"terminal B"

[WillWSF]

Terminal B

 

“The moving walkway is now ending. Please watch your step.”

With each stride, the bounce in my step felt more alive. I would make it, but I was pushing it. As the moving walkway came to an end and I stepped onto solid ground, I fastened my heavy carry-on tightly around my right shoulder and walked quickly toward Gate B66. A lady with gray hair stood behind the podium adjacent to the door of the jet way and spoke up…

 

Gate Attendant: “You must be Thomas!”

Me: [catching my breath] “Yeah” –

Gate Attendant: “You’re the last to board; I was just about to call out your name.”

Me: [shuffling through jacket pockets for boarding pass] “Ohhhh thanks.”

Gate Attendant: “Before I let you through, I’m gonna ask you to take a step back--.”

Me: “Excuse me?”

Gate Attendant: “I need to ask you one question before I let you board.”

Me: [quickly glances around and notices the eerie reality of not a soul in sight] “Alright”

Gate Attendant: “And before you answer, I’ll give you a second to think about it.”

Me: “No problem”

Gate Attendant: “take a step back, sir. Alright, it’s a yes or no question, and you must think about it silently for a moment before you answer. Do you understand?”

Me: “Sure”

Gate Attendant: “Here’s the question: Do you believe that this airline you’re about to board is the best airline in the industry? Yes or no? And -- please don’t answer right away.”

Me: “I have no idea.”

Gate Attendant: “Sir, what did I tell you? I need you to think about it for at least a few seconds.”

Me: “I’m sorry ma’am, but … I’m really not educated enough to answer that question. Actually, I - I did read an article in the paper about…uh… it was a while ago. But if I remember correctly, the article did have some nice things to say about your airline. However, who am I to say if this columnist was credible or not?”

Gate Attendant: “Sir, do you have to be difficult? It’s a yes or no question. I’ll give you a few more seconds, and that’s it. The pilots are eager to depart from here.”

Me: “Do you want an honest answer?”

Gate Attendant: “Of course I want an honest answer.”

Me: “So – I don’t have a choice? I just have one option and that’s to answer what I honestly genuinely believe, right?”

Gate Attendant: “That’s correct, sir. You only have one option, and that’s to answer honestly. It’s not a choice.”

Me: “Alright then… [Pause] I honestly… ummm… I honestly don’t believe it is, ma’am, and that’s the honest to God truth”.

Gate Attendant: “Thanks for your honesty sir”.

 

The lady turned around, took a couple steps towards the door of the jet way, grabbed the edge of the door, and slammed the door shut, causing a sharp echo.

Gate Attendant: “Sir, please turn around.”

Me: “I don’t understand. This isn’t fair. I need to get on this flight. I thought you were just playing around with me. I – I have no idea what’s going on. Is this a joke?”

Gate Attendant: “Sir, if you would have answered that you believed we were the best airline in the industry, I would have let you board. But you did not.

Now sir, I told you to turn around.”

Me: What?! This is absurd!”

 

I immediately turned my head to notice something in my peripheral vision. I bent down, grabbed the straps of my carry-on, and then turned all the way around, facing the wide concourse, the bright Christmas decorations, and the moving walkway. What I noticed more than anything else was multiple black holes all over the ground. Was I dreaming? Why hadn't I noticed this before? I was taken aback, and as I took a step back.. I fell backwards into a hole, falling farther and faster, my arms and legs flailing through the air, simply waiting for that inevitable impact.

 

Me: [screaming] “What the ff”—

Before I could even get the words out, I hit the ground with an enormous wave of pain. My head hit the pavement with a striking force, and then complete blackness!

 

Paramedic: “I think he’s – yes, he’s gaining consciousness now.”

I suddenly noticed I was speeding down the street with blinding lights flashing by every second through the back window. Feeling claustrophobic, I looked around and realized I was being tended to in a small enclosed area in the back of an ambulance. I attempted to raise my head from the stretcher, but I could not move an inch. Then a wave of pain intruded every fiber of my body that took my breathe away and caused me to scream in pain, as if I could not control myself.

 

Paramedic: “Mary, grab that bag!”

Mary: “Here you go. How long is he gonna be in this pain?”

Paramedic: “Ha… there’s no telling…but there’s no doubt in my mind that these wounds are going to last a lifetime. So it’s safe to say he’s going to be in excruciating pain for the rest of his life, and his only option will be to lie in a hospital bed for the rest of his life. His nurses will just have to put up with his screaming and his gnashing of his teeth. He’ll never recover from his injuries; that’s for certain.”

Mary: “Wow, that’s too bad for him. I suppose he deserves it though.”

Paramedic: “You’re exactly right, Mary. He absolutely deserves this.

 

Unknown voice: [distant and distorted through a cloud of confusing] “ending, please”

Me: [thinking to myself] “Who is that? Where – where have I heard that?”

I slowly opened my eyes and noticed a hundred or more people all around me, sitting next to me, walking around, and most people grabbing onto suitcases. I lifted my head from the arm of the seat next to me, and a wave of relief immediately came over me. I sat up straight in my seat, and as I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, a comforting voice rang out in the adjacent concourse with piercing familiarity:

“The moving walkway is now ending. Please watch your step.”

[Shyone]

Terminal B

 

“The moving walkway is now ending. Please watch your step.”

With each stride, the bounce in my step felt more alive. I would make it, but I was pushing it. As the moving walkway came to an end and I stepped onto solid ground, I fastened my heavy carry-on tightly around my right shoulder and walked quickly toward Gate B66. A lady with gray hair stood behind the podium adjacent to the door of the jet way and spoke up…

 

Gate Attendant: “You must be Thomas!”

Me: [catching my breath] “Yeah” –

 

Ha! That was great! Nice twists and metaphors.

[WillWSF]

Thanks! It's the first story/play I've ever written so I realize it's not that great. I recently posted it on a Christian forum (and subsequently deleted it) and I don't think they got it. Haha!