Writing Prompt Week: Day Five

It's day five and I'm still alive. What fun prompt shall I be doing today, I wonder? I hope it won't be too difficult...I am not feeling very inspired today.

We all know what's goin' on here right? Yeah, you do.

Activating the RANDOMIZER!

...321! Let's see what the prompt says to do.

Amy Tidwell and Jason Engler meet on a plane. One of them becomes resigned to his or her fate.

...! Remember when I wished this wasn't going to be difficult!? Oh well. Here I go.

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"You are now free to move about the cabin," the voice over the speaker announced.

Jason Engler slowly released his sweaty and tight grip from the arm of his passenger chair. He sunk back in his seat and let out a weary sigh, wiping some sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

He was alive. The plane had not burst into flames as it had taken off as he had so feared. All he had to worry about was trying not to notice how darn high up he was. Jason was afraid of heights and complex machines like planes, but these weren't the only reasons he was on his guard. He had been running for so long he wasn't sure if he was still being followed, but fear attacked him on every turn. A boy ran down the isle.

"Catch me if you can, Daddy!" the boy shouted.

The words words were not intended for Jason, but they bounced around in his mind, rang in his ears, and made his throat tighten.

"It's not my fault," Jason muttered, shaking his head and clenching the paper, "it's not my fault."

A clear image appeared in his mind. A boy with brown hair and blue eyes, dripping wet and shivering, but happy anyway, was all Jason could see for a small moment. A gunshot rang in his ears, but only he heard it. The image dissipated.

"Um, excuse me, is this seat taken?" a voice said. Jason turned his head to see a young woman. She was wearing a blue hat which shadowed her eyes. "I am sitting next to an old guy and he's snoring up a storm. It's driving me mad!"

Jason patted the empty seat next to him.

"Go ahead." he said.

The girl nodded and sat down. She straightened her dress and tried to settle down, only to discover that she wasn't comfortable and changed her sitting position. Jason noticed her fidgeting.

"Nervous?" he asked, happy to know that he wasn't the only frazzled person on the plane.

"Oh, yes,"she answered, "very much so. I am going to California. Well, you already know that since you're on the plane too, don't you?" She let out a small giggle. "I'm getting married there. I'm nervous and excited at the same time, you know?"

"I understand, yes," Jason answered. His eyes clouded over and he thought back to his own wedding day.

She was wearing a green wedding dress, because she was totally resistant to anything old fashioned. She had thus forced him to wear blue, the ugliest shade that he had ever seen, so that he wouldn't fit in along with her. He had been embarrassed for other people to see him.

"You shouldn't worry about what other people think today. Today is all about us. Besides, it makes your blue eyes pop, don't you think?"

"Are you okay, mister?" the girl asked.

Jason jumped in his seat.

"Oh, yes, I'm okay. What did you say your name was?"

The girl paused for a second as if she were thinking but then answered, "Amy, Amy Tidwell. Are you sure you are all right? Are you nervous too?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Why?"

"Hard to say, really. Enough about me. What are your plans going to be in California?"

The girl smiled dreamily and reclined into her seat.

"I plan to be happy for the rest of my life. My fiance is such a good man. He says he wants children right away-oh, I guess that's a little personal, isn't it? But I take it you like children, don't you?"

A pang of guilt shocked Jason's heart. His breathing came quickly and in small gasps as a vivid picture played in his mind.

It was a hot day in July. People swimming in a pool. A little boy asking for a towel.

Bang!

"It's not my fault!" Jason's arms prickled and he started tapping his foot restlessly. It was was so hot to him. Hot like like a summer day. He waved to a flight attendant.

"Water," he said simply.

The flight attendant nodded.

"Would you like anything else?" the attendant asked.

"Just get me some water!" he screamed. He was so angry. He wanted to wrap his hands around the attendant's throat, let her know how angry he was. Amy was calm. It made him madder that she didn't seem to notice how mad he felt. The attendant came back with the water and Jason snatched it of her hand. His hand was shaking badly so the water was flying in several directions before he brought it to his lips. With his other hand he reached in his bag and pulled out a pill bottle. The bottle said to take one. He took three.

