Flight 437: The Nightmare Begins

  He strained to remember, but everything from that point on was nothing but a blur until they were told to move up to First Class.

  “And that loud humming, did you hear it?” Brigitte feared she was losing her mind.

  Charles looked at her and paused a moment, thinking. “Yes, I do remember a strange humming noise. At first, I figured it was from outside, but then I realized that it seemed to come from deep inside of my head. You heard it too?”

  “Yes, I did. Oh, Charles, I’m scared.”

  “You heard the humming. I did too. I don’t understand what is going on. Where is George? Has anyone seen him?” Sandi cried, as she looked around the cabin.

  “Dear, everyone left on the plane is here in First Class. Would you like something to drink?” Maria asked, hoping this would calm her down.

  “No, I want to know what happened to my husband! What the hell is going on? Where is everyone? He was sitting next to me, and then…” Sandi collapsed in her seat, crying uncontrollably.

  Renee walked over to Sandi and sat next to her, “I know you’re scared. We all are, but I’m sure your husband wouldn’t want you to make yourself sick.”

  “You’re right, he wouldn’t. I just don’t understand what’s going on.” Sandy leaned back in her seat trying to calm herself.

  “She’s right, where is everyone?” Mark groaned. “I got on this flight to go home, not get trapped in some sort of scene out of the Twilight Zone!”

  “Mommy, Daddy…” Kimi whimpered with her face buried in the pink, stuffed cat.

  “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” However, the sound of Patti’s soothing voice did not seem to console the frightened child. She knew Kimi was scared, but she did not know what to tell her about her parents. How do you tell a child that her parents have vanished? “Why don’t you try to rest, okay?”

  “I’m not sleepy. I want my mommy and daddy.”

  “I know you do, but they’re busy right now.” Patti knew it was a lie, but she was at a loss of what else to say.

  “They are? When will they be done?” Kimi sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

  “I’m not sure, but they wanted you to stay here with me, okay?” Patti feigned a smile.

  “Okay. I’m hungry,” Kimi held Patti’s gaze, forcing a weak, tear-stained smile.

  “You are? Well, why don’t I get you something to eat then? Will you be okay while I’m gone?”

  “Yes, Kitty and I will stay here,” a sweet, little giggle escaped her lips.

  “That’s a good girl,” Patti stood and then walked to the galley.

  “Why did you lie to her?” Mark said when Patti walked past him.

  “What did you say?” she turned and looked at him, unsure of what he had said.

  “Why did you tell that little girl that her parents are coming back when we all know they aren’t? No one is coming back,” he snickered, sarcastically.

  “Hold your voice down,” Patti growled. “That little girl is scared enough without you making it worse.”

  “Shit, we’re all scared, but how are you going to explain to her why her mommy and daddy never comes back to get her?”

  Patti had heard enough. “She’s only a child, so the least we can do is try to make this as easy on her as possible. Yes, this is something none of us understands, but there is no sense in making it worse by being hateful.”

  Mark could see his words had touched a nerve, so he decided to let it go for the time being. “Fair enough, I’ll hold my thoughts to myself…for now. Since you’re bringing something for the kid to eat, I wouldn’t mind something to drink, and I don’t mean water. Hell, we’re supposed to get free booze in First Class, aren’t we?” He stared at her and chuckled sarcastically.

  Patti shot him a disgusted look, and then turned and walked to the galley. “God, he’s such an ass!”

  “What’s wrong?” Maria turned around as Patti walked in the galley.

  “Oh, nothing, I’m just upset about everything going on,” Patti wanted to scream but knew it would not help her feel any better.

  “How’s the little girl doing?”

  “She scared and wants her parents, but she seems to be calm for now. She said she was hungry, so I guess that’s a good sign.” Patti opened the refrigerator and pulled out a sandwich.

  “I wish I knew what was going on. I keep thinking that I’m trapped in some sort of nightmare, but this isn’t a dream, is it?” Maria fought to control the fear surging through her.

