Fear of Flying

“I was practically born on a plane,” I brag.

The woman next to me clutches her tissue. I try not to roll my eyes. “We have more to fear from disease,” I say, reassuringly.

She coughs, wipes her bloodied mouth and nods.

30 Comments Fear of Flying

  1. Beth October 15, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    Yikes! And that’s really funny:0))

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:11 pm

      Hah! Thanks, Beth. It was a bit tongue-in-cheek.

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  2. Marcy October 15, 2014 at 8:48 pm

    Oh no, what a frightening twist, or maybe I’ve been watching the news too much lately.

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:11 pm

      Me too, Marcy!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:13 pm

      Yes, I was thinking Ebola, but also how easy it is to be smug about fearlessness. (A dig at my own smugness.)

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  3. theinnerzone October 15, 2014 at 8:58 pm

    I live in Dallas and I am a pilot too. Struck every chord!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:15 pm

      Oh, dear! Sorry about that. Oops.

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  4. uma October 16, 2014 at 2:17 am

    Oh my..she did fear from the disease apparently..how sad for her!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:25 pm

      Yes, it’s a statement, in part, of how we make assumptions about other people’s fears, how we presume to know what another is feeling without really asking. Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  5. Jen October 16, 2014 at 10:42 am

    Holy Eeek, Batman!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:25 pm

      Hah! Thanks for reading, Jen!

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  6. Melanie L. October 16, 2014 at 10:59 am

    Perfect twist and very timely.

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:26 pm

      Thanks so much, Melanie. Appreciate the read and comment!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:27 pm

      Yikes, indeed! Thanks, Kathy.

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  7. Sarah Ann October 16, 2014 at 11:30 am

    So topical and suitably unsettling. I can imagine your narrator attempting to change seats now, maybe a moment too late.

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:28 pm

      Yes, but I think the narrator is probably making assumptions without really knowing what the facts are…much like we hear on TV every day. Thanks for reading, Sarah Ann!

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  8. inNateJames October 16, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    Going off what Sarah Ann said, I don’t think your narrator gets the irony of her own words. Something about that eye roll makes me think she/he is blind to anyone else’s viewpoint but her own.

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:29 pm

      Bingo! That’s exactly what I was trying to achieve, perhaps too subtly. Thanks, Nate.

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  9. KymmInBarcelona October 16, 2014 at 3:07 pm

    Ha! Where I come from, we say: Open mouth, insert foot.
    Nicely played!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      Exactly, Kymm. Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  10. Silverleaf October 16, 2014 at 7:50 pm

    Oh dear. Nice of her to roll her eyes. I’m sure that would have been very encouraging even if the poor woman was only afraid of flying! You capture the personality – and the chill at the end – perfectly.

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:29 pm

      Yes, you get it too, Silverleaf! The narrator is a bit too arrogant for her own good.

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  11. Jenny P October 17, 2014 at 7:44 am

    Hahaha…this is fantastic. Other than the fact that it’s so funny and disturbing it’s also so perfectly compact. Every word is exactly as it should be. Genius.

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:31 pm

      Thanks so much, Jenny. Glad you thought it was funny too, in a dark way. ;)

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  12. Splendid Empress October 17, 2014 at 11:20 am

    Meg this was so timely and so chilling…..and I love how the title can be taken on so many different levels!

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    1. Meg October 24, 2014 at 11:32 pm

      Yep, a couple of layers here. Thanks for reading, Splendid!

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