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Kaylee Jenkins, 13 March 2023, flying over central Tennessee

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After our parents’ divorce our mother Erin agreed to pay for our spring break vacation, with a few conditions. My Mom, sister, and I would fly together from Minneapolis to the Cayman Islands, spend two days of our five-day vacation on the beach with her, and help her find a new boyfriend. I took the city bus from my college and met them at the airport.

I only had 34-B breasts and was a little jealous that Mom and my sister Hannah’s were so big one touched each of my upper arms as I sat between them on the plane. Okay, maybe I was a lot jealous. I also regretted cutting my long blonde hair to shoulder length and coloring it red the week before. As a flight attendant walked down the aisle I noticed her nametag, ‘Bree’. Mom asked her, “Could I get a diet cola, please? Hannah? Kaylee?”

My older sister asked, “Do you make Pina Coladas? And can I get a medium rare steak with coleslaw and fries?” As Bree frowned at my stupid sister’s stupid requests, the plane shook violently and there was a very loud “THUMP!”

Out the window I saw flames trailing from the left wing! The jet’s nose tilted downward a bit and several people cried out. A flight attendant near the front shouted, “Be seated and fasten your belts, everyone! There’s no need to panic.“ Screams of fear filled the air as the whole plane rocked wildly to the left.