Stacey woke up from the heavy turbulence shaking the entire cabin and it didn’t help

that she was seated at the center row by the aisle where the shaking was more intense.
Everyone has this troubled look but Stacey on the other hand, was more concerned about the
fried chicken she ate from KFC that is starting to climb towards her esophagus. Once again,
she closed her eyes, emptied her mind, and dulled her senses just to suppress the disaster
brewing. Fortunately, the turbulence came to a halt and the captain of the flight assured
everyone was fine and what we experienced was normal.
Trying to reach through her back pocket, Stacey temporarily unbuckled the seatbelt,
got her wallet, and opened it to see a picture of her father—reminiscing the words he would
always tell her, “Child, you were born to do many great things.”
As it turns out, her father was right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone has settled down and the commotion has dwindled until suddenly, the lights
flickered, the smartphone that the kid next to Stacey turned off, and the captain can be heard
talking through the radio, but the static noise was too overpowering. Before the realization
kicked in, the plane split in half and everyone without their seatbelts, including her, got
dragged by the air pressure. The sudden jerk movement and the air squeezing Stacey was
enough to knock her out.
When Stacey came to her senses, she was already sinking down to the Atlantic Ocean
along with what is left of the aircraft. It certainly didn’t help that the water was too cold but
for her, this was a piece of cake since she’s a skillful swimmer during her college days. She
swam for surface only to be greeted by walls of flame forming due to the oil leaking from the
fuselage of the airplane. The water was cold but the air was hot due to the flames, she only
has minutes to weave through the debris before she becomes deprived of oxygen. Making
sense of her surrounding, she saw a towering lighthouse in the middle of the sea in which she
desperately swam towards. For her, it didn’t matter whatever reasons there are that a
lighthouse was erected right on the sea, what mattered most for her is to surface herself
before hypothermia sets on her lower limbs.
As she sets foot, she looked back at the wreckage to find only the fire engulfing the
wreckage with no signs of other survivors. The gentle breeze—still warm from the fire—
provided ample warmth to her body as she slowly inspects the unusual lighthouse made from
modern materials: concrete, stone slabs, and even traces of metal reinforcements. Making her
way inside, the hall automatically lit up with expensive-looking chandeliers that not only
illuminated the room but also seemingly invited her to come closer inside. The interior was
unconventional from traditional lighthouses because of its fancy decorations and a staircase
that lead downwards instead of upwards.
Stacey would be amazed from the architecture of the room if not for the peculiarity of
the place itself. She treaded the stairs ever so carefully as to not appear to be intruding the
place. Strangely, the lowest floor did not lead to anyone or anything but a contraption that
looked like an old-fashioned elevator with vintage seats and a lever instead of a control panel.
Without hesitation, Stacey entered the contraption and pulled the lever which sealed
the thing off and gears started to turn. The contraption Stacey was in has glass panels in
which she can observe what the outside looks like and it seemed like she was heading
downwards.
And downwards…
And downwards.
Until she finally saw, with her jaws dropped, an underwater city similar to that of the
Atlantis City from the myths.
“No way.” She mouthed with her eyes wide.
As the elevator starts descending, she can clearly see the structures and make sense
that these aren’t like from ancient nor magical cities where people can breathe underwater. It
was a man-made city built underground with fully waterproof establishments interconnected
through tubes that are made of reinforced glass which serve as highway for pedestrians.
The elevator paced slowly as it reaches an airlock from an establishment. Stacey, still
frozen from the sheer amazement of what she saw, didn’t prepare well enough for her next
course of action.
Just before the door opened, a video feed appeared from the glass panel.
“Hey you, you’re the one from the surface? Look, you’re in grave danger right now
and your main objective is to get out of there alive.”
Stacey who looked confused as to what’s happening attentively listened to what the
man has to say.
“When the door opens, I want you to stay low and quiet. Keep looking straight and
whatever you do, DON’T STARE AT THEM.”
Before Stacey could ask what’s “them,” the door opened and cut the video feed
abruptly. The hall was dark and only the trickling of leaking water can be heard reverberating
throughout the room.
She followed the advice given to her word for word. However, she kept
contemplating about who or what not to stare and this has kept her on edge for possible
dangers. With her senses heightened, her visual acuity caught two beaming red lights from
distance, and she fixed her gaze to them wondering what they are.
The red lights seemed to stare right back at her until it inched closer and closer to her,
and that’s when Stacey finally realized that they weren’t red lights. They were the eyes of
horror. Appendages dragging through the floor, long and thin limbs holding long hooks, and
a deformed face.
It was far too late as the hook dug deep through her neck and she was incapacitated
quickly. If only she followed the instructions to not stare at them.
~~~~~~~~~~
But Stacey woke up from her sleep, she was still on the plane.
Followed by a familiar turbulence.