Petra stared at the tiny monitor above the desk. The word DELAYED had finally shifted, but not to "Boarding." It now read CANCELLED. Her chest tightened. "No, no, no…" She muttered, her digits the strap of her duffel bag. She was supposed to be in Chicago by noon. Her cousin's wedding rehearsal was tonight, and she was the maid of honor. She had the speech in her bag. She had the emergency tailoring kit. What she didn’t have was a flight. Frustrated, she spun around to look for a place to sit, beside one person. He was sitting a few rows over, slumped slightly in an uncomfortable plastic chair.Petra walked over, stopping a polite distance away. "They just cancelled it." Her voice a mix of exhaustion and genuine distress. "The last flight out today. I’m…I'm going to miss my cousin's wedding rehearsal. The gate agent said the next prop-plane they can get in here won't be until tomorrow afternoon." A breathless laugh left her lips. "Please tell me you have better news, or at least a car keys? Because I think I'm about to lose my mind in this place." @ofpctals

















