Time Flies

The plane was landing, and I was running out of time. I frantically looked across the aisle at his slack-clad legs, crossed at the ankle. ‘Think, Marianne, think.’ I nonchalantly put my seat back into upright position as the crew performed cabin checks, and grit my jaw. Time to

make my presence known. I stuck my leg out and gently kicked at him. His head spun around and his jaw dropped as he saw me there. He knew there was nowhere he could run unless he was crazy enough to jump out of the plane. “I’ve got my eye on you,” I whispered.

The man’s expression melted into a smirk. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” He tore off his jacket to reveal a compact parachute. “Cooper’s the name,” he said, deftly lowering the aft stairs. “D.B. Cooper.” And then with a jaunty salute, he flung himself out the open door of the

aircraft. I leapt forwards to the top of the steps gripping a handrail and peering down the steps into the open air. His diminishing silhouette stark against the hazy terrain I watched as he pulled his parachute cord releasing an array of small household items and random hardware

and I laughed at the sound of his scream as he realized that I had replaced his parachute. I watched as he grew smaller and hazier, and regretted only that I wouldn't be able to see the moment of his impact with the earth.

Another one of my enemies - gone. I was having a pretty good day. Once I got back to the ground, I made a reservation at my favorite

gaming den and began my favorite celebratory pastime after defeating my enemies. Gaming while trolling newbie gamers. Yet after an hour or so, some random newbie entered the server and started beating me every time, taunting me. I narrowed my eyes. I had another enemy to hunt now

- my own inadequacy. Whatever tactics I used, they countered. I couldn’t beat them, it was all I could do to stay in the game. How could Player489053 with 6.5 hours of play time be so good?

I felt lost for a moment, but then, I remembered I had a special weapon in my storage. The one I got with my Super Player membership card. This time Player489053 couldn’t beat me I was ready, so I equipped the Mega Laser Blaster Bomb Gun

My finger hovered over the button. Time slowed, my concentration at its peak. I would win, if it’s the last thing I did. The screen went black. I heard a loud “Ha” from behind me, and gritted my teeth. Outside the window, a guy with held a sign with two simple words: “I won.”