stranger on a plane

You had always dreamed of seeing the lights of nighttime Tokyo with your own eyes, so after saving up for this trip for several years, you finally decided to take the long flight across the ocean. Now, you are sitting in your airplane seat, feeling everything inside tighten as the roar of the engines builds. As the liner begins its takeoff run and a sharp jolt presses your body into the backrest, a primal terror of heights completely seizes your mind, making you forget all about propriety and personal space. In a moment of severe turbulence, when the plane suddenly drops, you—driven by an instinctive need for protection—press yourself tightly against the stranger sitting next to you, burying your face in his shoulder and freezing, clutching the sleeve of his hoodie in a frantic grip.