AN EXPERIENCE IN MID-AIR!!


14000 feet.

Two bandits, Lone Defender

Bandits spot me, ………

Split…

Follow lower bandit….

Closing for kill, keeping contact with other……………….,

Glance……

FIRE light???!!

Shut down engine, press FIRE button…

Glide towards base….

Smoke reported…..

Aircraft out of control…..

Eject…..

Wait.…………………………………………endlessly……..

Blackout…..

Regained consciousness…….

Blue sky, orange parachute, 12000 feet to go?!!!!!!…….

Overwhelmed……

Silent prayers.



Photographs are representative and courtesy Google Image search. Pray no body has any objection to their use in this post.

With Inspiration from the 55er done by Ordinary Guy and Usha Pisharody. Enjoyed doing this....

A literary work will be considered 55 Fiction if it has:
• Fifty-five words or less (A non-negotiable rule)
• A setting,
• One or more characters,
• Some conflict, and
• A resolution. (Not limited to moral of the story)

Comments

OG said…
Superb!!!!
no words..... :)
Yes "Silent prayers" indeed... :)

it must have been a frightening experience I guess....
I loved the story...
Usha Pisharody said…
Woah!

Glad that you said it was a 55 er only at the end!

Brilliant work! And I am so so glad you tried your hand at it too!

More, please?
J P Joshi said…
Ajit: Thank you. Everything in life is relative.

The cockpit is the most secure place in the world, when you are flying.... everything outside is frightening - below freezing temperatures, lack of oxygen, lower pressure, etc..

However, as soon, the aircraft is on fire....you try to put the fire out and bring her down; you still feel safe inside the cocoon, BUT once the fire stays on, and you have nothing to comabat the fire with, and the aircraft goes out of control, ejecting is the least frightening....relatively. Time to get out, is all that comes to mind in that split second. There is no time to feel frightened though, at that juncture.
J P Joshi said…
Anrosh: Thank you.

Usha: Thank you. I had to use your original style...first rough draft on paper, edit, slash, edit, slash and with able help from Poonam managed to make it to exact 55 words.....

Reminds me of a joke. A politician was once asked to give a talk for 2 minutes and he asked for 2 months preparation time. On enquiry about a 5 minute talk, he asked for 1 month; and so on. When enquired for a talk for 2 hours he replied... when can I start? (^_^)
Indyeah said…
Brilliant Sir!
awesome:)

I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have felt like...
each day the 55ers are raising the bar :))
Solilo's Usha's Smitha's Ajit's:))and now yours:)



LOL@your joke:D
Usha Pisharody said…
Lol. JP, I can understand that entirely. If you have tried your hand at Haiku, then you would understand even more why the politician said so :) :)

Do keep at it. And by the way, that original style that you spoke of, is the way I wrote mine too... wrote, slashed, added, slashed.. :)
J P Joshi said…
Inyeah: Thank you. I have no doubts that your 55er is going to be brilliant. Waiting for you to find the time and inclination for the same.

Usha: Thank you for giving me this new "Haiku" thing. I went and read about it on the internet. I did not know that this 55er was connected with something. Anyway, every day is a new learning day.
Piper .. said…
wow!! I`m speechless!! Must have been one hair-raising incident!!
J P Joshi said…
Piper: Life saving definitely....I can say.
Smitha said…
JPJ, That was awesome!! It had heart in mouth moments!!! Fantastic 55er!! Loved it!
Did not realise this was a 55 word fiction until you mentioned it :) And then went back to re read :))

The use of pictures - absolutely amazing!
Just read your answer to OG. Never gave this much thought, but reading it gave me goose bumps... cockpit is indeed a cocoon and ejecting must be frightening...
sindhu said…
What a hair-raising experience! And reading your 55ier I had my goosepimples, the pictures added to the experience.Good ones, would like to read more...will go down and read on...
J P Joshi said…
Smitha: Thank you. These things happen so fast that one never gets a chance to have second thoughts......training takes over, and you just ACT.

IHM: Thank you. I was going to write about this ejection in detail and then was motivated by OG and Usha Pisharody's 55ers to try my hand at it......edit, re-edit, and so on to make it to 55 words exact. And this is not fiction.

Sindhu: Thank you for visiting and for your comment. The pictures were courtesy google image search.
Balvinder Balli said…
JP, this fifty fiver is just too good. The narration is matchless and the pics , breath taking ones.