(No More) Fear of Flying
(c) 2024, by P.D. Vile
Story tags: Mf, cons
NOTE: This story was originally written for a story writing contest on another website. The mandatory writing prompt was "first times". The version that you read here has been modified to fit the Literotica rules.
The knot in my stomach tightened as the taxi came to a halt.
"This is it, Sir," the taxi driver remarked, with a heavy Indian accent, "domestic departures. I'll get your suitcases from the trunk."
I sighed. Indeed. This was it. I felt a shiver run down my spine.
I could still go back. I could just remain seated, tell the taxi driver that I had a change of heart. Ask him to take me home again. That would be simpler. Safer. Comfortable.
I quickly took the brochure out of my pocket again. As I had done so often during the past weeks. Every time I had second thoughts, every time I had been on the verge of canceling the trip, I had looked at the brochure to remind myself of why I was doing this.
"The Roary Walrus -- Alaskan Wildlife Adventures
We take you so close to the animals that you can smell their breath and hear their roar. A unique experience! Limited availability. Book now, before Greenpeace makes us stop!"
I sighed. I had never known that I wanted this, until this brochure had landed on my doormat. But once I saw it, once I had read the texts and seen the pictures, I knew that there was nothing in this world that I wanted more than this.
But... it was in Alaska. And without a passport, there is only one way to go to Alaska. By air.
"Sir? Did you hear me? You need to get out. This is short stops only, I can get fined if I am not out of here in time."
I sighed again, then forced myself to get out of the car. The driver had already put my suitcases on the curbside, and now presented the credit card machine for me to pay.
"Don't forget to enter your tip before swiping your card," he reminded me friendly.
It took me three hours, lots of help from strangers, airport staff, and even some pilots, and several liters of sweat, but in the end, I managed to clear all hurdles. Check in. Baggage drop. Security. And the walk to my departure gate. There I sat now, on an uncomfortable bench. My backpack on my lap, two arms wrapped around it. My ticket clenched between the white knuckles of my fist. My knees shaking, and my head covered in sweat.
Two more hours before boarding. Two more hours in which I had to resist the urge, coming from every fiber in my body, to get up and run, run as fast as I could, run as far away from this dreaded airport with its silver flying coffins. Run towards safety.
But also run away from The Roary Walrus. That thought kept me seated, albeit with wobbly knees.
"Mister? Are you alright?"
I looked aside, expecting to see airport staff or perhaps a flight attendant. But the person standing next to me was neither. She was a girl. If I had to guess, I'd give her perhaps 18 or 19 years. A freckled face, red curls, green eyes that sparkled with youth. She wore a knee length skirt and a loose fitting blouse.
I tried to speak, say something reassuring, but my voice failed me. So I just nodded. The girl smiled and hopped on the bench, right next to me. I could feel the warmth of her body press against my side.
"First time?"
I nodded again.
"Oh, then I understand why you are scared. I was very nervous too, my first time. It was with my dad. He really helped me through it, and in the end I really liked it."
"You did?"
"Hmm-hmm. So much that I now want to do it all the time!"
I tried to smile at her.
"All the time? How do you pay for so many tickets, then?"
She giggled.
"Silly you. I said I
want
to do it all the time. I cannot afford to fly all the time. Only a few times."
We sat for a few minutes in silence. The girl's legs were swaying back and forth, causing her body to move gently against mine all the time. It had a soothing effect on me. But I realized that people might get wrong thoughts, seeing me sitting next to a so much younger woman. Especially her parents, if they were here. I looked around to see if anyone was keeping an eye on her, or appeared to be searching someone. But nobody seemed to notice. People passing by didn't give us a second look. I realized that, to them, it looked like we were perhaps a girl with her father or uncle, traveling together. Nobody knew that we were total strangers.
She finally broke the silence.
"You long until your flight?"
I checked my watch. It was less than a minute after the last three times I had looked.
"About two hours. The waiting is killing me."
She smiled.
"You just need something to do. So you don't think about the flight all the time."
"Yeah. But what?"
"A game, of course! When I have time to kill, I always play a game. Perhaps you and I can play together?"
She jumped up from the bench, grabbed my hand, and tried to tug me along to wherever she intended to go.
I hesitated. I had not felt like a nervous breakdown since the girl had sat herself next to me. It was clear that distraction worked. I would not mind spending the rest of the wait time with her, instead of by myself on a bench, dying a thousand deaths per minute.
But at the same time, I realized that I didn't know her. Surely someone was watching her. What would they think if I went with this girl to wherever she planned to take me?
"How about your parents? Should we not ask them first? Or at least tell them where we are going?"
She laughed, and the sound reminded me of jingle bells.
"My dad is over there, at gate 7."
She pointed vaguely in a direction. I noticed signs of gates 21, 19, 17, and then there was a bend.
"That's very far away! Won't he be worried?"
"Hey, I'm not a kid. Besides, dad knows that I know this airport inside out. He knows I'll be at the gate in time. I don't have such an overly protective helicopter dad as some of my friends do. He trusts me to take care of myself."
I briefly wondered how many parents would define 'chatting with a random man and then dragging him somewhere for a game' as 'taking care of herself'. But I kept my mouth shut.
I got up and followed the girl. I had expected her to take me to some kind of games area. But instead, she took me to the toilet area.
"What, do you need to..."
"Shhh."
She looked around, then quickly typed a code on the keypad next to a service door. It opened and she dragged me inside, then quickly shut the door again.
"What? I don't think we are supp..."