Usually when the plane is over the water, it nosedives straight in, or explodes on the way down. This time, it was hovering, like a UFO on “Twilight Zone” or something.

It did fall into the water, right in front of my face, but I stayed calm this time. Still horrifying, still couldn’t believe it was happening for real, this situation I’d dreamed about for years.

But it didn’t explode; there was no fire. It just fell in. And you got the feeling that maybe it could have made it. Doom was less inevitable than usual.

And this time, there was a person. Soaked pilot pulled out of the water, intact. They gave him CPR, but it was too late; he’d drowned.

But he was in one piece. And the plane did not fall apart.

So maybe next time, if we just try a little harder…

The first dream