Turbulence

She was sitting alone, waiting as the rain came down harder, glad that she was inside. The sky was slowly growing darker around her. The cold from the metal chair seeped through her trousers and made its way down her legs and up her back. She could feel it in her fingernails and at the roots of her hair. Despite that, her hands were sweating. 

Announcements overhead made her hands damper. She rubbed them on her jeans and inhaled. She held the breath for a while as she looked around at the other people waiting with her. She was in the right place, she was sure. She had checked several times. There was nothing else to do now. 

The silver ring on her finger was cold, despite the sweating. She was twisting it absentmindedly. Her mind kept wandering, in spite of her best efforts to keep it still. She focused her eyes on the departures board. On time. Everything would be fine. 

The turbulence is getting stronger. It's like being on a roller coaster, but this time there's nothing to prevent the fall. Her breathing is getting heavier, she can't help it. She twists the ring round her finger more and more, trying to think on about that. The plane is shaking now, as if a monster has it in it's claws. 

Of course the wedding had to be abroad. It couldn't have been local. The whole situation could have been avoided. She had thought about not going. But family weddings aren't optional. Another deep breath. She pulled the ring off, inspecting the inside. She had never been able to work out what it said. It frustrated her to no end, but had its uses. 

She moved the ring from finger to finger. Her eyes moved to the departures board again. Still on time, boarding. She felt the cold metal slip. Heard the ring hit the floor. She brought her eyes back just in time to see it rolling into the feet of the crowd. 

She got up and started to chase it, though she couldn't tell where it had gone. She walked through the people, angry mumblings following her. She couldn't hear what was being said, there was just a blur of noise. She could feel herself getting hotter and hotter, sweat on her forehead dripping down. 

Final call.