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<<audio theme stop>>
<<audio end play>>
it is dark
your mind is blank
you listen to the breathing of your chest
you try to think of home
but nothing comes to mind
nothing is there
it is dark
your hand slips
you are jolted awake
[[...]]
Darren: The Blood-Sucking Pill Popper Who Got Fired From BuckleTo Live and Die On Heaven's Gate
[[................]]<<audio end stop>>
<<audio theme play>>
You open your eyes.
You are sitting in an airport bar.
You stretch your neck and take a sip of some cheap IPA.
You casusally glance up at the wall mounted screen across the bar.
Coastal Carolina is playing Lousiana.
The bar smells like garlic scented Febreeze and is poorly decorated with dime store Christmas lights and tinsel.
A commercial interupts the game.
It features a man dressed up as Santa Claus talking about debt relief.
You are reminded of last christmas and the arguement.
A waitress comes up to you.
“Can I get you another drink” she asks.
Umm….
[[“I’ll have another beer.”]]
[[“I’ll take a whiskey.”]]
[[“I’m fine.”]]Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.“I’ll have another beer”
The waitress leaves the table.
You return your focus to the television.
There is now a movie trailer playing on the screen.
It features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and an exploding air craft carrier.
You shrug your shoulders and think...
[[“That looks fucking horrible”]]
[[“I can’t wait to see that”]]
[[“That looks fucking horrible and I can’t wait to see that”]]“What kind?”, she asks.
“Rail is fine”, you respond.
The waitress smiles and leaves the table.
You grab your phone and instinctively begin scrolling through Instagram in search of a fleeting hit of dopamine.
As you scroll, there is a post that you like.
It is…
[[a dog riding a skateboard]]
[[a friend standing on Machu Picchu]]
[[a Depeche Mode meme]]She nods and continues to make the rounds.
You look down at your phone.
You get a news alert that “Investigators found a jet engine under Greenland's ice sheet”.
You aren’t sure what your’re supposed to do with this information and look back up at the game.
Coastal Carolina is down 13 points at the half.
You look back down at your phone.
You pick it up to…
“answer an old text from your [[MOM]] ”
[[“look into the what’s going on with that jet engine in Greenland”]]
[[“google where the hell Coastal Carolina University is located”]]The game returns.
You aimlessly watch the two teams play.
You think about how you've never heard of "Coastal Carolina University".
You reach for your phone to google where it is.
A glass drops.
You turn around to look at it.
An embarrassed man in a grey suit shakes his head.
Your waitress returns.
“Here’s that beer” she says. You crack a sheepish grin “Thanks”.
She leaves.
You take a drink as you do so your phone lights up.
You have three unread messages.
[[MOM]]
[[CLAIRE]]
[[UNKNOWN NUMBER]]The game returns.
You aimlessly watch the two teams play.
You think about how you've never heard of "Coastal Carolina University".
You reach for your phone to google where it is.
A glass drops.
You turn around to look at it.
An embarrassed man in a grey suit shakes his head.
Your waitress returns.
“Here’s that beer” she says.
You crack a sheepish grin “Thanks”.
She leaves.
You take a drink as you do so your phone lights up.
You have three unread messages..
[[MOM]]
[[CLAIRE]]
[[UNKNOWN NUMBER]]The game returns.
You aimlessly watch the two teams play.
You think about how you've never heard of "Coastal Carolina University".
You reach for your phone to google where it is.
A glass drops.
You turn around to look at it.
An embarrassed man in a grey suit shakes his head.
Your waitress returns.
“Here’s that beer” she says.
You crack a sheepish grin “Thanks”.
She leaves.
You take a drink as you do so your phone lights up.
You have three unread messages.
[[MOM]]
[[CLAIRE]]
[[UNKNOWN NUMBER]]“When do u land?”
“not until tonight. you?”
“I got in this morning. The dickhead next to me was eating funyuns the entire flight.”
“yikes. did you say something?”
“Fuck no. He smelled like he ate out an onion’s asshole. I just sat there and watched kung-fu panda.”
“that’s fucked. well, i’ll hit you up when i get in town”
“Cool”
You grin as you double tap.
You look up from your phone and observe the hastily strung Christmas lights lining the perimeter of the bar.
Your waitress returns.
“Here you go”, she says.
You nod, “Thanks”.
“Anything else I can get you?”
[[“No thank you”.]]You grin as you double tap.
You look up from your phone and observe the hastily strung Christmas lights lining the perimeter of the bar.
Your waitress returns.
“Here you go”, she says.
You nod, “Thanks”.
“Anything else I can get you?”
[[“No thank you”.]] You grin as you double tap. You look up from your phone and observe the hastily strung Christmas lights lining the perimeter of the bar. Your waitress returns.
“Here you go”, she says.
You nod, “Thanks”.
“Your attention is taken by a full grown man running down the terminal dressed as an elf.
You stare and wonder what series of events led him to this.
As he shuffles away you again look around the bar.
You start to think about going home...
You think about seeing her...
But you quickly shake your head and return to looking around the bar.
As you look around, you notice a young man staring at you.
You…
[[pretend you don’t notice him.]]
[[stare back him.]]
[[finish your drink quickly and get up to leave.]] Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Four hours into a September 2017 Air France flight 66 from Paris to Los Angeles, one of the aircraft's four engines spontaneously exploded.
"IS THERE A PROBLEM," read the message from air traffic controllers to the pilots. The plane, with over 500 people onboard, was flying four thousand feet below its previous altitude
[[......]]Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina.
