The Outcast 4

‘What about you? She then nudged me.  I gave her a confused look.

‘What about me?’

‘Come on, you know what I am talking about…’  She teased, folding her arms.  I seriously didn’t.

‘Seriously?’  Her eyes rolled at my blank expressions. “hmmm…how about this. I know of this guy who works at my dad’s company.  He works as an assistant, and recently got rejected by me.’  She sheepishly confessed but was quick to back track at the sight of a frown.

‘No, trust me, he is your type.’  She waved her hands around. ‘It’s just that I am like the only daughter in my family so can’t possibly get married to an ordinary officer.  My  mother says that I deserve the best.  However, I think he would be perfect for joining your family.  Your status - levels aren’t quite different, and he is actually a hardworking guy, a little low on cash, but a simple human being.  Personally, I can’t tolerate such men, but I think he will suit you, he--’

‘No thanks’ I immediately blurted out.  I couldn’t actually believe the audacity of this girl.  Same old Aisha, her habit of patronizing and belittling others hadn’t gone away.  I could see what she was doing.  She was subtly hinting towards how her status was different from mine.

Personally, money and status had never mattered to me.  That hard - working man.  I am sure, would be a good person, but to hear how she rejected someone because she believed he didn’t meet her status, yet thought he would be suitable for me was a low-low blow.  That is how she saw me, something that she didn’t like, she could toss it to me, like a charity case.  Annoying.

‘Nonsense. I am going to talk to your family about this.’  And with that, she got up and began walking towards my mother.  I wanted to stop her, pull her back by her arm, and snap at her for being this insensitive yet didn’t.  There was no point in it.  I was bad at confrontations.

Also, being a downer, I knew that there was a chance that I might have misinterpreted her emotions.  Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe, she truly thought this would be best for me.

Scowling and hurt, I turned back to gaze at outside the window when the silver curtains were pulled apart, yet again, and an air hostess made her way towards me.

‘Ma’am’, she lowly whispered to me.  Stress lines clear on her face.

‘What’s wrong?’  I frowned.

‘You are needed in the pilot’s Cockpit.  Hurrrrry.’

“What?’

‘Just come along.’  She stressed and began speed-walking away from me.  I timidly followed after.  Okay.

My parents gave me a questioning stare as I walked past them, but I tried to simply assure them by giving a comforting smile.

‘Will just be back in a minute.’

They seemed to buy that.

My heartbeat had gone frantic, and I had no clues what this could truly be about.  Why was I needed in the pilot’s Cockpit?

Curious and anxious while thinking of any rules I might have broken, I awkwardly walked after the air hostess, avoiding making eye contact with anyone, and reached the cockpit’s door.

Aisha had called out to me, curious about where I was going, but before I could respond, the air hostess just quelled her curiosity by simply stating that I would to see the cockpit.  How childish.

Fidgeting with my fingers as the air hostess urgently knocked on the door, my anxiety rocketed for a sky as a worried-looking pilot quickly opened the door and gestured for us to come inside.

‘Quickly’ he urged, slamming the door shut as we stepped inside.

‘Miss Sarah’  He then gestured me to sit on a chair placed behind the pilot’s seat.  I was in full panic mode by now.

‘What’s going on?’  I whisper-yelled to the air hostess.

She simply grabbed my shoulder in a comforting my manner. ‘Ma’am, I am inspector Gen from the country police dept.  And my husband is the one who has been flying this plane.  We have been sent for you protection.  And just now. We received a crucial voice message.  I think you should listen, it’s urgent.’  She supplied, quickly pushing me to sit on a chair and handed me a pair of headphones.

I was trembling, shaking.  What was this all about? Carmen, what had he done now?
‘Is it serious?’  My voice couldn’t help but sound high - pitched, edged, and beyond scared.  It was reflecting my emotions.

‘No really.’  I knew she was lying.  Something had gone terribly wrong.  Had Carmen learned where I was going?  Was he present at the airport where this plane was supposed to land?

However, before I could fully start hyperventilating, Gen took the headphones out of my hands and wrapped them around my head.  An eerie voice immediately started echoing in my ears.  It sounded like a sad cry, someone was bawling out loud.  The heartbroken wails, they were disturbing.

‘You left,’  a broken sob finally echoed through the cries.  It was Carmen.

‘You left,’ he, soon, started saying this over and over again, making my heart jolt.  To say I was terrified would have been an understatement, I was chilled to the bones.

‘Come back. I don’t like planes.’  He cried.

Fearfully meeting Gen’s gaze, I watched as she gave me a concerned look.  I knew what she was seeing, probably a blanched girl who totally looked out of it.  This was how petrified I felt.

Suddenly, there was a pause in the cries, and a disturbing and a roaring sound of laughter began echoing in the air.  Carmen seemed to be cackling, growing breathless by his own psychotic laugh as he lost himself in a fit.  I felt like growing faint, causing Gen to squeeze my shoulders in comfort.

