Andy listened to the continuous creaking sound the old swing-set emitted, which grew louder with every pump and kick he made to go higher.

     He giggled with laughter as he soared further through the clouds. The other pilots were cheering him on in the race for the landing runway, which was on the roof of a building in New York City.

     Just as he was about to win first-place, his imagination was suddenly interrupted by a young, pale-skinned girl, who might've been a couple years older than him.

     "Hello." She said, solemnly, as if she had been cursed to greet every single person she came across. She had long, golden locks of hair, half tied with ribbons, and wore a faded-blue dress. Her eyes were a cold, sharp gray; the color of aluminum.

     "H-Hi..." Andy said, nervously.

     "So, you like planes?" She walked a little closer to him, as the swing came to a stop.

     He nodded, trying to hide the fear in his eyes. His mommy always told him not to talk to strangers.

     "I do too." She pointed at the souvenir pinned to her chest. A little pair of gold wings and the United Airlines logo read, Future Pilot.

           (I do not own this image.)

     "My father was a pilot. I want to grow up and be just like him." She grinned happily, as if the day of her dream had already arrived.

     "I don't have a father..." Andy whispered, quietly.

     The girl kept a smile on her face and said, "I don't either."

     Soon, they were both swinging next to each other. Very slow and gentle.

     After a few moments into the silence, Andy asked, "What's your name?"

     She hesitated, and looked around, like she was thinking intently to remember. She then unzipped her purse and pulled out a tiny mirror to glance at her reflection, as if she had forgotten which identity she was wearing today. She looked into the mirror, and frowned, obviously disappointed by what she saw. She responded, "Josie."

     "Oh, okay. I'm Andy."

     As they swung, a sweet, hypnotizing tune glistened somewhere within the breeze. Andy looked over and saw that it had been Josie, her silky voice soothing the tone of nature, on this cold, windy afternoon.

     She paused, and the humming was still traveling to Andy's ear. He begun to feel sleepy, and his eyelids grew heavy. He felt like he could fall into a forever peaceful sleep...

     He suddenly snapped awake at the sound of his mom's voice. "It's time to go home, come on, Andy!"

     "I have to go, bye Jo—"  But he looked over, and the swing where Josie had been sitting was empty.

     Confused, he stood and walked away, behind his mother, to the family van, with nothing left of the girl but the sound of her beautiful voice, still lingering in the air.

~~

     The next day, Andy went back to the park after school. He had wondered where Josie ran off to. He hoped she would be there, today.

     Sure enough, she was. She smiled at him. "Hello, Andy."

     "Hey Josie! Sorry that I had to leave yesterday!"

     "That's okay," She said. "I have a surprise for you."

In her palm was a pin—a little pair of gold wings—just like the one she had, attached to her dress.  Except this one was plastic.

"Wow, thanks!" He bounced up and down happily, as if this were his first gift ever. He tried to take it.

"Ah-ah-ah, Mister Grabby Hands. You don't get it until you make me a promise." She said, slyly, putting the pin behind her back.

He cocked his head to the side. "What promise?"

"You have to promise..." She began, slowly. "You have to promise that in fifteen years time, I will be your girlfriend, and you will marry me."

Andy jumped back, making a disgusted sound. "MARRY YOU? Gross! Doesn't that mean we have to, like, kiss and stuff?"

"We don't have to, but I suppose kissing is a part of a relationship, yes."

"No way!"  He shook his head, exaggeratedly, using his arms as well. "Girls are gross! I thought you just wanted to play an airplane game!"

The girl looked shocked, as if she couldn't believe she was rejected by a 7 year-old.  "Andy... Please. We can be pilots together." She tried, hope glittering in her eyes, as she stepped closer to the boy.

He backed away. "N-No— AHH!" His heel caught on large rock, and he plummeted, backwards, to the ground.

His soft hands were impaled by sharp pebbles and wood-chips.

Josie gasped, dropping the pin and running to Andy's aid. "Andy? Andy are you okay? I'm so sorry, baby. I'm here, I'm here. I love you."

He laid there for a moment, fighting the urge to cry.

No. You are a man now. You don't wear Pull-Ups anymore. Men don't cry. Be a big-boy. His mind told him what to do, and he sat up, frantically trying to get away from the girl.

"I said, no! I don't want you to be my girlfriend, and I don't want to marry you, Josie!" He screamed, stomping his foot on the ground.

The few children who were at the playground were pulled away by concerned mothers, who whispered and glanced between Andy and his mom. Andy's mom was sitting at a bench, a little ways away.

Josie stood there, flabbergasted. Suddenly, a look of hatred fell upon her face.  "Fine, if that's how you want to be..."

Andy tried to run, but his feet seemed to be glued to the ground. He squinted his eyes, and Josie shoved him down.

"Why would you do this, Andy? Just say yes and make me the happiest girl on Earth!" She said, plead mixing with her anger and sadness.

He didn't respond, and she stopped crying. Her face was purely darkened. "I hate you, Andy. I hate you."

She snapped the plastic pin in half, and threw it at Andy.  "You will never get rid of me. But for now, I say, farewell, Andy. This is not the last you will see of me."

She stormed off, leaving Andy shivering in the cold rain. The droplets felt like ice when they hit his skin.

His hands were bleeding, and he was completely confused. He, again, forced himself not to cry.

Why was Josie so mean? He frowned, and ran to find his mother.

"I want to go home," He said. "Now, Mommy."

"Excuse me? Manners, please." Andy's mother said, looking up from her newspaper.

     "Please."  He begged.

~~

Fifteen years later...

He stood proudly with his bachelor's degree for aircraft operations.

Finally, I can start my training to become a pilot. Anderson thought. Just a few more months, and I will be able to do what I have always wanted to. I will carry on with my lifelong dream.

~~

He waved goodbye to his family, who stood in the airport, wishing him good luck. They were there to support his first flight, and he was grateful for that.

A moment of hesitation dawned over him, just before he put his hands on the controls.

Today was the day. October 19th.  This very same day, fifteen years ago, a crazy girl had planned on marrying me, he remembered.

Hs shook off the thoughts. After the day the girl left him, she never bothered him again. Even though he was super scared she might come back, she didn't. Later, in his teenage years, he told his mother about it, and she said Josie had been none other than his imagination.

May I have a good, safe flight, and make it back to my family today, please? Andy looked up at the sky. Amen.

The flight was excellent. He did great for his first time flying a group of real people.

But as they began to near the destination, which was now only 45 minutes away, the plane hit a crazy draft of wind. A crazy draft.

The passengers on the plane screamed as they flew up and down, rapidly.

Suddenly, something went wrong. The whole plane began to curve downward, and Anderson could not do anything to stop it. "May-day! May-day! We've lost all control! The plane is going down. I repeat, the pla—"

Everything on the plane stopped working, and all you could do was scream and clutch your stomach. The horrific, painful, sensation intensified as the craft continued falling. That same feeling that was once enjoyable on a rollercoaster drop, was now making you want your life to just end already.

The airplane hit the hillside, and 34 lives were lost in the explosion.

Out of the flames and debris walked a ghostly ten year-old girl named Josie, with 33 new figures behind her.  The pilot's soul had been cursed, and was tied to the airplane that failed in flight, forever.

Into the fog, 34 ghosts vanished, their wonderful voices blending in perfect harmony—something that Andy would never stop listening to, as the sound echoed into the distance.