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This weekend freewrite is a 3 prompt story for FreeWriteHouse by @mariannewest. Here's the link to the starting post: start here

This is a fun and creative exercise. If you wish to participate - don't read any of the entries until you have written your own story. It will spoil the effect of not knowing what the next prompt will be.

The three prompts given are shown in italics in the body of the story.

Fatal Decision

I left the house, feeling like a piano had been dropped on my head. The taxi stood waiting for me.

I was up all night, tossing and turning. The decision to leave my job, my friends, my nice safe world, was frightening. On the way to the airport, my mind was reeling with the stress. After months of debate with myself, or anyone who would listen, I had finally bought the plane ticket and now we were arriving at the airport.

The taxi driver helped me out with my luggage and I found my way to the customs area. Going through all the rigamarole that’s associated with flying these days served for a few minutes to take my mind off of things.

Soon I was sitting in the hard plastic seat with my luggage at my feet. Next to me sat an older gentleman, snoring softly, chin tucked to his chest. I wondered how anyone could fall asleep so easily. It seemed like I hadn’t had any sleep for days.

My cell phone beeped the weather warning signal. I had barely noted the high winds and torrential downpour, but now I looked out the huge terminal windows and could not even see the planes sitting on the tarmac. The scheduled arrival and departure boards were all flashing “cancelled” as the murmuring around me grew in agitation.

The only forces now in play were the hurricane winds flinging everything in their way towards their shelter. My own dilemma was forgotten as loudspeakers directed everyone away from the windows and out into the main terminal hallway. The panic in the air was becoming obvious. You could feel the whole terminal shuddering.

There was a tremendous crash of broken glass as an unidentifiable chunk of metal machinery came flying out of the maelstrom. People began screaming and running in all directions with the high winds and rain now coming in the gaping hole. A mother with a baby in her arms was trying to protect the infant from the onslaught. Everyone was moving away from the area, but there were too many people and not enough room. Escalators had shut down, along with the elevators, and the crowds of people trying to make it down the stairs were tripping themselves up. Pushing and shoving: it was a free for all. Every man for himself, it seemed.

I spied a woman standing against the wall, trying to hold a mirror and put on lipstick. At a time like this I would think her reasoning should be make up now optional. Shaking my head, I decided the stairs were too risky. People were already falling down and getting trampled. What is wrong with people? I took hold of the young mother’s hand and led her over to a cul de sac next to a Starbucks kiosk. We sat on the floor together, backs against the wall. I helped her to cover the baby with my jacket, which had only gotten partially soaked with the onslaught.

Three young men in military uniforms were pushing through the crowd and trying to calm people down. One of them spied us sitting on the floor and they headed over. “Are you hurt? Is the baby ok?” asked the taller of the three.

“We’re fine so far, we just had to get out of the madhouse before we got trampled.”

At that moment, there was a horrific crashing sound as the whole inner structure seemed to crumple as a wall of water surged forward. I only had time for one final thought. “I guess I made the wrong decision after all.”

[credit@EdibleCthulhu]