Founded in 1954, it became an independent university in 1993.
The university is a national sea-grant institution and owns part of Waties Island, an Atlantic barrier island that serves as a natural laboratory for CCU's
[[......]]Double-click this passage to edit it."Can you stop and grab some foil on your way home?"
"i'm still in the airport"
"I know. Just after you pick up the rental swing by Target"
"yeah, i guess i can"
"do you need anything else?"
"I don't think so"
"Actually grab some hazelnut creamer"
"I love you"
"=)"
[["love you too"]]“When do u land?”
“not until tonight. you?”
“I got in this morning. The dickhead next to me was eating funyuns the entire flight.”
“yikes. did you say something?”
“Fuck no. He smelled like he ate out an onion’s asshole. I just sat there and watched kung-fu panda. Have you talked to mom yet?”
“that’s fucked. and no. i'll talk to her when i see her.
"You sure reach out to her. You know how she worries.
"well, if she really cared she'd-
[[......]]"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE"
[[.....]]You put down your phone and are properly freaked out.
You quietly look around the bar.
Nothing appears to be out of order.
You examine everyone seated around you but they are all either locked in conversation or glued to their phones.
You...
[[finish your drink quickly and get up to leave.]]
[[decide it's a probably a joke and stay.]]
[[take another look around the bar.]]Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.You scan the bar again.
This time with much more attention to detail.
As your gaze wanders, you notice someone you overlooked before.
It is a young man seated in the corner.
He is looking your way.
Your glances connect for a moment.
You then...
[[pretend you don’t notice him.]]
[[stare back him.]]
[[finish your drink quickly and get up to leave.]] Your phone dies.
You try to power it back on but it doesn't work.
You let out a sigh.
You think about how you've put off that upgrade for way too long.
This reminds you how your mom is still on your phone plan.
You then put the phone in your pocket and look back up at the television.
There is an advertisement for blood pressure medicine.
You decide to then...
[[get up and leave.]]
[[order a shot of whiskey.]]You put down your phone.
Can you believe her?
You are flying in and the first stop you have to make is to the store for her?
What the hell is she doing?
This bothers the hell out of you.
You then check your watch for the time.
Your flight isn't for another two hours.
You get upset at yourself for choosing a flight with a layover.
You then decide to...
[[buy another beer.]]
[[finish your beer and leave.]]The waitress sets down a new beer and walks away.
You count how many you've had but quickly give up.
You then start thinking about the fight you had with your mom last Christmas.
it was all over those fucking cookies.
She should've listened to you.
And Claire should have had your back.
Those two are cut from the same fucking cloth and they'd hate to admite it.
The lights flicker.
And fuck her.
You take a sip of your beer.
[[She can get her own foil.]]
You guzzle down the last bit of beer.
You then grab your bag and walk over to the bar top.
While the waitress runs your card you notice a sign on the wall.
It reads "Every Hour Is Happy Hour".
You squint in confusion.
The waitress returns your card.
"There you go. Have a happy Christmas and make sure to come back soon", she says.
"Thanks, I will", you respond.
As you walk out, you think about why someone would return to an airport bar soon.
You then decide to...
[[head to the gate]]
[[go use the restroom]]
[[walk around to kill some time]]You grin as you double tap.
You look up from your phone and observe the hastily strung Christmas lights lining the perimeter of the bar.
Your waitress returns.
“Here you go”, she says.
You nod, “Thanks”.
“Anything else I can get you?”
[[“No thank you”.]] You hurry to the gate.
As you bustle down the hallway your mind is all over the place.
You are thinking about mom.
You are thinking about Claire.
You are thinking about your stupid hometown.
You are thinking so much that you don't look ahead.
And see the worker driving on of those little golf carts.
You hear a slight horn squeak.
[[................]]You start walking down the terminal.
You are looking down the various path and hallways.
You see a small hallway off the back.
Its like a hidden hall in a mall.
You think theres probably a bathroom down there.
You start walking down the hall.
As you walk you hear the faint sounds of Jingle Bell rock.
You walk closer to the sounds.
You reach the end of the hallway.
There is a single door.
The music is loud on the other side.
You...
turn around and [[head to the gate]]
[[go inside the door]]You idle around the terminal.
Looking at the different shops.
You see a Wetzel's Pretzels and think about how the orginal name was California Pretzel.
Despite the fact that the founder's last name was Wetzel.
The dude sold pretzels for like 5 years and didn't realize his last name rhymed with the fucking product he sold!
Next to it is a duty free shop.
You walk in looking for [[some cheap smokes.]] Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.You walk away from the bar.
You look down at your recipiet and are suprised at how much that IPA was.
You are walking down the terminal.
You see a kid sitting in a chair watching minecraft videos with the volume on full blast.
The man in front of you is walking with a limp.
You decide to look for a place to [[step outside and smoke.]]You flag down your waitress.
She is helping a man wearing a Tim McGraw t-shirt.
She looks up and notices you.
After she finishes, she walks over to you.
"Hey, can I get you something?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'll take a shot of whiskey please" you respond.
"What kind?"
"House is fine"
"Single or double"
[["Single"]]
[["Double"]]"Great, I'll be right back hun" she say and then walks away.
You reach for your phone out of habit but quickly remember that it's bricked.
You slip it back into your pocket.
You grab your bag to check and see if you brought a battery pack.
