The Beat

The Beat

Shuffling off the airplane behind the large lady with the cane, Hal thought, Just my luck!

Breaking free, he hurried to the departure screens. “It never fails,” he muttered. “Either I have a 10 minute layover with a connecting gate in Timbuktu or I have a 3 hour layover and I leave from the gate I came in at!”

He quickly scanned the screen. “Damn,” he cursed as he saw that his departing flight was delayed and he’d have 2 hours to kill.

“Gurgle, gurgle.” Hal heard his stomach growl at the same moment he felt gas escape with a noisy “phhhtttttt.”

Looking around guiltily, he moved out into the concourse to escape the stares of anyone that might have heard. “Or worse,” he chuckled.

“Gurgle, gurgle.” Another gas pain hit. He spotted the men’s room and he limped off quickly.

The bathroom was typical - one wall lined with urinals and the other concealed by small booths. He pushed into the first one. Closing the door behind him, he slid the lock.

He reached for a cover and saw the dispenser was empty. Now he was close to panic as he realized that he was on the verge of a major accident. He hurriedly lined the seat with toilet paper and quickly unbuckled his pants, dropping his butt onto the seat with a “slap” just in time.

With a sigh, he relaxed. His emergency past, he now noticed an old rock tune playing in the speakers. I know that tune he thought as he started to hum along. How did that song go? Then, he remembered, “Baby, baby, baby…” he half sang, tapping his foot to the beat.

A banging on door startled him as he heard “Airport Security. Please exit the stall.”

For a fart, he wondered?

Notes

Word Count: 299

An entry for April 30 "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  [13+]
Prompt: Write a story that takes place in an airport.

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise are all equally welcome.

Ken