High On Jefferson Airplane by Robby Richardson - HTML preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High On Jefferson Airplane

By

Robby Richardson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[A Tribute To Titans Edition]

Dedication

Aaron & Maciej

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White Tea With Mad Hatter Rabbits

By

Robby Richardson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One dab leads you to inspire

One puff takes you higher

One cap makes colors brighter

One tab fulfills all your desires

 

Go ask Wonka about candy…I think he’d know

And if you want tea with mad hatters

Or book appointments with white rabbits

When a mad cat gives you mad directions

Has twisted your winding roads beyond repair

When the only way forward has got me going backwards

Has got me thinking and drinking

White Tea With Mad Hatter Rabbits

 

One pill makes you slower…melting you into the floor

One powder makes you faster…leading lives to shatter

And the one that doctors give you to help recover is no placebo

Despite feeling so high it couldn’t make me more low

Any excuse to celebrate an unbirthday…a very, very unbirthday…on replay

When a mad cat sings you mad sonnets and offers “Drink Me” tonics

In the worst way got me backwards drinking

White Tea With Mad Hatter Rabbits

 

How can one finish their journey if one doesn’t begin to wonder

Taking a journey to new heights to new highs to new lands

Whether reaching heights of an airplane or that of a starship

My flight crew is quite a pair, a pilot of Chesire with a co-pilot of a March Hare

A Mad Hatter pushed the drink cart with a queen after my own heart

These flight attendants have a tendance to imbalance the balance drinking

White Tea with Mad Hatter Rabbits

 

THE END

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACT I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Here comes the airplane…” I felt my eyes give the faintest of flutters. The flicker of my lashes like light kisses from a butterfly’s wings. A voice over the airplane terminal’s intercom had awakened me from my deep slumber. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we thank you for your patience and understanding while we were waiting for the plane to arrive. In a few moments Jefferson Airplane flight #420 roundtrip from Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida will begin boarding the first rows now. Can those passengers please begin to line up behind the white line?” The white light from the bright sunshine and loud commotion of the crowd seemed like a breath of life. I ran my fingers over my eyes as the sun seared my retinas. Awakened with a little jostle, I felt the air nearly rush into me filling my lungs reinvigorating my body. Feeling renewed as if my body had recovered from a long battle with a cold. My eyes fluttered again trying to regain my memory. I quickly gazed around the airport terminal and the surrounding people waiting for flight #420. I saw sporadic sets of eyes glancing in my direction from various individual passengers. I began to wonder if I had been snoring. I hadn’t remembered drifting off to sleep. I sluggishly began to gaze around the terminal continuing to catch random glances and even the occasional pointing finger.

Despite my spotty memory, I rubbed my head and forehead trying to remember last night. Ignoring the people around me, I tried to recall any memories from the depths of my mind. Every memory was patchy like video running through a projector. I could see the pictures displayed in my mind. The voices and conversations were half remembered, sullied by the betrayal of my newlywed wife. My eyes landed on the sight of a happy couple in front of me returning home from their honeymoon. I tried to hide my longing jealousy of their committed love for each other. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun under a floppy sun hat. She giggled into her husband’s chiseled face appearing happy with the world. I turned to the empty seat next to me and remembered that I was leaving my honeymoon alone.

It took me a minute to gather myself straightening up in the hard plastic seat. The large windows that surrounded the terminal emphasized the tropical paradise awaiting outside. I pulled out my boarding ticket catching a glimpse at my wedding band. I felt a knot twist my stomach trying not to relive the pain of last night. The attempt to not visualize my wife’s face within the depths of my eyes was difficult. She was everything to me and I foolishly believed that I was everything to her. The gold circle of my wedding band squeezed my finger symbolizing a constant reminder of her betrayal.

The warm air brought a feeling of calm relaxation to spread over me. My hands lowered and I found my brown leather-bound notebook in my lap. I shifted in my seat and watched it topple to the airport floor with a THUD! The noise sent a sharp pain through my head. I rubbed my forehead with a little wince as the flight attendant spoke again into the intercom. “Jefferson Airplanes Flight #420 will continue its boarding of first and second priority seating guests.” I reached over picking up my notebook from the floor. I heard a man in front of me mutter in the faintest of whispers, “And so it begins.”

I raised my head with my notebook clutched in my hand. “Did you say something sir?” I felt a slight chill pass over me at the sight of the old man dressed in a dark brown suit. Sitting perfectly straight he appeared to be patiently waiting clenching a brown Bowler hat in his wrinkled hands. He peered at me with tired eyes sunken into his thinning face. His pale skin matched his white hair. He gave a contentious glower and placed the brown Bowler hat on his head. He grabbed his brown attaché case from the floor and immediately rose from his seat without answering my question. He began walking towards an older woman crying into her husband’s arms. His fingertips consolingly grazed over her red scarf. She pulled her head away from his chest, “I can’t do it. I just can’t do it again! I can’t keep doing it!”

The eyes of a few passengers followed him like hungry lions in the brush. I did my best to ignore the stares and finger pointing. I watched the old man in the brown suit additionally consoling the crying woman. I clutched my leather-bound notebook to my chest before I rose to my feet preparing to enter the boarding line. A few pairs of eyes followed me. I saw flittering conversations between a couple of them. I tried to ignore it, stepping behind the last person in line. As the line continued to move forward, I noticed the old man trying to comfort the woman. His hand consolingly tracing over the woman’s back as the husband glared at me. I tried to turn away in time, but I had caught a look of utter hatred in his face. A hatred as if my very presence had sent the woman into mild hysterics. I followed the line as I heard old man muttering, “I know it’s scary, but hopefully this will be the last time.” I approached closer to them as the old man turned back to me. His weathered face covered in gray stubble twitching slightly. The old man’s piercing stare and the husband’s glowering look forced an awkward comment from me. “She’s afraid of flying huh?” The old man snapped in pure resentment, “Geez, I wonder why that is?”

I rolled my eyes ignoring the old man and his scathing looks. Subconsciously, I spun my ring on my finger waiting for the line to continue forward. I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head. “I can’t…I-I-I just can’t…” The woman began again but her words faded from me. I felt a soft jolt of pain in my head as my hand ran over it. CREAK...CREAK… I heard the squeaking of metal and saw a nurse dressed in pristine white pushing a white gowned patient in a wheelchair. Undeterred from her task, she uninterestingly passed by everybody without a turn of her head. The red-haired woman maneuvered between the hurried passengers as if emerged from out of a dream. Slow with her steps as the people around them passed in a blur.

I watched as she turned her head towards the small crowd of people. I felt my heart drop for a moment. The world seemed to fall away from me. Her red hair tied in a bun underneath her white nurse’s hat. “Gina…” I whispered to myself, preparing to take a step towards my supposed wife. I stopped myself noticing the absence of a brown freckle under her nose. A freckle that we had nicknamed, “The Caterpillar” due to its shape and resemblance. I watched a possible relative of my wife disappear behind a large cart of bags.

“Ticket…” My attention returned to discovering the space in front of me empty. I walked forward and presented my ticket to the attendant. It was the same attendant that had made the announcement. I read her name tag, T. Dormouse. She took my ticket with an odd expression on her mousey face. She held it letting her blue eyes search mine almost dreamily. “Is there a problem?” I heard the curiosity in her voice as she tore the ticket. “H-have we met before?” I shook my head, “I…I don’t think so?” She handed the ticket inspecting me a final time. Her face furrowed in confusion, “Are you sure? I feel like we have met before.” I chuckled lightly, “I think that I would remember talking or meeting a beautiful woman like you.” She gave a friendly and girlish little smirk letting me walk past her towards the gangway.

The bright sunshine forced my hands to immediately hit my face relieving me with needed shade. I hesitated for a moment, letting my hand wave in front of my face. My eyes searched for the way forward as the large unobstructed windows blinded my route. I regained my composure, but felt an odd feeling come over me. I could only ponder for a moment when a voice behind me snapped, “Dear God man at least move aside if you’re just going to stand there!” I turned and saw to my displeasure the old man in the brown suit. His thinning leathery face seemed hardened with annoyance. I nodded moving forward feeling as if each step was on wheels. Each window I passed would draw my attention reminding me of the paradise I was running from. I followed the line of people and removed my phone from my pocket. I saw random text messages from Gina. What had once lifted my heart to see now brought me disgust and anger.

 

[Gina “Wifey” Manson]

Please Matt come back to the resort and don’t leave…don’t leave me like this!

Darby and I wanted to tell you. We can work through this, please answer me!

I don’t want to be with Darby, I want to be with you! He loves me but I don’t love him. I love you.

 

I closed the phone with a SNAP and an angry grumble. Moving down the gangway, I followed the trail of people boarding the airplane. However, I noticed several pairs of eyes continuously flick towards me. I felt myself giving a nervous little smirk returning my vision to glance out the window. The bright light seemed too good for the world that had crumpled around me. My hand went out to my wrist as my fingers traced my wife’s tattooed letters on my skin, G-I-N-A. I had let her become such a part of me that I had foolishly let her on my skin. I felt as if I would never be rid of her now, never be rid of her betrayal.

 

[10 Hours Earlier]

CLINK… The bottle of wine spun in my hand landing in my grasp. I gave a content little smirk heading down the resort hallway. The open hotel atmosphere was a true paradise. The warm breeze played across the stretch of hallway as I made my way back to my room. I felt almost euphoric when my eyes landed on the flowered numbers of room number 4-2-0 intertwined with tropical feathers. I clenched the bottle of wine as I raised my fist to the door.

