"Hamburg...that sounds like Hamburger."
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"Matty you need to help me here." His mother says, as she heaves two pull along cases from the boot of the car.
Matty grabs a hold of the handle of his light blue case with a picture of George Pig on the front and pulls it towards him, with his mother gripping tightly to her pink hard shell case as she slams down the door to the trunk.
She looks once again at the comforter being clung tight in her son's grasp. "Matty you really need to put that in your case now." She insists.
"But Mummy I said..." Matty begins to protest. He had already stated that his blanket stay with him but this time his mother's tone is a little different when she interrupts his words.
"In your case please Matty. Just put it in your case."
Matty pouts, squeezing the blanket one last time before resting the case on its side on the concrete and pulling at the zip, just enough to push the blanket into the small gap before once again zipping it back up. "See you soon." Matty says under his breath fondly as he gets back onto his feet. He takes his mother's outstretched hand and together they head into the terminal.
"Mummy where are we going again?" Matty wonders, still in awe at all the planes in the distance as to which one he might be getting on.
"Uncle Bobby lives in Hamburg. That's in Germany."
"Hamburg?...that sounds like Hamburger. Did they name it after the food?" Matty says laughing, amused that a place was named after a meal.
"Well... you're nearly right, the hamburger was invented in Hamburg." His mother replies.
Matty looks at his mother a little confused. "Max at school says hamburgers are invented by Macdonald's."
"Does he?" His mother laughs at her son's innocence. "Well they did invent the big mac so I guess he's kind of right."
They now reach the big sliding doors. To Matty, it is like entering a new world. The ceiling stretches so high, yet Matty can still see snippets of sky throught it. The floor is so shiney it looks like an ice rink. The place is rather full of people and Matty can feel his mother's grip on his hand tighten a fraction.
"Matty it's really important you stay by my side ok? I don't want you to get lost." Matty half wonders if he should suggest getting into his mother's case like his blanket is in his if she wants to keep him safe, but knew that would be cheeky. His mother did not like cheeky.
***
It felt like an age they had been standing around. First there was the queue for the check-in and now they were stood in a different queue. Matty could see what looked like a door frame without a door that people were walking through and a lady waving what looked like a hairbrush over their arms and legs, while they stood, arms stretched out to the side, like an aeroplane.
There seemed to be this other machine that ate bags. Matty did not like the look of this contraption! What would happen if his case went inside? Where did it go? "Mummy I don't want my bag to go in that hole." Matty suddenly says, pointing to the machine with its rubber teeth.
"Matty don't worry, your case will come out the other side. It's like an xray." His mother tries to explain.
"You mean like when I broke my arm and you could see my bones?" Matty wonders.
"Yes that's right." His mother says, with Matty still not too sure.
"Mummy I don't have bones in my bag."
Matty's mother doesn't reply, too busy with undoing her watch strap in preparation to go through the metal detector.
It's now their turn. Matty is ushered forward by his mother as his small case is taken from him and placed at the mouth of the bag eating machine. "Hello, what's your name?" The lady with the bristleless hairbrush says as she waves it over him.
"Matthew Emelio Stevens." he replies rather proudly.
"And are you travelling with just your Mother today?"
"Yes, and my best friend...Mummy told me to put my best friend in my case so I don't lose him." Matty says rather matter of factly.
"Oh I see..." The lady says, looking a little concerned. She leaves Matty and turns to speak to another man in a similar uniform, before turning to Matty's case. "We're just going to have a look inside your case sweetheart."
"What's the matter?" Matty can hear his mother over his shoulder, who is currently having the hairbrush treatment.
"Nothing to worry about madam, just a spot check." The lady replies.
Matty watches as the lady rifles through his case, pulling at certain things packed inside, whilst half conversing with her colleague, before zipping it back up again before the next bag is wanting to be ejected from for machine.
"Here you go sweetie." The lady hands back the small case to Matty who pulls it back towards him. He watches his mother retrieve her own case, her face a little angry as she mutters under her breath. Something about suspicious and unnecessary. Matty wasn't sure what it was all about.
Finally, after walking down what Matty thought was the longest corridor ever, on escalators that didn't go up nor down, they were at the part he was waiting for... they were about to board the plane.
He squeezes his mother's hand tightly as they slowly move up a long tunnel until suddenly they are not in a tunnel anymore, they are actually on the plane!
Matty looks up to see his mother conversing with a flight attended who is directing them to some seats. Matty follows behind, hoping he can sit next to one of those tiny windows, but sees a man already positioned there. He has to make do with the middle seat, climbing across while his mother pushes his case into an overhead locker, along with her own, before sitting down next to Matty.
Matty momentarily looks up at the strange man next to him. He can see right up his nostrils from where he is sitting. He doesn't seem to register him, too busy placing an eye mask on his face. Matty frowns at his actions. Why choose a window seat if you're going to sleep the whole way?
"Hello, something for you." Matty is now distracted by a man handing Matty a white plastic bag.
'Thank you." Matty's mother answers for him. Matty looks inside, pulling out a small pack of crayons. Red, yellow. blue and green. He sighs. Matty wouldn't be able to draw his brown blanket with these colours unless he scribbled all the colours over eachother, then that would look a mess!
His blanket...his blanket! Matty feels bad for even forgetting its existence! How could he forget? Matty looks at his mother, who is currently trying to adjust her seat. "Mummy, can I have my blanket now?"
YOU ARE READING
Possession (boyxboy)
FantastiqueSUPERNATURAL/ROMANCE From the earliest days of his childhood, Matty Stevens had never been seen without his cherished comforter, a soft and worn blanket that seemed to embody the essence of solace. It was more than just fabric; it was his steadfast...