  Patti understood Maria’s fear, “Well if this is a nightmare then we’re trapped in the same one. I keep trying to think back, and I distinctly remember all those people getting on the plane. I remember seeing their faces as they took their seats. I remember talking with Kimi’s parents and walking them back to their seats. Am I losing my mind?”

  “Well, if you are then so am I,” Maria hated how this situation made her feel. “I know that Randy and Sherry were sitting right by us during take-off and then they were gone. Also, what was that strange blue light? I’ve never seen anything like that before?”

  “I have no idea, but I know that little girl needs me.” Patti squared her shoulders then grabbed two small bottles of whiskey and put them in her pocket for Mark. Next, she picked up a cup of apple juice, glass, and the sandwich.

  “Let’s just focus on doing our job for now.” Without saying another word, Patti turned and walked out of the galley.

  Yeah, let’s focus on our job, Maria snickered silently to herself.

  Chapter 5

  “I never meant to hurt anyone. I just wanted to get off this plane,” Mike mumbled, as he stared out of the window. “The fog is so thick out there. How can they tell where we’re going?”

  Jacob glanced out of the window and then leaned back in his seat. “I wouldn’t worry, I’m sure the pilot knows exactly where we are. Besides, they have all sorts of fancy instruments that keep track of things like that.”

  “Maybe, but that still doesn’t explain where everyone went, does it? Maybe we’re not actually here. Maybe this is just some sort of strange dream,” Mike sheepishly glanced over to Jacob.

  Contemplating Mike’s idea, Jacob sat in silence for several moments before speaking. “You know, it is strange how we are all so calm, don’t you think? I mean, you’d think the typical response to dozens of people suddenly disappearing would cause widespread panic.”

  Cringing at the memory of how he acted earlier, Mike snickered, “Well, I’ve already taken care of that.”

  Jacob could not help but laugh at the sheepish expression on his face. “Yes, you did, didn’t you? No, what I mean is why is everyone so calm, now? It’s almost like…”

  “Like what?” Mike held his breath, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

  “No, it’s nothing. I was just thinking aloud, that’s all.” Jacob rubbed his temples. “Do you hear that humming noise?”

  “No, not anymore. I did until I was knocked to the floor by our fellow passenger over there,” he grinned, nodding toward Greg. “I’m so embarrassed by how I acted. It’s just that I’ve never enjoyed flying. It makes me feel helpless and out of control.”

  “I love to fly, it always makes me feel closer to God,” Jacob smiled. “So, what brought you to France?”

  “It was a foolish thing,” Mike turned away not wanting to let Jacob see his shame.

  “Nothing we do in life is foolish unless we allow it to be,” Jacob smiled.

  Mustering his strength, Mike turned to face Jacob, “Well, I flew over to meet a woman that I have been corresponding with online.”

  “Oh, I see. If you would rather not talk about it…”

  “No, as a matter of fact, I’d like to get the whole thing off my chest.” Mike rested his head back against the seat and closed his eyes.

  “I have been alone for several years now. I had cut all ties with my family after a difference of opinion on the direction my life was going
. I thought I had everything figured out, but life sometimes has different plans for us,” a smile crossed his lips as he glanced at Jacob.

  Returning the smile, Jacob said nothing and waited for Mike to continue.

  “I had such big dreams. I thought I could make it big in New York, but once I got there, it proved me wrong. All that wasted time, chasing after an empty dream and for what? I’ve lost everything; my family, my savings. Hell, then I decide to fly to Paris to meet a woman I met online only to finally lose the rest of my self-respect.”

  “I don’t understand, what happened in Paris?” Jacob saw the pained expression etched on Mike’s face and wondered what had happened.

  “She wasn’t who she had proclaimed to be. You know something, it’s true what people say about meeting someone online. You need to be careful because they may not have been entirely honest with you,” Mike snickered.

  Jacob was unsure of what to say. “Please don’t tell me that she turned out to be a he.”

