I sit in my chair, scrolling through my phone, as my eyes drift to the massive window in front of us. Our plane gleams faintly at the gate under the heavy October sky, its white body contrasting sharply with the swirling gray clouds overhead. There’s a weight to the air today, something strange I can’t quite put my finger on.

“Look at that guy,” Brian says, nudging me with his elbow.

I glance up and follow his nod. A baggage handler moves across the tarmac, his steps slow and deliberate. His uniform hangs loose on his frame, and his head is turned just slightly, like he’s not fully there. Nearby, another handler freezes mid-motion, gripping a suitcase like he’s forgotten what he’s doing. Then his head tilts, jerking sharply to the side, like he’s listening to something no one else can hear.

“That’s… weird,” I mutter, lowering my phone. I glance around the gate area. Everyone else seems oblivious—reading magazines, chatting casually. Eagerly awaiting our trip to Hawaii. But my stomach tightens.

Brian narrows his eyes at the scene outside. “You think he’s okay?”

Before I can respond, the frozen handler snaps back into motion. The movement is stiff, almost mechanical, as he tosses the bag onto the conveyor. A chill creeps up my spine. My gaze shifts to the vehicles weaving between the planes. Their movements seem sluggish, like they’re stuck in molasses. Even the blinking lights on the luggage carts look dimmer than usual. I rub my eyes thinking that might help.

“Clouds are thick,” Brian murmurs, tilting his head toward the horizon. “Think it’s gonna rain?”

I don’t answer him. My eyes are drawn to something else—a speck in the sky, far off in the distance. My pulse quickens as I watch it. The way it moves doesn’t seem right. The angle is too steep, the motion too fast.

“Brian,” I say, leaning forward. “Look there.”

“What?” he asks, following my gaze.

“That plane,” I whisper. “It’s coming in weird.”

He squints, spotting it. “Ok, I see it. It’s just coming to land.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s too steep. Way too steep.”

Time passes, and I notice the plane is growing larger, its silver body flashing faintly as it approaches. It dips lower, nose tilted downward. My breath catches. It’s not leveling out.

“It’s coming in too fast,” I say, my voice tight. “That’s not normal, Brian.”

He stares at the plane, but doesn’t respond. More time passes, and I start to make out the peeling paint, the streaks of grime. The windows on the plane look cracked or missing. That can’t be right. My heart races as I grip Brian’s arm. “Say something!” I exclaim, a bit louder than intended.

“Hey, what’s going on?” a man sitting nearby leans forward, looking at us.

“That plane,” I say, my voice shaking. “It’s coming down too fast.”

He looks out the window, frowning. “It’s probably—” His voice falters. The plane is larger now, the engines emitting a guttural growl that sends a shiver through me.

More people start to notice. A young woman yanks out her earbuds, her eyes widening as she stares. I see a couple across the aisle whispering to each other, faces pale. Murmurs turn into exclamations, until nearly everyone is watching. I can feel the fear in the air.

The plane is enormous now, impossibly close. I can see the cockpit. Empty! Where the hell are the pilots? I realize with horror that the nose of the plane is pointing directly at us, towards our window.

“It’s coming right at us!” I shout, gripping Brian’s arm tighter.

People start to scream, while several bolt for the exit. A woman shields her crying toddler. The old man with the cane mutters something under his breath, his knuckles white as he grips his seat. The roar of the engines takes over my ears as the plane fills the entire window. There’s nowhere to go, no time to escape. I brace for impact—

And then the window goes black.

It doesn’t shatter. It’s just… black, like someone turned off the sky. The roaring stops abruptly, replaced by suffocating silence.

My ears ring in the quiet. For a moment, no one moves, no one breathes. I’m frozen, gripping Brian’s arm, my heart pounding so hard it hurts. Then a cheerful voice crackles over the intercom.

“Happy Halloween, everyone!”

I turn, blinking in disbelief. A man in a Hawaiian shirt stands at the gate counter, holding the microphone. He’s grinning, his voice filled with smug satisfaction. “Wow! Wasn’t that something? Just a little Halloween fun to get your spirits up. You know, spooky season?” He laughs, slapping the counter. “This new screen tech is amazing, huh? Super realistic!”

The room erupts.

“What in the hell is wrong with you?!” the businessman yells, his face red with anger.

“That was sick!” screams the woman clutching her toddler. “My kid’s gonna have nightmares. Where’s the manager?”

I let go of Brian’s arm and press my hands to my face, trying to calm my breathing. I glance at the window. The screen flickers back on, and everything outside looks normal. Real. Our plane waits quietly at the gate, and the baggage handlers are back to work like nothing happened.

I drop my hands and look at Brian. His expression is carefully blank, but there’s something about the way he rubs the back of his neck, the faint quirk of his lips.

“Oh my God,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “Brian. Was that you—?”

He grins sheepishly, stroking his goatee. “I mean… it wasn’t just me. It’s a joint Sony and Delta project. Real-time simulation tech synced with these beautiful, ginormous screens. Pretty cool, right?”

I stare at him, my jaw dropping. “You knew?!” I smack his arm—not hard, but enough to make him wince and laugh. “The whole time! I thought we were going to die, Brian!”

“I know, I know!” he says, holding my hands. “But come on, it was incredible, right? Admit it.”

I can’t help it. A laugh bursts out of me, shaky but real. “You are such a jerk,” I say, extricating my hands and hitting him lightly again. “But… okay, yeah. It was incredible. Terrifying, but incredible.”

Brian grins, looking around at the chaos still unfolding at Gate D7. “Best Halloween ever?”

I sigh, leaning back in my seat, still laughing softly. “Idiot. You’ll be lucky I don’t throw you off the plane.”

We both laugh to ourselves waiting for the boarding process to begin.