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Meric tried to think clearly, but her mind was a whirlwind of panic and grief. She looked at the two boys standing around her. James still looked stunned at the catastrophic turn of events, while Zane was already up and exploring the wreckage. None of them were older than sixteen.

During a civil war, no one really stops to wonder when six adults vanish off the face of the earth while traveling across the country. No one, that is, except for their children. So when Zane came up with a seemingly brilliant plan to go looking for them, a little flame of hope ignited in Meric’s chest. What she hadn’t known, was that Zane’s ‘brilliant plan’ involved getting a ride on a military plane through hostile airspace.

That, thought Meric, looking at the remains of the craft, had not ended well.

Why had I thought this was a good idea? Now, on top of it all, they were stranded in some god-forsaken place behind enemy lines, with no way to get home. The little flame of hope sputtered and died inside of Meric. Even if their parents were alive, there was no way to know before they themselves died in the wild.

Even now, she got the sense that things were watching them.

Trying to focus, Meric surveyed the land around her. All she could see were cliffs of stone running for miles ahead and behind her. The plane had managed to get shot down into a ravine, with no foreseeable way out.

What had her parents alway said? “When you get lost, stay where you are so people can find you.”

Panic threatened to overwhelm Meric as she thought of her parents. No one knew where they were, so how would anyone find them? The military aircraft they had gotten a ride on was off the radar, and that’s the only reason Zane could get them a ride. Ordinary military planes would have tracking systems, but not this one.

James walked to her side, bruised but unhurt. “What are we going to do?” he asked quietly, looking at Meric.

Meric tried not to get hysterical. “I don’t know! We’re stuck here, that much is certain.” She buried her face in her hands. “Even if we could manage to survive, what’s the point? Our parents are probably dead by now, but we’ll never know that, because we’ll be here until we die! Everything is gone, our homes, our families, our entire lives. We will never get any of it back.”

She turned towards James, willing him to deny what she was saying. He didn’t answer.

“What’s the point?” she whispered again to herself.

An explosive crash sounded behind them, and Meric spun around in panic. A portion of the plane’s cockpit had collapsed inward, right where-

“ZANE!” Meric shouted, her body threatening to faint. She grabbed James’s shoulder as she swayed. “ZANE!” she shouted again.

James lowered Meric to the ground and ran towards the wreckage. Meric tried to protest, but she was having trouble breathing. No, she thought in desperation, not them too.

Grabbing the cliff wall, the pulled herself up, stumbling towards the aircraft. James had vanished into a small hole in the burning metal. Faint noises could be heard inside, but Meric was terrified of letting that little flame come back, only to be extinguished again. Suddenly, a glowing object was thrust out of the hole, followed by James, pulling on Zane’s arms. Meric rushed over to help, but Zane crawled out on his own. His head was bleeding profusely, but his face bore a triumphant expression.

“Look at this!” he cried, brushing away Meric’s concern for his head as he scooped up the glowing object. It reminded her of something, but it couldn’t be-

James tapped the bright surface tentatively, and instantly, a new light appeared on the screen. It was a touch pad.

“Is that-” Meric asked, afraid to be wrong.

“It is,” Zane declared proudly. “This here, is the plane’s navigation computer!”

James peered at the bright screen as Meric sat back down in shock. Unbidden, the little flame of hope sputtered back into life inside of her.

“But I thought the plane didn’t have tracking systems,” Meric countered, before her hopes got up too high.

“Tracking systems, no,” Zane agreed, “But every plane needs a map!”

“Do you know how to work it?” James asked curiously.

“I am an expert with computers!” Zane replied boastfully. “Of course I know how to work this thing!”

Zane’s cocky attitude normally bugged Meric, but she didn’t have enough energy to care. She reached out and allowed James to help her to her feet.

“Then take us home,” she breathed, allowing the little spark to live once more.