  “Oh, no, nothing as bad as that,” Mike’s expression changed to one of relief. “No, she turned out to be a fifteen-year-old girl. Damn, that crap could land me in jail.”

  “You mean to say you had no idea?” Jacob now understood why his new friend was so upset.

  “Not for a second. Hell, I feel like such an ass for not seeing through her game. I can’t believe…” Shame burned on his face.

  “You can’t blame yourself. I’m sure if you had known…”

  “Shit, if I’d known I NEVER would have carried on with our relationship, let alone flown to Paris to meet with her. I feel like such a fool, but at least her parents were decent about it.”

  “What did you say? Her parents know about you?”

  “Yeah, I went straight to her apartment which was in a very nice part of the city. We were sitting out on the balcony when her parents came home unexpectedly. Well, I’m sure you can guess how that went. Her mother began to cry, and her father ordered her to go to her room. I thought for sure that I was going to jail, but her father informed me this wasn’t the first time she had done this, and that I should leave immediately.”

  Mike shook his head, as the memory of that meeting flowed into his mind. “It was then that I decided to straighten up my life. I went straight to my hotel room and called home.”

  “I gather that you and your family have reconciled then?” Jacob was glad that Mike had learned a lesson from the mess he found himself in, while in Paris.

  “Yes and no. No one answered the telephone, so I left a message telling them how sorry I was for everything and that I wanted to come home.”

  “Where’s home?”

  “Portland, Oregon,” Mike grinned, realizing just how long he had been gone.

  “I’ve been there, it’s a beautiful community.” Jacob thought back to the time he had been a guest speaker at one of the local churches.

  “Yeah, it is. I never realized how much I’ve missed it until now,” he closed his eyes with the vision of his parents’ house appearing in this mind.

  “What plans do you have once you return home?”

  “I’m not really sure. I’m hoping that dad will let me have my old job back. I used to be one heck of a welder. See this scar, I got it when dad was teaching me, and like a fool, I thought I knew more than him,” Mike rubbed his finger along the scar on his arm.

  “I bet you listened to him after that?” Jacob chuckled, seeing the expression on Mike’s face.

  “Only when it came to welding,” the sadness was now apparent in his voice.

  “I understand rebelling against our parents. When I was a young man, I did my fair share of rebelling against authority.”

  “You, but you’re a preacher,” Mike shook his head in disbelief.

  “I wasn’t always a Man of God. I used to be quite the troublemaker when I was a young man. Unfortunately, it took the death of my best friend to straighten me out, and put me on the right path.”

  “What happened? How did your friend die?” Hearing this brought Mike straight up in his seat.

  Lowering his head, Jacob felt shame fill his soul with the memory of that time flowing back into his mind.

  “Danny and I were the best of friends. We had gone through school together, causing as much trouble as we could. Our parents had tried in vain to control us, but we were wild spirits who wanted to live life on our own terms,” he chuckled, remembering Danny’s face whenever they were up to their latest stunt.

  “Anyway, one night we got drunk and were out cruising when Mitch Gainsworth challenged us to race. I knew better than to do it, but my pride and alcohol got the best of me.” He paused a moment, as the memory of that night flooded back into his mind.

  “I had beat Mitch off the line and had a good lead on him. Danny was laughing and hanging out the passenger window as we crossed the finish line, waving and pointing at Mitch who was steadily gaining on us. I told Danny to get back inside of the car, but he wouldn’t do it,” tears filled Jacob’s eyes. “It all happened so fast. My front right tire blew, causing the car to jerk hard left. Before I could react, I saw Danny tossed out of the window, right into the path of Mitch’s car.”

  “That’s horrible,” Mike felt terrible about the tragic death.

  Jacob hated to dwell on that night. He had spent months wallowing in guilt, but over time he came to believe in redemption. Through his faith, Jacob came to believe that Danny had forgiven him for his foolishness. “It was on that night that I knew I had to change the path I was headed down. I had to live a good and decent life not only for myself but for Danny also.”

  Mike gazed at him, not knowing what to say. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend. What happened next?”

