.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" Eleanor attempted to strike up a conversation after three minutes of enduring the awkward atmosphere.

During their brief elevator ride together, Eleanor and the elderly lady discussed a variety of topics; Eleanor also discovered the woman's name was Ms. Lewis. Elio and the boy standing next to Ms. Lewis remained silent throughout. Eleanor discovered that the two also stayed in one of the five-story hotel's only large suites. The two suites were right next to one another.

The elevator slowed and halted as it reached the fifth floor, and everyone exited. Ms. Lewis and the boy she looked after followed Elio and Eleanor through the hallway until they arrived at a water fountain in the center of the fifth floor.

"Goodbye, Ms. Lewis!" Eleanor waved goodbye to the elderly lady while scanning her terminal on the room's keypad with her right hand. The door was unlocked, and the four of them split up and went into their respective rooms.

When Elio and Eleanor entered their hotel room, they smelled cheese in the living room. "Go wash up and come have lunch if you're back." Ian, their father, sat on the sofa facing the suite's main door.

"Come on, kids, wash up and eat. We're having risotto with cheese and barley." Opal, their mother, was moving around the kitchen and dining hall, setting dishes down. It was mid-afternoon, and the Giles family enjoyed dining together and made an effort to do so on a regular basis.

"All right, we'll be right back." Elio opened the door to his and Eleanor's bedroom. "Mom! Today, I'd like a fruit salad as a side dish." Eleanor peered through the frame of their bedroom door, shouted, and quickly shut the door.

Elio opened the door to his bedroom, dressed in a tank top and walking shorts, after about 15 minutes. Eleanor emerged hurriedly 20 minutes later, wearing a Juliette-sleeve crop top and Bermuda shorts.

Ian put down the newspaper he was reading and started eating. "Today, Elio and I met someone really interesting!" Opal looked at her daughter, her curiosity piqued. "Her name is Ms. Lewis, and she lives right next door; she's apparently been a nanny for 35 years." Eleanor ate while recounting what happened in the elevator.

"Eleanor, how many times have I told you not to talk while you have food in your mouth? It's not proper." Ian wiped his lips with a napkin folded into a triangle. "Sorry!" Eleanor quickly apologized before returning to her risotto.

As they ate, they shared stories and laughter, exchanging lighthearted banter and discussing their day. The clink of cutlery against plates and the rustle of napkins were the only sounds to be heard, punctuated by the occasional burst of laughter or comment.

The family's love for each other was evident in the way they interacted, the way they looked at each other, and the way they savored every moment of their shared meal. As the meal came to an end, they lingered at the table, reluctant to leave the warmth and joy of their family time.

In this family, meals were more than just a time to eat – they were a cherished opportunity to connect and bond with each other, a time to create memories and share in each other's lives.

"I was watching the news earlier, and the news reporter mentioned that a hurricane was heading for the island, and that a warning would be issued later tonight if the situation worsened any further." Ian wiped his hand with another napkin, folded it into a triangle, and neatly placed his utensils next to his bowl.

"Really?! Then we should leave before the hurricane hits; after all, it will be difficult to leave the island for a while after it hits and passes." With a smile of contentment on her face, Opal began to gather the empty dishes, glasses, and cutlery, placing them onto a large tray.

Once the tray was full, she lifted it carefully in her arms and made her way to the kitchen, her footsteps soft and measured. As she entered the room, Opal set the tray down on the counter, turning to face the sink, which was piled high with dishes waiting to be cleaned.

"I'm going on the balcony with Elio!" Eleanor grabbed her brother's arm and dragged him away. "I never agreed to this." Elio sighed, resigning himself to his sister's persistence.

Elio and Eleanor leaned against the balcony railing of their hotel suite, enjoying the warm breeze blowing through their hair. They chatted and giggled together, their voices carrying over the sound of the nearby waves crashing against the shore.

Their mother was inside the kitchen, cleaning up after lunch and their father stood next to her, his arms wrapped around her waist. The parents were lost in their own world, murmuring sweet nothings to each other.

