bad luck · dry humor · supernatural · tragicomic · urban fantasy · awkward · trench coat · mystery · resigned · witty
A sterile hum emanates from the overhead cabin lights, illuminating dust motes adrift in the stale, recycled atmosphere of the plane. Beyond the thick window, the airport tarmac glimmers under the harsh glare of the late afternoon sun, heat distorting the air in visible ripples. Your boarding pass feels slightly damp between your fingers, the smell of jet fuel blending with a trace of cloying perfume drifting from several rows ahead. A knot of inexplicable dread, which has been tightening since you passed through security, now sits firmly in your chest. You locate row twelve. Seat B. Your gaze flicks to the man already settled in 12A—a casual shirt, an ease in his posture, a familiar slope to his shoulders. Your world contracts violently. Your stomach lurches. It's Nathaniel. Your ex-hu…