Wow, this is boring, Buffy thought as she stared blankly at the movie that was showing. I wish something exciting would happen. Like some turbulence, and then someone will start hyperventilating and choke on the over-salted peanuts they gave us, she thought, only half-joking. She was on flight number 1774, due to arrive in the Los Angeles International Airport in another five hours that seemed like eternity.
It was three hours later, and the only thing that had changed was the movie. Now, instead of violence and drugs, it was about the end of the world. She thought of the many times that she had saved the world. None of them had been like this movie, with hot guys and happily ever afters. Suddenly, the plane started jerking around. Oh my god, it's the end of the world, Buffy thought wildly. Wait, no that was just the movie. Ha, I knew that.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure that you are seated properly with your seat belts buckled. We are experiencing some turbulence and will be past it shortly."
There were some murmurs, but everyone stayed calm. After all, turbulence was something to be expected, especially in long flights such as this one.
The turbulence grew steadily worse as we sat there for fifteen minutes, then half an hour, and then an hour, without showing any signs of stopping. By now, some of the passengers were clutching their seat handles (or, in some cases, each other).
"Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure your seat belts are fastened properly. There is nothing to worry about, just some turbulence."
As soon as the captain had finished, the plane gave a huge jolt and the lights flickered off.
There was complete silence, and then…
"Oh my god, we're gonna die!" screamed a passenger, completely losing her head. This effectively broke the silence, and people started muttering about incompetent captains and cheap planes.
The lights came back on, and at first everything seemed normal. The plane was flying smoothly and even the movie was back on. Buffy noticed something different. Outside, it had been a bright day. Most of the windows had been closed, but the brilliant sunlight had shone through the cracks between the covered window and the wall of the plane. Now, the light was gone. Instead, all you could see were gray menacing clouds that made it impossible to even glimpse the wings of the plane.
By now, all of the passengers had noticed the change. They were all waiting for the captain to come on and tell them what was going on, but then the plane started to jerk.
Oh no, not again, Buffy thought, as the electricity started flickering on and off. What's happening? Maybe we're in the middle of a tornado or something.
Abruptly, the plane started spinning around in dizzying circles. Some of the passengers started screaming, until one of them shouted for her to shut up. Ugh, I'm gonna be sick, Buffy thought miserably. I always hated the spinning rides at amusement parks. I mean, I can't even ride the Mad Hatter's teacups without feeling a little sick.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the captain's voice sounded suddenly, startling everyone. The crackly voice went on. "Please do not panic, we are currently in the middle of a severe thunderstorm but will be landing shortly at the Denver International Airport. Please certify that your seat belts are fastened and that all trays are locked in their upright positions. We should be arriving at the Denver airport in approximately one hour."
Buffy sighed with relief. Thank god I don't have to, like, save the plane or something. For once, everything seems to be in control.
Oh darn it all, I shouldn't have thought that. Now, with my luck, something worse will happen. Great. Perfect, just what I needed. Where's my stake? She thought back to a few hours ago, when Willow had dropped her off at the airport. Uh-oh. I don't remember what happened… Come on, Buffy, think! What has happened to me? I don't have short-term memory loss!
Buffy had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that the plane had gone eerily quiet. She looked up.