Flash Fiction Friday: Cruising Altitude

The plane was well over the ocean when it began.

The flight had been underway for several hours and the cabin was quiet.  Most of the passengers were asleep.  Feeling drowsy himself, Jim set down his magazine, intent on catching a couple hours’ rest.  That’s when he peered across the aisle and saw them.

The blouse hung off of her pale shoulders, revealing soft flesh beneath.  The man seated beside her nuzzled her breasts as his hand snaked beneath her skirt.  Jim watched as she tugged her panties over her hips.  As the man began to move his arm slowly, deliberately, his seatmate writhed in ecstasy.  He lifted his magazine again in an effort to hide his gaze.

He continued to enjoy the show until he heard a voice behind him.  “How can I help you, ma’am?”

The other voice was soft, elderly.  He could hear the embarrassment in her tone.  “Why is this happening?  Why doesn’t someone stop them?”

“Ma’am,” began the stewardess, “please read the fine print on the back of your ticket.

Curious, Jim withdrew his own ticket from his coat pocket.  Printed in bold type were the words  Passengers may have sex on flight. (198/199)

Behind the Scenes

Unlike recent Flash Fiction Friday challenges, in particular last week's, I found this one surprisingly easy.  As soon as I saw the prompt photo I knew exactly how I was going to handle it.  I didn't begin writing until relatively late Thursday night, and managed to complete the story in a matter of minutes.

The only aspect of the story on which I wasn't certain right at the beginning was the ending, for which I intended to include some manner of twist.  I wasn't sure whether the person complaining about the copulating couple would be Jim, the character through whose eyes we view the events; or someone else.  I ultimately decided that it would be more fun to have Jim enjoying the show rather than to have him react with distaste at the exhibitionism across the aisle, and I assigned the objection to an elderly passenger in another row.  In doing so, I attempted to research whether call buttons were in use on commercial airliners in the 1970s, when the prompt photo appears to have been taken.  (Hence my use of "stewardess" rather than "flight attendant", although "stewardess" is a whole word shorter.)  Gleaning no definitive answer from a twenty-second Google search, I decided to sidestep the entire issue.

As was the case last week, the twist here is that the characters inhabit a world wherein behavior currently considered indecent or lewd is acceptable in public, or at least on public transportation.  As was the case last week, one character is unaware of the change in society's mores.  I'm not certain whether this recurring theme is related to my own desire for society to loosen up, but it might be.

In addition to the prompt photo, the other requirements imposed by Ram the Sunlover were the inclusion of the word "bold", and a word count of between 195 and 199.  Regarding the former, I considered using it to refer to the actions of the couple; it is a bold display in which they're engaging.  But I prefer my use of the word to describe a printed disclaimer that allows for public sex on this flight.

Regarding the latter, I can't imagine that I'm the only one who finds a required word range much more challenging than a maximum word limit.  I'm not in any way saying that it made this installment of Flash Fiction Friday unpleasant or even necessarily difficult.  But as I was writing I found myself at one point ready to wrap up the story only to realize that I was fifty words or so short of the minimum.
Incidentally, an account of our own experience with mid-flight hanky-panky can be found here.

Deleted Scenes

None.

Soundtrack

Jet Airliner by Steve Miller Band, from 1977.