Knuckles halted as I heard strange sounds coming from behind the door. Sounds that I was familiar with but had not heard in quite some time. Sounds Gina had promised to share with me every day on our honeymoon. The gut groans she made sounded like she was being attacked. I swiped my keycard and heard the lock CLICK! I entered the honeymoon suite to the full volume of my new wife’s passion. Their attention did not detour nor waver as I made my way into the room. I saw a lumbering body between two flaying legs poking out from underneath a sheet. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?” I screamed at the top of my lungs as my heart dropped into my chest. I saw the pale skin and wild-eyed look from my best man at our wedding.

“DARBY…” I felt the wine bottle fall to my side with a CRASH! I watched my wife’s tussled red hair spring out from underneath the bed covers. Her olive skin could not be hidden behind the white bed sheet. They began to tug over it trying desperately to cover themselves up at the same time. I could feel my eyes bulging witnessing them as if I was seeing them for who they really were. I saw the guilty look spread across their faces. Gina’s olive skin was covered in their mutual sweat as she began “B-baby it’s not what it…” “Spare me Gina…” I exclaimed, staring at my best friend who shook his head. “I-it all just sort of happened.” “So, you flew all the way down here to…” His eyes gave the lightest of twinkles, turning fondly back to Gina. “Y-you love her Darby?” His brown eyes grew watery as he clung to the white bedsheet.”

I turned to Gina who gazed up at me with her scared doe eyes. Her fingers between her lips and sensing my question. “I-I wanted to tell you…come clean but…WAIT baby please don’t go!” I heard Gina yell as she attempted to scramble over the bed. “Please don’t, w-we c-can talk about this?” I stormed down the hallway leaving everything behind.

 

[Present Level]

I entered the airplane as two stewardesses greeted me. One plump little woman with rosy cheeks spoke first, “Welcome to Jefferson Airplane!” I nodded at her false little smile reading her golden name tag, “Q. Hart”. The other stewardess a tall stringy woman with long brown hair gave me a look and immediately diverted her gaze. I read her golden name tag, “M. Hare”. She gave polite nods to the other passengers with a tired expression clenching her trembling arm against her. I moved between the rows of seats feeling eyes turn to me. Random passengers placed their luggage away as others began to take their seats. A trembling came over my skin as I began to wonder why the occasional pair of eyes would glance towards me. I patted my disheveled brown hair down making my way to my seat. I read the worn silver sign above my row, “D-C-B-A 25”. I placed my bag into the overhead bin and gripped my leather-bound notebook.

An unshakeable feeling of constantly being watched crept over me. I turned examining the plane quickly before taking my seat in A. Several pairs of eyes stared at me, but quickly turned when I caught their gaze. Unable to ponder on whether my mind was playing tricks on me. I heard a woman in front of me beginning to protest. I saw that it was the same red scarfed woman that I had seen in the airport terminal. I saw the old man in the brown suit next to her. Her eyes were wide in petrified terrified, “I can’t…I-I just can’t anymore. Please, I want to stay back.” She whispered to him before the old man replied. “We can’t do that Edith. Everyone must make the journey…the FULL journey or else it will just continue to play out.” Edith nodded her head wiping the tears from her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re right. I just…I just can’t sit in THAT seat anymore. C-can you switch me?” The ancient man patted her on the shoulder nodding sympathetically.

I silently groaned as I watched the old man’s sunken eyes turn to me. Silently begging he would sit anywhere else. I felt that hope disintegrate with a final leading wave from his hand towards his seat. Edith gave an appreciative nod heading towards the middle row of seats. He held his brown attaché case in front of him as he made his way towards me. I heard him mutter as I let him pass me “finally catching on there.” I shook my head and replied, “Catching on to what exactly, sir?” The old man answered back. “That I sit in the middle.” “I didn’t…” I paused and rolled my eyes, deciding to ignore him.

I buckled myself in and prepared for departure. I took a deep breath as the old man didn’t bother buckling himself in. His penetrating eyes had noticed me looking at his unbuckled seatbelt. He leaned his head back and gazed at the call buttons above him. “It doesn’t matter at this point anymore.” I turned my head realizing the newlywed couple from the terminal was pointing directly at me. Upon catching my attention, they quickly diverted their gaze. The plane gave a slight rumble as the engines began to come to life. The power of the plane began to awaken from within its depths.

I saw the old man trying to peer over the seats in front of him possibly checking on his friend Edith. His Bowler hat returned to his hands as he saw me staring at his concerned look. His eyes met mine and I gave an awkward little smirk. “I know what it’s like to travel with someone who is afraid of flying. The worst part is taking off. Once we are in the air, I am sure she will be okay. Has she always been afraid of flying?” The old man eyed me with an eerie gaze as if he was examining my words. After a few seconds, he replied with a simple, “no.” “So, she just developed a fear of flying like recently?” The old man again hesitated gripping his Bowler hat tighter and replied, “Dying will always do that to a person.”

I was not sure if I had heard the old man clearly. I watched him place his Bowler hat back on his head. He turned facing forward staring into the nothingness and lost in his own thoughts. The force of takeoff pinned me back in my seat as the plane rattled to full speed. I heard the old man next to me whisper to himself, “Here we go again.” I felt an odd and uncomfortable sensation of discomfort come over me.

The plane leveled out and the cabin returned to normal. I breathed a sigh of relief realizing I was heading home. I had a couple hours to agonize about picking up my life from the shambles it was currently in. I thought about Gina and the day that I had planned. Scuba diving, a day on the beach, a candlelight dinner, and a bottle of wine to top it off. I knew that Gina would have loved it. How could I have missed the affair between my best friend and wife? Unanswered questions spiraled through my head, “Pen?”

My concentration was broken by the old man in the brown suit. His wide eyes were cold as his weathered hand outstretched towards me. “I don’t have a…” “You do it’s in your inside pocket there.” I saw his eyes motion to the white hotel pen in my leather notebook. I handed it to him with an odd expression. He took it uncapping it and immediately rolled up the sleeve to his suit jacket. He inscribed a single dark line on it. I turned catching the newlywed couple staring at me again. No awkward smirk crossed my face with another pair of eyes on me. A tan man dressed in a bright yellow shirt. I watched and caught the woman Edith periodically peering over her seat at me.

I narrowed my eyes in growing suspicion as I leaned back in my seat muttering, “Am I crazy or are people looking at me?” “You’re not crazy…” The old man handed me back my pen. “They ARE looking at you Matt I turned to him feeling my heart drop in my chest. “H-h-how did you know…” I began but the old man interjected. “Can we dispense with the pleasantries? I have grown tired of it and of this.” “What are you talking about? How do you know my name?” The old man removed his Bowler hat and placed it in his lap. “At this point, I know everything about you Matt. I am afraid I am the one that knows the most about you.” “This is messed up! How do you…” “Oh, you have NO idea what messed up really is Matt! Now, I will be frank with you. I am so tired of doing this and going through this that I don’t care about taking my time anymore. I don’t care about easing you into it the unusual predicament we are all in.”

I sat speechless as I watched those familiar sets of eyes continue to look in my general direction. The discomforting feeling inside me continued to intensify inside. “What are you talking about?” The old man’s eyes widened as if he was fighting an internal conflict. “How do you know my name?” The old man’s brain seemed to reconnect. “Oh, I know more than you think, and I am growing tired of continuously reminding you of it.” “What does that even mean?” “Tea…” I turned to see the lanky stewardess next to me. I saw the golden name tag glint in my face, M. Hare. “No thank you,” I said and turned back to the old man. “I’m sorry,” replied the stewardess. I returned back to her as she appeared to have a mental glitch. Her eyes fluttered wildly as they refocused on me. She asked again, “You want tea, correct?” “No, I don’t want tea thank you!” I exclaimed again but this time she snapped back. “But…but you always have tea!” The stewardess Hare dropped a cup of tea in front of me with a CLUMP!

My hand shot to my forehead as my brain seemed unable to process everything that was going on around me. “You should probably have the tea Matt.” “STOP, I don’t even know who the hell you are! How do you know me? How do you know my name?” The old man in the brown suit gripped his Bowler hat concern growing in his face. “We should probably try to keep everything the same Matt. That will probably stop all this.” “Stop what and I don’t want any damn tea!” “You should have the tea!” I saw the tan man in yellow raise from his seat. His face red with utter rage, “DRINK THE DAMN TEA!” The newlywed woman exclaimed, “He needs to drink the tea!” Edith rose from behind her seat with tears streaming down her face. “Please…p-please drink the tea. We need to keep everything the same!”

I stared at them all as I handed the cup of tea back to stewardess Hare. I nearly spilled it when another passenger from further down the aisles yelled “Will you people shut the hell up! I’m trying to sleep here!” The old man in the brown suit ignored the passenger. “The truth is Matt…” “Stop just stop and tell me how you know my name?” The old man waved his hand as if the question was unnecessary. “I know you are on or should I say were on your honeymoon with your new wife Gina. You’ve shown me her picture plenty of times, beautiful woman with olive skin and red hair, correct?” Whatever I had expected to hear that was not it. I felt a cold flash of fear envelope my body. I tried to move further away from him. “I know that you are a writer and columnist for News One. I know that you are heading home alone because you had walked in on your wife cheating on you with another resort guest.” I felt my mouth drop open in shock. “How…how do you know all that?” “I told you Matt I know a lot about you because we have done this before. We have had this conversation many times before. We KEEP having to have this conversation repeatedly. Although with each cycle more and more passengers are becoming more enlightened. It’s only a matter of time before every passenger notices what the few of us already know. How could I know everything about you when you think we are meeting for the first time?”

I could feel the ticking cogs in my mental comprehension beginning to jam in my head. “You don’t know EVERYTHING! My wife wasn’t cheating on me with another guest. So, I-I don’t understand.” “Matt please try to understand! Some of the smaller details might change but the basic transpiring of events stay the same. Whether your wife cheats on you with resort staff, another guest, your father, bus boy, or one of your brothers. The point is that every cycle, EVERY cycle she cheats, and it brings you back here. I am tired of this and my patience each time we cycle back here grows thinner. Tired of that same dumb look that you keep putting on your face every time I bring this up. I want this to end now! You need to believe what I am telling you because we believe you are the key to making this all stop!”

I turned from the old man in the brown suit and saw the continued stares of several passengers. I held my hand to my temples and rubbed it for a second. I unbuckled my seatbelt which gave a faint CLICK! “You’re insane…” I rose from my seat and repeated, “You’re insane… all utterly insane!” What I said did not seem to register with anybody. I saw the man in yellow bellow, “Stop him…don’t let him leave the seat!” “I’m going to the bathroom! When I come back, I am putting on my headphones for the remainder of the flight. I am done with this. I don’t know how you know what you know but I am done listening to this insanity.” I began to leave my seat as the tanned man in yellow bellowed, “STOP HIM!” Most of the remaining passengers were watching the heated exchange erupting before them. However, the old man in the brown suit waved the man in yellow down. “It’s ok Tim, it’s ok as long as he stays on the plane, we should be fine.” I shook my head and grumbled making my way to the bathroom. I stayed in the silent and cramped bathroom for longer than I should have trying to regain some of my sanity.

CLICK… The bathroom unlocked and the door folded into itself with a clatter. In my absence, I found the plane had grown eerily quiet and several passengers had gathered around the lavatory. In front of them all was the old man in the brown suit. “What the HELL is going on?” I heard the anger and rising frustration in my voice. “Matt in a few minutes everything will become clear, and we need to keep you here on the plane.” “Here on the plane…” I repeated as the old man in the brown suit continued. “Yes, Matt you have a nasty habit of escaping the plane just before we crash. We believe that you exiting the plane before the crash is the reason we keep having to repeat this.” “CRASH,” I exclaimed feeling the hairs on my body stand on end. “Yes, Matt this plane in a few moments will crash into the Atlantic Ocean. The last time you went to the bathroom you spent so much time hiding out in there that you got sucked out when the plane broke apart.”

I began to wave my hands shouting at every passenger blocking my way. “You are all insane! I am going back to my seat!” I motioned to try and pass the old man in the brown suit. However, to my utter surprise the old man pushed back in place. “I can’t have you do that Matt. The time before that one of the engines blew up, forcing the wing to break off. You got sucked out when the cabin lost pressure.”

I opened my mouth to interject but the other plump stewardess made her way to the small crowd surrounding me. “What are you all doing? We need to keep the aisles clear! Everybody needs to return to their seat!” The old man in the brown suit replied, “Quina we are fine, and we are going to remain right here.” Quina gazed around at all the eyes on her and passengers sensing the growing tension in the plane’s cabin. “No sir everybody must return to their seats. The fasten your seatbelt sign is on.” “No,” the old man in the brown suit replied with more authority. Quina’s eyes began to pop in her head as if she had never heard a passenger talk to her like that.

Quina froze in place as the passengers standing around me did not respond. “Do…do I need to inform the captain and air marshal about what’s going on? They’ll turn this plane around and you all will be charged by the FAA. Now, I am going to ask you all one more time. Everyone return to your seat for the remainder of the flight.” Her words failed to penetrate any of the onlooking passengers. “It doesn’t matter Quina we are almost coming to the moment now anyway.” I saw a couple passengers beginning to cry and Quina must have sensed the rising tension too. “I am going to go get the captain. I need everybody to calm down and return to their seats. In the meantime, I will put on a video for everybody to calm down to.”

Walking over to the large projection screen on the wall she turned it on with a flick of a switch. The screen immediately went black and began to play a song that I instantly recognized. “You’re bringing me down. And you know it ain’t right. You’ve been running around, love…staying out all night. Get outta sight, don’t hang around, you’re bringing me down.” The old man in the brown suit glanced down at his watch, “any second now Matt.” “Let me get back to my…”

However, the plane gave a sudden jerk from the unexpected turbulence. I gripped the wall to steady my balance. I heard the song lyrics fade as the screen displayed a plane soaring through a cloudless blue sky. “Here it comes…” The old man in the brown suit whispered glancing up from his watch. I saw the plane in the film flying majestically as the company’s slogan began in a sing song tone. “Thank you for flying high on Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson… Jefferson… Jeff… Jeff… Jeff.” The video glitched as if buffering from lack of bandwidth. The screen flickered multiple colors like a test panel as if an emergency broadcast was about to play.

I could hear some passengers beginning to scream in terror. The old man in the brown suit locked eyes on me. “You’re not getting away this time Matt. We are stopping this!” The plane gave another violent jerk forcing me to crash into the side of the lavatory door. The video glitched back to the beginning repeating the same message it had previously. “Thank you for flying high on Jefferson Airplane.” BAM… The engine of the plane exploded causing the emergency door to my right to blow open. I immediately felt myself sucked out the emergency door removing me from the plane. The air rushed around me restricting my breathing. My screams were soundless as I plummeted down to Earth. I witnessed the plane being torn apart in a blaze of fire swallowed by clouds of thick black smoke. I finally regained my breathing, letting out a terrified and helpless bellow before I hit the ocean below me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACT II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Here comes the airplane…” I felt my eyes give the faintest of flutters. The flicker of my lashes like light kisses from a butterfly’s wings. A voice over the airplane terminal’s intercom had awakened me from my deep slumber. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we thank you for your patience and understanding while we were waiting for the plane to arrive. In a few moments Jefferson Airplane flight #420 roundtrip from Puerto Rico to Orlando, Florida will begin boarding the first rows now. Can those passengers please begin to line up behind the yellow line?” The white light from the bright sunshine and loud commotion of the crowd seemed like a breath of life. I ran my fingers over my eyes as the sun seared my retinas. Awakened with a little jostle, I felt the air nearly rush into me filling my lungs reinvigorating my body. Feeling renewed as if my body had recovered from a long battle with a cold. My eyes fluttered again trying to regain my memory. I quickly gazed around the airport terminal and the surrounding people waiting for flight #420. I saw multiple sets of eyes glancing in my direction from various individual passengers. I began to wonder if I had been snoring. I hadn’t remembered drifting off to sleep. I sluggishly began to gaze around the terminal continuing to catch multiple glances and even numerous pointing fingers.

Despite my spotty memory, I rubbed my head and forehead trying to remember last night. Ignoring the people around me, I tried to recall any memories from the depths of my mind. Every memory was patchy like video running through a projector. I could see the pictures displayed in my mind. The voices and conversations were half remembered, sullied by the betrayal of my newlywed wife. My eyes landed on the sight of a happy couple in front of me returning home from their honeymoon. I tried to hide my longing jealousy of their committed love for each other. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun under a floppy sun hat. She giggled into her husband’s chiseled face appearing happy with the world. I turned to the empty seat next to me and remembered that I was leaving my honeymoon alone.

It took me a minute to gather myself straightening up in the hard plastic seat. The large windows that surrounded the terminal emphasized the tropical paradise awaiting outside. I pulled out my boarding ticket catching a glimpse at my wedding band. I felt a knot twist my stomach trying not to relive the pain of last night. The attempt to not visualize my wife’s face within the depths of my eyes was difficult. She was everything to me and I foolishly believed that I was everything to her. The gold circle of my wedding band squeezed my finger symbolizing a constant reminder of her betrayal.

The warm air brought a feeling of calm relaxation to spread over me. My hands lowered and I found my brown leather-bound notebook in my lap. I shifted in my seat and watched it topple to the airport floor with a THUD! The noise sent a sharp pain through my head. I rubbed my forehead with a little wince as the flight attendant spoke again into the intercom. “Jefferson Airplanes Flight #420 will continue its boarding of first and second priority seating guests.” I reached over picking up my notebook from the floor. I heard a man in front of me mutter in the faintest of whispers, “And so it begins.”

I raised my head with my notebook clutched in my hand. “Did you say something sir?” I felt a slight chill pass over me at the sight of the old man dressed in a dark brown suit. Sitting perfectly straight he appeared to be patiently waiting clenching a brown Bowler hat in his wrinkled hands. He peered at me with exhausted eyes sunken into his thinning face. His pale skin matched his white hair. He gave a contentious glower and placed the brown Bowler hat on his head. He grabbed his brown attaché case from the floor and immediately rose from his seat without answering my question. He began walking towards an older woman crying into her husband’s arms. His fingertips consolingly grazed over her red scarf. She pulled her head away from his chest, “I can’t do it. I just can’t do it again! I can’t keep doing it! Oh God, how do we make it stop?”

The eyes of multiple passengers followed him like hungry lions in the brush. I did my best to ignore their stares and finger pointing. I watched the old man in the brown suit additionally consoling the crying woman. I clutched my leather-bound notebook to my chest before I rose to my feet preparing to enter the boarding line. I noticed multiple pairs of eyes followed me. I saw flittering conversations between many of them. I tried to ignore it, stepping behind the last person in line. As the line continued to move forward, I noticed the old man trying to comfort the woman. His hand consolingly tracing over the woman’s back as the husband glared at me. I tried to turn away in time, but I had caught a look of utter hatred in his face. A hatred as if my very presence had sent the woman into mild hysterics. I followed the line as I heard old man muttering, “I know it’s scary, but hopefully this will be the last time.” I approached closer to them as the old man turned back to me. His weathered face covered in gray stubble twitching slightly. The old man’s piercing stare and the husband’s glowering look forced an awkward comment from me. “She’s afraid of flying huh?” The old man snapped in pure resentment, “Geez, I wonder why that could be?”

I rolled my eyes ignoring the old man and his scathing looks. Subconsciously, I spun my ring on my finger waiting for the line to continue forward. I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head. “I can’t…I-I-I just can’t…” The woman began again but her words faded from me. I felt a soft jolt of pain in my head as my hand ran over it. CREAK...CREAK… I heard the squeaking of metal and saw a nurse dressed in pristine white pushing a white gowned patient in a wheelchair. Undeterred from her task, she uninterestingly passed by everybody without a turn of her head. The red-haired woman maneuvered between the hurried passengers as if emerged from out of a dream. Slow with her steps as the people around them passed in a blur.

I watched as she turned her head towards the small crowd of people. I felt my heart drop for a moment. The world seemed to fall away from me. Her red hair tied in a bun underneath her white nurse’s hat. “Sara…” I whispered to myself, preparing to take a step towards my supposed wife. I stopped myself noticing the absence of a brown freckle under her nose. A freckle that we had nicknamed, “The Caterpillar” due to its shape and resemblance. I watched a possible relative of my wife disappear behind a large cart of bags.

“Ticket…” My attention returned to discovering the space in front of me empty. I walked forward and presented my ticket to the attendant. It was the same attendant that had made the announcement. I read her name tag, T. Dormouse. She took my ticket with an odd expression on her mousey face. She held it letting her blue eyes search mine almost dreamily. “Is there a problem?” I heard the curiosity in her voice as she tore the ticket. “H-have we met before?” I shook my head, “I…I don’t think so?” She handed me the ticket inspecting me a final time. Her face furrowed in confusion, “Are you sure? I feel like we have met before.” I chuckled lightly, “I think that I would remember talking or meeting a beautiful woman like you.” She gave a friendly smirk. “Yeah, I remember that cheesy line too.” “It was just the truth not meant to be cheesy.” She gave a friendly girlish little smirk letting me walk past her towards the gangway.

The bright sunshine forced my hands to immediately hit my face relieving me with needed shade. I hesitated for a moment, letting my hand wave in front of my face. My eyes searched for the way forward as the large unobstructed windows blinded my route. I regained my composure, but felt an odd feeling come over me. I could only ponder for a moment when a voice behind me snapped, “Dear God man at least move aside if you’re just going to stand there!” I turned and saw to my displeasure the old man in the brown suit. His thinning leathery face seemed hardened with annoyance. I nodded moving forward feeling as if each step was on wheels. Each window I passed would draw my attention reminding me of the paradise I was running from. I followed the line of people and removed my phone from my pocket. I saw random text messages from Sara. What had once lifted my heart to see now brought me disgust and anger.

 

[Sara “Wifey” Hanson]

Please Matt come back to the resort and don’t leave…don’t leave me like this!

I threw him out…pushed him away. You saw that! We can work through this, please answer me!

I don’t want to be with Darby, I want you. He loves me but I don’t love him. I love you.

 

I closed the phone with a SNAP and an angry grumble. Moving down the gangway, I followed the trail of people boarding the airplane. However, I noticed several pairs of eyes continuously flick towards me. I felt myself giving a nervous little smirk returning my vision to glance out the window. The bright light seemed too good for the world that had crumpled around me. My hand went out to my wrist as my fingers traced my wife’s tattooed letters on my skin, S-A-R-A. I had let her become such a part of me that I had foolishly let her on my skin. I felt as if I would never be rid of her now, never be rid of her betrayal.

 

[10 Hours Earlier]

CLINK… The bottle of wine spun in my hand landing in my grasp. I gave a content little smirk heading down the resort hallway. The open hotel atmosphere was a true paradise. The warm breeze played across the stretch of hallway as I made my way back to my room. I felt almost euphoric feeling as I walked towards my door. I gave the wine bottle one final smile having booked a wonderful surprise day for us. Excited to see the surprise in her face, I had not expected to hear her so soon. I watched someone be expelled from my room toppling backwards. In a blur of gray and white, I heard Sara yelling “Get out Darby, get away from me!”

I slowed myself feeling the grip on my bottle of wine tighten. I could feel bewilderment beginning to come over me. My best friend Darby had not even recognized me as I approached. He immediately launched himself at the door. BANG…BANG, “Come on Sara, open the door please. Let’s talk about this, just give a minute of time!”

BANG, BANG, I approached my mouth opened preparing to question why my best friend was here. My questions didn’t stay questions for very long. I heard my wife answer back, “Darby you need to go! You need to leave before Matt comes back! If Matt sees you here, sees that you have come all this way. What will he think?” I watched Darby’s fingers trace over the wooden numbers on the door. He flicked the tropical flowers intertwined with the room number, 4-2-0.

“Darby…” I said watching my best friend freeze in place. He turned from the door to face me unable to hide the guilt behind his beard. His muscular shoulders fell as he ran his hand nervously over the back of his neck. “Hey Matt…” He muttered in a clear unwelcoming tone. “What the hell are you doing here?” Darby’s mouth opened for a moment and then closed. He struggled to find words, “I…I flew down.” “Obviously,” I snapped eyeing him up and down. I gripped the bottle tighter in my hand repeating my question. “What are you doing here?” “Sara…” He said simply as I shook my head in confusion. “W-what about Sara? You flew down here on our honeymoon to do what exactly?”

Darby again seemed to struggle to find the words. “What about Sara Darby?” My repeated question seemed answered by the tremble in his eyes. I read them as clearly as if they were written on his forehead. “How long has it been going on?” “What does it matter? She chose you in the end.” I felt the ground fall out from underneath me. “In the end…” I repeated muttering to myself. “I thought that we belonged together, but she chose you.” The sluggish pace of my words seemed to shrink my best friend in place. “So…you flew down here to…tell her you love her…steal her from me…have her run off with you?” Darby paused as his eyes shifted from left to right, “What does it matter? She wants to be with you. You just saw her choose you. She just threw me out and…”

I didn’t let him finish his sentence. I turned from him and began to march down the hallway. I could hear Darby calling from behind me. His footsteps hesitantly chasing after me trying to assure me of her love for me. However, his words wouldn’t register as I took the bottle and sent it flying towards the wall in my exit. It smashed against the wall with a thunderous, BAM!

[Present Level]

I entered the airplane as two stewardesses greeted me. One plump little woman with rosy cheeks spoke first, “Welcome to Jefferson Airplane!” I nodded at her false little smile reading her golden name tag, “Q. Hart”. The other stewardess a tall stringy woman with long brown hair gave me a look and immediately diverted her gaze. I read her golden name tag, “M. Hare”. She gave polite nods to the other passengers with a tired expression clenching her trembling arm against her. I moved between the rows of seats feeling numerous eyes turn to me. Random passengers placed their luggage away as others began to take their seats. A trembling came over my skin as I began to wonder why multiple pairs of eyes would glance towards me. I patted my disheveled brown hair down making my way to my seat. I read the worn silver sign above my row, “D-C-B-A 25”. I placed my bag into the overhead bin and gripped my leather-bound notebook.

An unshakeable feeling of constantly being watched crept over me. I turned examining the plane quickly before taking my seat in A. Several pairs of eyes stared at me, but quickly turned when I caught their gaze. Unable to ponder on whether my mind was playing tricks on me. I heard a woman in front of me beginning to protest. I saw that it was the same red scarfed woman that I had seen in the airport terminal. I saw the old man in the brown suit next to her. Her eyes were wide in petrified terrified, “I can’t…I-I just can’t anymore. Please, I want to stay back.” She whispered to him before the old man replied. “We can’t do that Edith. Everyone must make the journey…the FULL journey or else it will just continue to play out.” Edith nodded her head wiping the tears from her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re right. I just…I just can’t sit in THAT seat anymore. C-can you switch me?” The ancient man patted her on the shoulder nodding sympathetically.

I silently groaned as I watched the old man’s sunken eyes turn to me. Silently begging he would sit anywhere else. I felt that hope disintegrate with a final leading wave from his hand towards his seat. Edith gave an appreciative nod heading towards the middle row of seats. He held his brown attaché case in front of him as he made his way towards me. I heard him mutter as I let him pass me to his seat. “I think you’re finally starting to catch on there.” I shook my head and replied, “Catching on to what exactly, sir?” The old man answered back. “That I sit in the middle.” “I didn’t…” I paused and rolled my eyes, deciding to ignore him.

I buckled myself in and prepared for departure. I took a deep breath as the old man didn’t bother buckling himself in. His penetrating eyes had noticed me looking at his unbuckled seatbelt. He leaned his head back and gazed at the call buttons above him. “I wish that I could express in so many words how much it doesn’t matter at this point.” I turned my head realizing that several couples, individual passengers, and even the newlywed couple from the terminal were pointing directly at me. Upon catching my attention, they all quickly diverted their gaze. The plane gave a slight rumble as the engines began to come to life. The power of the plane began to awaken from within its depths.

I saw the old man trying to peer over the seats in front of him possibly checking on his friend Edith. His Bowler hat returned to his hands as he saw me staring at his concerned look. His eyes met mine and I gave an awkward little smirk. “I know what it’s like to travel with someone who is afraid of flying. The worst part is taking off. Once we are in the air, I am sure she will be okay. Has she always been afraid of flying?” The old man eyed me with an eerie gaze as if he was examining my words. After a few seconds, he replied with a simple, “no.” “So, she just developed a fear of flying like recently?” The old man again hesitated gripping his Bowler hat tighter and replied, “You could say that, but then again dying will always do that to a person.”

I was not sure if I had heard the old man clearly. I watched him place his Bowler hat back on his head. He turned facing forward staring into the nothingness and lost in his own thoughts. The force of takeoff pinned me back in my seat as the plane rattled to full speed. I heard the old man next to me whisper to himself, “Here we go again.” I felt an odd and uncomfortable sensation of discomfort come over me.

The plane leveled out and the cabin returned to normal. I breathed a sigh of relief realizing I was heading home. I had a couple hours to agonize about picking up my life from the shambles it was currently in. I thought about Sara and the day that I had planned. Scuba diving, a day on the beach, a candlelight dinner, and a bottle of wine to top it off. I knew that Sara would have loved it. How could I have missed the affair between my best friend and wife? Unanswered questions spiraled through my head, “Pen?”

My concentration was broken by the old man in the brown suit. His wide eyes were cold as his weathered hand outstretched towards me. “I don’t have a…” I noticed the quick roll of his eyes as he interjected, “Let’s not play games I know you do. It’s in your inside pocket there.” I saw his eyes motion to the white hotel pen in my leather notebook. I handed it to him with an odd expression. He took it uncapping it and immediately rolled up the sleeve to his suit jacket. He inscribed a single dark line on it. I turned away catching multiple passengers staring at me including a tan man dressed in a bright yellow shirt. I caught the woman Edith periodically peering over her seat at me.

I narrowed my eyes in growing suspicion as I leaned back in my seat muttering, “Am I crazy or are people looking at me?” “You’re not crazy…” The old man handed me back my pen. “They ARE looking at you Matt. In fact, MANY are, and more are taking notice.” I turned to him feeling my heart drop in my chest. His piercing eyes bore through me as a feeling of Déjà vu came over me. “H-h-how did you know…” I began but the old man interjected, “I am done…DONE with the pleasantries between us! I have grown tired of repeating it and continuing to have this same conversation. We only had to make sure you get on and the plane takes off.”

The tan man dressed in a yellow Polo raised from his seat across the aisle. “How do you know old man? I say we should have permanently grounded the flight. If there’s NO flight, then there’s NO crash hence stopping the cycle!” “We tried that before Tim the ONLY way to stop the cycle is to go through it...ALL of us!” “What in God’s name are you two talking about? How do you know my name?”

The old man removed his Bowler hat and placed it in his lap. “At this point, I know everything about you Matt. I am afraid I am the one that knows the most about you. I assume that’s why everybody thinks I have all the answers.” “This is messed up…so, messed up. How do you…” “Oh, you have NO idea what messed up really is Matt! I was the first to recognize the cycle and once you see it you cannot unsee it. It just grows clearer each time we go around until reality becomes non-existent, leaving only the cycle to remain. Now, I will be frank with you. I am exhausted doing this and going through this. So, I don’t care about taking my time anymore. I don’t care about easing you into the unusual predicament we are all in.”

I sat speechless as I watched those familiar sets of eyes continue to look in my general direction. The discomforting feeling inside me continued to intensify. The old man’s eyes widened as if he was fighting an internal conflict. “You’re not answering my question. How in the HELL do you know my name?” The old man’s brain seemed to reconnect. “Oh, I know more than you think, and I am tired of continuously reminding you of it.” “What does that even mean?” “Tea…” I turned to see the lanky stewardess next to me. I saw the golden name tag glint in my face, M. Hare. “No thank you,” I said and turned back to the old man. “I’m sorry,” replied the stewardess. I returned to her as she appeared to have a mental glitch. Her eyes fluttered wildly as they refocused on me. She asked again, “Y-you want tea, correct?” “No, I don’t want tea thank you!” I exclaimed again but this time she snapped back. “But…but you always have tea!” The stewardess Hare dropped a cup of tea in front of me with a CLUMP!

My hand shot to my forehead as my brain seemed unable to process everything that was going on around me. “You should probably have the tea Matt.” “STOP, I don’t even know who the hell you are! How do you know me?” The old man in the brown suit gripped his Bowler hat concern growing on his face. “We should probably try to keep everything the same Matt. That will probably stop all this.” “Stop what and I don’t want any damn tea!” “Listen to me Matt, you should have the tea!” I saw the tan man in yellow raise from his seat. His face red with utter rage, “DRINK THE DAMN TEA!” The newlywed woman exclaimed, “He needs to drink the tea!” Edith rose from behind her seat with tears streaming down her face. “Please…p-please drink the tea! We need to keep everything the same!”

I stared at them all as I handed the cup of tea back to stewardess Hare. I nearly spilled it when another passenger from further down the aisles yelled “Will you people shut the hell up? I’m trying to sleep here!” The old man in the brown suit ignored the passenger. “The truth is Matt you should at least keep the tea and not…” “STOP just stop and tell me how you know my name?” The old man waved his hand as if the question was unnecessary. “I know you are on or should I say were on your honeymoon with your new wife Gina. You’ve shown me her picture plenty of times, beautiful woman with olive skin and red hair, correct?” Whatever I had expected to hear that was not it. I felt a cold flash of fear envelope my body. I tried to move further away from him. “I know that you are a writer and columnist for The News One Organization. I know that you are heading home alone because you had walked in on your wife cheating on you with your best friend.” I felt my mouth drop open in shock. “How…how do you know all that?” “I told you Matt I know a lot about you because we have done this before. We have HAD this conversation many times before. We KEEP having to have this conversation repeatedly! Although with each cycle more and more passengers are becoming more enlightened. It’s only a matter of time before every passenger notices what the growing size of us already know. How could I know everything about you when you think we are meeting for the first time?”

I could feel the ticking cogs in my mental comprehension beginning to jam in my head. “You don’t know EVERYTHING! My wife’s name is NOT Gina. It’s Sara ok, S-A-R-A. So, I-I don’t understand what the hell you or everybody else is trying to pull.” “Matt please try to understand! Some of the smaller details might change but the basic transpiring of events stay the same. Whether your wife cheats on you with your best friend, her best friend, resort staff, another guest, your father, bus boy, sister, or one of your brothers. The point is that every cycle, EVERY cycle she cheats, and it brings you back here. Here to this EXACT moment in time! I am tired of this and my patience each time we cycle grows thinner. I’m tired of that same dumb look that you keep putting on your face every time I bring this up. I want this to end now! You need to believe what I am telling you because we believe you are the key to making this all stop!”

I turned from the old man in the brown suit and saw the continued stares of numerous passengers. I held my hand to my temples and rubbed it for a second. I unbuckled my seatbelt which gave a faint CLICK! “You’re insane…” I prepared to rise from my seat and repeated, “You’re insane… all utterly insane!” What I said did not seem to register with anybody. I saw the man in yellow bellow, “Stop him…don’t let him leave the seat!” “I’m going to the bathroom! When I come back, I am putting on my headphones for the remainder of the flight. I am done with this. I don’t know how you know what you know but I am done listening to this insanity.” I began to leave my seat as the tanned man in yellow bellowed, “STOP HIM!” Many of the other passengers were watching the heated exchange between us all. Stewardess Hare placed her hand on my shoulder and placed the cup of tea in the cup holder of my seat. “You stay seated and drink your tea Matt.” Edith bellowed from behind her seat, “W-w-why won’t he drink the tea?”

The old man in the brown suit waved his hands in a flash landing on my wrists. My protests were short, “What the…” The man in the brown suit began to yell, “GET HIM…hold him in place!” I watched as hands seemed to spring from every corner of the plane. I felt hands reach around my seat holding my shoulders. “HEY, LET ME GO WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” I tried to resist but the strength of my occupiers held me in my seat. I kicked my legs realizing the futility of my escape. I continued to protest but my words were silenced under the panicked words of the passengers. I could hear some in the distance protesting and possibly attempting to come to my aide.

“You are going to stay in your seat this time…no bathroom…no way of escaping your fate this time! You are not going to leave our sight this time! We are ending this cycle now!” The old man in the brown suit’s words were mutually agreed upon by the crowd of people surrounding me. Their shouts and protests were indiscernible registering in my ears as nothing more than loud commotion. I felt the plane give a sudden lurch as some nearly lost their balance. I tried pleading with my occupiers again, “Take your hands off me and let me go! HELP…somebody help me!” I cried out for someone on the plane to help remove me from my current predicament. “Almost time now Matt…just a few more minutes…” cooed the old man in the brown suit.

