AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Disclaimer:
Thisstoryisahorror romance, which means that while it contains a lot of very spicy scenes, it also contains some horror elements some readers might find triggering.
Alana
Myheadispounding.
I’ve never been great at flying, but this trip has been particularly bad. The plane was late to leave Orlando International Airport and the flight was already three hours late. The flight itself wasn’t much better. There was a lot of turbulence, a storm greeting us as soon as the pilot announced that we were about to start landing.
The wheels of the plane scraped against the runway when the pilot landed, sparks below us, and I thought the space between the back of my eyes and my head was going to explode.
But we’re here now.
It’s been a hellish day, but things can only get better. Right?
The rest of my party doesn’t seem bothered by any of this. Bryony has been asleep for most of the trip, a heavy facemask on her eyes. Kelly and Sierra have either been gossiping under their breath or doing crossword puzzles together. Trine is in business class with her boyfriend. One of her boyfriends.
And I feel like my eye sockets are going to explode.
I rub my dry eyes–which feel like sandpaper –as the seatbelt sign comes off and people start to get to their feet.
Bryony looks at me, rolling her eyes. “I never understand why people do this,” she says. “You’re not going to phase through the person in front of you, so you might as well wait.”
I clench my teeth together. Normally, I would agree with her, but I can’t stay in this seat a second longer. I run my hand through my hair. “Bry, I think I might be claustrophobic.”
“You’re not,” she replies, squeezing my shoulder. “You’re tired. Anxious. It’s been a long day. But just think about what’s coming next.”
I glare at her. She smiles, doing an exaggerated gesture with her hand. “Johnny Baskets, our name in lights,” she says. “First South American tour.”
“I think we’re getting shitty brochures, and our own band is barely in there.”
“Al, get a grip,” Bryony says cheerfully. “You’ll feel better after you sleep.”
“If I ever get to sleep again,” I say between gritted teeth. When I do sleep, I keep having these weird nightmares, which I’ve attributed to anxiety.
“You’ll be fine,” Kelly says. She has turned around so she can look at me over the headrest, her dark eyes boring into me. “Bryony is right. You just need to rest. Just give yourself a little time, you might be affected by the altitude.”
“You don’t seem affected by the altitude,” I say.
Kelly shrugs, her silver dagger earrings dangling as she does, just an inch away from her shoulders. “I grew up in Colorado, remember?” she says, then shakes her head. “Anyway, give it time. No one’s immune to it. We could all be sick in an hour for all I know.”
I groan.
“It isn’t even that high,” Bryony says.
“It’s eight thousand feet,” Sierra replies. “It’s high.”
They’re bickering about the altitude and I’m not interested at all. The little window outside is fogged up and I have to resist the urge to wipe it with my sleeve. I know it’s not going to do anything. I can see blurry lights in the distance, flanked by tall trees and large mountains. From what I can see, this city is beautiful. It’s just a shame I can’t see much.
After what feels like an eternity, it’s time for us to get out. There aren’t many people left here. We’re in the back of the plane, but it feels a little easier to breathe now that I can finally get my bag from the overhead bin. I have to stand on the tips of my toes to open it since I’m short. There’s a small chance the bag tips over on my head, but it doesn’t, and I’m immediately relieved when it plops down on the aisle in front of me, just an inch or so away from my toes.
Bryony clasps her hand on my shoulder and flashes me a smile before she leans down to grab my bag. She hands it to me, her brow furrowed. “It’s going to be fine,” she says. “I promise.”
I make an effort not to roll my eyes. I want to believe her, but ever since this whole thing started, it’s felt wrong.
I’m not afraid of success, though my therapist definitely thought it was a prescient question to ask me. At least…I don’tthinkI’m afraid of success. It’s just been a while since I’ve traveled abroad, and for good reason. Last time I was abroad was anightmare.
I don’t tell her that. I don’t tell any of them that. I take my bag off her, flash her a smile back, and tell myself that it’s all going to be okay this time.
