First Flight

First Flight

Jackson slowly shuffled toward the boarding gate. He could feel the sweat forming on his forehead.

The ticket agent noticed his nervousness. “Is this your first time flying?” she asked.

“No!” he lied. She stared at him knowingly. “Yes, does it show?” he said sheepishly.

She laughed. “Just a bit. You have nothing to fear. Flying is actually safer than your ride to the airport.”

Jackson thought about that, remembering his cab ride. “That’s not too comforting,” he managed through a weak smile.

“You’ll be fine,” she said light-heartedly, waving him through.

Taking his seat, he buckled in. The airplane began to move toward the runway. Oh God. I’m stuck now. He said several prayers as the plane began its takeoff and climbed smoothly into the sky.

With each bump or new noise, he gripped the seat arms tighter until his hands seemed to glow.

Jackson took a deep breath and began to relax as he felt the plane level out. “This isn’t too bad,” he said to person sitting next to him.

“Naw,” the middle age man said. “I’ve flown hundreds of time. It’s actually quite boring.”

The intercom crackled. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain. Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop service from New York to Los … WATCH OUT! OH, MY GOD!"

Jackson’s heart raced in the silence that followed. His grip tightened to the point of pain.

After a minute, the Captain came back on. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m sorry if I scared you. The stewardess spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!”

Jackson yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"

An entry for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge" 
Prompt: Write a story that includes the words: “fear, sky, lies"
Word Limit: 300
Word Count: 279