“I just want to go home!” Her body trembled with the realization there was no escape from this nightmare in which they found themselves trapped.
“I wish I would have vanished too, that way I would be with George. I know that we got on this damn airplane together! I know he was here! We were sitting next to each other when the plane took off, until…” Sandi collapsed into her seat and wept.
“Please, you both need to try to remain calm. All of us are scared, but panic will get you nowhere.” Charles knew his words were useless to ease the growing fear they all felt.
“Calm, how are we supposed to remain calm? First, most of the people who got on this damn flight have vanished, and now a little girl who was sitting only a few seats away from me disappears, leaving a stuffed, pink cat behind as the only proof that she was even here. This isn’t something that happens every day, so don’t tell me to remain calm!” Renee growled.
“She’s right. At first, I believed this was some sort of strange dream, and that I would awaken at any time. I thought if I just went along, I would eventually wake up in my bed with George snoring next to me,” Sandi cried. “But this isn’t a dream, is it? We’re trapped in something else.”
Jacob watched as the others frantically looked for Kimi when a sickening thought came to him, as Sandi’s words played over in his mind. This is not a dream…we’re trapped in something else. The horrifying thought escaped his lips in a whisper, “No, it can’t be.”
“What did you say?” Mike looked at Jacob, seeing the fear in his eyes. “It can’t be what?”
“I’d rather not say just yet because hopefully, my theory is wrong,” Jacob forced a smile, struggling to hide the growing fear inside of him.
“What theory? Come on, don’t clam up on me now,” Mike didn’t like the expression of fear in Jacob’s eyes.
“Does anyone else notice how cold it is in this part of the plane?” Greg said as the strange mist swirled around him. “And it seems to get colder the further back we go.”
“You know, you’re right,” Mark laughed nervously. “At first, I thought I just imagined it, but you can feel a dramatic drop in the temperature with each row we go toward the back of the plane. That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“Hey, Maria, will you go see if Jim and Bill know anything about the temperature change here in coach?” Patti fanned her hands, trying to see through the fog.
“Sure, I’ll do that now,” Maria turned and started toward the cockpit.
“Maybe they can tell what is going on with the instruments in the cockpit,” Patti said to Mark.
“I don’t think this has anything to do with the airplane. I think something else is going on here,” Mark shook his head with the mist wrapping around him like a cold blanket.
“It has to be something with the airplane, what else could it be?” Greg asked, hesitantly, not sure if he wanted the answer.
“Don’t you find it rather strange how most of the people who were on the plane vanished, and we were left behind? Why do you think that happened?” Mark looked at Greg, unsure if he wanted to continue with his answer.
Greg had thought a moment before he spoke. “Well, I’ve been trying not to dwell too much on it. I keep thinking this all must be some strange dream, and I’ll wake up soon. But, if I’m wrong and this isn’t some sort of crazy dream; what the hell is going on then?”
“Do you any of you have any unusual pain that wasn’t there before you got on the flight?” Mark waited for them to answer.
Patti froze in place, turning around to look at him. “Yes, I do. I’ve had a terrible pain in my chest and right arm, as though they were crushed. Do you?”
“Yeah, both of my legs feel as though they’re broken, and my skin feels like I have a terrible sunburn,” Greg looked at Patti and then Mark with an expression of complete confusion showing on his face.
“What about you?” he asked Mark.
“My head feels like it’s going to explode at any moment, and my left shoulder feels like it’s about to be twisted from my body. I felt great until that damn blue flash of light.”
“Come to think of it, so did I,” Greg thought aloud.
“Are you trying to say it has something to do with that flash of light?” Patti shook her head, unsure of what to think of this theory.
“Yes, I am. Something caused all those people to disappear, something beyond conventional explanation,” Mark looked deeply into their fear filled eyes before he continued. “You hear all the time about strange things happening to airplanes and ships. Reports of how one second they are there, and the next they are simply gone, never to be seen again.”
“What are you trying to say? Do you mean that we were abducted by aliens or something?” Greg laughed, but the stern expression on Mark’s face, letting him know that was exactly what he meant. “Come on, that’s crazy!”
“Is it, what better explanation do you have? The whole trapped in a dream theory isn’t possible because we didn’t know each other before getting on this flight,” Mark said.
“You know, I have heard stories like that happening over the years, but I always believed they were myths,” Patti lifted her hand into the swirling mist, noticing how it seemed to become a part of it. “Do you think we went into some parallel dimension?”
“That’s crazy talk,” Greg huffed at the absurd suggestion.
“Why is it crazy? It’s no crazier than almost two hundred people disappearing off an airplane while it’s in the air, is it?” Mark said with a serious tone to his voice. “We’ve all heard stories of people claiming to have been abducted by aliens. What if that’s what happened here?”
“Crap, I know why your head is hurting. You must have hit it because you’re talking nonsense,” Greg snickered, tired of this ridiculous conversation.
“Do you have a better idea, smartass?” Mark shot back.
“Listen, I don’t need to take that crap from you,” Greg growled, moving toward Mark.
