Lost in the Wilderness

LOST in the

Wilderness

Sharon A. Green

Copyright © 2012 by Sharon A. Green.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4771-3048-3

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4771-3049-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-800-618-969

www.Xlibris.com.au

Orders@Xlibris.com.au

501978

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER ONE

Mandy was running late for her plane. She wanted to get everything ready, but the day was racing ahead of her. She still had more to organize with a housekeeper who was looking after her place. She didn’t want to leave any loose ends hanging around while she was gone. She put her luggage together near the front door when the bell rang. Mandy opened it.

Thank goodness you’re here Rosie. I’m running late and I’m going to miss my plane, Mandy said in a frantic.

Don’t worry, you will make it. You must go now the taxi is waiting. I will take care of everything else, Rosie said in a Greek accent voice.

Rosie was medium plump with chubby cheeks. She was small for her age and Mandy had to look down to her. She was in her late fifties showing a lot of grey around the sides of her hair. She wore a grey uniform dress that hung down to her knees. Her black hair was worn up in a bun with a white hat. A white apron around her waist tied up in a bow at the back. Her shoes were black and very flat with grey stockings.

She knew Mandy’s house every inch of it and where things were kept in place. She had been with Mandy for many years and she got on well with her. They still had their ups and downs and gets into little fights now and then but they always came back as friends.

How will I manage without you Rosie? You seem to know what to do without me knowing. I wouldn’t know where I would be without you, Mandy smiled.

Please, go now or else you will be late, Rosie said rushing her to the door.

Mandy walked down the path and the taxi driver helped her with the bags. He put them in the boot and opened the car door for her. Mandy waved to Rosie as the taxi left and drove away. Another half hour she was at the airport. There were heaps of people rushing around here and there trying to catch their planes.

Mandy saw the board where the planes were scheduled for taking off and landing. She walked over and stood in front of it. She didn’t know what to do. The board looked too confusing to her. She looked at her ticket when a man came up next to her. He stood beside her checking his flight. Mandy looked at him but he did not return the look back to her.

Excuse me, but could you tell me if my plane is on time? Mandy asked.

The man looked at her. He had the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. They stood out on his face. His face looked smooth and clear. There was no wrinkles to be seen anywhere. Mandy could not stop looking at his eyes. She was captivated by them. He was tall and slim wearing a brown suit with black shoes. He looked as if he was going to a business meeting or going out on the town.

What’s your flight number? he asked in a deep tone voice.

Ah, here you are. This means you have about an hour to wait but your plane is on time to land, he said.

An hour? What am I going to do for an hour? Mandy said.

Oh, don’t worry by the time you wait in line and check your bags in the time will go quickly, he said.

Mandy thanked him and smiled as he walked off. She could not keep looking at his blue eyes. No matter how she try to turn away from them. It was like something had caught her heart to flutter.

She sat down in the waiting lounge with everyone else. Her stomach was beginning to get hungry. Mandy was about to get up to have something to eat when her flight was called to board the plane.

The lady showed Mandy where her seat was located. She walked half way down and stopped. Surprising she saw the same man in the seat by the window looking at her.

Well, hello again, he smiled at her.

Hello, Mandy said sitting down in her seat next to him.

His blue eyes flickered at her and Mandy flushed with embarrassment. She turned her head away from him and looked at everyone else coming into the plane. She didn’t want him to see her embarrassed.

My name is Harry, he extended out his hand.

Mandy, she shook his hand.

If I knew we were catching the same flight, I would have helped you, he said.

That’s okay, it’s good practise for me next time I go flying, Mandy said.

Oh, this is your first flight? he asked.

Yes, I’m a bit nervous, Mandy said.

You will enjoy it, he said.

I hope so, Mandy said but was not too sure about it.

The doors closed and the plane was ready to take off. Mandy held onto the armchair as the plane took off into the sky. As it levelled out in the sky, Mandy let go of the armchair and started to calm down a little. A trolley of food came around and Mandy was starving. She took a plate in her hand and reached for the tray table.

Here, let me help you, Harry said.

He leaned over her and reached for the tray. Mandy became embarrassed again as he came back up and looked at her with his eyes.

Thank you, Mandy said.

Later on Harry went to sleep for awhile and Mandy was grateful for that. She looked at him and he seemed so peaceful. Her heart began to flutter again. Suddenly the plane began to shake violently when Mandy grabbed Harry’s hand. He woke up and saw her being a bit scared.

It’s okay Mandy, it’s just a bit of turbulence we are going through, Harry said holding her hand.

The captain’s voice came over the speaker and announced they were having engine problems. Suddenly the plane went down as Mandy held onto Harry. People began to scream and children crying. The hostesses tried to keep everyone calm. Mandy had never known this would happen to her. The plane skidded through some trees and into an open space before it came to a halt. Harry looked at Mandy.

Are you okay? he asked.

