Not Prioritised
A flight where access decided everything — and nothing stopped for those without it.
Today, April 10, ,the RMS Titanic departed. It was designed to carry passengers safely.
It did not carry equally.
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An airline crunch. A product of the ongoing war.
Priority boarding entered the plane.
They took their seats. The rest stood.
A little child had to stand. He stumbled as he grasped an armrest. The well-dressed lady, protected by her seat belt, grimaced as he nearly fell on top of her.
Not from fear.
The line was drawn. Then, the plane took off.
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The seatbelt sign stayed on. No one could move. Those without seats remained where they were. The child rubbed his legs, and cried. There was nowhere to go.
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The seated passengers curled back on their armrests. In-flight TVs came on.
Their hot meals arrived promptly. Trays unfolded.
The standing passengers shifted their weight. The little boy grasped a forbidden armrest.
Eyes glared.
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An outstretched hand grasped the child. Freed him of support.
"That seat's not yours. Please return to where you were standing. You can't stay there."
The boy's mother hurriedly ushered him to the spot.
From the seat, a pair of eyes.
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Then, turbulence. Not minor. Not inconsequential.
It rocked.
Hands moved the boy to his place. He was pulled back.
His hand slipped.
No one moved.
His legs slipped.
No one moved.
He fell. And rolled to the other end of the cabin.
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He was summarily returned to his position.
With a broken arm. No sling on board.
He wailed. His flustered mother grimaced.
Meals continued for the seated. Their screens stayed on.
Trays stayed open. Attendants served only them. Nothing paused.
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He wasn't trapped. He could still fly.
He just wasn't prioritised.
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Original microfiction by Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin. AI tags are coincidental.
For Mikeydred's April Challenge
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
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By Forest Greenabout 15 hours ago in Fiction
Comments (1)
Hopefully this not come true. Scary thoughts.