Being Ram

 They were young. A football team from Uruguay, flying to Chile. Boys with energy in their legs, laughter in their voices, parents waiting back home, girlfriends expecting phone calls, lives unfolding exactly as they should. Somewhere over the Andes, the ordinary collapsed. The aircraft struck the mountains, tearing certainty apart in a place where snow stretches endlessly and silence feels absolute. Out of 45 people on board , chaos settled quickly into a far more terrifying reality. The world had not only broken, it had disappeared. What followed was not a battle of strength, but of endurance. 71 days on ice. At altitudes where breath hurts and hope freezes faster than blood. Search planes flew above them. Close enough to be heard. Close enough to be seen. Yet they remained invisible. Imagine watching rescue pass overhead and realizing you are still alone. Again and again. Food ended. Time stretched. Choices narrowed. Survival demanded decisions no human should ever have...