Yes, just a little shaken. Are you okay? Mandy asked, looking at him.

‘Yes, I’m fine," he said.

Mandy looked at all the other people. They seemed to be okay too. Some people had a few scratches on their faces. And some people were too scared to move from their chair. The captain came out. He looked more stunned than anyone else. He began to check the people over to see if anyone was hurt.

Suddenly Mandy felt a hand tapping on her back. She thought it was Harry when she turned around. A woman was trapped under the seat.

Please, help me? she asked.

Harry, there’s a woman trapped. Help me get her out, Mandy said.

Harry pulled the chair aside and grabbed the woman’s hand. He pulled up until she came out. She coughed to get her breath back. She stood up and Harry helped her to another chair.

Thank you, she said, coughing again. Mandy saw her leg bleeding.

Harry, can I use your tie? Mandy asked.

Yes, of course, he said taking it off and handing it to her.

Mandy wrapped the tie around the woman’s leg and then tied it into a knot to keep it stabled.

This will stop the bleeding. You will be okay, Mandy said.

Thank you, my name is Jane, she said.

Mandy and this is Harry, she said.

I’m going to help other people. Will you be alright here? he asked.

‘Yes, I’m fine. I’ll stay with Jane," Mandy said.

Ever been in a plane crash? Jane asked.

No, Mandy said.

I thought you may have the way you took care of my leg. You looked so calm, Jane said.

That’s because I’m shaking on the inside. I’m not very calm at all. What’s going to happen next? Mandy asked.

She looked at the people. They were helping each other that needed help the most. Mandy was so grateful of being alive. She and Harry were the most fortunate ones that had escaped injury.

The captain began to escort the people outside. Mandy looked around for Harry but somehow she couldn’t see him anywhere. She stayed with Jane as they walked over to a rock and sat on it. Mandy helped Jane down with her leg.

Can you see Harry anywhere? Mandy asked, looking around for him.

No, is he your husband? Jane asked.

Oh, no. He’s just a friend who helped me on the plane, Mandy said.

I thought he may be going out with you, Jane said.

No, just a friend. I’m going to look for him. Will you be alright here? Mandy asked.

Yeah, I’m fine, she said.

I won’t be long, Mandy said.

Mandy walked back to the plane and looked around. He wasn’t anywhere inside the plane. Then she came out and walked a bit further away from the crowd. She kept calling his name but no response came. Until she realized she was walking further into the woods.

She turned around and walked back. She began to get confused when she realized she was walking around in circles. She couldn’t find Jane or Harry or even the plane. There was not a person in sight that she could see.

Suddenly she heard a moan and groan. She stopped and listened. It moaned again.

Hello, she said slowly.

Her heart was beating faster and she became scared. She didn’t know what was going to jump out on her. Then she heard a rustling in the bushes when she saw the leaving moving about. Mandy was about to scream and run when Harry came out from the bushes.

Harry! What are you doing here? You scared me! she said.

I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I was hunting for some food. Figure that we may need some soon for the other people, he said.

You didn’t even tell me you were going somewhere else, she said.

Yeah, I didn’t tell anyone not even the captain. I would get the standard lecture of no you can’t it’s too dangerous to go off wandering by yourself, he said.

I would have come with you, Mandy said.

Well, you found me now so you can go back and tell everyone that I’m fine, he said.

But I can’t, she said.

Why, do you want me to come with you? he asked.

I don’t know how to get back, she said.

Okay, come on I’ll take you back, he said.

They started walking back and Mandy saw Jane still sitting on the rock. She went over to her.

Did you find anything? Jane asked.

No, nothing just a lot of bushes, Mandy said, watching the people helping each other.

I wonder what’s going to happen now? Jane said.

I don’t know, but I hope we will get rescued soon, Mandy said.

Thick white clouds began to float around them in the blue sky above them. Mandy looked and began to get worried that would rain on them. The sun began to disappear slowly behind the clouds. Mandy began thinking about Natalie and how she would react in a disaster like this. She was supposed to meet her at the airport and now,

Mandy was worried she was not going to see her again. But Mandy knew she worked for the newspapers and maybe she would find out from them. She had to find out that her plane went down. Natalie Broomes was supposed to meet Mandy at the airport to pick her the day after tomorrow. She had been waiting to see her again. She was best friends with Mandy. But Natalie had not heard about their plane being crashed and stranded on an island. She didn’t know that Mandy was lost somewhere in the wilderness until she came into work.

She wore a long blue dress that slim down to her body. She wore her high heeled navy blue shoes to match the dress she was wearing. Her long brown hair was straight down to her back. She thought of Mandy as she like her hair so long. She wore big chunky white pearled earrings with a matching white pearl necklace around her neck.

She looked young in the clothes she wore but her face looked older with a few wrinkles on the side. Her mascara was thick around the bottom of her hazel eyes and her red lipstick fully thick on her lips making it complete on her face. Suddenly the phone rang, she took one of her