Set your story in an airport, as someone rushes for a flight.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 21 stories

“Late Forever, Amen” by Rob Ryter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #125

Monday 20 December 19:30UTCMax Swanson sweated in the back of the Uber and read the electronic boarding card on his phone for the fifty-fourth time. Flight BA247 from London Heathrow to São Paulo, scheduled departure 21:10, gate to be announced, last bag drop 20:10, one hour before departure. Snow fell lightly, flakes melting and sliding down the windscreen before the intermittent wiper blades swept them away. They edged forward in the solid traffic.The driver didn’t seem to have much sense of urgency.“How long till we get to terminal 5?”“GP...

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“Lunchbox Delivery” by MichElle Colpo

Submitted to Contest #125

Derek checked his watch for the third time as the plane slowly pulled into the docking area of the giant maze of an airport. Everybody on the flight was restless about the hour delay, but him especially. His legs bounced anxiously under the large white box he was cradling on his lap as the smooth, yet dull voice of the flight attendant announced over the intercom, “Ladies and gentleman, today’s weather in Atlanta, Georgia is a blissful sixty-...

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“DIA, March 15 2020” by Maria Avisal

Submitted to Contest #125

The combination of adrenaline and euphoria Chloe felt clearing the packed jet bridge at the Denver airport was remarkably similar how she had felt at the summit of Lone Mountain three days before, preparing to point her snowboard nose over the edge of the first bowl of the day. Zigzagging through travelers, she reached the main thoroughfare and opened up into a running pace one notch below a full-on sprint. Settling into this pace for what she estimated would be a 600-meter dis...

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“Three-Legged Race” by Timothy Merritt

Submitted to Contest #125

Private First Class David Wilson took a few seconds to pause in front of the barracks mirror to pose for a selfie. He was taking advantage of the momentary lull in the regular hustle and chaos of his Basic Combat Training platoon to get a few pictures with just him alone. He wanted to send a few photos to his mom and sister before his unit deployed. “C’mon Wilson!” his friend Brian Paulson called from the other end of the barracks. Paulson was pulling his duffle back from a metal locker that stood next to one of the ...

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“The Connecting Flight” by Anthony Gauthier

Submitted to Contest #125

I look at my watch. 9:34 a.m. Out of the corner of my eye I see the chips in my nails that weren’t there when the flight started, I can still feel the pain in my ring finger where I bit a little to hard. My flight is coming in 15 minutes late and last I checked my connecting flight was still on time. This means my connecting flight, which leaves from gate 68, starts boarding right now and is set to take off in about 10 to 15 minutes. I don’t even notice my leg moving up and down as my eyes attempt to burn a hole in ...

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“The Resolution ” by Connie Elstun

Submitted to Contest #125

"My destiny has a lot to do with the old photograph I have in my carry-on. I'm giving it to my nephew for Christmas this year, and as a bonus, it has a story."I said this to the pretty young woman with the earphones on. She was seated beside me before she got up and moved over by the window. I did not follow.I waited a few moments more, and a young man, 30ish, sat down. I reached out my hand in a friendly fashion and said, "Frank Sullivan and your name?" No response, just crickets.I continued, "I'm only 71 years old; my antique body is ...

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“Smart And His Musings” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #125

“ If I swear for you, if I dare swear for you ah, I tell you, you would never amount to anything in this world” That was usual line the of Smart Igwe's mother to him cum his siblings when he was in primary school. It seems to him as if that line of anger expression was passed down from generations to generations. He have heard it being used by his aged grandmother on everyone not just his grandkids. It has been the favorite line of his mother to all her seven kids. To think that Smart older and younger sisters started using the same line...

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“The Friendly Skies” by Elaine St. Anne

Submitted to Contest #125

Annie shifted her carry bag from one shoulder to the other. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek. Her breath came in labored gasps. The unmoving moving walkway lay as still and silent as a dead boa constrictor. If she could move either arm, she would check her watch but what did it matter? She either made the flight or she didn't. Her eyes scanned the gate numbers. There it was -just ahead- Flight 4473 bound for Johannesburg, South Africa Boarding. Her dream trip finally coming true. A line of passengers was already shuffling f...

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“Manitoba Mother” by Maureen MacLennan

Submitted to Contest #125

Manitoba Mother He was really late and it rankled him, aside from the time he entered the world a month later than his mom’s due date, he was literally early for everything. Today was not an ideal time to break that pattern. Emerging from the parking lot he adjusted his over-stuffed backpack, donned his mask, folded the parking permit into the back pocket of his jeans and sprinted over to the international gate entrance of the airport. The din enveloped him as soon as he strode through the door, the blend of languages and P.A. announcemen...