‘I know you didn’t leave.  You could never leave,’  he spoke during the cackles. ‘Even if you think you can, you can’t.  Just say you will come back.  I am taking over the control of your plane now.  Come back.’

‘Come back’ His voice abruptly turned scary and furious, a dark threat hiding in his voice.

Immediately, the plane’s controls went out of control and a sharp beeping sound pierced through the tense atmosphere of the cockpit.

With wide - eyes, I watched in horror as the pilot began making urgent calls to the control tower while Gen began fiddling with the controls.

‘What’s happening?’  I cried, throwing away the headphones.

Gen turned to give a scared look.  ‘Hacked.  He has hacked our system.’  She confessed, making me feel like collapsing.  This couldn’t be happening, So far above land, this couldn’t be happening.

‘How? What are we supposed to do now?’

‘Ummm, we don’t know,’  She returned back to desperately fiddling controls. ‘He sent a message before this one which demanded to have us make you listen to his next message.  It was threaten and crazy.  Now, we are not sure what we are supposed to do.’

‘But your dept had assured me that I would be sage on this trip.’  I accused, not caring about the frustrated tears that had now started falling out of my eyes. ‘You were sure that I would be kept safe.’

‘We were, this is one unpredictable and highly dangerous man we are dealing with.’

‘Who exactly is he?’

‘He is a psychopath.  And somehow, he is obsessed with you,’

‘Why? What does he want?’

‘Your attention.’

Insane, crazy, so terrifying, surreal.

What on earth!

Somehow, I had gained the worst stalker, ever.  My heart was now jolting, shaking with fear.  I felt so trapped and threatened.  What was this man going to do?  I had seen stories like these not end well.

Extreme emotions, they tend to ruin.

Not caring about where I was, how many people could see me, I literally covered my ears and broke down; huge tears flowing down my face and emotions hitting me high.  This man, he was deranged, the police couldn’t keep me safe, he was a psychopath, cunning, clever, and he had let no escapes for me.

I was trapped.

Thus, with everything else fading around me, I found myself in the near brink of losing consciousness when ferocious sneered through the aeroplane’s speakers, pretty much echoing across the entire plane.

‘Three hours, ticking, make her come back or else.’
Hyperventilating, immensely scared, trapped.

Moments of harsh snubs in my life had really weakened my soul so, upon facing a life- threaten situation, it completely broke down.  I was struck major by a massive panic attack.  And the chaotic situation around me wasn’t helping my case.   Both Gen and the pilot had started fiddling with the controls and desperately calling he control station.

While Gen was calling Jolene, her husbands was trying to regain control over panels.

Everything seemed like a blurred - mayhem.

Now covering my ears in hyperventilation, I had no idea what was going to happen to us, what others in this plane must be going through? Carmen, he was seemed so unstable.

I didn’t want to be a victim of those dark and psychotic stories.

These extreme emotions, they were unpredictable.  I didn’t want to their instability to take control of this flight.  We were so high above, so vulnerable.

Three hours, he had given us three hours to return back, or else

What was he going to do?

Being almost five hours away from our hometown, there was no way we could fly back in time, and even if we tried, that psychopath wouldn’t let us; he was in control of this flight.

This was disastrous.

Carmen had purposely entrapped us in a vicious game, and I couldn’t help but blame the police for this.  It had been all their fault.  They had promised that he wouldn’t be able to reach my family and I  promised that our security would be looked after, yet we were caught in such a daunting situation.

Carmen was going to torture.

Feeling soul ache in the desperate attempt to breathe, I gasped as Gen suddenly grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me, almost pushing me off my chair.

‘Snap out of it,’  she yelled, her voice seeming anxious.  ‘I just talked with Dect. Jolene.  She said that they are informing the west-side airport about our situation.  Work is being done to regain control of this plane and have it land at the nearest airport, so you need to relax, calm down.  Carmen won’t be able to do anything to us.’

‘How do you know it will work?’  I sobbed, interrupting, allowing my voice to crack.  ‘How can you guarantee anything? We have only three hours until who knows what happens, and I don’t want anything to happen to us.’ A loud beeping sound suddenly interrupted my rant, causing me to gaze in its direction.

‘Good new,’ The pilot turned towards us. ‘The control tower had just informed.  We have regained control of this plane and will be landing at O.R Airport in about 20 minutes.  Miss Sarah, you can go back to the seat and relax now.  Gen will escort you back and make a formal announcement to calm the passengers.’

I felt so suspicious.  That easy? Something was amiss here, something wasn’t adding up.

‘BBBut.’

‘Miss Sarah.’  the pilot sighed. ‘Everything will be alright.  Have strength, our police dept. will contact you once we land, okay?’

‘Okay,’  I meekly nodded.

After making an emergency landing, the airport staff was successful in convincing my family that it was all a technical malfunction; some phone line had got tangled with the radio signals of the plane.  My folks seemed to buy that.  There was no reason to think otherwise.