Elio and Eleanor looked at their parents, feeling both amused and slightly embarrassed by their lovey-dovey behavior. As Elio turned to leave the balcony, Eleanor continued to sit there, lost in thought and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

Elio pushed open the door to his bedroom, feeling the exhaustion from a long day at the beach weighing on him. The room was quiet, and he could hear the sound of the air conditioning humming in the background.

He made his way to his bed and collapsed onto the mattress, feeling the soft sheets enveloping him. He lay there for a few moments, his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath and relax his body.

He could hear the sound of the waves crashing outside, and the distant voices of his family members in the hotel suite. He felt the coolness of the air conditioning on his skin, a welcome relief from the heat of the day.

He thought about the adventures of the day and felt a smile spread across his face. Elio was grateful to his sister for dragging him to the beach today, but he wouldn't tell her that, lest it get to her head.

For now, he was content to lie there, feeling the weight of his body sinking into the mattress as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

-----------

Elio stirred from his slumber and groggily opened his eyes. The sound of rain tapping against the window drew his attention, and he slowly sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

He glanced out the window and saw that a rainstorm had started outside. The drops of rain fell heavily, hitting the ground with force and creating puddles on the pavement below.

Elio snuggled deeper into the soft covers of his bed, the sound of the rainstorm outside lulling him into a peaceful state. It reminded him of home, of the constantly changing weather in Hacrago. He closed his eyes, enjoying the calming atmosphere of the room.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door, and his mother's voice calling his name. He stirred slightly, peeking out from under the covers as she entered the room.

"Are you awake, sweetheart? We need to get to the airport quickly. Our flight will depart in one hour and thirty minutes." Opal walked over to the bedroom window and pulled open the curtains.

"Your father and I have already packed your luggage; I know how you feel about that kind of thing, but we'll get you new suitcases when we return home." As Opal announced that they were leaving the hotel suite, Elio reluctantly pulled himself out of bed.

He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the fact that his mother and father had touched his luggage; the thought of someone touching his personal belongings without his consent made his skin crawl.

He quickly grabbed his belongings and headed towards the door. The family of four proceeded to the emergency stairwell and descended. Yes, the elevator would most likely save them energy. But a crowd has already formed in front of the elevator, and they would have to wait a long time to get down the parking lot.

When they arrived at the parking lot, they noticed a swarm of people frantically running toward their cars, luggage in hand. The befuddled hotel staff did their best to help whoever they could in the midst of the chaos. The Giles family arrived at parking spot E-15 and began loading their hover car.

Even though the Giles family was only going to Cruipalo for a vacation, they made sure to rent one of the best hover cars they could find, with enough space for all of their luggage. Even if it was a little cramped.

Ian found the terminal for their flight and approached the check-in desk when they arrived at the airport. "Good morning, we have a flight scheduled for 07:45." The check-in clerk typed the time into her computer and asked for a name.

She asked The Giles family for identification and printed their boarding passes after confirming they had purchased tickets. Then she went through their suitcases and bags one by one, printing a label with their flight information and a unique ID. "Here are your passports; I've attached a sticker to each of them with baggage details so that if it gets lost, you'll have records of its details." The woman at the check-in counter wished them a safe flight and then yelled.

"Now that our bags have been checked, let's go through security." Ian gathered his belongings and escorted his family to the security checkpoint. A tall male security officer greeted them as they approached the checkpoint.

Ian presented the officer with his driver's license, and Opal and Eleanor presented him with their passports. Elio was under the age of eighteen, so he didn't need to show any identification. When they handed their boarding passes to him after a visual inspection, the security officer placed them on the boarding pass reader one at a time.

As soon as he reached the belt, Elio began to remove items from his carry-on. Elio slid these items, along with his carry-on, into one of the available bins.

"Hello, please remove your shoes, jacket, and belt. Remove any metallic jewelry or accessories that you are wearing." As she stood next to the metal detector, a female security guard further down the belt smiled at the Giles family. The Giles family passed through the metal detector one by one as the airport's female security officer waved them through. When it was Elio's turn, he placed his feet on the marked spots on the floor, raised his hands in the air, and stood still.

