BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

  I was startled awake by the loud wailing of flight warnings crying in my ears as I groggily attempted to remove the sleep from my eyes. Dragging my lids all around, I looked about me to find flashing hazard lights in the cabin, and darkened skies outside.

  “What’s going on?” I mumbled. “Jack?” I sent a wandering hand over to his cushy seat, but found emptiness. Trying to adjust my vision in the disorienting malaise, I unbuckled my seat belt and tried to stand.

  “Woah!” I stumbled, plopping back down, as the plane rumbled and shifted in the air. Ugh. I gripped my stomach in pain. Though my head was the real killer here. I only had that one glass. It couldn’t have been the drink...could it?

  “Stenley?” I asked aloud, turning and finding him slumped over in his seat, a martini glass turned over on its side and pooling liquid across his luxurious flip up table, some dripping down the edges onto his neat pair of slacks.

  I climbed back out of my seat and staggered forward, working my way across the aisle. “Stenley,” I regurgitated, offering a hand on his shoulder, trying to shake him awake. “I think something’s wrong.”

  Stenley snored loudly, muffling the engine noise himself, in close proximity.

  “Stenley,” I asked again, with an increasing edge. “Stenley!” I beckoned louder, before hurting my own head with the noise and backing away.

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  ARGH!

  A guttural cry sounded muted from the back of the plane. My eyes widened sleepily, as much as they possibly could, while I pulled each leg with me to get back there.

  I came upon the attendant Henrietta as I slowly walked towards the back of the plane, her head bobbing back and forth idly with the turbulent motion as we sailed through the skies. “Excuse me,” I said, tapping her on the shoulder as well, but nothing came back in response.

  Well...this certainly was not normal.

  I turned and found a sliding door that was presumably the restroom. Reaching and feeling for the handle, I pulled it open.

  Inside sat a crumpled man, eyes bulging wildly as he tried to struggle against the ropes that bound his arms and legs, hogtied on the floor. He was dressed in a white collared shirt and his white boxer briefs only, while his mouth was stuffed and bound with fabric.

  I quickly bent down and pulled the trappings from his mouth.

  “Ahh,” he sucked in air and cycled it out with rapidity. “They’ve taken over the plane!” He cried, tears streaming down his face. “They’ve taken over the plane!” He repeated, as if I didn’t understand. I spotted a pair of little metal wings on the floor beside him, when it hit me...the pilot!

  “Oh no,” I thought back to the nefarious look that Claude gave me. I should’ve known better. No one normal flirts with me!

  THUD!

  A sound came from behind me, leading to another sliding door in the back. I turned to investigate.

  “Wait,” the man begged, “don’t leave me!”

  “I’ll be back,” I whispered, venturing to the door in the back and sliding it open tentatively.

  Ahead of me laid a long conference room with a pristine oval table in the center. Atop the table were two men struggling over each other. Jack and Claude!

  “Jack!” I yelled, drawing his attention.

  Jack looked up from his position on top of Calude, holding his wrists down. “A little busy right now,” he grimaced.

  “Wait...” I said, more realizations hitting me at light speed. “If you're both are in here...who’s flying the plane!?”