You search through your underwear and toiletries with the hope of finding some juice.
As you do so, a man walks up to you.
You look up as you plunder through your bag.
He says "Hey. You look familiar. Were you on a commercial or something?"
You stare bashfully.
[["No, I think you have me confused with someone else"]]
[["Sort of..."]]
"Gotcha" she says as she takes your order and walks away.
You look up at the screen but immediately look back down because you know you could care less about the programming.
You reach into you bag and pull out a book.
It is a collection of poems by W.S Merwin.
You thumb through the pages.
The waitress returns with your whiskey.
You smile and nod.
You stop at a poem called "Invocation"
You down the shot.
Its the cheap shit.
You grit your teeth and [[begin to read]]
"Really?", he says. "I'm sure I've seen you somewhere before"
You shrug your shoulders, "Yeah, I've been told that I have one of those faces".
As you finish your response, your waitress returns with your whiskey.
"Hey, don't you recognize this face?" he says to her as he points at you.
She sets down the drink and looks you over.
"You do look kinda of familiar", she says.
[["You must have me mistaken..."]]
[["Well actually..."]]"I actually just wrote a cook book" you sheepishly say. "I'm a chef".
He looks at you curiously.
"Like a big chef?" he asks.
You shrug, "I was a guest judge on Top Chef. So however big that is".
"No shit?" he repsond. "My wife loves that show"
"Can I get a photo with you?" he asks.
[["Yeah, of course"]]
[["I'd rather not"]]
The man looks you over again.
You just sit there uncomfortably as he does so.
You're not really sure how to respond.
"Did you ever play a sport?" he asks.
"Like have I ever played a sport at all.... in my life?" you respond.
"Well, like professionally?"
"I ran track in high school"
He looks at you.
"No, that's not it", he says. "I'm sorry to bother you. You just looked so familiar".
"Its okay"
[[The man walks away.]]
You then unenthusiacially raise your eyebrows, open your mouth wide and cover it with your hand.
"Oh my god!" the waitress says.
"What?" says the man.
"Sunkist! You were those Sunkist commercials!" she exclaims.
The man looks you over as you silently nod.
"That's it!", he responds. "You had longer hair though".
"Yep. It was actually a wig." you respond.
"Can I get a photo with you?" the waitress asks.
[["Sure"]]
You stand up as the waitress hands the man her phone.
The man fumbles with it for a moment while the two of you awkwardely position yourselves.
You begin to flash a stock smile.
The waitress turns to you.
"Could you do the.." she does the hand motion.
"Of course" you respond with a witheld breath.
The man takes the photo and then also asks for one.
[["Of course"]]You lower your hand as the waitress finishes taking the photo.
As returns the camera to the man.
"It was a pleasure meeting you", she says.
You nod, "Likewise".
You sit back down.
The man turns to you.
"Hey, I'd like to buy you a beer" he says.
[["Yeah, that'd be great."]]
[["No thank you, I gotta head over to my gate"]]The man walks over to the bar.
You continue to search for the battery pack.
Your bag is a mess.
You should've grabbed a larger one but checking a bag is such a pain in the ass.
The man returns.
He sets the beer on the table.
He begins to pull up a seat.
"Do you mind?" he asks.
[["Not at all"]]
[["Actually, I'm kind of in the middle of something"]]"Oh yeah. I forgot where we were for a moment" he says as he laughs. "have a safe flight"
"Thanks you too", you respond.
He walks away.
You begin to poke around your bag again.
No luck.
You zip up the bag and take the shoot the glass of whiskey.
It the cheap shit but bearable.
You then [[get up and leave.]]
You ignore the staring dude.
You just kinda look down while you drink.
He is still looking at you.
He gets up and walks over your way.
You are a little nervous.
Who the fuck is this guy?
"Hey" he says in an unfamiliar voice. "Are you Alex?"
[["I am..."]]
[["Who is asking?"]]
The two of you remain locked in eye contact.
You're not backing down from this weirdo.
He suddenly jumps up from his chair and knocks over his table!
He starts walking your way.
He pulls out a handgun and let's out a shot.
The bar erupts.
Are you shot?
You don't feel shot.
He's pushing through the crowd toawrd you.
Should you...
Fuck it.
[[You should run.]]
You grab your bag and begin to leave.
Then you remember you need to pay your tab.
You rush over to the bar while looking over your shoulder.
Your waitress runs your card.
"Thanks for stopping by. Have a merry Christmas!" she says.
"Of course. You too" you respond.
[[You walk out of the bar.]]
The man takes a seat.
He reaches out to shake your hand, "Ron Tavers is the name".
You shake his hand "Hey Ron, I'm Alex. Alex Alder."
He gets comfortable in his chair.
You put down your bag.
"So are you an actor?" he asks.
"I guess", you take a sip.
"Haven't gotten much work lately?"
"Haven't really needed to. Those gigs..."
As you talk there is a small tremor in the airport.
The lights flicker.
A few items on the walls clank.
It's over in a moment.
You look at Ron.
[["Did you feel that?"]]
"Oh I'm sorry", he condescending scoffs. "I don't mean to bother the celebrity".
"Woah man", you say. "I just.."
"I get it. You're too big time to kick back a beer with me"
"Its not that..."
"Hey everyone", he says to the whole bar. "The kid from the Fanta ads is too important drink with us lowly peasants".
The other bar patrons look around confused.
You are wrapped with embaressment.
The waitress returns.
[[She asks, "is there a problem?"]]