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“Last seat tonight” by Lex Castanheira

Submitted to Contest #125

The airport security guard punched a random page in a small notebook and handed it back to me, while pointing to the next person in line. I grabbed my bag on wheels and as I started walking towards the gates, tens of people started accelerating the pace. It was like all of a sudden they were all part of a race walking olympic finals. As we turned around the corner, everyone started running frantically. A small man in a suit and oxford dress shoes, tripped on his suitcase and fell on the ground. I quickly crossed the crazy herd of people and ...

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“Breathe Easy” by John Spangenberger

Submitted to Contest #125

Days, weeks, months later—who can say?—the old grump would dodder back to her leaky cottage, face twisted into the familiar rictus of a scowl. The hinges bleated out a welcome-home screech as she opened the door, gouging the stress lines deeper still into her weathered skin. Sam, her grumpy and ungrateful mutt, deigned to snuffle out a perfunctory grunt in acknowledgment as she entered the cottage—more than could be said of her grumpy husband, who acknowledged her not at all. In six familiar strides, the old grump traversed the extent of t...

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“To The Gate” by Yael Pinto

Submitted to Contest #125

Dex Slater woke up red-eyed and utterly confused on Tuesday afternoon. He was barely dressed in what could only be described as rags and wore ripped shoes that revealed his filthy, unclipped, toes. He had not the slightest idea where he had just woken up. He only realized where he was when a well-dressed employee wearing a striped red and blue tie tapped him on the shoulder to wake him up."Excuse me, sir, you’re not allowed to sleep here"- he said."Uh-yeah. My bad." - groaned, Slater.The employee rolled his eyes and stomped away w...

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“Flight 152” by Lucy W

Submitted to Contest #125

A yellow taxi screeched up to the snowy entrance of Denver International Airport. Out of the cab, fell a petite girl wearing bell bottom jeans, a University of Colorado sweatshirt, and a bright cherry red puffer jacket that was just the slightest bit too big for her. Long jet black curls tumbled over her shoulders as she gathered her bags and scrambled out of the cab, throwing the driver a $50 bill and yelling “keep the change”, before racing towards the airport’s automatic doors. For someone with such small limbs she moved astonishingly q...

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“Bon Voyage, Mum” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #125

"Hurry!""The gate's closing soon.""I'm going as fast as I can, my dear boy."I held my tongue. My mum is always late for everything. For as long as I can remember, she would keep people waiting until she was ready for them. Should you have the audacity to want to be somewhere early or on time, my mum would turn that into a fantasy - if she was along for the ride."I've checked your bags through.""Here's your boarding ticket.""You are a good son!"Not knowing whether that was sarcasm or sincerity, I just replied with an emotionally detached, "hu...

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“The Way Things Should’ve Ended” by Alyssa Spohrer

Submitted to Contest #125

Six twenty. Six forty-five. Seven fifteen. No, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening. The flight was suppose to land at six o’clock, giving Clara an hour to make it to her connection. She’d be off the plane and waiting in the lobby for her next by at least six thirty. She’d have time to kill. She would have no time to kill. She may not even make her connection. The plane landed promptly at six twenty. That’s alright, she thought, as long as we’re off of here soon, I’ll have plenty of tim...

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Set your story in an airport, as someone rushes for a flight.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 21 stories

“Late Forever, Amen” by Rob Ryter

“Lunchbox Delivery” by MichElle Colpo

“DIA, March 15 2020” by Maria Avisal

“Three-Legged Race” by Timothy Merritt

“The Connecting Flight” by Anthony Gauthier

“The Resolution ” by Connie Elstun

“Smart And His Musings” by Philip Ebuluofor

“The Friendly Skies” by Elaine St. Anne

“Manitoba Mother” by Maureen MacLennan

“Last seat tonight” by Lex Castanheira

“Breathe Easy” by John Spangenberger

“To The Gate” by Yael Pinto

“Flight 152” by Lucy W

“Bon Voyage, Mum” by Chris Campbell

“The Way Things Should’ve Ended” by Alyssa Spohrer

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character who is always running late arriving somewhere just as it closes.

Write a story about a late bloomer.

All clocks suddenly stop. Write about what happens next.

Write a story including the phrase “Better late than never”.

Contest #125

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

164

Contest entries

113

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: