Quinn - A Tuatha Dé Danann Novel

Chapter One

I hated flying. I understood how the plane worked. The aerodynamics, speed, lift, drag, and yet I couldn't get over the fear of flying. Human beings weren't meant to fly in my book. If we were we'd have wings growing out of our backs or some other form of getting us air born without the use of a giant tin can with turbines strapped to its side. The worst was the turbulence. Every time the plane shook I thought to myself, This is it. This is the one that'll knock us out of the sky. I had grasped the handles of my seat, heart pounding, breath racing, sweat falling down my face, expecting the worse. Maybe that's what would kill me. Not the plummet from over thirty-thousand feet in the air, but the anticipation of waiting for my impending doom. 

The plane had dropped, but only to land safely in another part of the world. I was a picture of pure terror. Hair on ends, bags under my eyes, and my entire body contorted in a manner it should not be in. My armrests would be forever scarred by the deep indentations where my nails latched themselves in and didn't let go for almost seven hours. My knuckles cracked when I finally stretched my fingers, releasing my deadly grip. There was a dull ache in my forearms from holding on for so many hours. As the plane touched the runway, sending a jolt up my spine, a single thought crossed my mind. I had made it.

Just as I had breathed a sigh of relief, an announcement came over the intercom. "Welcome to Ireland." The stewardess said in a tone that made me think she had said the words for probably the fifteenth time that week. She checked her watch while making the final announcements, eager to get off the plane. "The captain thanks you for flying Air Ireland and we hope you enjoy your stay here in our beautiful country."

She hung up the phone she was using to make the announcement and hurried to get her belongings before the mayhem of three hundred passenger packed in like sardines try to bum rush their way past each other. Bags began to fly from overhead and arguments ensued as the plane sparked to life. Their pace was heightened by the need to try and cram as much of Ireland in their meager trips as they possibly could.

Half the plane was gone before I got up. I wasn't too eager to get off the plane. Ironic I know, I spent seven hours wanting off the deathtrap and yet I couldn't bring myself to get out of the stale recycled air and join the real world once again. The real world is what scared me. Outside was the reason why I was there. Unlike all the passengers, I wasn't there for fun or vacation. My being there wasn't even my idea. My mother was the one who asked me to go. So as a favor to her, I went.

A week before my life was just your average going on fourteen years old's life. I was on my way into high school, with a fresh start. No more being bullied for being smart. The school I was going to at the end of the summer would be filled with kids just like me. You here it all the time, young kid spends his whole life being bullied, never amounting to anything because he believes the bullies telling him his ideas are stupid, but not me. I was going to make something of myself no matter what anyone said or thought of me. Then came the letter.

I had just graduated middle school and was looking forward to summer vacation. I would spend most of my days in my room reading books heavier then myself, and building contraptions out of old broken toys and electronics. I love repurposing old forgotten things I find at the dump or thrift shops and turning them into new ideas, giving them new life. I've been doing it for years, and its what got me in trouble with the other kids at school. I've been called so many names I lost count. Some of my favorites are: hippie, garbage boy, and my all time favorite idiot. I love when they call me an idiot, but I got perfect marks on my test while they struggled to understand basic math and reading. I didn't have the heart to tell them I learned everything they're struggling with five years ago and in my spare time I've moved on to theoretical mathematics and engineering physics, just for fun.