Florida Merman DNF (UNFINISHED)

Chapter One

The ship rocked side to side, throwing George across the deck. His stomach lurched and his eyes were filled with panic. A wave of seawater hit his mouth and nose leaving him coughing, his throat stung by the salty water.

I'm going to die! He choked, desperately trying to get a grip on the slippery deck. Something grabbed his foot and he slipped, falling backwards.

Five days earlier...

George grabbed his carry-on bag and adjusted his backpack. Waiting for the man who had sat the entire flight next to him to get up, he pulled his phone out and turned off airplane mode.

Looking up once or twice, he opened messages and sent a text.

Hey, I'm getting off the plane now.

Awesome! We'll be here!

George smiled. It was lucky enough to take a break from streaming and take a trip, even more to Florida and to have all the costs paid for. Dream come true for George, which barely had time in between editing and making videos.

Turning off his phone, he shrugged his backpack and entered the steady stream of people pulling suitcases and getting suitcases down. For perhaps the thousandth time in his life, George wished he wasn't colorblind. The only color he could really see was blue, and even than some shades of blue just looked like this sickly yellow brown color.

Sighing, he moved along at an annoyingly slow pace, taking one step every 30 to 40 seconds. Going along farther, he saw the cause, police officers and flight attendants crowding around a man who had been tied up with rubber bands.

George's eyes widened. The man looked vaguely familiar, and to his surprise the man tried to get up and stared at George.

"You'll pay for this." The man snarled.

George took a step back.

"YOU ALL WILL PAY FOR THIS!!" The man yelled. He writhed on the floor, struggling against the bands which had been tied around his feet and wrists behind his back, which seemed to George, snapping at the ferociousness of the man.

"I'LL KILL YOU, BLUE SHIRT MAN!! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" The man screamed.

Two officers crouched and held him down as the man yelled things that I probably shouldn't mention.

"Sir? Sir?" A voice broke into his startled mind.

George refocused to see another police officer waving her hand in front of his face.

"Yes, sorry?" George mumbled, realizing his breath was heaving fast and he was gripping his bag like his lifeline.

"I will escort you out of the plane due to these unforeseen circumstances." The woman said, glancing back at the man.

"Thanks." George whispered, moving his unsteady legs forward.

George's mind was in a turmoil. Why had the man yelled that he was going to kill him?

"Sir, don't think about him. It will only make it worse." The officer spoke again, looking back at him.

He nodded and tried to calm himself, stepping onto the walkway and off the plane, legs still shaking.

"I'll need to ask you a few questions sir." The woman spoke again.

"Okay." George mumbled.

"What is your name?"

"George. George Davidson."

"Are you in any way, related or contacted to the person?"

"No. I've never seen him before."

"Why are you here?"

"Won an Airbnb contest to travel the states."

"Lucky." She chuckled.

"When do you plan to travel back? Where are you from?"

"In about a month, and I'm from the U.K."

They reached the gate, the woman pulling him to the side.

"If you see the man again, please do not hesitate to call 911 and report him. Even the slightest bit of information can lead to why he did that." The woman said, staring into his brown eyes.

George nodded.

The woman smiled and walked towards the gate, leaving a slightly petrified George behind.

"George!" He looked around to see his two friends, a couple in their sixties walk towards him.

Persephone was the first to reach him.

"Are you alright? What happened with the police officer? Did something go wrong? Are you okay?" She fired.

Harold held his hand up to stop the flow of words, effectively stopping his wife. "I'm sure he'll tell us. Now, how was your flight?"

George smiled. "It was alright."

"Well, that's good to hear! Come on, let's get out of the way of the people and we'll stop at a restaurant to eat, alright?" Harold slapped his back.

"That would be great." George said, smiling.

Harold laughed. "That's good to hear young man!"

Persephone tut-tutted and smacked her husband playfully.

George watched them glare at each other and smile, comforted by the reassurance of the wise couple and their gentle teasing ways.

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