the last ember (1)

The world outside the shattered remains of the plane was a tempest of swirling snow and biting wind, each gust howling like a banshee. Inside the crumpled fuselage, the Anderson family huddled together, their breath visible in the frigid air.

Sam, the father, clutched a small pack, his knuckles white from gripping it so tightly. Beside him, his wife, Maya, cradled their youngest child, Lily, while their teenage son, Jake, stared at the jagged opening where the plane had once soared through the skies.

“Is anyone coming for us?” Jake asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if raising it would summon the ferocity of the storm outside.