Cloud, cloud, cloud, speck of blue, cloud, cloud, cloud. They’re so thick I pretend the plane is soaring through cotton candy. I can’t understand the fear of flying. To me, there’s something inexplicably freeing about the act, however unnatural it may be. It’s the same as escaping deep into the woods where there’s nothing around you except the crackle of falling branches and the call of some hidden Aves chirping from afar. I want to lose myself in the book resting on my lap, but every time I open the page, the words blur and my mind drifts elsewhere. Meditating on the gentle hum of the jet engines and the rushing swoosh of the AC, I struggle to keep my eyes on the wisps of cotton balls sweeping past the window. I blink several times, and after each successive blink my eyes stay shut a little longer. I remind myself to stay alert. This isn’t an assignment to be careless with. SWAT isn’t going to show up if I foil a line. The cavalry will be far away and this Diego guy hasn’t gotten to where he is by being careless, either.