"It's just a tremor. We get them out here all the time." he says, rather calmly.
I take another sip.
"so, you're from here?" you ask.
"Yep. Born and raised. I'm in the concrete business".
"Neat. So where are you flying out to?"
"Flying out to?", he says as he takes a drink.
You are confused.
"Wait. What are you doing out at the airport?" you ask.
"I came here to see you" he responds.
[["Wha.."]]
[["Umm..."]]
He grabs your wrist.
"You don't remember me" he says with a frantic look.
You try to recoil but he pulls you back.
"I won the Sunkist Super Saver contest" he says. "I collected 3,543 cans to win an all expense paid trip to the Bahamas".
You wrestle again but his grip tightens.
"But the trip never came!" he explains. "Because of some techincalality my trip was revoked"
"I'm not sure..."
"I WANT MY TRIP!"
[[Other patrons look over at the commotion.]]"I'm just fucking with you" he says with an earnest smile.
You smile back.
He explains, "My wife's flying back from Boston. I guess the flight got delayed, so I thought I'd pop in and grab a drink while I wait", he takes a sip.
"I'm pissed because I left the kids home alone. It's probably gonna look like Bedlam when we get home", he continues.
"How old are they?" you ask.
"My daughter is 15 and the boy is 12. They are constantly at each other's throats", he says while he pulls out his phone to [[show you a photo.]]
You lean over to look.
The photo is of a very nice family. There all wearing matching these garish sweaters.
"I know the sweaters are a mess" he says.
You crack a smile.
"From your mouth to God's years", you respond. "But your family looks lovely. Your daughter looks just like you".
He smiles, "Yeah, she'd hate to hear that".
The two of you laugh.
"I must of endured some real shit in a past life because I don't know what I did to desreve them", he says.
"I'm sure you did something right" you respond.
As I respond, he phone rings.
He looks at it then points it my way.
"Speaking of" he says as he pulls back and answers.
You...
[[take another sip.]]
[[check in on the score of the game.]]
[[try messing with your phone again.]]
You set the glass down.
Ron hangs up the phone.
"Alright well the queen has landed", he gets up. "It was a pleasure to meet you".
He reaches out to shake hands.
"The pleasure was mine, Ron" you say as you shake hands.
He nods and walks away.
You look up at the clock in the middle of the hallway.
You still got another couple hour before you can board.
You yawn.
How long have you been up?
You haven't been sleeping well lately.
Why is that?
You take another sip and then rest you head on your arm.
Why haven't you been sleeping well lately?
Why didn't you just book a direct flight?
You close your eyes.
[[................]]The Carolina Coastal Game is over.
You wonder who won.
Now Southern Mississippi is playing Texas El Paso.
Ron hangs up the phone.
"Alright well the queen has landed", he gets up. "It was a pleasure to meet you".
He reaches out to shake hands.
"The pleasure was mine, Ron" you say as you shake hands.
He nods and walks away.
You look up at the clock in the middle of the hallway.
You still got another couple hour before you can board.
You yawn.
How long have you been up?
You haven't been sleeping well lately.
Why is that?
You take another sip and then rest you head on your arm.
Why haven't you been sleeping well lately?
Why didn't you just book a direct flight?
You close your eyes.
[[................]]You grab your phone out of your pocket.
You try to hold the home and power button like the guy at the Apple store did the one time you dropped it in a bowl of tomatoe soup.
Jesus.
That was a fucking mess.
Ron hangs up the phone.
"Alright well the queen has landed", he gets up. "It was a pleasure to meet you".
He reaches out to shake hands.
"The pleasure was mine, Ron" you say as you shake hands.
He nods and walks away.
You look up at the clock in the middle of the hallway.
You still got another couple hour before you can board.
You yawn.
How long have you been up?
You haven't been sleeping well lately.
Why is that?
You take another sip and then rest you head on your arm.
Why haven't you been sleeping well lately?
Why didn't you just book a goddamn direct flight?
You close your eyes.
[[................]]Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Your head is in spinning and this man as this man yells about his lost vacation.
Out of desperation you kick his chair out from under him.
He slips out of his chair and looses his grip.
You jerk away and quickly grab your bang.
You jump up from your chair and begin to run away.
As you do so he reaches up and grabs your ankle.
You trip.
And fall hard against the floor.
[[................]]"Yeah" he loudly responds. "The star here is too good to enjoy my company but doesn't have a problem drinking a free beer".
You've had enough of this bullshit.
You stand up.
To the waitress you say, "I'm sorry about this. Can I just pay my tab? I'll pay for the beer too".
The guy walks up to you and gets in your face.
"Oh, now your just gonna run away?"
The waitress is confused.
[[A bar back from behind the bar starts to walk over.]]"Back up" you say to the man as you pull back and grab your bag.
"What am I too close to the star?" he says as he again draws closer to you.
He then grabs at your bag.
You pull it back but he's holding on tightly.
"Fuck off" you say as you let out a shove.
It knocks him back for a moment but he storms back up again.
"You motherfucker" he says as unexpectedely throw you down.
You see the flash of a Miller Light sign as you drop to the floor.
[[................]]"That's totally cool" he says. "I get it. Must be kind of annoying getting bothered all the time like that".
"It's not that bad" you respond. I've just had a long day, you know?"
"Traveling will do that" he says. "It was nice to meet you."
"You as well" you respond.
[[The man walks away.]]The man reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone.
You stand up.