  “Did I go to jail?”

  Mike shrugged his shoulders, “Yeah, did you get into any legal trouble because of it?”

  “I didn’t go to jail, but I did have to do some community service. It was while I was working off my time that I found my mission in life.”

  “I guess we all have our lessons to learn, don’t we,” Mike grinned. “I want to thank you for talking with me. I can’t believe how I lost control earlier.”

  Jacob looked at him and smiled. “To be honest, you beat me to it. I can’t imagine what has happened to us, and I’m afraid to think of what it might be.”

  “I keep thinking that I must be dreaming, and anytime I’ll wake up in my bed.” Despair consumed Mike at the hopelessness of the situation.

  “Well, if I’m in your dream I wish you would wake up so that I can get on with things,” Jacob teased.

  “Kimi, where are you? Oh, my God, where did she go?” Patti frantically looked around, but Kimi was nowhere to be found. “Did you see her get up?”

  “No, she was right there just a moment ago. She’s probably just playing under the seats.” Mark glanced up at Patti, “Did you bring my drink?”

  “Your drink? Here’s your damn drink!” Reaching into her pocket, Patti pulled out the two small bottles of whiskey then threw them at him.

  “Damn, calm down. I’m sure she’s around here somewhere,” he opened one of the bottles and emptied it in one swallow.

  “What’s wrong?” Tara stood, looking over the seats to the front where Patti was frantically looking for Kimi.

  “She said the little girl is gone,” Renee walked up to where Patti was standing.

  “Not again, what is going on here?” Tara cried.

  Greg reached up and grabbed Tara’s hand, “Sit down, Sweetheart. They’ll find her. She’s probably just got down on the floor and fell to sleep.”

  “Kimi, please answer me. Please…” Patti felt her heart breaking with each passing second. “Oh, God, she’s gone too!”

  “I’m sure she’s still here. None of us saw the blue light again, right?” Mark opened the second bottle of whiskey, emptying it like the first.

  “Crap, I’ll help you look for her. She’s probably playing
hide-and-seek, you know how kids are,” grunting his disgust, Mark stood and began walking down the aisle, looking under the seats as he went.

  “That’s a good idea. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” Greg squeezed Tara’s hand then stood to help with the search.

  “Maybe she’s back in coach? I bet she’s looking for her parents,” Patti rushed down the aisle while saying a silent prayer.

  “Charles, I don’t believe she’s back there, do you?” Brigitte whispered to keep the others from hearing her.

  “I must agree. I think she’s wherever the others are,” Charles took her hand in his, gazing into her tear-filled eyes.

  An eerie sense of foreboding consumed those searching for Kimi as a strange mist now hovered in the coach section of the airplane. It gave one the feeling of standing in a cemetery on a cold and foggy night. The lights continually flickered, making the mist seem to dance, as cold moved through everything like a ghostly presence.

  “Kimi, are you in here?” Patti frantically looked beneath the rows of empty seats. “Have you found her?”

  “Not yet,” Greg cried out. “Kimi, please let us know where you are.”

  “She has to be here,” Patti groaned, tears filling her eyes.

  “Look around in here, can’t you see it?” Mark stood transfixed, as though held by an unseen force.

  “See what?” Patti wiped away the tears stinging her eyes.

  “The strange mist in the air, what the hell would cause that?” Mark moved his hands through the mist, causing it to swirl around him. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

  “It’s not smoke, is it?” Greg looked up to the mist swirling around his head. “The plane isn’t on fire, is it?”

  “No, it doesn’t appear to be smoke. I don’t know what it is,” Patti felt a new sensation surge through her body.

  “Have you found her yet?” Tara called from the front of the airplane.

  “Not yet,” Greg shouted in return.

  “We’ve looked everywhere up here, and she’s nowhere to be found. She must have gone back there to look for her parents,” the fear was evident in Tara’s voice.

  “What’s happening to us? People just don’t vanish into thin air!” Renee cried out with an overpowering feeling of dread flowing through her.