Supernova||Book 1 [Wattys 2024]

Episode 14.3 Love In Any Language

Paris

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" Norris wailed while the group looked on in amazement. "I don't want to go." he buried his face in Gage's chest. The staff tried to keep a straight face as they watched the young man's meltdown.

"It's fine." Jorah attempted to coax Norris.

"No!" Norris' grip on Gage tightened. "It's too high."

"It is high." Jorah agreed. "But I promise. It's amazing. Once you get up there, you won't believe it. It will take your breath away. You'll never see anything like it."

Slowly, Norris eased his head out of Gage's chest, still gripping his shirt. He looked at Jorah and then to the rest of their group whose takeoff had been delayed by thirty minutes because of him.

"You went on the eye." Jorah made reference to the London leg of their trip. "It's the same thing."

Norris shook his head. "It's not the same thing. It is very much not the same thing." he pointed out. "That was attached to something." He sucked in his bottom lip as fear washed over him anew.

Seeing the City from the London Eye was much much different from flying over Paris in a hot air balloon.

"Let's go." Asion griped from his basket. "If he doesn't want to go, just leave him behind."At these words, Gage glared at Asion.

"No." Jorah looked at Gage. "Do something."

Gage simply nodded. He looked at the staff assigned to man their balloon who had been patiently waiting on his guests while Norris went through his meltdown. Wrapping his arms around Norris' waist, he nodded to the man.

In the next minute, Norris was hoisted from the ground and handed to the man in the balloon like a parcel.

"Wait! No!..Stop!"

"Have a good ride guys." Jorah smiled at them before going back to his own basket where Nine was waiting. Now that he was in the basket, Norris' throat felt tight. He looked at Gage who'd joined him in panic.

"I...can't..breathe.." he began to take big gaps of air.

"Look at me." Gage told him.

Norris squeezed his eyes shut , shaking his head vigorously.

"Nori.." Gage's voice softened.. "Look at me." Norris slowly opened his eyes.

"I'm right here." Gage said when Norris was looking at him. "Take a deep breath." Norris nodded. Gage led him to take a few steading breaths.

With all riders in their basket, the staff wasted no time in firing up the gears to get them on their way.

Norris grabbed Gage's shirt again as a steady stream of flames went upwards.Gage wrapped his arm around the terrified young man.

The flames continued to go up until they felt a jerk beneath their feet.

"Ah!" Norris yelped. "We're moving!" his fists tightened.

Looking across the way, Gage saw that the others were also drifting upwards. 4 balloons took flight at the same time, rising higher and higher into the sky. They started off relatively close, however as time progressed, the balloons gradually drifted apart.

As the wind swept by, Gage could not help being awed by the moment. A hot air balloon ride over Paris was never something he thought he would do, but right now, he was immeasurably glad to be doing it with him, even if he didn't actually say it. Jorah was right. It was breathtaking.