Chapter 4: Stroke of Luck
[~Song Recommendation: Where We Come Alive by Ruelle~]
*BOOM!!!*
By instinct, Cammy swiftly wrapped Dylan in her arms and instinctively ducked, mirroring the response of many others in the airport upon hearing the deafening explosion. Amidst the chaos, screams of astonishment and fear echoed. When she finally raised her head, a scene of panic unfolded – people were rushing towards the glass wall facing the runway.
"Oh my God!" she gasped, covering her mouth in shock as she witnessed flaming debris cascading onto the runway. A glance further revealed a plane, or at least part of it engulfed in a wild blaze.
The ticketing agent she had spoken to earlier stood beside her and uttered, "That was your flight, ma'am. It was Flight AC 273 that just took off. Consider yourself lucky that you missed it. The passengers boarded however, are not." The agent patted her shoulder before departing to assist in crowd control.
Cammy's knees turned to jelly, and she slumped to the floor. The tears she held back when Dylan was missing, now streamed down her face. Her hands trembled as she pulled Dylan into a tight embrace.
Relief washed over her that they weren't on that ill-fated plane, yet a deep sadness lingered for those who had boarded it. The woman and the boy she bumped into came into her mind who had their boarding passes, and she couldn't fathom if it was really an accident or fate.
"Did you get hurt, Mommy? Didn't the woman say we are lucky, please don't cry, we are safe!" Dylan asked innocently, his eyes fixed on her.
"You're right, Mommy is just happy that we are safe," Cammy replied. Slowly, she rose, propping her hands on her quivering knees to push herself up.
"Come on, let's get out of here," she said, maintaining composure and calmness in front of Dylan, though deep inside, she yearned to run and hide from that traumatic situation. It could have been them in that tragic accident after all.
Leading Dylan to a less crowded area, she aimed to keep him away from the panic unfolding around them. Despite being shaken by the incident, she felt a need to be brave, not for her, but for her son.