A Family

Airport

  You're heading for your new temporary job assignment as a travel nurse. There, you meet a man named Ethan Stone at the airport. (You can imagine him however or as whoever you want, but if you want to see how I kind of imagine Ethan, you can jump to the next author note and scroll down, I'll put in a picture there.) He works in the military and happens to be taking the same flight as you. Sitting on a bench at the gate, you start to converse with him while waiting.

  He's quiet and only answers one-worded answers at first. Ethan has to have a certain level of communication skills for his job as a team leader. In his work, and what he expects from his team is good enough communication skills to coordinate their responses even in confusing and dangerous situations. But off duty and whenever he doesn't have to at work, Ethan prefers to be the quiet guy if he can.

  You're not getting any vibe that he wants you to stop talking to him. But he doesn't get the chance to continue answering one-worded answers for long. Because you're good at communication and rather than asking him closed-ended questions, you ask him open-ended questions. Questions that aren't yes or no questions. When you wanted to become a nurse you also started studying communication on the side, to improve your skills when interacting with patients.

As you're talking, you don't notice the young boy staring at the two of you from the opposite bench of where you're seated.
The young boy being a very shy and traumatised 3 year old boy, sitting beside his mother. As he was watching, he accidentally loses the plane toy he was fiddling with in his lap down to the floor and your attention is brought to the sound. The boy now terrified of having interrupted, hides into his mother. His mother looks like she's used to this reaction and doesn't really seem to care that much.

  You lean down to pick the plane up and carefully reach it out for him to take back. The boy stares at you for a long moment, you just patiently wait for him to come to you, so you don't scare him. And you don't look away, not minding the boy taking his time. The boy seems to be unsure and surprised by you, the gentle and soft smile on your face that doesn't waver for even one second as you patiently wait for him. He tentatively reach out for the toy and take it from you. Once he holds it he keeps staring at you, you just smile at the boy.

  "Hello, I'm Yn." You introduce yourself with a soft voice. The boy keeps staring at you for a long moment before mumbling.

  "Parker." He mumbles. His mother now watch the interaction in awe, the boy very rarely spoke and never to strangers and only if absolutely necessary to his mother.

  "Parker. I like your name." You tell him, then gently gesture to his plane toy. "You like planes?" You ask the boy, he looks at the toy for a second.

  "Don't know."

  "Is this going to be your first time on a plane?" You ask the boy nodding your head toward a plane outside the giant windows.

  The boy follows your line of sight and hesitantly nods, looking more nervous.

  "You'll be okay." You reassure him. He looks back at you and you see him relax at your reassurance.

  Finally you glance at his mother, seeing her frowning in confusion at the two of you. Feeling like you overstepped, you gently get back to your seat and address the mother since you're still seated close to them.

  "I'm sorry, if I overstepped." You say and she shakes her head.

  "You didn't, I'm just.. surprised.. He doesn't really.. well, talk." She admits, looking at her son staring at you.

  Ethan was watching the whole interaction in his own awe, but at you, but now get more curious about Parker. He looks at the boy again and sees him staring at him. He gives the boy a smile. Then they hear a loud chilling scream.