Miracles
Shannon’s Story
Carey Mozena
Copyright 2011 Carey Mozena
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would lik to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com an purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The day was very cold. Shannon heard someone say that it was a record temperature for New York. The bright sunshine didn’t help to warm the ground any. Even wrapped tightly in her heavy coat, Shannon could still feel a little bit of chill coming through the large windows of the airport. She squeezed her teddy bear as she watched another of the huge jet planes take off from the runway. Shannon squinted as the side of the plane caught the sunlight and reflected it back her way. Soon, she and Mommy would be getting on one of those jet planes and flying south to visit her grandma and grandpa in North Carolina. It would be warmer there.
A lady’s voice called over a speaker, saying that everyone was allowed to board the plane. Mommy came to the windows with Shannon’s pink backpack, took her hand, and led her to the door that would take them to the plane. Pausing to let Daddy hand the flight attendant their tickets, Mommy led Shannon down the ramp to the plane. It was a lot colder on the ramp, but Mommy said that the plane would be warm. Shannon hoped so. Her teddy bear was getting frostbite.
When they reached the plane, Mommy showed Shannon to her seat by the window near the back of the plane, and handed Daddy their bags before sitting next to Shannon. Daddy stuffed the bags into a compartment above their heads before taking a seat next to Mommy. Shannon was excited. They only traveled down to grandma and grandpa’s house twice a year. She glanced out the tiny window and saw lots of little cars driving around, some pulling lots of luggage. They all looked like busy little bees, going this way and that.
The flight attendant stood at the front of the isle and began talking about safety procedures. Shannon didn’t pay any attention. She was still watching all the little cars outside. When the flight attendant stopped talking, a little light blinked on in the ceiling, and Mommy helped buckle Shannon’s seatbelt.
It seemed like eternity before the plane started moving. Mommy said that some of the little cars were pushing the plane away from the airport and turning it around because planes can’t drive backwards. Soon, the cars drove away, and Shannon could feel the plane picking up speed. She watched out the window as they began moving faster and faster until they were off the ground at last! She kept her gaze on some of the buildings of the city as they rose higher and higher. As she watched, the buildings seemed to melt together, and soon they were too high to tell one building from another, but she could see a river in the distance. Mommy said that the river’s name was Hudson.
She watched as a bird flew by the window. She guessed that it was a Canadian goose from a picture book back home. It seemed to be going backwards. She soon saw another, and then more flew backwards, past the window as the plane passed a large flock. She giggled.
A loud bang jerked Shannon’s attention from the window. Everyone was looking around with the same look; partly confused and partly frightened. Shannon had never been on a plane before, but she was pretty sure that nothing was supposed to go ‘bang’.
A man’s voice came over the speaker saying that he was the captain, and that everyone should put on the safety vests that were under the seats. Mommy helped Shannon with hers, then put one on, too. Shannon glanced out the window and saw that they were turning around, and that they were heading towards the river that they had just passed. Shannon wanted to ask Mommy what was going on, but Mommy had closed her eyes and was whispering a prayer, so Shannon just squeezed her teddy bear. Another glance out the window showed her that the plane was getting closer to the ground, and closer to the river. Shannon squeezed her teddy bear as tightly as she could, closed her eyes, and asked God to catch them as they fell.
The plane lurched violently, then Shannon herd a loud splash. She chanced a quick glimpse out the window and stared. Instead of looking down at the city and all it’s buildings, she saw lots of water around the plane and buildings on the bank. Several boats floated by, coming towards the plane. A flight attendant told everyone to take their coats and shoes off and let the women and children line up in the isle to get off first. Mommy helped Shannon with her coat and shoes, and carried her down the isle toward the back door. The captain had said that no one was supposed to bring anything off the plane with them, so Shannon had to leave her teddy bear behind with Daddy.
Shannon saw some water running down the floor of the plane, and felt a blast of cold. She cried that she wanted her coat back on, but Mommy said no. She hugged Mommy tightly as they waited for the flight attendant to get the door open, but it wouldn’t budge. The flight attendant finally told them all to turn around and head towards the front of the plane, where a door was already open. Shannon wondered why God was holding the back door closed as they moved slowly forward. She also wondered why Daddy wasn’t coming with them, but she was too scared to say anything.
They finally reached the door at the front of the jet plane and stepped out onto one of the wings. Shannon felt icy wind go right through her sweater and hugged Mommy tighter. Shannon felt Mommy shivering just as much as she was. Shannon looked around, and saw that the plane was floating in the river she had seen. Lots of gigantic boats surrounded the plane and helped get the people off of the plane’s wing. Some of the boats were even bigger than the plane!
Shannon noticed that they were still moving. The river’s current was taking them all downstream, but the boats stayed right with the plane. A stranger on one of the smaller boats reached his hand out for them. Mommy held Shannon up and told her to climb up onto the boat. Once she was on, more strangers herded her away from the edge and gave her a warm blanket with red crosses to wrap up in. Moments later, Mommy was being helped onto the boat and was given a blanket, too, and hurried over to hug Shannon again.
Shannon wondered for a minute if they had crashed, but she knew they hadn’t, because planes blow up when they crash. Their plane hadn’t blown up, or even broken apart. Looking at the plane floating in the river, it looked like a giant version of her little toy plane back home that she played with in the bath tub.
Soon, the boat was filled with people and it moved away from the plane, heading towards the shore where Shannon saw lots of police cars and ambulances. She looked around at all the people on the boat and wondered where Daddy was. She couldn’t find him. She was still shivering uncontrollably, so she pressed her face into Mommy’s neck and closed her eyes. Mommy covered Shannon’s head with the blanket.
Although she couldn’t see, she could feel Mommy walking, unsteadily, off the boat and felt hands helping to keep them from falling down. Shannon turned her head and moved the blanket away from her eyes. She saw lots of people in uniforms leading her and Mommy away from the boat and the river. Someone brought over another thick blanket and draped it over both Shannon and Mommy. Shannon was still cold, but she was starting to warm up. Mommy was led to a bench to sit down with other people covered in blankets. Shannon still didn’t know where Daddy was.
Moments later, strong arms grasped Shannon and Mommy and pulled them into a big hug. Shannon peeked under the blanket that covered his head and saw that it was Daddy! She let go of Mommy and hugged him tight. He pushed her away and pulled something cold and soft from under the blanket. It was her teddy bear! She took it at once and squeezed it.
Lots of people were talking all at once, but Shannon caught snippets of conversation. Things like “controlled landing” “lucky the plane landed on water” “double bird strike” and “the plane didn’t sink or didn’t break apart”. Shannon didn’t know what “controlled landing” or “double bird strike” meant, but she knew that the reason the plane landed on water and didn’t break or sink was because God heard her ask Him to catch them as they fell, and was holding them up and holding the plane together so that everyone could get off. Shannon said a quiet thank you as she fell asleep between Mommy and Daddy.
###
About the Author:
C.L.Mozena lives in southeast Ohio with her seven cats and one dog. She enjoys painting, taking walks, and writing (of course!).
She has many short stories published in the local newspaper and contributed into book collections of short stories by a group of local authors.
Discover other titles by Carey Mozena at Smashwords.com:
Miracles:
Connect with me online: