P A S S E N G E R S F R O M H E L L

Lucia rolled the trolley carefully, and with a forced smile, down the dimly lit aisle of the plane, "Any refreshments?"

This was part of the job she either loved or hated. Sometimes she would meet passengers that were kind, interesting, and although fleeting moments in her life, she may remember them. And other times it was just passengers from Hell.

"Oh, yes please darling," Lucia looked to her left to see a smug looking man in an expensive suit gawking up at her.

She wasn't even supposed to be manning the trolley if it wasn't for Tom insisting he could see a dark shape following them in the sky. A panic attack from stress, Gloria had suggested; Lucia's fellow stewardess, and friend. Maybe Lucia wouldn't have been so opposed to the trolley duty if she hadn't found out she was pregnant so early in the morning. Gloria was opposite her on the trolley, walking backwards and offering drinks and snacks to passengers on the right.

"I'll have two gin and tonics if you'd be so kind," the man in the suit said, "One for myself, and one for this fine lady."

The woman beside him smiled timidly. "He insisted," she said, almost shyly, rubbing her hand up and down his arm.

She had straight blonde hair, bright blue eyes, high cheekbones and a soft complexion. A Barbie doll, Lucia thought.

"Did you know she's a doctor?" he told Lucia quickly, as if she needed to know. "Pretty and intelligent is uncommon."

Lucia bit her tongue. "I'll get you those," she said, forcing the same smile, praying the pair wouldn't be a problem later.

Glancing at Gloria, her friend shot her a look of subtle disgust, which Lucia knew was because of the man's comment.

The stewardesses made their way gradually down the tight aisle. Most passengers were settling in to sleep, the dark of night outside the small windows long since set in. A woman with her blonde hair tied back messily stopped Lucia.

"Could I just get a blanket for my daughter?" she asked, exhausted and with a slither of annoyance. "If you have any."

"I said I'm fine," Lucia heard the daughter say spitefully who was facing the window, arms crossed, headphones on.

She ignored her daughter and awaited a response. "We have some," Lucia said, reaching to the bottom of the trolley.

Another younger woman on the end of the row seemed to be listening to the conversation, scowling, but didn't speak. When she handed over the blanket, Lucia caught the exchange of piercing eyes from the daughter to her mother.

Lucia reached one aisle with a bald man, who if Lucia had to guess was somewhere in his fifties, but also had strikingly big arms. He sat by the window and asked for a tea. Whilst she poured it, she noticed his attention was fixed on the window. So much so that even after she was done and held out the card-reader for payment, his eyes were still watching the darkness. She called on him gently, trying not to disturb the sleeping passengers beside him. To no avail, Gloria couldn't help but giggle behind her hand, watching amused as Lucia struggled to get the bald man's attention.

"Hello sir?" Lucia said a little louder this time which caught the man's attention. "I need your card for your payment."

"Oh yes," he said, struggling for his card in his brown leather wallet, his eyes flicking back and forth from the window.

Lucia's eyebrows narrowed. She too looked to the window. "You see lightning out there or something?" she asked.

The man tapped his card. "No. I'm looking for what I thought I saw," he said. "I thought I saw something in the clouds."

Lucia turned slightly to Gloria, to see if she had also heard. And Gloria was staring intensely at her fellow stewardess.

"Miss?" the man said in a half whisper, smiling and reaching over, "I'd like my tea now, if that's alright with you?"

As they crept down the aisle, passenger by passenger, the bald man's words ran through Lucia's mind like sand in an hourglass. They even put Gloria on edge, Lucia knew, for her friend's face was now seeping worry through her bright smile, her eyebrows were anxiously raised, and her brown eyes swirling with unsettlement. Once they reached the back galley, Lucia drew shut a dark blue curtain quickly. The two sat in the light humming of the plane for a moment.

"What if it's just a coincidence?" Gloria spoke first, like she knew exactly what Lucia was about to say. "It could be?"

"And what if it's not?" Lucia said. "I've seen videos of like, I don't know, fighter jets that have followed planes before."

"The pilots would've picked up on that, no?" Gloria suggested. "Besides, I remember serving that man drinks earlier. And you can get some very strange people on economy," she laughed like she was trying to reassure herself. "You do."

"That's two people now though. I think we should tell the pilots," Lucia said, only to be met with silence from Gloria.

"Tom is at the front galley with Margery," Gloria reminded her. "If he hears you say it, what if he goes crazy again?"

"Then I'll make sure he doesn't hear me," Lucia said, pulling open the curtain before heading swiftly down the plane.

We get a look at some of the passengers from the eyes of our stewardess Lucia. Creepy that something could be following them... hmm...
Find out more in future chapters!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
-Jack :)