I felt relief come over me as I heard the voice from the other stewardess. “What the hell is going on here? Everybody needs to return to their seat at once!” Her barking order was not only useless, but outright refused. “Release that man or I will inform the air marshal and the captain!” The old man in the brown suit turned to her, “Quina by the time you get up to the captain and explain what is happening it will already be too late!” “How do you know my first name sir? And what do you mean too late?” I could hear the confusion in her voice. “Ms. Hare you are a stewardess on this flight, and you need to help me return these people to their seats.” However, stewardess Hare crossed her arms defiantly. “Fine,” barked Quina making her way down the aisle. “I am going to inform the captain and the air marshal.”

I watched Quina’s plump figure maneuver down the aisle making her way between the passengers. I heard the faint whisper from the old man in the brown suit. The slight tremble in his voice and sunken eyes watching Quina’s every movement, “And here we go.” I was unsure of what he meant. However, I did not have time to dwell on it.

Walking over to the large projection screen on the wall, she turned it on with the flick of a switch. The screen immediately went black and began to play a song that I recognized. Quina turned on the television, “I am going to go get the captain. I need everybody to calm down and return to their seats. In the meantime, I will put on a video for everybody to calm down to.” “You’re bringing me down. And you know it ain’t right. You’ve been running around, love…staying out all night. Get outta sight, don’t hang around, you’re bringing me down.”

The man in the brown suit glanced at his watch, “any second now.” “Let me go…” However, the plane gave a jerk from an unexpected turbulence. I heard the song lyrics fade as the screen displayed a plane soaring through a cloudless blue sky. “Here it comes…” The man in the brown suit said glancing up from his watch. I saw the plane in the film flying almost majestically through the sky as the company’s slogan began in a sing song tone. “Thank you for flying high on Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson… Jefferson… Jeff… Jeff… Jeff.” The video began to glitch as if buffering from lack of bandwidth. The screen flickered multiple colors like a test panel as if an emergency broadcast was about to play.

I could hear some passengers beginning to scream in terror. The old man in the brown suit locked eyes on me. “You’re not getting away this time Matt. We are stopping this!” The plane gave another violent jerk as my eyes traveled around the cabin. The lights in the cabin flickered as the video glitched back to the beginning. It repeated the same sing song message it had previoiusly. “Thank you for flying high on Jefferson Airplane.” There came an immediate rumbling from underneath my seat. The entire belly of the plane was shaking followed by unnerving metallic creaking. BAM… I felt the bottom drop out from under my seat. I fell straight through the bottom of the plane leaving the plane in a flash. The air rushed around me restricting my breathing. I gazed up towards the plane and saw several people following me including the old man in the brown suit. Undoubtedly pulled by the rushing air or simply fallen through the hole. My screams were wordless as I plummeted down to Earth. I witnessed the plane being torn apart in a blaze of fire swallowed by clouds of thick black smoke. I finally regained my breathing, letting out a terrified and helpless bellow before I hit the ocean below me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACT III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Here comes the airplane…” I felt my eyes give the faintest of flutters. The flicker of my lashes like light kisses from a butterfly’s wings. A voice over the airplane terminal’s intercom had awakened me from my deep slumber. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we thank you for your patience and understanding while we were waiting for the plane to arrive. In a few moments Jefferson Airplane flight #420 roundtrip from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, Florida will begin boarding the first rows now. Can those passengers please begin to line up behind the blue line?” The white light from the bright sunshine and loud commotion of the crowd seemed like a breath of life. I ran my fingers over my eyes as the sun seared my retinas. Awakened with a little jostle, I felt the air nearly rush into me filling my lungs reinvigorating my body. Feeling renewed as if my body had recovered from a long battle with a cold. My eyes fluttered again trying to regain my memory. I quickly gazed around the airport terminal and the surrounding people waiting for flight #420. I saw numerous sets of eyes glancing in my direction from over a dozen individual passengers. I began to wonder if I had been snoring. I hadn’t remembered drifting off to sleep. I sluggishly began to gaze around the terminal continuing to catch numerous glances and pointing fingers.

Despite my spotty memory, I rubbed my head and forehead trying to remember last night. Ignoring the people around me, I tried to recall any memories from the depths of my mind. Every memory was patchy like video running through a projector. I could see the pictures displayed in my mind. The voices and conversations were half remembered, sullied by the betrayal of my newlywed wife. My eyes landed on the sight of a happy couple in front of me returning home from their honeymoon. I tried to hide my longing jealousy of their committed love for each other. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun under a floppy sun hat. She giggled into her husband’s chiseled face appearing happy with the world. I turned to the empty seat next to me and remembered that I was leaving my honeymoon alone.

It took me a minute to gather myself straightening up in the hard plastic seat. The large windows that surrounded the terminal emphasized the tropical paradise awaiting outside. I pulled out my boarding ticket catching a glimpse at my wedding band. I felt a knot twist my stomach trying not to relive the pain of last night. The attempt to not visualize my wife’s face within the depths of my eyes was difficult. She was everything to me and I foolishly believed that I was everything to her. The gold circle of my wedding band squeezed my finger symbolizing a constant reminder of her betrayal.

The warm air brought a feeling of calm relaxation to spread over me. My hands lowered and I found my brown leather-bound notebook in my lap. I shifted in my seat and watched it topple to the airport floor with a THUD! The noise sent a sharp pain through my head. I rubbed my forehead with a little wince as the flight attendant spoke again into the intercom. “Jefferson Airplanes Flight #420 will continue its boarding of first and second priority seating guests.” I reached over picking up my notebook from the floor. I heard a man in front of me mutter in the faintest of whispers, “And so it begins.”

I raised my head with my notebook clutched in my hand. “Did you say something sir?” I felt a slight chill pass over me at the sight of the old man dressed in a dark brown suit. Sitting perfectly straight he appeared to be patiently waiting clenching a brown Bowler hat in his wrinkled hands. He peered at me with exhausted eyes outlined in red. They sagged unwavering from the sunken holes in his thinning face. His pale skin matched his white hair. He gave an angry glower and placed the brown Bowler hat on his head. He grabbed his brown attaché case from the floor and immediately rose from his seat without answering my question. He began walking towards an older woman crying into her husband’s arms. His fingertips consolingly grazed over her red scarf. She pulled her head away from his chest, “I can’t do it. I just can’t do it again! I can’t keep doing it! Oh God, how do we make it stop? I could stay…j-just not go right?” The old man in the brown suit placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head muttering, “Everybody must make the journey Edith. We’ll just come right back to where we started.”

The eyes of numerous passengers followed him like hungry lions in the brush. I did my best to ignore the stares and finger pointing. I watched the old man in the brown suit additionally consoling the crying woman. I clutched my leather-bound notebook to my chest before I rose to my feet preparing to enter the boarding line. I noticed numerous pairs of eyes followed me. I observed their apparent conversations between a dozen of them all continuously watching me. I tried to ignore it, stepping behind the last person in line. As the line continued to move forward, I noticed the old man in the brown suit trying to comfort the woman. His hand consolingly tracing over the woman’s back as the husband glared at me. I tried to turn away in time, but I had caught a look of utter loathing in his face. A loathing as if my very presence had sent the woman into mild hysterics. I followed the line as I heard old man muttering, “I know it’s scary, but hopefully this will be the last time.” I approached closer to them as the old man turned back to me. His weathered face covered in unshaven gray stubble twitching slightly. The old man’s piercing stare and the husband’s glowering look forced an awkward comment from me. “She’s afraid of flying huh?” The old man snapped in pure resentment, “Geez, I wonder why that could be?”

I rolled my eyes ignoring the old man and his scathing looks. Subconsciously, I spun my ring on my finger waiting for the line to continue forward. I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head. “I can’t…I-I-I just can’t…” The woman began again but her words faded from me. I felt a soft jolt of pain in my head as my hand ran over it. CREAK...CREAK… I heard the squeaking of metal and saw a nurse with pale skin dressed in pristine white pushing a white gowned patient in a wheelchair. Undeterred from her task, she uninterestingly passed by everybody without a turn of her head. The blonde-haired woman maneuvered between the hurried passengers as if emerged from out of a dream. Slow with her steps as the people around them passed in a blur.

I watched as she turned her head towards the small crowd of people. I felt my heart drop for a moment. The world seemed to fall away from me. Her blonde hair tied in a bun underneath her white nurse’s hat. “Darby…” I whispered to myself, preparing to take a step towards my supposed wife. I stopped myself noticing the absence of a brown freckle under her nose. A freckle that we had nicknamed, “The Caterpillar” due to its shape and resemblance. I watched a possible relative of my wife disappear behind a large cart of bags.

“Ticket…” My attention returned to discovering the space in front of me empty. I walked forward and presented my ticket to the attendant. It was the same attendant that had made the announcement. I read her name tag, T. Dormouse. She took my ticket with an odd expression on her mousey face. She held it letting her blue eyes search mine almost dreamily. “Is there a problem?” I heard the curiosity in her voice as she tore the ticket. “H-have we met before?” I shook my head, “I…I don’t think so?” She handed me the ticket inspecting me a final time. Her face furrowed in confusion, “Stop it, I know we’ve met before. Did we go to high school or university together?” I gave a small smirk and shook my head. “Are you sure? I feel like we have met before.” I chuckled lightly, “I think that I would remember talking or meeting a beautiful woman like you.” She gave a friendly smirk. “Yeah, I remember that cheesy line too.” “It was just the truth not meant to be cheesy.” She gave a friendly girlish little smirk letting me walk past her towards the gangway.

