Landing

Something happened to me there, in the air. I can't describe it. Like some part of me is still up there, in the sky.

I remember feeling the concussion of the explosion, even as the ground formed back under my feet. It was as if I had a foot in both spots for a moment. The old life and the new life. I landed a different person.

It hurt, a lot.

I remember screaming, over and over. Hands grabbing me. The roar and smell of a diesel engine.

• Later...