Richmond Hill High School - Archway / Dome Yearbook (Richmond Hill, NY)

Page 13 text:

afraidl The person moaned again. ln another moment she had braved the flames and was at the side of one of the passengers-her face and hands were dreadfully burnt, but she scarcely noticed it. Ann saw at a glance that he was too badly injured to help himself. She would have to drag him out alone! Gasping painfully, straining her arms till she thought they would brealc and stopping to rest distressingly often, she finally dragged him out into the open and safety. Ann darted baclc into the burning plane. Lying near him she had seen a woman passenger whom the flames hadn't reached yet. Straining and gasp- ing, Ann managed to drag her also along the tortuous way-until, finally, she too was safe. Ann tried to go baclc again but the intense heat made it now impossible for her to enter. She returned to the two passengers. The man was semi-conscious but breathing in great, painful gasps, the woman was still alive but entirely un- conscious. Ann could see they were hospital cases, but where could she find a hospital in this deserted wilderness? ln the cold starlight she dimly saw a narrow mountain path stretching out before her. The very thought of going alone along that darlc trail for heaven lcnows how long until she was able to get help, absolutely numbed her, but there was nothing else she could do. She couldn't let these two people die here without malcing at least an attempt to save their lives. For a while the light of the roaring flames helped Ann on her way, but then the darlcness of the silent forest closed in about her. The stars seemed cold and far away in the darlc slcy, and the trees, mere shadows ofthe night, towered menacingly above her. There was no light in the forest-not even the comfort of a faint ray of moonlight-and utter silence surrounded her. Up and down through the roclcy, mountainous forest, the path led her. More than once she was tempted to turn around and run baclc to the plane, but each time she stopped herself, the thought of those two passengers, whose lives depended on her, made Ann go on. She must have come a long way now-a long, darlc way without any signs of human habitation. Suppose she wasn't going to reach any! Suppose they had crashed in a region where the nearest neighbors were a hundred miles apartl She could never go that far. l-ler head ached and something cold and moist-which, she realized suddenly, must be blood-was on her face. Ann started to run, she had to get out of this darlc, horrible forest. The bushes tore at her clothing as she ran past, stumbling over the roclts in the path. Without warning, the trail suddenly widened into an old, dirt road. Surely, surely there must be farmhouses nearby. She hurried blindly on until to the right a neat, well-repaired fence stretched along the road, she loolced ahead. Just beyond a bend in the road Ann thought she saw a faint but steady light. She started to run again. Yes, it was a light, she saw as she drew steadily nearer. Then she was THE SENIOR DOME Page9

Page 12 text:

ish she'd been to think that she really had left her fears behind her. They were there, holding her heart so tightly that she could hardly breathe. If the plane ever got down safely she would resign her position at once, of that she was certain. One of the passengers looked at his watch just then and beckoned to her. She felt again that tightening at her heart, he, too, knew something was wrong. Yes, Mr. Dearingn, she said as she reached his side. l There isn't anything wrong is there? he whispered. Were twenty minutes behind schedule. Before Ann could answer, there was a loud, sickening crash. The steadily throbbing motors stopped suddenly and the lights blinked out. Everything started whirling dizzily before her. Ann opened her eyes slowly. What was that crackling noise so near her? She closed her eyes again- such an effort to keep them open. Where was she anyway? Suddenly she sat up. Now she remembered: the plane had crashed and that crackling noise must be-yes, it was-fire. lt burned furiously, almost completely surrounding her. She had to get out of here. She didn't want to be burned alive. Slowly Ann crawled out of the blazing wreckage, shielding her face with her arm. The heat was lessening and then, at last, she was free and out in the open again. Ann breathed the cool air deeply, staring dazedly at the burning plane. Suddenly she turned and started to run. Wild bushes tore at her and she fought them off as if they were live things. The way was dark and rocky, but she scarcely noticed it, her one thought was to put as much distance as possible between her and that blazing inferno. And then-as suddenly as she had started to run away-she stopped. Ahead of her lay the deep blackness of a silent forest. She couldn't go in there, she was much too afraid. Behind her burned the twisted wreckage of what once had been a proud ship. The very thought of re- turning to that flaming mass made her throat contract painfully. She felt again that cruel grasp at her heart-making it so hard for her even to breathe. Yet she couldn't stay where she was! Shefd rather kill herself than remain there alone in the darkness. What was she to do? Suddenly a terrifying sound reached her ears-a loud, decided groan. Ann listened intently-her ears strained for the slightest repetition of the sound. She thought she heard it again very faintly--she had heard it, it was from someone in the plane and audible even above the roar of the ravenous flames. Someone was alive and in great pain amidst that burning wreckage. She couldn't let the person die there-she simply couldn't. painfully she fought her way back to the plane and then stopped- Ti-IE SElNllOl2 DQME l3age8 ' -Y .am

Page 14 text:

knocking on the door of a rambling farmhouse. A tall, backwoods woman opened it and stood there, speechless, staring at her in amazement. Later Ann realized why. There was a big bump over her left eye and her face was covered with blood. l-ler hair was burnt, her hands looked is if they were all red blisters, and her clothing was incredibly torn and irty. Butthen aH fXnn could dunk ofvvasthosetvvo passengerslying helpless backthere. MXN phonef'she cned shaniy. lyh phone. l muq getto a phonef' The woman, still speechless, pointed to an old-fashioned wall phone in the corner. Ann sobbed gratefully, she was strangely calm as she got in touch with the airport. VVhen atlastsheturned Honithe phone,fhnnfeltverylight-asthough a greatload hadjustshpped honihershoulders The vvoman vvasstadng curiously at her, she motioned toward a couch and said something about lying down to rest till they came. Restl lt was Ann's turn to be astonished, she vvas a stevvardess-her place vvas vvuh her passengers. Before the woman could remonstrate, Ann was out of the door and had started on her vvay back The twinkling stars were friendly now and the warm darkness shut in protectingly about her. Suddenly Ann laughed contentedly, she stopped in bevvdderment. VVhy had shelaughed? What did she have to laugh about? She had just been in a serious plane crash,the tvvo passengers she'd rescued vvere perhaps even novv dying. Surely there was nothing in that to laugh about. Then she knew-oh, her heart knew too as it beat its regular lively way once mcwe. Somehovv,in hehnng those othen she had lostforeverthe terror which had held her for so long. She was a real stewardess now- a person the very mention of whose name brought to mind pictures of un- daunted, shining courage. Eiga THE SENIOR DOME l3age'lO