The bright sunshine forced my hands to immediately hit my face relieving me with needed shade. I hesitated for a moment, letting my hand wave in front of my face. My eyes searched for the way forward as the large unobstructed windows blinded my route. I regained my composure, but felt an odd feeling come over me. I could only ponder for a moment when a voice behind me snapped, “DEAR GOD man at least move aside if you’re just going to stand there! It’s already bad enough with what the hell is going on already!” I turned and saw to my displeasure the old man in the brown suit. His thinning leathery face was hardened with hatred. “I’m sorry have I done something to upset you?” The old man paused for a moment before speaking, “Yes, you want to move forward and get on the plane.” I nodded moving forward feeling as if each step was on wheels. Each window I passed would draw my attention reminding me of the paradise I was running from. I followed the line of people and removed my phone from my pocket. I saw random text messages from Darby. What had once lifted my heart to see now brought me disgust and anger.

 

[Darby “Wifey” Hanson]

Please Matt come back to the resort and don’t leave…don’t leave me like this!

Darby and I wanted to tell you. We can work through this, please answer me!

I don’t want to be with Darby, I want to be with you! He loves me but I don’t love him. I love you.

 

I closed the phone with a SNAP and an angry grumble. Moving down the gangway, I followed the trail of people boarding the airplane. However, I noticed several pairs of eyes continuously flick towards me. I felt myself giving a nervous little smirk returning my vision to glance out the window. The bright light seemed too good for the world that had crumpled around me. My hand went out to my wrist as my fingers traced my wife’s tattooed letters on my skin, L-A-R-A. I had let her become such a part of me that I had foolishly let her on my skin. I felt as if I would never be rid of her now, never be rid of her betrayal.

 

[10 Hours Earlier]

CLINK… The bottle of wine spun in my hand landing in my grasp. I gave a content little smirk heading down the resort hallway. The open hotel atmosphere was a true paradise. The warm breeze played across the stretch of hallway as I made my way back to my room. I felt almost euphoric when my eyes landed on the flowered numbers of room number 4-2-0 intertwined with tropical feathers. I clenched the bottle of wine as I raised my fist to the door.

Knuckles halted as I heard strange sounds coming from behind the door. Sounds that I was familiar with but had not heard in quite some time. Sounds Darby had promised to share with me every day on our honeymoon. The gut groans she made sounded like she was being attacked. I swiped my keycard and heard the lock CLICK! I entered the honeymoon suite to the full volume of my new wife’s passion. Their attention did not detour nor waver as I made my way into the room. I saw a feminine body between two flaying pale legs poking out from underneath a sheet. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?” I screamed at the top of my lungs as my heart dropped into my chest. I saw the olive skin and wild-eyed look from my wife’s maid of honor at our wedding.

“GINA…” I felt the wine bottle fall to my side with a CRASH! I watched my wife’s tussled blonde hair spring out from underneath the bed covers. Her pale skin could not be hidden behind the white bed sheet, “Darby?” They began to tug over it trying desperately to cover themselves up at the same time. I could feel my eyes bulging witnessing them as if I was seeing them for who they really were. I saw the guilty look spread across their faces. Darby’s pale skin was covered in their mutual sweat as she began “B-baby it’s not what it…” “Spare me Darby…your best friend…and maid of honor, really?” I exclaimed, staring at her best friend who shook her head. “I-it all just sort of happened. We have such a history together. It’s so complex.” “So, you flew all the way down here to…” Her eyes gave the lightest of twinkles, turning fondly back to my wife Darby. “Y-you love her?” “I guess in a way I have always loved her…ever since I first laid eyes on her in high school. I couldn’t live with myself if I hadn’t come.” Her brown eyes grew watery as she clung to the white bed sheet around her.

Darby gazed at me with her scared doe eyes. Her fingers between her lips and sensing my question. “I-I wanted to tell you…come clean but…WAIT baby please don’t go!” I heard Darby yell as she attempted to scramble over the bed. “Please don’t, w-we c-can talk about this?” I stormed down the hallway leaving everything behind me.

 

[Present Level]

I entered the airplane as two stewardesses greeted me. One plump little woman with rosy cheeks spoke first, “Welcome to Jefferson Airplane!” I nodded at her false little smile reading her golden name tag, “Q. Hart”. The other stewardess a tall stringy woman with long brown hair gave me a look and immediately diverted her gaze. I read her golden name tag, “M. Hare”. She gave polite nods to the other passengers with a tired expression clenching her trembling arm against her. I moved between the rows of seats feeling overwhelming sets of eyes turning to me. Random passengers placed their luggage away as others began to take their seats. A trembling came over my skin as I began to wonder why numerous pairs of eyes would glance towards me. I patted my disheveled brown hair down making my way to my seat. I read the worn silver sign above my row, “D-C-B-A 25”. I placed my bag into the overhead bin and gripped my leather-bound notebook.

An unshakeable feeling of constantly being watched crept over me. I turned examining the plane quickly before taking my seat in A. Countless pairs of eyes stared at me, but quickly turned when I caught their individual gazes. Unable to ponder on whether my mind was playing tricks on me. I heard a woman in front of me beginning to protest. I saw that it was the same red scarfed woman that I had seen in the airport terminal. I saw the old man in the brown suit next to her. Her eyes were wide in petrified terrified, “I can’t…I-I just can’t anymore. Please, I want to stay back.” She whispered to him before the old man replied. “I have already told you. We can’t do that Edith. Everyone must make the journey…the FULL journey or else it will just continue to play out.” Edith nodded her head wiping the tears from her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re right. I just…I just can’t sit in THAT seat anymore. C-can you switch me?” The ancient man patted her on the shoulder nodding sympathetically.

I silently groaned as I watched the old man’s sunken eyes turn to me. Silently begging he would sit anywhere else. I felt that hope disintegrate with a final leading wave from his hand towards his seat. Edith gave an appreciative nod heading towards the middle row of seats. He held his brown attaché case in front of him as he made his way towards me. I heard him mutter as I let him pass me to his seat. “I think you’re finally starting to catch on there.” I shook my head and replied, “Catching on to what exactly, sir?” The old man answered back. “That I sit in the middle here.” “I didn’t…” I paused and rolled my eyes, deciding to ignore him.

I buckled myself in and prepared for departure. I took a deep breath as the old man didn’t bother buckling himself in. His penetrating eyes had noticed me looking at his unbuckled seatbelt. He leaned his head back and gazed at the call buttons above him. “I wish that I could express in so many words how much it doesn’t matter at this point. How much I would pray for a different fate.” I turned my head realizing that multiple couples, numerous individual passengers, and even the newlywed couple from the terminal were pointing directly at me. Upon catching my attention, they all quickly diverted their gazes again. The plane gave a slight rumble as the engines began to come to life. The power of the plane began to awaken from within its depths.

I saw the old man trying to peer over the seats in front of him possibly checking on his friend Edith. His Bowler hat returned to his hands as he saw me staring at his concerned look. His eyes met mine and I gave an awkward little smirk. I hesitated with my comment of reassurance. The seconds ticked by as the old man’s eyes peered at me. Deciding to give it another shot I shrugged, “I know what it’s like to travel with someone who is afraid of flying. The worst part is taking off. Once we are in the air, I am sure she will be okay. Has she always been afraid of flying?” The old man eyed me with an eerie gaze as if he was examining my words. After a few seconds, he replied with a simple, “God damn am I tired of you giving me that same stupid advice.” “What the hell is your problem sir? You know what?” I raised my hand in frustration, but evidently holding my temper. “Look, I was just trying to be nice. My wife is afraid of flying. It took everything for me to convince her to go on this honeymoon. All I was going to ask was if she just developed a fear of flying recently?” The old man again hesitated gripping his Bowler hat tighter and replied, “You could say that, but then again dying will always do that to a person.”

I was not sure if I had heard the old man clearly. I watched him place his Bowler hat back on his head. He turned facing forward staring into the nothingness and lost in his own thoughts. The force of takeoff pinned me back in my seat as the plane rattled to full speed. I heard the old man next to me whisper to himself, “Here we go again.”

The plane leveled out and the cabin returned to normal. I breathed a sigh of relief realizing I was heading home. I had a couple hours to agonize about picking up my life from the shambles it was currently in. I thought about Darby and the day that I had planned for her. Scuba diving, a day on the beach, a candlelight dinner, and a bottle of wine to top it off. I knew that Darby would have loved it. How could I have missed the affair between her best friend and wife? Unanswered questions spiraled through my head, “Pen?”

My concentration was broken by the old man in the brown suit. His wide eyes were cold as his weathered hand outstretched towards me. “I don’t have a…” I noticed the quick roll of his eyes as he interjected, “Why must you insist on playing games? It’s in your inside pocket there.” I saw his eyes motion to the white hotel pen in my leather notebook. I handed it to him with an odd expression. He took it uncapping it and immediately rolled up the sleeve to his suit jacket. He inscribed a single dark line on it. I turned away catching numerous passengers staring at me including a tan man dressed in a bright yellow Polo shirt. I caught the woman Edith periodically peering over her seat at me.

I narrowed my eyes in growing suspicion as I leaned back in my seat muttering, “Am I crazy or are numerous people looking at me?” “You’re not crazy…” The old man handed me back my pen. “They ARE looking at you Matt. In fact, MANY are, and more are taking notice every time we go around.” I turned to him feeling my heart drop in my chest. His piercing eyes bore through me as a feeling of Déjà vu came over me. “H-h-how did you know…” I began but the old man interjected, “God I am so sick of that stupid dumbstruck look on your face! I am done…DONE with the pleasantries between us! I have grown tired of repeating it and continuing to have this SAME conversation and exchange of words. We only had to make sure you get on and the plane takes off.”