“Knock it off, both of you! We don’t have time for such foolishness. We need to stay focused on finding Kimi. I just can’t accept that she’s vanished too,” Patti fought back the tears forming in the corners of her eyes again.
“She’s right, I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to handle this situation. I’m not used to feeling so helpless,” Greg groaned, offering his hand to Mark who refused the apology.
“I could not care any less how helpless you feel. I want to know why we are still here when the others were taken or were we taken and made to believe that we are still on the airplane,” Mark said with a new resolve in his voice. “That has to be it! They are using us as some sort of lab rats. Why else would we have such intense and unexplainable pains suddenly appear in our bodies?”
“What are you saying?” Patti wasn’t sure if she was hearing him correctly.
Greg rolled his eyes and chuckled. “He thinks that we were abducted off the airplane and are now on some sort of alien spaceship where we’re being studied by little green men.”
Patti looked at Mark, “Is that what you’re saying?”
“I never said ANYTHING about little green men,” Mark glared at Greg.
“Okay, I added that part just to prove how stupid your theory is,” Greg laughed.
“Okay, if you’re so smart, what do you think has happened?” Mark's eyes burned with hate.
“I don’t know, but I just can’t believe that we were sucked off the airplane and taken away in a flying saucer. It’s just too crazy to believe.” Greg hated to admit it, but there was a part of him that wondered if there was some truth to Mark’s idea.
Chapter 6
The mysterious fog continued to swirl around the frightened group as they searched for Kimi. With each passing moment, it seemed to thicken, draining any hope of escape for those in its grasp.
“You may think my idea is crazy, but what else can it be? We all know those people were on the plane
and now they’re not,” Mark glared at Greg, daring him to argue.
Greg tried fanning the fog away from his face, but his attempt was in vain. He had seen some strange things in his life, but nothing to match this.
“Yeah, just as I thought, you don’t have any better explanation, do you?” Mark had hoped someone would come up with a rational explanation, but it appeared everyone was as stumped as he was.
“For now, I don’t care what happened; I just want to find Kimi. She has to be here somewhere,” Patti glared at the two men then she turned and resumed her search. “Damn, this shit makes it impossible to see.”
Realizing there was no use in arguing, Greg and Mark decided to continue their search for the missing child.
Greg had only walked a few rows when he heard a strange sound. “Hey, I think I found her.” Rushing to the last row of seats, he prayed it was Kimi.
Patti quickly ran to where Greg stood, straining to see through the eerie fog. “Kimi, Kimi, is that you?”
“Argh... Damn, my head is killing me.”
“Who said that?” Patti struggled to see who was talking.
“It’s him,” Greg pointed down to a man sitting on the floor in the last row of seats.
“Crap, where am I?” The man rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on Greg and Patti.
“You’re on the floor in the last row of seats. Do you remember anything since take-off?” Patti hoped he might have some answers to their many questions.
“Take-off; what are you talking about? I can’t be on the plane. I was lying on the ground, and there were people all over the place.” The man looked up at Greg and Patti with a complete look of confusion on his face.
Greg glanced over at Patti then back to the man. “That’s impossible. We were taking off, and then there was a bright, blue flash of light. Don’t you remember?”
The man paused a moment, trying to gather his thoughts with the fog swirling around him like a blanket. “What’s this stuff; smoke? Is the plane on fire?”
Mark had heard enough of this ridiculous conversation and decided it was time for it to end. “Hey, how long have you been here? I don’t remember you being here after the blue flash of light.”
Patti looked at Mark and nodded. “He’s right, we searched these seats, and you weren’t here.”
The man strained to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him.
“Hey, take it easy. Let me help you,” Greg reached out to help steady the man, but he pushed his hand away.
“Stop it, I can do it myself.”
“What’s your name?” Patti stepped forward and looked closely at the man, wondering why she had not seen him before.
“Chase, my name is Chase,” he groaned, as he rubbed his temples, trying to ease the throbbing pain in his head.
Patti looked at Greg and shook her head. “I don’t remember seeing him after the flash of blue light. I don’t see how he got here.”
“Wait a minute. Didn’t you hear what he said? He said he was on the ground and there were people all over the place. Can any of you explain how that’s possible?” Mark glared at Chase, not convinced in his honesty.
Mark and Patti exchanged confused expressions, each aware of the absurdity of Chase’s statement.
Chase reached out and braced himself against the seat in front of him. He had no idea what had happened, but he knew what he saw. He was on the ground with people all around him. He could not tell who they were, but he could hear their voices calling out with urgency.
“Did you see a little girl come back here in the last few minutes?” Patti decided they could figure all this all out after they found Kimi.
“No, I didn’t see a little girl. Hell, I don’t even know how I got here.” Chase groaned again, as the pain in his head grew with intensity.
“Here, why don’t you come to the front of the plane with me and get some rest? You look like hell.” Greg reached out and took Chase by the arm.
Realizing it would be for the best, Chase accepted the offer. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I do feel like crap.”
