I looked at the descending column of swirling water and it crystallized in my mind instantly that I was on my way to hell. Hell itself was opening up to receive me!
As clear as day Grace's instructions came back to me. I was to ask forgiveness and then do the right thing. I hadn't followed her instructions!
I'd started on the right path, but I hadn't really asked for forgiveness and here I was about to die!
My words were muffled by the oxygen mask as I screamed out in a panic of the spirit, "Oh Jesus I'm sorry! I knew better than to do what I've done! Please forgive me! I don't want to go to hell!"
The waves of the whirlpool were right there and I continued to scream out horribly in desperation fearing that I was already too late in my plea for forgiveness.
The fuselage hit the waves and my head banged off the window beside me. I dimly saw the crazed lights of the cruise ship in distress descending into the void ahead of us almost vertically.
Water rushed in as darkness closed over my eyes. I moaned at the realization that when I next awoke it would be to find myself already in hell.
I sobbed as I felt my body slammed around in the seat as water splashed everywhere. We just kept falling and falling.
*****
I blinked and then I began to choke as I spit out water. Stuff was clinging to my face. Blearily I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy image of something.
My prescription contacts were all gummy and I could hardly see anything. They hurt my eyes, but I repetitively blinked anyway despite the pain it caused me.
My vision cleared slightly and my view was immediately one of sand. How was that possible?
I looked beyond the sand and out toward the water where in the distance I saw the fuselage of the plane half in and half out of the water. How had I gotten here to this beach?
I didn't remember wading ashore. The last thing I remembered was the in-rushing water and the feeling of falling through a void.
The sand coming up from the water was churned up, but the track marks were larger than mine would've been. I came up onto my elbows and turned my head to look the other way. The rude man from the plane was sitting there in the sand looking none the worse for wear for the terrifying ordeal we had just come through.
He must've carried me ashore, perhaps even saved my life. That was just great! Now I was indebted to him!