"My wife isn't going to believe this" he says.
The two of you awkwardely bunch together.
You can smell his after shave.
It smells like some shit you'd buy at CVS.
"Can you do like a chef's pose?" he asks.
You are confused.
"A what?" you respond.
"Forget it a smile is good" he says as he reaches out his arm for the selfie.
You brace and crack a closed mouth smile.
He takes the photo.
He instantly looks through him on his phone.
He holds it up to show you, "look at that".
"Yep", you respond.
"I appreciate it" he says. "What was your name again?"
"Alex Adler" you say as you sit back down.
"Thanks Alex", he says. "My wife's gonna lose it when she sees this"
[[The man walks away.]] You watch him as he walks away.
You shake your head a little then look back up at the television.
There is now a commercial playing for Big Lots and their 12 days of saving promotion.
All Christmas decor is 60% off until the 29th.
While staring at the screen you notice a woman at the end of the bar.
She is eating a jar of olives.
And nothing else.
Your waitress walks by.
"Can I get you anything?" she asks.
"Do you guys sell like whole jars of olives?" you respond.
She looks unsure "ummm... well. We have some for the Martinis and stuff. I guess if you wanted some I could grab you a glass.."
"That's okay. I'll just take the check" you say.
She smiles, "I can ring you out at the bar."
You nod and [[get up and leave.]]
You think that it has to be a joke, right?
Who would just text a thing like that?
You shake it off and [[buy another beer.]]Double-click this passage to edit it."Oh my god!" he exclaims.
You are confused.
He can tell.
"You don't remember me do you?" he says.
You squint, "I'm sorry but I don't".
"It's John Harring" he says. "From UMass".
Your brain lights up.
"Oh god! John?" you say. "You look very different".
"I lost a lot of weight" he laughs.
"Do you wanna sit down?"
"No, I gotta run to my gate." he says. "Its crazy running into you here. Are you heading home for the holidays?"
"Yep. Going to see my folks. You?"
"Same. I run but it was great to see you" he says.
You two share goodbyes and he leaves.
How crazy if that?
[[John from UMass]]The man cracks a small smile.
Then he rears back and cold cocks you.
You don't even have a second to make sense of what is happening...
[[................]]Double-click this passage to edit it.You shake your head and check the time.
You flag down the waitress and ask her for the check.
It is wild how much John changed.
He used to have these like dreadlocks and patchy beard.
Now, he's all clean cut.
Like a dude from Selling Sunset.
Good for him.
Your waitress returns with the check.
You pay it up then [[finish your beer and leave.]] You sprint out of the bar.
Pushing through bodies and decorative plants.
You make your way to the terminal.
You look behind you.
He turns the corner.
RUN!
You make a quick turn down a hallway.
You lost him for a moment.
[[But you still sprint with everything you have.]] Those years of high school track are really coming in clutch right now.
You haul ass down a hallway.
Who is that dude?
And how the fuck did he get a gun into an airport?
You hear him behind you.
You reach the end of the hallway.
There are two doors.
[[LEFT]]
[[RIGHT]]
You burst through the door.
There is a man waiting there.
And he is dressed identically to the man with the gun.
A SHOT RINGS OUT
[[................]]You burst through the door.
It is a small janitorial closet.
No exits.
Not great.
You...
[[try to run to the other room.]]
[[hide in the closet.]]You stand at the door.
Your breaths are shallow.
You try to calm yourself.
You press your ear up to the door.
You hear nothing.
You take a deep breath and [[open the door.]]
You turn off the lights.
You look around for something to hide behind.
There is a large storage locker.
You open it up and shove yourself inside.
It's a tight fit but you're able to get the door closed.
Your breath warms up the tight space.
You take a deep breath and tryo to calmly exhale.
You hear something outside.
You stop moving completely.
The doorknob turns.
A footsteps inside.
You close your eyes.
As the footsteps draw closer, you close your eyes tighter.
[[................]]A SHOT RINGS OUT!!!
[[................]]You hit the terminal.
You turn around
Is that woman following you?
You don't remember seeing her at the bar.
You turn around and walk the other way.
You keep your distance as you pass.
Once the two of you get close she stops and then turns around.
[[You are freaked out now.]]You continue walking along at a fast pace.
Should you find a cop?
Probably not.
You turn around.
She is still following you.
She is an older woman dressed in like an outfit from LL Bean.
How threatening is that?
You...
[[turn around and confront her.]]
[[contune to run.]]You turn around.
People pass you by as you stop.
She continues to walk toward you.
You walk to the left.
She follows you.
You walk back to the right.
She foolws you and is growing closer.
Just walking and staring straight at you.
You are fully frustrated.
In a mad fit you yell "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT??"
[[She stops.]]
You hurry your pace.
The woman still follows.
You brush passed a youth soccer team all dressed in matching uniforms.
They smell like sweat and freshly cut grass.
They are kicking around a soccer ball.
You turn around to see if the woman is behind you.
You quickly make a dash a nearby shop.
[[You walk into Sandies Candies.]]As does everyone else around you.
They all stop and look at you.
There must be 200 people in this area and they are all looking at you.
The terminal is completely still.
Suddenly, the woman lets out a whistle.
Everyone turns to her.
You look at her.
She stares at you.
Like through your soul.
[[Then she points at you.]]Everyone turns around a stares at you again.
The all 300 people begin to slowly walk toward you.
You are dizzy.
What the fuck is going on?
