Flight 171: Chapters 27–35

by Amy Christine Parker
High school senior Devon Marsh is with her classmates on a four-hour flight to a Colorado ski resort, when an immortal being threatens to kill all the passengers unless they sacrifice one body for possession.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–16, Chapters 17–26, Chapters 27–35
40 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
    Before I can lose my nerve, I grab the old woman’s wizened arms and drag her from the cockpit, then slam her against the bathroom door.
  2. garble
    distort or make false by mutilation or addition
    The words are thick in her mouth, garbled by the insects still writhing inside.
  3. writhing
    moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
    The words are thick in her mouth, garbled by the insects still writhing inside.
  4. desiccated
    thoroughly dried out
    Her tongue darts across her desiccated lips.
  5. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    But when the old woman clambers to her feet, the warmth quickly gives way to wet, and I realize that her bladder must’ve given way.
  6. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    My hair is severely disheveled—no longer straight and Emily-smooth.
  7. corral
    collect or gather
    I stop at my seat for a second to grab a ponytail holder and my brush from my backpack so I can corral my out-of-control hair into a quick ponytail.
  8. throng
    a large gathering of people
    I shove people out of my way, duck and weave until I’m through the throng.
  9. unwitting
    not aware or knowing
    She and Andrew are hiding up there with a gun. Where my mother is: unconscious, helpless, an unwitting hostage.
  10. stealthy
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    I take a deep breath and try to recenter myself, then grab the ladder rungs again, as quietly as I can. Very, very carefully, I start climbing. It’s almost impossible to be stealthy. I’m like a raging bull.
  11. hyperventilate
    breathe excessively hard and fast
    She’s crying so hard that her chest convulses. She’s close to hyperventilating.
  12. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    Andrew can’t look straight at me, though. Instead, he gives me fleeting, guilty glances.
  13. grating
    causing irritation
    Kiara is crying loudly behind me. It’s grating on my nerves.
  14. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    My charity was gaining traction. All those people depend on me. I convinced myself that the best way to make amends for hitting Emily was to devote myself to my work.
  15. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    Her eyes shine like an animal’s in the dimly lit space, and she leers at everyone—especially me—triumphantly.
  16. putrid
    in an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odor
    There’s a photo of the old lady on it, taken a few minutes ago. Her energy is almost entirely yellow now, putrid and rotten, riddled with those spots.
  17. repentant
    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
    If he were truly repentant, he would’ve come clean the second the old lady started showing everyone else’s secrets.
  18. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    I look up to see Rebecca grinning at me, her gaze conspiratorial.
  19. fervor
    the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
    The other kids are screaming and yelling, their fervor reaching a fever pitch.
  20. breach
    make an opening or gap in
    This time, when her mental claws scratch my brain, they manage to breach the barrier I’ve constructed immediately.
  21. conscience
    a feeling of shame when you do something immoral
    “I can’t live with Carter's death on my conscience.”
  22. tremulous
    quivering as from weakness or fear
    “Choose me. It’s okay. I want you to, Devon,” Andrew says with a tremulous smile.
  23. guttural
    relating to or articulated in the throat
    Andrew makes a guttural, choked sound as she forces his mouth wider still until the corners split and bleed.
  24. languidly
    in a lethargic manner
    I gasp as a black liquid the consistency of tar begins to languidly wend its way out of her, snaking through the air in a sort of looping dance.
  25. wend
    direct one's course or way
    I gasp as a black liquid the consistency of tar begins to languidly wend its way out of her, snaking through the air in a sort of looping dance.
  26. diminish
    decrease in size, extent, or range
    Her eyes sink into their sockets and her clothes hang on her body. The knitting needles in her pocket clink together as she diminishes more and more. She’s literally wasting away before our eyes.
  27. distend
    swell from or as if from internal pressure
    I shove the old woman’s head down into the mess so her neck is exposed. It’s bulging and distended.
  28. primal
    having existed from the beginning
    The needles are hot in my hand, vibrating with power, the ancient symbols on them still glowing white. I let loose a primal scream then bring them down into the center of the old lady’s neck.
  29. emaciated
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    She starts pushing on the old woman’s emaciated chest and then grimaces, lowers her mouth to the old woman’s, and blows air into it.
  30. cataract
    disease that involves the clouding of the lens of the eye
    She stares sightlessly past Rebecca, her eyes clouded over with thick cataracts.
  31. measly
    contemptibly small in amount
    “What happened up there?”
    What is it about moms? One minute you’re holding it together, the next they’re asking one measly question and it's like they’ve pulled the rip cord on your emotions.
  32. rein
    keep in check
    My breath hitches as I try to rein in my tears.
  33. tarmac
    a paved road or surface, especially at an airport
    There is a rush of frigid air against my face, and then my feet touch tarmac. I am on the ground, out of the plane.
  34. charter
    engage for service under a term of contract
    We’ll only be here for a few hours—just until the bus our parents chartered arrives to take us back to Pennsylvania.
  35. presume
    take to be the case or to be true
    Search parties were organized, but after several days they were called off and those missing were presumed dead.
  36. rife
    excessively abundant
    I stare out at the gray evening sky, rife with snow clouds, and exhale heavily enough to fog up the window beside me, so I can draw with my finger in the steam.
  37. sappy
    very sentimental or emotional
    “Since when are you into romance?” I shake my head and laugh at the sappy couple on the front of the book staring dreamily at each other.
  38. catatonic
    characterized by unresponsiveness or lack of movement
    Kiara barely seems to notice where she is. She hasn’t said a word since last night. It’s like she’s catatonic.
  39. vindicated
    freed from any question of guilt
    Something inside me that’s been clenched like a fist since the night my sister died releases, but it’s weird. I don’t feel vindicated like I thought I would. So many lives were devastated that night. It’s the kind of damage that leaves a permanent wound, even if justice is served.
  40. trundle
    move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle
    The bus rumbles to life. I’m knocked back into my seat as it lurches forward and trundles down the winding road that leads away from the lodge, into the night.
Created on Thu Jun 13 16:23:55 EDT 2024 (updated Fri Jun 14 17:40:33 EDT 2024)

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