Andi
On my way to the gate. So happy I get to see you sooooooon
Marissa
yayyyy! Excited to pick you up!
Andi
Flight just got delayed
Andi
Says 40 mins. But you know
Marissa
yeah. It’ll be 40 minutes. Then 40 minutes later it’ll be another 40 minutes.
Andi
blurrrrrg. Forgot to bring a book! Are you busy? Can you keep me sane?
Marissa
You want a story?
Andi
Dunno. what’s an airport story you know?
Marissa
well something pretty wild did happen to me in an airport about six months ago…
Marissa
So it started because this guy was seated across from me at the gate
Marissa
Maybe 40 years old, big beard, like six three. Huge
Marissa
well it wasn’t weird at first
Andi
No I mean weird bc there’s someone who looks exactly like that sitting across from me
Marissa
anyway our flight got delayed too.
Marissa
but not by 40 minutes. By like 3 hours. totally out of the blue.
Marissa
then they canceled it altogether.
Marissa
I was trying to go home for thanksgiving!
Marissa
everyone was super upset
Andi
did they say why it was canceled?
Marissa
I’ll get to that soon.
Marissa
anyway this huge guy who had just been reading next to me got up and walked to customer service desk
Marissa
actually i remember what he was reading. it was cosmo! I thought that was so funny. he was like this big soft teddy bear. until he got up to get in line.
Marissa
because then he was sooooo angry. like freaky angry. everyone immediately got out of his way.
Andi
are u sure he was reading cosmo?
Marissa
and when he got to the front of the desk he started shouting about how he had to get on the plane. how he had to get home. how he knows what’s going on.
Andi
I asked r u sure it was cosmo?
Marissa
sry yeah i’m sure it was a cosmo. i wouldn’t forget something like that.
Andi
the guy right across from me is reading a cosmo.
Marissa
LOL! that’s freaking hilarious. i guess more guys read it than i thought
Andi
But what if it’s the same guy?
Marissa
it probably isn’t. look don’t freak out about it.
Marissa
so he went to customer service and started screaming all this stuff and then he started POINTING AT ME.
Marissa
He was telling everyone it was my fault the plane was canceled. Making no sense.
Marissa
And people listened to him! They were surrounding me. They were asking if it was true. Why did I cancel it. It was insane.
Andi
It just got canceled.
Andi
Marissa the guy is getting up. He’s going to customer service. Very angry.
Marissa
OK you gotta get out of there right now.
Andi
What happened to you after that?
Marissa
You need to get up and leave the gate right now.
Andi
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT???
Marissa
People called security but they were late in getting there so I ran away.
Marissa
Which is what you need to do. Just leave.
Andi
I’m at the gate over now. Feel safe now.
Marissa
Good. I can finish my story.
Andi
I forgot my laptop. So stupid. I left it under my chair.
Andi
I’m going to go get it.
Marissa
You really shouldn’t do that. Just wait.
Andi
Are you crazy? It’s my LAPTOP. I don’t want it to get stolen.
Marissa
Really think you should stay away from there.
Marissa
It’s very important I finish my story
Andi
WHY ARE THEY SAYING ALL THIS STUFF?
Andi
WHY ARE THEY FOLLOWING ME?
Marissa
What’s going on???
Andi
When I picked up my laptop the huge guy started pointing to me and saying all these things
Andi
He said he saw that I’m the reason the flight was canceled.
Andi
He said he saw me with a gun.
Marissa
That’s what he said about me
Marissa
Are you getting away from the gate?
Andi
Walking away yeah. Trying to be casual
Marissa
You need to start running. NOW
Marissa
Do not wait for security. They will believe the man
Andi
Are you messing with me right now?
Andi
How is this happening?
Marissa
YOU NEED TO START RUNNING AND HIDE SOMEWHERE
Marissa
Are you safe somewhere?
Marissa
Is anybody following you?
Andi
I’m in the bathroom. Hiding in a stall
Marissa
Good. No one saw you go in there right?
Andi
I ran as fast as I could. Ducked through a crowd. Stole someone’s scarf and wrapped it around my head
Andi
This feels like a dream. Or like a joke. What is going on? Is this real?
Andi
How did your story end?
Marissa
I think you’ve figured this out by now but what happened to you is exactly what happened to me.
Marissa
I knew it as soon as you mentioned the man sitting across from you
Andi
So why didn’t you warn me? What sort of friend are you?
Marissa
I wanted to. But I couldn’t give everything away.
Marissa
I don’t want to say
Andi
Tell me how this story ends then. What do I do?
Marissa
You will leave the airport and you will get a different flight home.
Marissa
No one will accuse you of anything on that flight. No one will chase you.
Marissa
But you will know you are being watched. You will see the man you saw today.
Marissa
For the next six months you will see the man. At the grocery store. Waiting outside a friend’s house. Everywhere you go.
Marissa
You will tell the police. They will look into it. They will say you are imagining things.
Andi
Who is he? CIA or something?
Marissa
No. He’s not part of the government. He’s not part of any group. He is nobody.
Andi
He follows you for six months? How did you get him to stop?
Marissa
You will start texting a friend at the airport.
Marissa
And you will tell them this story.
Marissa
He will follow them now.
Marissa
I don’t know. These are the rules. I’m sorry.
Andi
You did this to me? I never want to see you again.
Marissa
I’m sorry. I had to. Now it’s your turn.