Suddenly...
A bag is thrown over your head.
[[................]]You walk into the store.
The brightly colored candy packing dizzy your eyes.
You instantly walk to the back part of the store and stand behind a large display of Salt Water Taffee.
You catch your breath and peak around the corner, looking to see if the woman is behind you.
"Looking for anything in particular!"
You are startled and turn around.
An old man wearing an apron stands behind you.
He has a small smile on his face.
You think.
"Umm... no I'm just kinda looking around" you say.
He thinks, "Well, what kind of candy do you like?"
[[Chocolate]]
[[Gummies]]
[[All candy?]]
"Great" he says. "We have a wide variety of chocolates".
"Do you like caramel, crips, toffee, coffee or nuts?"
You don't give a shit.
"I like it all, I guess" you say while keeping an eye out for the woman.
"Wonderful! I have just the thing" he walks away for a moment and quickly returns with a box.
"You'll love these" he says as he hands you the bright orange box.
"They're our "Kitchen Sink Clusters" he says with a smile.
You grab the box.
"Great.... what in them?" you half-heartedly ask.
"Oh just a bit of everything. You've got caramel, crips, toffee, coffee or nuts"
"Wonderful" you say sarcastically under your breath.
You turn the box over to look at the price.
The price is 18.99.
"18.99?" you say in shock.
"Well, takes a lot to keep the lights on. These chocolates are made in the"
Sensing a long bullshit story coming on, you interupt him.
[["I'll take them"]]
"Great" he says.
"Do you like sour gummies, sweet gummies, jelly beans, gummy bears, gummy rings or gummy ropes" he asks.
You don't care.
"It all sounds great" you respond.
"Perfect!" he says and the walks away.
You look around for the woman as he steps away.
He returns with a large technicolor bag filled with assorted gummy treats.
"This is our Gummy Delight Sample Bag" he says as he hands you the bag.
"Jesus" you say quitely as he hand you the rainbow monstrosity.
You flip over the bag to look at the price.
The price is 24.99.
"24.99?" you say in shock.
"Well, it takes a lot to keep our lights on. You know these gummies are made..."
Sensing a long bullshit story, you interupt him.
[["I'll take them"]] "Great" he says.
"Do you like chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, suckers, gum, gummies, taffy, jelly beans or mints " he asks.
You could care less about candle right now.
"Wow. Um. I guess I love a surprise" you respond.
"Perfect!" he says and the walks away.
You look around for the woman as he steps away.
He returns with a polka dotted box.
"This is our Candy Cornucopia Sampler" he says as he hands you the box.
"Candy Corn?..." you say quitely as he hand you the dotted package.
You flip over the bag to look at the price.
The price is 35.99.
"35.99?" you say in shock.
"Well, it takes a lot to keep our lights on. You know these candies are made..."
Sensing a long bullshit story, you interupt him.
[["I'll take them"]] You're checking out.
The man is bagging your treats.
"Oh, I forgot to ask if you wanted a bag or not" he says. "You know some people don't use plastic bags..."
Your eyes partically roll into the back of your skull as the old man drones on about single use plastic.
You are bored into a waking coma.
Suddenly, someone taps you on the back.
You turn around.
[[It is the woman from berfore.]]You are startled when you see her.
You physically recoil.
She steps closer to you.
She reaches out her hand.
"Are these yours?" she says as she hands you a pair of headphones.
Your pair of headphones.
"You left them in the bar" she explains.
You shoulder immediately shrug.
You feel like an asshole but thank her prefussiley.
You offered to pay her for helping you out but she denies it.
As a token you force upon her a small bag of artisianal caramel chews.
It is the smallest thing you could do to not feel like an idiot.
The old man rings you out.
You all exchange your pleasantries and you head out of the shop.
You feel like a jerk.
You pop on your headphones and negin to walk to the gate.
As you take your first step, there is suddenly a black and white streak that comes directly toward your head.
[[................]]Invocation by W.S Merwin
The day hanging by its feet with a hole
In its voice
And the light running into the sand
Here I am once again with my dry mouth
At the foutain of thistles
[[Preparing to sing.]]You finish the poem and look up.
There is a new drink in front of you.
Or was it the old one?
You can't remember it.
You then...
[[read another poem.]]
[[get up and leave.]] Seperation by W.S Merwin
Your abscene has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
[[Everything I do is etched with its color]]You finish the poem and look up.
There is a new drink in front of you.
Or was it the old one?
You can't remember it.
You then...
[[read another poem..]]
[[get up and leave.]] Dead Hand by W.S Merwin
Temptations still nest in it like basilisks.
[[Hang it up till the rings fall.]]You finish the poem and look up.
There is a new drink in front of you.
Or was it the old one?
You can't remember it.
You then...
[[read another poem...]]
[[get up and leave.]] The Poem by W.S Merwin
Comin late, as always,
I try to remember what I almost heard.
The light avoids my eye.
How many times have I heard the locks close
And the lark take the keys
[[And hang them in heaven]]You look up.
The room is fuzzy and your head is a little blurry.
A single tear sits in the corner of your eye.
[[You sit and think.]]
[[You stare.]]
[[You wonder.]]
You breathe in and out.
And remember that you're in an airport.
And that you have a plane to get on.
You drag yourself out of your chair, grab your bag and [[make your way to the bar.]]You breathe in and out.
And remember that you're in an airport.
And that you have a plane to get on.
