The following is an excerpt from my short story "Skylane":
When the plane’s engine stopped sputtering and finally gave out, Lou felt it begin to fall. Even a week later, she could still feel her stomach rise, see the water rushing up towards them, knowing that they were going to crash.
Lou and her husband, Jerry, had survived. Their Cessna Skylane had splashed down not far from shore. They had been able to make it to the sandy beach, shaken and bruised, before help arrived. One piece of broken wing floating on the lightly stirring ocean.
In their condo, four stories above the beach, she looked out past Jerry sitting in his chair at the same calm gulf. Jerry had a bandage high on his bald head. He was reading through an old pair of glasses.
“When are we going to fly again?” It wasn’t the first time since the crash that she’d asked the question.
He looked at her standing in the kitchen, her graying hair full of curlers, waved a fat hand at her and went back to his reading.
“Get back on the horse, you know?”
“You know where the plane is, Mom?” He didn’t look up at her.
“Yes.”
“Not exactly in flying condition, is she? Sitting under the water now.”
When the plane’s engine stopped sputtering and finally gave out, Lou felt it begin to fall. Even a week later, she could still feel her stomach rise, see the water rushing up towards them, knowing that they were going to crash.
Lou and her husband, Jerry, had survived. Their Cessna Skylane had splashed down not far from shore. They had been able to make it to the sandy beach, shaken and bruised, before help arrived. One piece of broken wing floating on the lightly stirring ocean.
In their condo, four stories above the beach, she looked out past Jerry sitting in his chair at the same calm gulf. Jerry had a bandage high on his bald head. He was reading through an old pair of glasses.
“When are we going to fly again?” It wasn’t the first time since the crash that she’d asked the question.
He looked at her standing in the kitchen, her graying hair full of curlers, waved a fat hand at her and went back to his reading.
“Get back on the horse, you know?”
“You know where the plane is, Mom?” He didn’t look up at her.
“Yes.”
“Not exactly in flying condition, is she? Sitting under the water now.”
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