Adumbrate (Book One of the Lane Series)

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Copyright © 2014 by M. E. Mathis

All rights reserved.

1. So Good To Be Home

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

8:15 am

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, Jess snores softly with her head resting on my shoulder. Never being one for physical contact, I am desperately trying to dislodge her sleeping head from my shoulder. I can feel my neck starting to stiffen up because of my awkward position. It's enough that I am on an airplane, in coach; I am honestly uncomfortable as it is. I try once more to shift my position, but eventually give up.

Sighing I rest my head against the cold port window, letting the coldness of the glass press against my hot skin. Unfortunately, Jess's proximity is causing me to overheat. Closing my eyes I lean my head back on the headrest awkwardly. Maybe I can get some sleep and it won't be as dreadful. However I ended up sighing unhappily when a large snore reaches my ears from the man across the aisle. I make a mental note to myself to never ride coach again, that is if I go on an airplane ever again.

Trying to distract myself from my ever pending discomfort, I turn my attention begrudgly to the small port window. Outside the window, the veiw is not only breathtaking, but slightly nausating. I watch in both horror and awe as the landscape below evovles into various earth tone hues, eventually just becoming a colorful blur. Beside me, Jess stirs suddenly, stretching as best as she can in the tight space we have been crammed into, which means completely invading my space. Finally feeling satstified with her stretch, she turns towards me and opens her eyes, yawns a little too loudly for my taste and mumbles sleepily, "We there yet?" Scowling inwardly I respond with my face turned towards the window, "Two more hours." Despite herself she smiles and leans her head back on the head rest. Relieved by the absence of her sleeping body I roll out my shoulder trying to loosen up my stiff neck. Two more hours of this, only two more.

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10:15 am

New York, USA

I am jolted awake by the sound of the captain announcing our arrival. Turning towards the window, I am no longer met with the bird's eye view of the land but with miles and miles of concrete and steel structures. The city. Sighing happily to myself, visibly relieved that I am not only no longer in the air but home. However my relief and joy is short lived as my attention turns to Jess. I watch as she scrambles to right herself and prepare for departure of the plane, knocking over a uncapped water bottle in the process. We both watch as the water splashes across the floor and all over a woman's feet.

This causes the woman to jump up, angrily ranting about three hundred dollar suade shoes and Jess hurriedly apologizes and tries to mop up the mess with a wad of paper towel that a nearby flight attendent hands to her admist her rounds. Despite Jess's efforts, the woman continues to scold her prefusely. Nearby a young mother tries to calm down her wailing child while a peppy voice on the intercome calmly states that all passengers should gather their belongings and prepare to disembark. I watch all this chaos from afar, inwardly roll my eyes at Jess's clumsy display. Pushing her aside, I mop up the rest of the water and stuff the crumpled up papertowel into an empty compartment of my bag, deciding to throw it out later. Turning back to Jess I give her questioning look and say, "We are going to be late."

These words seem to trigger her brain into action as she quickly grabs her carry-on bag and shoots the woman with the ruined shoes an apologetic look and scrambles after me as we follow the rest of the passengers out of the plane.