You drag yourself out of your chair, grab your bag and [[make your way to the bar.]]You breathe in and out.
And remember that you're in an airport.
And that you have a plane to get on.
You drag yourself out of your chair, grab your bag and [[make your way to the bar.]]You settle your tab and exit the bar.
As you walk down the terminal figures pass by like swaying trees.
Your head rolls around slightly.
But you feel good.
The booze is warming your belly.
You think of what you have.
You think of who who you have.
And how the little cracks that are holding you apart are just that...
Little cracks.
Maybe you were wrong.
About it all.
Maybe you should let it go.
One Wish by Whitney Houston begins to play from the speakers.
You love that song.
You walk up to the gate.
The attendent checks your ticket and [[shows you onto the plane.]]
You take your seat by the window after you throw your bag in the overhead storage.
The other passengers crowd in but it doesn't really bother you.
Not like it normally does.
Because your drunk.
And it's snowing a little outside.
[[And you are going home.]]If you made it this far, my name is Austin and thank you very much for playing through my stupid little stories.
I hope your gleamed the slightest bit of enjoyment from them.
Take care.You walk up to a person in a vest and ask them if they know where to smoke.
They point to a door down the terminal.
You walk that way, open the door and [[step outside.]]You are hit with a cold blast of air.
The outside area is like an open air cage.
The top is opened up but it is enclosed all the way around.
You walk out into the courtyard and slip a little on the slick pavement.
You settle yourself and continue to walk.
You brace up against the wall, partially shielded by the flecks of snow spitting out of the sky.
You reach into your jacket, pull out your cigarettes and [[light up.]]
Just after you light up, a man walks out.
He is wearing a janitoral outfit.
He walks over to you.
He also slips a little on the ice.
"Be careful" you say.
"You'd think I'd get used to this shit by now" he says as he walks closer to you.
You laugh a little.
"You would happen to have one that I could snag would you?" he asks.
[["Oh yeah"]]
[["Sorry this is my last one"]]You hand him one.
He lights up.
"Appreciate it", he says. "Where are you heading?"
"Heading home to see my folks" you say.
"Lotta folks doin' that around this time" he respond. "When was the last time you saw them".
You think about it.
Counting back the months in your head.
Was it Lane's Birthday?
Was it the 4th of July?
The man tells you're having a rough time.
"Hey" he says. "Don't sweat it. [["Families are tough."]]"Is what it is" he says. "Don't mind if I post up for a minute though?"
"Not at all" you respond.
"He looks at your bag and asks "Where are you heading?"
"Heading home to see my folks" you say.
"Lotta folks doin' that around this time" he respond. "When was the last time you saw them".
You think about it.
Counting back the months in your head.
Was it Lane's Birthday?
Was it the 4th of July?
The man tells you're having a rough time.
"Hey" he says. "Don't sweat it. [["Families are tough."]]You nod and think about the last fight you got into with you mom.
"Yeah. I got a daughter that I don't see that much. She leaves with her mom" he says. "I'm trying to get my shift swapped so I can see her more".
You just sort of silently nod along in between drags.
"I got her a some slime set for Christmas. She loves watching those videos" he says. "That shit's gonna get all over the house but for her I can make its worth it".
You think about the time your mom got you a paint set for you birtday and spilled it all on the carpet.
She wasn't even that mad
You think about how you would kill someone if theu fucked up your carpet like that.
"In the end of the day, I guess she's all that I have" he says.
[[You smile at him.]]"Anyways, I outta be getting back inside" he says. "Sorry about talking your ear off"
"Not at all you say" you say. "It was nice talking to you".
He nods and begins to walk away.
"Merry Christmas" he says.
[["Yeah merry Christmas to you too"]]He opens up the door and walks back inside.
You stand out in the cold for moment.
Could it really have been a whole year since you've been back home?
You rub your face as your mind lingers.
You think about how you call at least once a week.
You start to walk toward the door.
That's enough, right?
You think about how many people don't even call home once a week.
Could it have really been a whole year?
You hit a slick patch on the concrete.
[[................]]You open the door.
There are a bunch of workers.
They congregated in a conference room which has been decorated with seasonal images.
Santa, Snowflakes, Reindeer, Snowmen, etc.
You
turn around and [[head to the gate]]
[[join the party]]
You meekly make your way into the room.
Some people are dancing.
Others just stand around eating various treats.
One dude is dressed up like Candy Cane and eating a corndog.
This confusses you but he looks happy, so fuck it.
You walk over to an ice tub and a grab a Miller Light.
[["I haven't seen you around before"]]You turn around.
It a young woman.
She is wearing a Taco Bell Christmas Sweater.
This confuses you about as much as the Candy Cane dude.
"Oh um...." you think for a moment but figure you don't really have anything to lose in this situation.
"I'm waiting for my flight to come in" you say.
"So you're just chrashing an office Christmas party?" she says with a bit of attitude.
"Yeah. I guess I am" you respond.
Normally this situation would worry the hell out of you but between the jet lag and countless beers you had at the bar, you're just kind of feeling up for whatever.
"Right on" she says. "I'm Laney"
"Hey Laney" you say. [["My name is Alex"]]The two of you talk for a few minutes.
She is nice enough.
You talk about working at an airport and where she got that horrendous sweater.
She then turns to you and ask "you said you're down for anything, right?"
You pretty much are.
"as long as it doesn't take more than two hours, sure" you say as you shrug your shoulders.
"Cool" she responds as she pulls up a beat up tin of Altoids from her purse.
