Read Online Darkness on a Pale Blue Stone by D. T. Peterson - Free Book Online
Authors: D. T. Peterson
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someone alive in there!" Adam yelled. He, Michael, and Gresson dropped their bags and cautiously walked toward the noise. Alice ran over and grabbed Adam.
"Stay back," she said.
"Mom, I..." Adam started.
"Adam, it's alright. Just hang on and let us check it out," Michael said. Adam groaned in protest, but resigned to comfort his distraught sister.
As Michael and Gresson neared the hull of the airplane, they heard someone moan, "Over here. Please." The voice came from behind a blackened hunk of metal that had once been a car. Caught between that and the hull of the airplane lay an ash covered man. His right leg was trapped between the road and the hull. The two men ran over.
"Are you alright?" Michael asked.
"Ju... just great, you moron," the man snapped. He coughed, then said, "I'm sorry. Please, just get me out of here. I've been stuck like this for days."
Gresson called for water. Adam ran over with some and put it to the man's lips. As he drank, Michael incredulously asked, "Were you on the plane?"
The man shook his head. "I had just... just driven onto the bridge when all the cars stopped working. Me and a couple... * cough*... couple others were tryin' to figure out what the hell happened when this plane just dropped right out of the sky. Just dropped. Like they were trying to... * cough *... to perch right on the goddamn bridge at a thousand miles an hour. Then boom! ... *cough* *cough*... The explosion shook the bridge so bad I thought for sure it was going down." The man nodded at the water bottle, which Adam let him drink from.
The man continued, "So me and some other guys ran over here, but the fire was too much. We waited a few hours and it died down enough for us to check for survivors. Shoulda known no one could survive that." He pointed over at the mangled bridge wires. "The hull was originally against that, but as we started poking around, it fell. The others either ran or fell into the water. Lucky me, I got pinned. Crushed my leg then burnt it... * cough *... to a goddamn crisp. And..." The man suddenly had a coughing fit. When he recovered, he said, "You mind if we have story-time later?"
"Yeah, let's see if we can wedge something in there and pry you out," Michael said.
Gresson shook his head. "It's safer if we just cut off the leg."
"Whoa, man! At least try to pry me out first!" the man cried.
Adam tried to pick up a long piece of metal and yelled when it burnt his hands. "I'll get a blanket," his father said. Once Michael retrieved a blanket from his pack, he and Adam wrapped it over the metal and carried it over next to the trapped man. They placed it in a small space between the road and the hull.
With a sigh, Gresson walked over to the metal piece they would use as a wedge. "What's your name?" he asked the man.
"Ben. You know, you look really familiar..." he replied.
Gresson interrupted, "Alright, Ben. Michael and I are going to try to push up the hull. As soon as it moves, pull out. Adam, you'll help him." Adam stood behind Ben and wrapped his arms around Ben's chest, ready to pull.
"You set?" Gresson asked Michael. He nodded. "3... 2... 1.... Go!" The two men pushed down on the metal piece. Michael was shocked to discover Gresson's strength. The hull began to rise.
Before Ben could move, there was a loud twang. One of the wires the hull was pressed against had snapped. The bridge shuddered. Gresson and Michael fell to the asphalt and Ben screamed as the hull fell back against his leg, crushing the few remaining nerves left.
"Whoa!" Michael yelled as the road beneath them dramatically dropped at least one foot. The bridge creaked and moaned as the stress on the last support wires grew too much for them to bare.
" Move !" Gresson shouted. He threw Michael and himself sideways as a piece of the road broke off and fell toward the river below. The gap in the bridge was now much wider. The two men slid toward the expanse. With a last second leap, Gresson grasped the edge of the road on
"Stay back," she said.
"Mom, I..." Adam started.
"Adam, it's alright. Just hang on and let us check it out," Michael said. Adam groaned in protest, but resigned to comfort his distraught sister.
As Michael and Gresson neared the hull of the airplane, they heard someone moan, "Over here. Please." The voice came from behind a blackened hunk of metal that had once been a car. Caught between that and the hull of the airplane lay an ash covered man. His right leg was trapped between the road and the hull. The two men ran over.
"Are you alright?" Michael asked.
"Ju... just great, you moron," the man snapped. He coughed, then said, "I'm sorry. Please, just get me out of here. I've been stuck like this for days."
Gresson called for water. Adam ran over with some and put it to the man's lips. As he drank, Michael incredulously asked, "Were you on the plane?"
The man shook his head. "I had just... just driven onto the bridge when all the cars stopped working. Me and a couple... * cough*... couple others were tryin' to figure out what the hell happened when this plane just dropped right out of the sky. Just dropped. Like they were trying to... * cough *... to perch right on the goddamn bridge at a thousand miles an hour. Then boom! ... *cough* *cough*... The explosion shook the bridge so bad I thought for sure it was going down." The man nodded at the water bottle, which Adam let him drink from.
The man continued, "So me and some other guys ran over here, but the fire was too much. We waited a few hours and it died down enough for us to check for survivors. Shoulda known no one could survive that." He pointed over at the mangled bridge wires. "The hull was originally against that, but as we started poking around, it fell. The others either ran or fell into the water. Lucky me, I got pinned. Crushed my leg then burnt it... * cough *... to a goddamn crisp. And..." The man suddenly had a coughing fit. When he recovered, he said, "You mind if we have story-time later?"
"Yeah, let's see if we can wedge something in there and pry you out," Michael said.
Gresson shook his head. "It's safer if we just cut off the leg."
"Whoa, man! At least try to pry me out first!" the man cried.
Adam tried to pick up a long piece of metal and yelled when it burnt his hands. "I'll get a blanket," his father said. Once Michael retrieved a blanket from his pack, he and Adam wrapped it over the metal and carried it over next to the trapped man. They placed it in a small space between the road and the hull.
With a sigh, Gresson walked over to the metal piece they would use as a wedge. "What's your name?" he asked the man.
"Ben. You know, you look really familiar..." he replied.
Gresson interrupted, "Alright, Ben. Michael and I are going to try to push up the hull. As soon as it moves, pull out. Adam, you'll help him." Adam stood behind Ben and wrapped his arms around Ben's chest, ready to pull.
"You set?" Gresson asked Michael. He nodded. "3... 2... 1.... Go!" The two men pushed down on the metal piece. Michael was shocked to discover Gresson's strength. The hull began to rise.
Before Ben could move, there was a loud twang. One of the wires the hull was pressed against had snapped. The bridge shuddered. Gresson and Michael fell to the asphalt and Ben screamed as the hull fell back against his leg, crushing the few remaining nerves left.
"Whoa!" Michael yelled as the road beneath them dramatically dropped at least one foot. The bridge creaked and moaned as the stress on the last support wires grew too much for them to bare.
" Move !" Gresson shouted. He threw Michael and himself sideways as a piece of the road broke off and fell toward the river below. The gap in the bridge was now much wider. The two men slid toward the expanse. With a last second leap, Gresson grasped the edge of the road on
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