Elio collected his belongings and stored them after passing through the metal detector. Making certain that he has everything he requires. He quickly exited the security area, stood to the side, and waited for the rest of his family to go through the metal detector and grab their belongings.

Opal examined her boarding pass to determine which gate their plane would depart from. They decided to double-check the information on the departure boards near the security checkpoint. The Giles family went in that direction after confirming their gate number and making sure everyone had everything they needed.

When the Giles family arrived at gate 5, they found an empty row of seats and sat down. Opal knew the kids would get hungry during the flight, so she dragged her husband to a snack store. Elio scoured his phone for any updates on the situation.

People were frantic, worried about family members on the other side of the coast. Professional meteorologists predicted the hurricane would wreak havoc on two small islands and the eastern coast of Buosont. The hurricane named 'Elias' was expected to be the most powerful since 1985. Elio couldn't help but dislike the name because it was so similar to his.

"Fair strangers, we meet again." The sound of heels clicking against the airport's marble floor came from Elio's left. He looked up and saw the people he had seen earlier in the elevator, but this time there was an unfamiliar face among them. Thin lips, straight black hair with gray strands, medium hard-angled brows, and cerulean-blue willow leaf eyes characterized the burly man.

"Do you mind if we sit next to you?" Ms. Lewis squinted slightly as she inquired. "Go right ahead!" Eleanor had already agreed to the proposal before Elio could say anything. She appeared to like Ms. Lewis, but Elio was wary of strangers.

The party of three sat down, most of their carry-on luggage on the seat next to the burly man. Opal and Ian returned from snack shopping for their children and met Ms. Lewis, the boy she was watching, and the burly man.

After a while, they discovered that the boy Ms. Lewis was looking after was named Allen and the burly man was named Silas. While they waited, Elio and Eleanor exchanged playful jabs, and Opal had to tell them to calm down because they were leaving in thirty minutes.

Elio, Eleanor, and Allen decided to keep in touch by adding each other on Vivaron (a social media chatting platform that connects Oreseon's entire intergalactic empire) because they shared similar interests and got along well.

"It's fun to travel with Hannah, but I'm a little bored without my brother." Allen scrolled through Vivaron with his right hand under his chin. "You also have a brother, Allen?" Eleanor looked up from her phone, where she was playing Cloudrush. Apart from what Ms. Lewis had told them, they didn't know much about Allen's family. "Yep, I have an older brother who is in the military."

"Oh! Then what about the rest of your family?" Allen was grabbed by the arm by Eleanor, but he wasn't upset. "My mother is a well-known scientist, and my father works for the government. I guess you'd say I'm the family's black sheep because I want to pursue a career in fashion."

Just then, a crackle came over the airport's speakers, connecting the entire airport. "Would all passengers in gate 5 please begin boarding the Beauwe A890?" Before the static noise went away, the speakers cracked again.

Everyone in gate 5 hurriedly gathered their belongings and made their way to the plane's jet bridge. Other passengers who had left their belongings on their seats and were still shopping rushed back to their seats and toward the jet bridge.

Elio had always disliked flying since he was a child. When he was 5, his family went to visit his great-grandparents in another country, and due to a mishap, he was separated from his family and injured. This belief had not changed in the 12 years since the incident.

After waiting in line for boarding, a gate attendant next to the entrance checked the Giles Family's boarding passes. Ms. Lewis, Allen, and Silas were right behind them so they got checked soon after. The walk down the hallway that led to the plane was relatively short, so they only let a certain number of people through at a time.

As they walked down the aisle, Elio checked the seat numbers to ensure he didn't miss his seat. When he found his seat number, he urged Eleanor to follow him because their seats were right next to each other. Passengers were constantly boarding and rushing to find their seats, so you couldn't stay in the aisle for long.

"Excuse me, but is the seat next to you 12B?" Elio turned around and noticed a young girl with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Eleanor preferred the window seat, so the middle seat was empty. "Yes." Elio moved his legs slightly into the aisle to allow the girl to pass.

"Thanks! I'm Alice. What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?" Eleanor introduced herself after Alice took her seat. "My name is Eleanor, and his name is Elio; we're siblings." Elio turned away from the two girls who were cheerfully chatting.