Following the necessary routine questioning, we were taken via - a - bus service up towards the Northern Areas, and Bradley and Aisha’s wedding avenue was reached just in time.  I had seriously started aching with envy at the sight of all the support and respect Bradley provided Aisha.

In my moment of vulnerability, I was stuck wondering who would stand up for me, be my shield.  While Aisha had Bradley who was decent, rich, well - educated and a complete epitome of what the society approved, I still had to search for a heroic shield.  The comparisons are many when you hang out with the rich class, you tend to get carried away…imagine your life like theirs, which is why it is humbling to hang out with those who are facing more problems than you.  It makes you appreciate your blessing.

Anyhow, I didn’t get much time to wallow in self-pity and remember the harsh snubs as the city police were quick to escort me to the nearest police station.  They told my family that since I had been present at the pilot’s cockpit, they just wanted to ask some detailed questions about what I had heard…just as a safety precaution.  No one could come along with me.
I felt a bit appeased at the sight of the police respecting my decision of not including my family in this matter…I guess they just wanted me to feel a bit comfortable, given the circumstances.  I appreciated that.

Escorted inside the police station, I was shown the entrance of the women’s section which was currently being blocked by Dect. Jolene.  She had probably flown there on an emergency basis.

‘What on earth is happening?’ I stomped my way towards her.  ‘Really , he was able to hijack?’  I spoke, sardonically. ‘You told me that my family and I would be safe.’

‘Come inside the office, first’  She gestured, turning around and walking inside the office.

I tried to keep my frustration at bay as I followed behind.

The police had to give me some answers.

Inside, the office was full of office desks and policewomen sitting behind it.  There was a lot of typing going on.  Boxes of Typek paper was laying around.  Everyone seemed to be rushing around.  A small window, opening up to an interrogation room, could be seen with a lady harshly screaming at a police officer inside it.

Suddenly. I felt tiny.

Watching Jolene as she grabbed a brown file from a police officer rushing by and turned around with a visible scowl on her face, I had to gulp down a sudden built of emotions.  This wasn’t a stable mystery, anymore.

‘This is the first time he had done something like this,’  she frowned, tightening her grip on the file. ‘He has raided buildings, held officers on gunpoint, but this, there is a high level of intellect this guy is still hiding from us.  We aren’t aware of the potential his mind holds.’

‘What are we going to do? He didn’t even let me go out of the city.’  a look of horror and despair covered my face.

Being stalked by a psychopath was dangerous, but being stalked by an intelligent psychopath, this was disastrous.  I could spin scenarios of how easily that guy could catch me.  He was sharp and sneaky.  Even the police weren’t able to sense his move.

Horrific.

‘First, we are shifting your family to a safe protected by the police,’  She spoke, meeting my gaze. ‘They have be let into all what is going on, then we will arrange some secret residence for you.  He is chasing after you, on a psychotic rampage to show his obsession, so it will be appropriate for you to stay with us until this whole episode dies out, okay?’

This was a huge change.  The circumstances, everything that was happening, it felt so overwhelming. He, Carmen, I didn’t even know how to deal with this mess.  Fear was clawing on my nerves, and I found myself slowly nodding.

‘Ooo - okay,’  I gulped, my voice sounding extra squeaky.  I hated how much stress this was going to put on my parents, how worried they would get.  This criminal, he hadn’t been caught for ages.  Who knows how long it could truly take to catch him.  Would I be strung along? Waste so much of my life on this.?’

I had never so trapped, so scared and so wistful of the life I used to have.  I should have been content.

‘Hmmm, now look here,’  she pushed the brown file towards me.  I timidly grabbed up.

Opening the file, I eyed the bold heading “Liberty School (Batch 2010)’ and read a list of names partially crossed out.

1)	Samara

2)	Vania

3)	Anika

4)	Tania

All of these names had a small line hardly crossing them, making me squirm.  I knew these girls…they were from high school; the girls who used to torment me.  Their hateful comments had ruined my confidence.  And just a week back, I found out that most of them were working at a hospital, extremely well-paid and married.  The pictures they had posted on social media depicted a life of luxury and fairytale beginning.

I was perplexed by why had Carmen written down their names, Was he going to harm them and think this psycho move would win brownie points?

‘You know these girls?’  Jolene raised an eyebrow at me, ignoring officers shoving past us.  Everyone seemed on alert mode.  It seemed like Carmen’s case had really morphed into a frustrating case for the police.

Despite the obvious answer being yes, I felt too suffocated and anxious to answer.  Those wounds, these girls had left a long-lasting impact on my life.  I was broken by many which led my dreams to fall apart, too.  It was a sad episode that followed after me in college.  Once broken and fallen, my self-esteem had not picked up, causing me to easily be the target of torment in most places.

I had developed fear and anxiety.