Greg glanced over at Patti and Mark, as he lifted Chase’s arm across his shoulder. “Why don’t you two continue looking for Kimi, while I take care of Chase? He needs to rest, and maybe he’ll begin to remember more once he feels better.”
The thickening, eerie fog continued to swirl around the group, making it difficult to see more than a couple of feet in front of them.
“Are you sure there isn’t a fire somewhere?” Chase moaned as he strained to see through the thick fog.
Greg was wondering the same thing, but he did not want to upset Chase. “No, Patti assured us it’s not smoke, so don’t worry. We need to focus on getting you feeling better. Come on, let’s get you up front.”
Mark watched as Greg and Chase disappeared into the strange swirling fog. He then turned and looked at Patti, waiting for what she wanted to do next.
“You don’t think she’s still here, do you?” Patti glared at Mark, daring him to answer.
Mark shrugged his shoulders, not sure of how to respond. Nothing seemed to make any sense to him since that bright blue flash of light. To be honest, he had just wanted to sit in his seat and relax on the long flight back to New York. He had never expected to end up in some sort of strange episode from the Twilight Zone.
Realizing that he was not going to answer, Patti turned away. “Kimi, Kimi, please answer me.”
Maria had finished getting food and drinks for everyone when Greg and Chase appeared from out of the fog. “Where’s Patti? Did you find Kimi and who is this?”
“Greg! Thank God, you’re back, I was so worried,” Tara cried out as she ran toward the two men.
Greg helped Chase sit in a seat before he spoke. “Patti is fine. She and Mark are still looking for Kimi. This is Chase. We found him in the back row of seats.”
Maria looked at Chase and shook her head. “No, that’s impossible. We searched all of that area earlier, and he wasn’t there.”
“Thank you. I kept telling them that I was on the ground, but they wouldn’t listen to me.” Chase shifted in the seat, trying to get comfortable.
“What does he mean that he was on the ground?” Renee stepped forward, confused by his statement.
“Come on, he’s just confused. He was knocked unconscious and just imagined it.” Greg was not sure if he believed his own words, but it was the only thing that made any sense.
Chase sat upright in his seat with anger burning in his eyes. “No, I’m not confused. I know exactly what happened. I remember the plane taking off then there was this strange shaking. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as I saw people flying all over the place.”
“What did you say?” Jacob had been quietly listening, but this development brought him to his feet.
“I said…”
“I heard you. You said there was a shaking, and then the passengers began flying about, is that correct?” Jacob held his breath as he waited for Chase to answer.
“What are you getting at?” Greg looked at Jacob, unsure if he understood what he was saying.
Jacob was about to speak when he noticed Patti and Mark appear from the thick, swirling fog.
“We couldn’t find the kid. We looked everywhere, and she’s not anywhere on this plane.” Mark groaned as he sat in one of the seats.
“Is that true, Patti?” Maria had hoped they would find the child, but with everything going on it didn’t surprise her.
With her shoulders slumped, Patti wiped the tears from her eyes before she spoke. “I just don’t understand how she could vanish like that. She was here with us after the bright blue light. Have I gone insane and this is all just in my mind?”
Maria embraced Patti, trying to ease her fears. “Sweetie, if you’re insane then so am I because I’m living in this nightmare with you.”
“Don’t you all find it odd that Kimi suddenly vanished, only to h
ave this man appear?” Jacob paused, as he contemplated his own words.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” Greg suddenly felt an uneasy sensation move through him.
“I know what he means,” Charles spoke up, causing everyone to turn and face him.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What does he mean?” Mark prepared himself for what he was convinced would be another crazy idea.
Charles reached out and took Bridgette by the hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Stop and think about what’s happened to us. None of us know what caused the bright blue light, but once we all woke up we each had unexplained pains that weren’t there before, correct?”
Tara spoke up, “He’s right. We all complained about a strange humming noise and different parts of our bodies hurting.”
“She’s right, but what does it mean? It can’t mean that we’re…” Greg’s words caught in his throat, as saying his thought aloud would be too painful.
“No, it can’t be. Don’t you dare say it, I need to find George. We were going home. I know we got on this plane together. I don’t care what you say, he has to be here!” Sandi collapsed to the floor, crying uncontrollably.
Brigitte walked over to Sandi and sat next to her, wrapping her arm around Sandi’s shoulders. “I know you’re upset. All of us are, but you need to control yourself. I know your husband would not want to see you like this.”
Sandi lifted her head, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes. “You’re right, I just don’t understand what’s happening. None of this makes any sense. People just don’t vanish like that.”
“I don’t think they did. I believe we have this all wrong.” Charles braced himself for the response he knew would come next.
Everyone turned and looked at Charles, each wondering what he meant by the strange statement.
Mark was the first to speak. “Okay, what do you mean by we have it all wrong?”
Charles glanced over at Jacob, who gave him a knowing nod. “We all recall the bright blue light, and most of us even heard the strange humming sound, correct?”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, except for Mark.
“Yeah, but what does that have to do with your mysterious theory? Come on, out with it. We’re all on pins and needles waiting to hear what you believe is happening to us.”