From where they were seated, Elio could see the main door of the plane and saw that people were still boarding the plane; it appeared that something had happened outside, as the flight attendants were rushing the passengers onto the plane.

When the plane's door closed, some flight attendants performed a final check to ensure that everyone had found their seats. "Hello, this is your captain speaking. We'll take off shortly, so please make sure you're buckled in and your luggage is secure." The Captain, who introduced himself as Cairo, said they wouldn't have much time to go over emergency procedures in person but there was a video on emergency procedures on the video screens in front of them.

The miniature screen was programmed so that if there was ever an emergency it would show an emergency procedure video for every one on board as the only video available. The Beauwe A890 quickly lifted off the runway and took flight. Eleanor, who was sitting in the window seat, sighed.

Her eyes were filled with both guilt and relief. She and Alice had overheard the passing flight attendants whispering to themselves, so as not to alert the passengers, that their plane was likely the only one still able to take off. The flight dispatcher apparently determined that by the time the Beauwe A890 reached a safe distance of 500 feet in the air, the storm would have hit the island and it would be too dangerous to send any other aircraft after them.

This forced those who remained on the island to seek refuge within the airport and hope that they made it out alive. Elio would have had a similar reaction to Eleanor, but he's currently wearing headphones; he was often jittery during takeoff and would always listen to music to calm his nerves. Eleanor noticed her brother was turning pale when she looked over at him. His lashes quivered, and sweat began to form on his brow.

Suddenly, a voice erupted from the plane's rear. "Oh my God... Look out the window, the airport has just collapsed!" Despite the flight crew's objections, passengers throughout the plane jumped out of their seats and rushed to nearby windows. Despite the loud music coming from his headphones, Elio could hear the commotion and opened his eyes to see what had happened. When he noticed people moving toward the plane's windows, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened, but he couldn't be bothered to look.

Elio didn't know why, but he began to experience a headache. In addition, his chest hurt. The throbbing ache in his head was relentless; as the throbbing pain took hold of Elio's skull, every thought felt like a hammer pounding relentlessly against his temples.

With each passing moment, the headache grew more intense, a dull ache that spread from the base of Elio's neck to the very top of his head. It was as if an invisible vice was squeezing his brain, a constant pressure that refused to let up.

The world around Elio seemed too bright, too loud, too overwhelming. Every sound was amplified, every light too intense. As the headache grew more intense, he began to feel nauseous and dizzy. His vision blurred, and he struggled to keep his balance.

As Elio sat there, his hands cradling his head, he couldn't help but wonder how such a small thing could cause so much misery. A headache may seem like a minor inconvenience to some, but for him, in that moment, it was an all-consuming, maddening pain that left me feeling utterly defeated.

He didn't even have time to consider what was going on below him; as he forcefully held his chest, causing his shirt to wrinkle. He would have seen the airport terminal collapse if he had looked out the window. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were trapped beneath rubble and glass.

The Cruipalo airport terminal was relatively small, measuring 157,935 square meters (1.7 square feet) and having a 400-meter runway (1,312 ft). It was, in fact, the continent's smallest airport when compared to others. They had just reached 500 feet in the air when emergency personnel arrived. The sight is devastating as emergency personnel work tirelessly to rescue those who are still trapped.

Hurricane Elias strikes shore unexpectedly and begins tearing through the already devastated airport. The howling winds are deafening, and the rain is blinding. The people who were already struggling to survive now face another challenge. The wind picks up debris and sends it hurtling through the air. The sound of glass shattering and metal twisting is almost unbearable.

As Hurricane Elias gains strength, it lifts people into the air and carries them along with the debris. The screams of terror mix with the sound of the wind, creating a haunting chorus of despair. Some people are able to grab onto anything they can find, hoping to hold on for dear life. Others are not so lucky and are swept away into the fury of the storm and ripped to shreds.

The hurricane's power is unrelenting as it completely destroys the Cruipalo island. Buildings are torn apart, trees are uprooted, and the once-beautiful landscape is now unrecognizable.

It's a gruesome and ruthless massacre.