The Long Road Home (The Last Days) by R.M. Allinson

Author:R.M. Allinson [Allinson, R.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tembara Publishing
Published: 2015-08-23T07:00:00+00:00

Their first landing was straight forward and uneventful. Tom remembered reading somewhere that landing and take-off were the most dangerous times in a flight and he’d had to remind himself to breath as the ground came closer and closer. Mike had told him to relax, but that didn’t stop Tom from noticing the relieved exhale and a slump into his seat from Mike when they’d successfully landed. It was a small airfield somewhere in rural Alberta. Unlike the airfield in Vancouver, this one wasn’t deserted. Mike had radioed for permission to land. Tom had half expected to hear only static in answer, but lo and behold, someone had actually answered. They’d been given the green light to land, and a young man with black curls peaking out from under his bright red toque had even come out to meet them once the plane had come to a neat stop.

“Hi there, I’m Russell.” Tom glanced him over. He guessed he was in his early twenties.

“Hey. I’m Mike, and this is Tom.” Mike helped Tom climb down from the plane. It felt good to stretch his legs.

“What can I do you for today, gentlemen?”

“Well, we just need to refuel. We’re heading back to Toronto.”

Russell whistled. “In this? Where have you come from?”

“Vancouver,” Tom said.

Russell whistled again. “That’s quite the journey! Well, at least you’re not heading to Newfoundland or England or something crazy like that.”

Tom wasn’t quite sure he’d classify Newfoundland and England in the same category; at least Newfoundland was in the same country as they were. The Atlantic stood in the way of them and merry old England.

Russell continued to chatter at them good-naturedly. He wasn’t overly concerned about the asteroid.

“I’m sure they’ll figure something out, they always do at the last minute, don’t they?”

Tom bit his tongue. Was it cruel or kind to point out that ‘they’ were actors following a script?

“I wish I was that cheery and optimistic,” Mike said once they were airborne again. “What’s he think, Bruce Willis is going to come and save the day?”

After a few more hours in the sky, Tom was starting to wish for an in-flight entertainment system. He must have dozed off at some point; he jerked awake when the plane suddenly jolted.

“Ah, shit.”

Tom glanced wide eyed over at Mike. He was concentrating fiercely, his tongue sticking out of his mouth in the same way he did when confronted with a particularly difficult piece of coding.

Tom held on tighter as the plane shuddered. It was a lot darker than before Tom had fallen asleep; the steel grey clouds almost completely blocked out the sunlight.

“Can we get above it?” Tom shouted.

Mike shook his head, distracted.

“Too high. This little thing won’t take it. We’ll have to land. Or fly it out... no, I think we’ll have to land, this is too violent. Keep your eyes peeled for a good landing spot.”

Tom looked frantically out the windows, but was hampered by the snow and ice now splattering against the glass. He felt like his teeth were about to rattle right out of his head.

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