Ella’s nervousness

The aircraft hummed with the faint drone of engines as it taxied on the runway. Ella, seated by the window, felt the nervous energy coiling within her, her fingers interlocked in a silent attempt to quell her rising apprehension. As the plane picked up speed, her knuckles whitened, her grip tightening around the armrests.

It was her first time flying.

Her breaths grew shallow and rapid, matching the pace of her pounding heart. The moment the aircraft lifted off, a surge of panic swept through her. Her stomach lurched, feeling as if it plummeted into an infinite void as the wheels left the ground.

In that dizzying moment, the sensation of weightlessness collided with the overwhelming weight of her anxiety. Ella's mind spun with a torrent of emotions—a mix of fear, disorientation, and a relentless sense of vulnerability. Her instinctive response was to seek an anchor, and in her distress, she found herself clutching Jasper's arm for stability.