She pops it open.
It is filled with various pills.
"Take your pick" she says.
You...
[[dip out of there.]]
[[randomly select a mystery drug from an Altoids tin that a complete stranger is offering you]]You back away.
"I'm not sure that's gonna fit within the two hour window" you say.
"Come on" she responds.
"I had a great time talking to you and I leave the sweater but I gotta head out" you say.
She starts to say something back but you really don't care, grab your bag and [[head to the gate]] You pluck out a mint green pill because it's festive.
You pop it in your mouth.
Lanely follows quickly behind.
The two of you stand for a moment.
It not really doing anything.
"What are these?" you ask.
"No idea" she says. "Doug in Maintenance gave them to me"
You wait for another moment.
Maybe a drink will speed things you.
You turn to grab another beer.
When you do so, your arm splits into 12 different arms.
You step back and it feels like you just went throug ha wind tunnel.
The music gets groggy.
Like a soupy swirl of wintertime classics.
You look at Laney.
She's spinning around.
She looks like Doctor Strange or something.
You start blinking.
You start blinking a lot.
The room gets dimmer.
[[And you are still blinking.]]
The sound of an air craft overhead snaps you out of your blinking spell.
The cold air crushes your cheeks.
It is dark.
You are outside.
You look around.
Laney is still spinning.
But now you are on some sort of tower.
You get your bearings and look over the side.
You are incredibly high up.
Another place takes off overhead.
The sound is deafening.
You are scared shitless.
[["Laney!" you yell.]]"Where the fuck are we?" you continue.
"Tower 12" she yells back.
"Is this safe?"
"Who cares!"
"Is this legal?"
"WHO CARES!"
You freaked out. And you're flight.
You looked at your phone. The plane departs in 25 mins.
"Fuck" you say.
You frantically look for your bag.
You see it and grab it.
"Where are you going?" Laney yells.
"I gotta get home" you respond.
"Come on" she says.
You ignore her and look for stairs.
"How do we get down?" you ask.
She points to a [[ladder.]]You are halfway down the ladder.
Laney is yelling stuff from above but it is taking all of you concentration to hold on to this fucking bag.
How did you get it up there?
The wrongs are cold and icy.
You carefully make your way down.
Your foot slips a little but you are able to recover.
You think about that rock climbing documentary where the guy climbed Yosemite without a rope.
You've got a ladder.
That's way easier.
As you think about think about this an airplane suddenly tears through overhead.
It startles the hell out of you.
You lose your footing.
And you slip.
[[................]]Double-click this passage to edit it.The lights flicker again.
You're so much like mom.
You take another sip.
You're so much like mom.
Claire has her nerve.
You think about telling her that she has mom's ankles.
That would be a helluva Christmas gift.
Fuck them all.
The lights shut off.
The terminal is completely dark.
[[................]]You look around the wares.
They have snacks.
They have alcohol.
You don't see the cigarettes though.
You walk over to a worker and ask "do you guys sell cigarettes?"
He shakes his head "Nope, not anymore. We sell vapes and vape accessories".
You scowl a little "No thank you".
You continue to search.
The store is all white. It looks more like surgical room than a liqour store.
One of the coolers is leaking theres a puddle of water and one of those signs on top of it.
What kind of asshole needs a sign to tell them not to trip?
[[You continue looking around.]]You look through all of the chocolates they have.
You're not a huge fan but they're super cheap.
You weigh the desicion as you press on.
You then land on the perfume and colonge.
You immediately search for the Jean Paul Gaultier because it's shaded like a torso.
You think about that dude at UMass that used to wear that shit.
You think.
You think.
You can't remember his name.
You then notice something familiar in the [[corner of your eye.]]It is a bottle of Chanel No 5.
Your mom used to wear it all the time when you were a kid.
She'd always put on too much.
You think about the arguement with her.
The things she said.
The things you said.
Maybe you shouldn't have gotten so drunk.
But fuck her.
She was looking for a fight.
And she pushed it too far.
But maybe you did too.
You think about getting her the perfume.
It'd be a hell of a surprise.
But it's like a hundred bucks.
You decide to
[[leave the perfume]]
[[buy the perfume]]You put the perfume back on the shelf and walk back over to the chocolates.
As you turn the corner a kid bumps into you.
You lose your balance and stumble back onto the puddle.
[[................]]You buy the perfume and a bottle of Glenlivet 18.
Nothing wrong with treating yourself.
You wonder if your mom will appreciate the perfume.
She probably already has a bottle.
But it will be a nice surprise, right?
It's a silly gesture.
But maybe it will put a smile on her face.
Like the time you made her a wreath in your 5th grade art class.
She still puts that up every year.
It falling apart.
But she still puts it up every year.
Maybe you shouldn't have said what you said.
Maybe you were wrong.
Last Christmas by Wham is playing on the speakers.
You continue toward the gate.
You think she'll enjoy the perfume.
And you can't wait to see that stupid wreath.
[[You arrive at the gate]]You walk up to the woman scanning your ticket.
She takes your phone and notices the bag.
She gives you a hard time about the booze.
You argue that you just bought it.
They explain that how it works.
Luckily they don't notice the perfume.
So, you count your blessings.
You guzzle as much of that Glenlivet you can before the woman [[shows you onto the plane.]] <<cacheaudio "theme" "https://od.lk/s/ODJfNTE0MTgyNzhf/twinesong2.mp3">>
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