One Last Time

I grip the arms of my chair. The sweat on my upper brow has worked its way down past my shivering nose and my quivering mouth. All the way to the cuffs of my salmon pink shirt. We vibrate and shudder, the stranger on the tannoy reassures us that this is normal. That the shakes of metal giving up and cracking is normal. I know there's something wrong.

The person sat next to me is reading a book calmly, casually turning the pages as if we weren't all going to die in a matter of minutes. 'Learn to be Happy' the title read, written by some phony. Writing each page laughing to himself as he counts the dollar signs. She was a petit Japanese woman, quiet and curious. She kept herself to herself, only pausing my moments of terror to ask for a pen. She bowed her head as I passed the Bic across to her, our palms polar opposites, hers smooth and dry, mine were dipped in a sweaty oil that was too persistent to rub on my jeans.

Jeans were a bad choice, dress for comfort they said, I naively ignored that advice as I put them on. They were tight around my waist and thigh, it oddly made me feel more secure. I poked my head out to the side, to peer down the aisle, another jolt made me lose my seat for a brief second. I rubbed my forehead and scratched my beard, the salmon pink getting darker and darker as time went on. Rows upon rows of arms and shoulders glazed my vision, two seats in front of me there was a shoulder wearing a black leather jacket with fake metal spikes at the top. The next one ahead was a dark blazer and the rest were generic business shirts, red, white and blue.

We were all lambs to the slaughter, lined up row after row to the chopping block. I had to get out. I unbuckled my seatbelt and as calmly as possible made my way to the back. My hands were still shaking. I put them in my pockets, hiding my fear. Everyone was staring at me, were they asking for help? They were stuck here as well as me. Some looked angry others looked annoyed, I didn't fully understand as my eyes darted between all their faces. I just ignored them. I kept my head down and carried on to the back. I was almost there, the exits were clearly marked, taunting us all, showing us how close we were to freedom and how far.

"Excuse me sir!" A voice echoed behind me, I ignored it, no amount of pleasantries will get me back in that chair. "Excuse me sir, you should sit back down in your seat." A woman appeared from in front of me, her bright red lipstick complimented her cravate. These were all ploys, a nice facade to keep us all in check. Another woman came in behind me, they had closed me in, I was defenceless against them, trapped like a rat in a cage in a falling elevator. I had no where to go, she grabbed my arm, not as harsh as I expected, firm but assertive. I was powerless, my hands were still trembling, my clothes were soaked through and tight to my body. Courage had decided to take the day off, the shift being taken by obedience. My feet reluctantly dragged me back to my seat, the adventure of escape being cut short.

I place my hands back in their position, firmly clasped to the arms of my chair. I reach into the bag under my seat and take out my phone. It's an old brick, nothing but calling and texting, didn't see the point of everything else. The man sat next to me on the other side of the aisle leaned in, I caught eyes with him, he looked deep into my eyes for only a moment. He pulled away and whispered something into his partners ear. She then peered over at my seat, a look of suspicion on her brow. It made me feel uneasy.

I scrolled through my contacts. Mum, Dad, Ahmed...Laura. The reason I'm on this trip in the first place. Mum and Dad always had a problem with her, but I was adamant in my endeavour to win her over. She knew all about me the second we met, she was perfect and she always knew how to calm me down and make me feel safe. Getting the best of my nerves becoming a two person job. She thought it was cute. I just wanted to hear her voice, I want hers to be the last voice I hear, ever. I check down the aisle again, this time making sure they weren't lurking round the corners again. I caressed the phone, I wasn't allowed to use it, I mean hell it might not even work at all. The guy and his wife next to me were getting even more agitated. The fake metal spikes and the red, white and blue turned around, their focus drawn to my seat and the anxious mess sitting in it. My heart was racing, bump...bump...bump...my seat was juttering about, trying to shake me out of it. If I just heard her voice then all of this would just float away, one word. I started dialing her number, she was staying at her mothers, the number being catalogued in my head. The man next to me stood up and waved over the attendant, red lipstick and cravate included. He's betrayed me, he's betrayed all of us.

"Excuse me sir, you can't use that whilst we're in the air." She said, making her way down the aisle, her voice bringing the attention of everyone on board.

"I just have to make a call." I said, I stood up and stepped back, slowly creeping to the back as the eyes followed me. Why were they all against me? We were in this together and now they were crumbling under the pressure, or maybe I was? "I just have to make a call." I said again. I pressed the little green phone symbol and place the phone to my ear. Half the cabin gasped, why? I was only making a call, I had to grip the handset tightly, the liquid fear was trying to to make me drop it, betraying me like all the others. A man appeared from the back of the cabin, he pulled back the curtain, coffee in hand. One of the attendants was talking to him, he clocked me quickly and rushed forwards, he wafted back his jacket and pulled out a gold badge, thrusting it forwards. The coffee being left behind to get cold.

"Put the phone down, sir."

"Just one quick call."

"Air marshall! Put the phone on the ground!" He yelled, the pleasant prior tone being completely dismissed, he pulled out a small revolver, concealable in design. I put my hands up but the phone was still firmly in my possession. The dialing tone ringed through my ears.

"Don't let him do it!"

"I knew there was something wrong with that guy."

"Get him."

"Why is this happening?" The passengers yelled, a sea of hate and confusion. The people sat near me reeled away, leaning as far away from me as possible. I'm shaking all over now, not helping the situation. What was going on? I just want to phone Laura, why are they being like this? I started getting emotional, my eyes clouding over with a slither of water, my lips quivering. I need her now.

"Put that phone down and get on the ground or I will be forced to put you down." He said. The dial tone stopped. It either went dead or she was there on the other side. It was a normal day ten minutes ago but now someone was pointing a gun at me, everyone was egging him on, all of them relinquishing their morals out of fear, a fear I didn't understand. I need to hear her voice. I put the phone to my ear. He focused his arm and aimed at my head. His finger lightly grazing the trigger.

"Hello." she said. One last time. I closed my eyes and I floated away.