"Why are you so angry? All you ever are is angry. I'm leaving, Jason."

Amy looked straight ahead, not minding him.

"Aren't you scared? Don't you want to leave this seat?" Jason said through clenched teeth.

"No, I know how you feel. You feel angry a lot, don't you? I understand."

It was more than that. Jason had written it off as just anger but it was so much more than that. He had a disorder and he knew it now. It was IED. Intermittent Explosive Disorder. He even had pills for it. But they didn't matter to him. They had come too late.

"My fiance has anger management issues, so I know how you feel. I know that he loves me though and forgives me. And I forgive him. We've been through bad spells, but love always powers through."

"Bad doesn't even cover it," Jason said to himself. He closed his eyes and let the misery sink in. He wondered how long he had been running. Probably since the fourth of July, a hot day spent near the pool.

A woman is in a house. She is holding a tray of watermelon. She smiles at a man and asks him to take a pitcher of lemonade outside. She asks him to tell her how his day went.

"I was fired," he says.

She puts the tray down and tries to console him. It doesn't work. She tries to hug and hold him. It doesn't work. He curses her. He yells at her.

"It would be so much easier without you," he says. "I'm not happy anymore."

He smacks the tray out of her hands and throws the pitcher to the ground. He approaches the woman. She grabs a knife and backs away, scowling.

"You're angry! You're always angry! I've tried but I can't take it anymore!" She pulls up her sleeve, revealing bruises."I'm taking John and I'm leaving, Jason."

No, you can't leave, he thinks.

"John is my son! He's my son, why can't I have him?"

"You can have him when your stable."

"Hey, are you asleep?"

"Eh?"

Jason opened his eyes. Amy was looking at him, worry lining her face. Jason rubbed his temple and shook his head.

"Amy, what if you did something horrible? Something you could never undo. Something that you've been running away from for a long time?"

Amy put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"I'd stop running and face what I'd have to face," she said silently. "After all, I can't imagine living with guilt all the time, you know?"

Jason nodded.

"I think..I think you're right. I will."

He wiped at his eyes. Amy stood up.

"The plane has landed." she said.

Jason stood up, but it took some effort. More than a part of him wanted to sink back in his chair and not wake up for a long time. He felt old, but he also felt certain. But mostly he felt tired.He grabbed his only bag, the one that had held so many things for him during all the years he had been running away. He walked down the isle meticulously like a sentenced man on his way to the electric chair.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked.

"To the police station." Jason said sardonically. He walked out of the plane and past the people. He saw a little boy with blue eyes and brown hair walk alongside him, but Jason knew the boy wasn't really there. Not anymore.

He left the plane and walked through the airport. He walked slowly by a young man embracing his mother.

Angry. Don't leave me. If I can't have you...so mad!

Jason's pace quickened.

He storms outside. He has a gun. A boy with eyes just like his father's comes up to him. He's dripping wet from the pool.

The giddy screams of playing children startled him into walking faster.

"Daddy, can I have a towel?"

He ran into the airport's bathroom, gasping for air. There didn't seem to be enough of it.

Shouldn't do this...shouldn't do this...but it's your fault for leaving me!

He splashed cold water in his face, sobbing. "I love you," he gasped.

"I love you," the man says.

Bang!

Jason let the tears fall freely. For all he knew they would be his last. He left for the police station. Amy was still on the empty plane. She had not intention of going to California. She pulled out a phone and dialed a number. A grisly voice answered the phone.

"Hello, detective Brown speaking?"

The girl smiled and said,

"This is agent Carter. The plan was a success. Engler is heading your way."

She shut the phone and took a look out of the window. She shook her head and sat down again, letting out a repressed sigh.

"Poor little man."



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Well, that was interesting! Certainly the longest piece so far. What do you think of it? Comments? It's pretty rough because it isn't edited, but I kind of like it. Tune in tomorrow, people!