30 Day Writing Prompt Challenge: Day 4
Day 4 —Write a story/excerpt to include the line, “Sorry, we can’t insure you for a journey like that.”
I made my way towards the ticket booth, the weight of my backpack light on my shoulders despite being filled to the breaking point with my valuables. Rolling back my sleeves, I slipped my wallet out of my back pocket and waited as the lady in front of me was called up to the counter. She picked up her bags, tossing her blonde pony tail over her shoulder, and waddled to the counter.
Fortunately, it was a short line.
I glanced at my cell phone, the background of a volcano mid-explosion putting a smile on my face. The analogue clock in the corner of the screen read 2:03 pm. If I could catch the next plane, which by my calculations was leaving in forty minutes, I would make it just in time to meet up with the other grad students.
We were a group of volcanologists from around the world that kept in touch through a facebook page. “Volcano Grads: Magma Cum-laude,” is what we called it - lame, I know. But the group was a home away from home, the colleagues some of my closest friends, and the work we did was my pride and joy.
Besides, my grad adviser had selected me out of dozens of others for this project! I wasn’t about to turn it down.
The blonde finished up, and the man behind the counter waved me up.
“How can I help you today, miss?” the man - his name tag read George - asked, a pleasant smile on his face.
“Hi, yes,” I said. “One ticket to Reykjavik, Iceland, please. The very next flight.”
“Sure, of course,” George said, clacking away at his keyboard. He paused, adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, then peered at me. “A volcano just erupted a little south of the airport, there.”
“Yeah, I know!” I gushed excitedly, bouncing on my toes. “I’m going to check it out.”
George laughed a little. “Sorry, miss, you’re aware that we can’t insure you for a journey like that,” he joked, returning to his computer screen but keeping an eye on me.
I nodded, shrugging. “No worries; the danger comes with the job.” I winked at him.
“So, just the one ticket then?”
“That’ll be all,” I confirmed.
He hit a few more keys, before giving the ‘enter’ key a final committed tap and the printer behind him noisily went to work. After grabbing the still-warm papers, stapling them together and quickly highlighting my gate and flight number, he handed over my ticket.
“Enjoy your trip, ma’am.”
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soooooo. sorry it’s late! got really distracted by some crazy fangirling. :x and the ending is a little weird because, well, it’s already late and my mind is totally fixated on a Sherlock event I’ve suddenly found myself attending this Saturday. ;)
also, my natural disasters prof says that volcanogists are psychotic. no offense if you are one, or are aspiring to become one, though! (:
