Bloodfang

Uncle Steve

Ricky

Ricky sighed and stretched, confused by the band across his lap. He blinked several times in confusion before everything came crashing back and he remembered where he was. Ricky was beyond shocked that he had fallen asleep in the middle of being so scared. It felt like several hours had passed. He turned his head the other way trying to take in everything he had missed.

Ricky's eyes landed on two very strange men sitting side by side in long black trench coats and black hats that lay low over their foreheads. From what Ricky could see of their faces they were very, very pale. They weirded Ricky out for some reason so his eyes immediately moved away from them. Ricky suppressed a faint shiver and was suddenly very glad he had fallen asleep instead of being aware of the two individuals. Perhaps it was only because of his overactive imagination, but those two men looked like they could star in one of his thriller chiller movies.

At that moment, the awfully nice stewardess who had spoken to him when he arrived on the plane was walking toward him down the middle of the isle. She smiled at Ricky.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, her smile widening showing off her very white teeth. "You really conked out," she teased him.

Ricky grinned back sheepishly. "I guess I was more tired that I realized," he said. "How long was I asleep?" he asked and followed it quickly with, "When will we land?"

The stewardess was about to say something but was interrupted by the pilot over the speaker system.

"Ladies and gentleman, please buckle your seatbelts and remain in your seats. We are nearing Denver, Colorado and we will be landing shortly."

The stewardess turned her head back to Ricky with a huge grin. "That answer your question?"

Ricky frowned. "Actually no. You see, my uncle lives in Durango, why are we landing in Denver?"

"Durango does not have a large airport. He'll drive from Durango to pick you up," she replied.

Ricky felt pretty stupid for asking once she had explained.

Thankfully though, she did not act like it was a dumb question, she just kept grinning at him, made sure he was buckled in, and waggled her fingers at him in farewell as she continued to make her way down the aisle, checking in with the other passengers.

Ricky looked out the window and saw the plane was getting closer and closer to the ground. A large building, obviously the airport if all of the airplanes surrounding it was any indication, grew larger as the plane flew lower.

Ricky looked out over the airport and saw trees and mountains in the distance. A wealth of greens and browns, so unlike the city loomed before him. The vastness called to him in a way he had not expected. He wondered how many wolves and bears and deer were out there roaming the wildness while he sat in this huge hunk of medal useless, only able to use his imagination instead of walking the wilderness himself. The first real wave of excitement hit Ricky since he had learned he would be coming to Colorado.

Excitement turned to tension and belly churning nausea though as soon as the plane made its first touchdown onto the tarmac. It bounced, and touched down again and again, bumping and bumping, with the squealing of rubber tires accompanying each landfall, until finally, the wheels ultimately touched down and the pilot drove the plane as if it were a car, a huge, awkward car to what Ricky assumed must be the terminal where Uncle Steve was waiting.

Ricky felt like he collapsed in his seat as the tension abruptly left his body when he realized they had safely landed and the captain's voice spoke clearly and cheerfully over the PA system.