Saving Grace

This is the opening scene to my short story.

What if I get on the wrong flight? the young woman worried, on her way to the airport in the back of a taxi cab. What if my luggage is lost? What if the plane goes down?! She was panicking, terrified for her first flight. He hands started shaking, damp and clammy from sweat. She whipped her head from left to right, searching for something to reassure her.

            “Everything will be fine, miss,” the cab driver startled her, breaking her thought process, “There’s no need to worry.” His comment came out of nowhere, but it seemed as though he could read her thoughts. The young woman released a deep breath that she had been holding and looked at her shoes.

            “Yeah, of course. That was stupid of me to…” she trailed off, shaking her head in embarrassment. She started fingering her necklace that had a single pearl and gazed out the window of the back seat.

The taxi cab pulled up to the curb at the airport and slowed to a stop. The young woman reached into the front pocket of her jeans and withdrew a crumpled 10 dollar bill and three dimes. She handed the driver the cash and told him to keep the change.  Grabbing her black duffel bag from the seat beside her, she unlatched the door of the taxi and stepped out onto the pavement, spotted with chewed gum and cigarette butts. She eyed the nearby trashcan and shook her head in puzzlement. A mild breeze rustled her dark curls and created goose bumps on her pale skin. By then, the cab driver had pulled out the suitcase from the trunk and wheeled it over to the young lady.

            “Thank you, again,” she said in response to the action.

            “Not a problem, miss,” the plump man returned, “Have a good flight.”

            She nervously smiled and clutched the handle of her suitcase with her right hand. Holding her carryon in the crook of her other elbow, she searched her pockets for her passport, ticket, ID, and all other necessities to board her flight. Once she found her items and felt reassured, she headed straight into the front entrance, under the sign saying, “Burlington International Airport.”

~

            “Next!” an old woman with pale hair and a small frame called out. The young lady stepped over to the woman in uniform and presented her boarding ticket, passport and ID. The woman shuffled the pieces and stamped the ticket. Handing them back, she said, “Don’t forget to remove your shoes, Alexis, all jewelry, and belts.”

            She had never liked being called Alexis. It’s Lex, she thought, but smiled and proceeded through the security line, following the woman’s directions. Lex placed her bag in the gray bin on the conveyor belt, along with her converse and silver pearl necklace.  She awkwardly moved through the metal detector’s frame, feeling uncomfortable with no shoes on her feet. She jumped as the sensor beeped, her face turning red. A man in uniform holding a sensor wand motioned her to him, and she stepped over, sheepishly smiling. After he waved the wand over her a few times to no result, his eyebrows furrowed, confused as to what had set the metal detector off. He peered up at her nervous expression and immediately waved the baton over her face, which resulted in an annoying beeping sound.

“You’re good to go,” he chuckled at her, “Just your thick frames set ‘er off.”

            She readjusted her glasses and collected her belongings. She had worn thick eyeglasses ever since childhood.

            “Sorry, blind as a bat,” she giggled and walked towards the downward escalator.

~