The tan man dressed in a yellow Polo raised from his seat across the aisle. “How do you know old man? I say we should have permanently grounded the flight. If there’s NO flight, then there’s NO crash hence stopping the cycle!” “We tried that before Tim the ONLY way to stop the cycle is to go through it...ALL of us!” “What in God’s name are you two talking about? How do you know my name?”

The old man in the brown suit removed his Bowler hat and placed it in his lap. “At this point, I know everything about you Matt. I am afraid I am the one that knows the most about you. I assume that’s why everybody thinks I have all the answers.” “This is messed up…so, messed up. How do you…” “Oh, you have NO idea what messed up really is Matt! I was the first to recognize the cycle and once you see it you cannot unsee it. It just grows clearer each time we go around until reality becomes non-existent, leaving only the cycle to remain. Now, I will be frank with you. I am exhausted doing this and going through this. So, I don’t care about taking my time anymore. I don’t care about easing you into the unusual predicament we are all in. Despite what you might think we still have to go through the crash at the end of this…and it hurts!”

I sat speechless as I watched those familiar sets of eyes continue to look in my general direction. The discomforting feeling inside me continued to intensify. The old man’s eyes widened as if he was fighting an internal conflict. “You’re telling me that you’re dead? So that must mean you think I am dead? Yea, you know what I think? I think you need to see a shrink there, buddy.” The old man’s brain seemed to reconnect. “I don’t know what I am Matt! I don’t know what you are! All I know is that crossing over, cycling over, or dying…whatever you want to call it hurts! And I’m fucking tired of continuously reminding you of it and going through this.” “What does that even mean?” “Tea…” I turned to see the lanky stewardess next to me. I saw the golden name tag glint in my face, M. Hare. “No thank you,” I said and turned back to the old man. “I’m sorry,” replied the stewardess. I returned to her as she appeared to have a mental glitch. Her eyes fluttered wildly as they refocused on me. She asked again, “Y-you want tea, correct?” “No, I don’t want tea thank you!” I exclaimed again but this time she snapped back. “But…but you always have tea!” The stewardess Hare dropped a cup of tea in front of me with a CLUMP!

My hand shot to my forehead as my brain seemed unable to process everything that was going on around me. “Stop fighting it Matt, you know as well as I do you will drink the tea. So, you should probably just have the tea Matt.” “STOP, I don’t even know who the hell you are! How do you know me?” The old man in the brown suit gripped his Bowler hat concern growing on his face. “We should probably try to keep everything the same Matt. That will probably stop all this.” “Stop WHAT cycle and I don’t want any damn tea just go away!” “Listen to me Matt, shouting at her is not going to help anything. You should just have the tea!” I saw the tan man in yellow Polo raise from his seat. His face red with utter rage, “DRINK THE DAMN TEA!” The newlywed woman exclaimed, “He needs to drink the tea!” Edith rose from behind her seat with tears streaming down her face. “Please…p-please drink the tea! We need to keep everything the same to stop this madness!”

I stared at them all as I handed the cup of tea back to stewardess Hare. I nearly spilled it when another passenger from further down the aisles yelled “Will you people shut the hell up? I’m trying to sleep here!” The old man in the brown suit ignored the passenger. “The truth is Matt you should at least keep the tea and not…” “STOP just stop and tell me how you know my name? And what the HELL is going on!” The old man waved his hand as if the question was unnecessary. “I know you are on or should I say WERE on your honeymoon with your new wife Sara. You’ve shown me her picture plenty of times, beautiful woman with olive skin and red hair, correct?” Whatever I had expected to hear that was not it. I felt a cold flash of fear envelope my body. I tried to move further away from him. “I know that you are a writer and columnist for The News One Organization. I know that you are heading home alone because you had walked in on your wife cheating on you with your best friend.” I felt my mouth drop open in shock. “How…how do you know all that?” “I told you Matt I know a lot about you because we have done this before. We have HAD this conversation SO many times before! We KEEP having to have this conversation repeatedly! Although with each cycle more and more passengers are becoming more enlightened. It’s only a matter of time before every passenger notices what the growing size of us already know. After all, I think you are starting to notice the increasing numbers yourself, am I correct?”

I could feel the ticking cogs in my mental comprehension beginning to jam in my head. “Firstly, you don’t know EVERYTHING! My wife’s name is NOT Sara. It’s Darby ok, D-A-R-B-Y. Second, she does not have olive skin nor red hair…sounds more like her best friend Gina to be honest with you. So, I don’t understand what the hell YOU or EVERBODY else is trying to pull!” “Matt please try to understand! Some of the smaller details might change but the basic transpiring of events ALWAYS stay the same. Whether your wife cheats on you with your best friend, her best friend, resort staff, another guest, your father, bus boy, sister, or one of your brothers. The point is that every cycle, EVERY cycle she cheats, and it brings you back here. Here to this EXACT moment in time! I am tired of this and my patience each time we cycle grows thinner. I’m tired of that same dumb look that you keep putting on your face every time I bring this up. I want this to end NOW! You need to believe what I am telling you because we believe you are the key to making this all stop!”

I turned from the old man in the brown suit and saw the continued stares of numerous passengers. I held my hand to my temples and rubbed it for a second. I unbuckled my seatbelt which gave a faint CLICK! “You’re insane…” I prepared to rise from my seat and repeated, “You’re insane… all utterly insane!” What I said did not seem to register with anybody. I saw the man in yellow bellow, “Stop him…don’t let him leave the seat!” “I’m going to the bathroom…just the bathroom! When I come back, I am putting on my headphones for the remainder of the flight. I am done with this. I don’t know how you know what you know but I am done listening to this insanity.” I began to leave my seat as the tanned man in yellow bellowed, “STOP HIM!” Many of the other passengers were watching the heated exchange between us all. Stewardess Hare placed her hand on my shoulder and placed the cup of tea in the cup holder of my seat. “You stay seated and drink your tea Matt.” Edith bellowed from behind her seat, “W-w-why won’t he drink the tea?”

The old man in the brown suit waved his hands in a flash landing on my wrists. My protests were short, “What the…” The old man in the brown suit began to yell, “GET HIM…hold him in place!” I watched as hands seemed to spring from every corner of the plane. I felt hands reach around my seat holding my shoulders. “HEY, LET ME GO WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” I tried to resist but the strength of my occupiers held me in my seat. I kicked my legs realizing the futility of my escape. I continued to protest but my words were silenced under the panicked words of the passengers. I could hear some in the distance protesting and possibly attempting to come to my aide.

“You are going to stay in your seat this time…no bathroom…no way of escaping your fate this time! You are not going to leave our sight this time! We are ending this cycle now!” The old man in the brown suit’s words were mutually agreed upon by the swarm of people surrounding me. Their shouts and protests were indiscernible registering in my ears as nothing more than a small riot. I felt the plane give a sudden lurch as some nearly lost their balance. I thrashed my arms wildly freeing myself from the tackling passengers. I elbowed and punched whoever I could to free myself. “HELP ME SOMEBODY…” I hollered as I made my way into the aisle. “STOP HIM…HE MUST NOT LEAVE!” The old man in the brown suit was pointing at me. His sunken red eyes bulged in their sockets unbalancing me in their penetrating gaze. I stumbled back nearly colliding with stewardess Hare. Her face shook with a loathing frustration trembling the teapot in her hand. “I…want…out…” Her morbid soft whisper could have withered a red rose. “Get away from me…all of you! Get away, where is the God damn air marshal?”

“He is a believer too nearly half the plane is this cycle.” “You are insane…all of you leave me alone…please, somebody please help me!” I stared helplessly around the cabin as every set of eyes watched from their seats. Nobody moved, nor responded to my pleas of help. “This is madness…” “YES, this is Matt! This is MADNESS! We keep rewinding in this never-ending cycle every time converting more into seeing their new reality…the cycle. However, what continuously baffles me is for some reason a few of you don’t…and YOU don’t! EVERY time you escape the plane just before we crash! But not this time Matt, OH NO not this time! You are surrounded in the middle of the plane…nowhere for you to go this time. This time when we go down, we’re ALL going down! Almost time now…just a few more minutes…” muttered the old man in the brown suit.

I felt relief come over me hearing the voice from the other stewardess. “What the hell is going on here? I need everybody to return to their seat at once!” Her barking order was not only useless, but outright refused. “I will inform the air marshal and the captain!” The old man in the brown suit turned to her, “Quina will you shut the hell up! I am tired of you CONSTANTLY coming back here and telling us that! Nearly everyone on this plane can see the cycle, but you refuse to accept it downright! I have tried to convince you time and time again. I don’t understand your continued defiance. Besides by the time you get up to the captain and explain what is happening it will already be too late!” “What are you talking about sir? How do you know my first name? And what do you mean too late?” I could hear the confusion in her voice. “Ms. Hare you are a stewardess on this flight! How can you just stand there? You need to help me return these people to their seats.” However, stewardess Hare crossed her arms defiantly. “I am tired of listening to you Quina. If you don’t want to accept what we have been trying to tell you that’s up to you. In the meantime, I want this to end!” “Fine,” barked Quina making her way down the aisle. “I am going to inform the captain and the air marshal!”

I watched Quina’s plump figure maneuver down the aisle making her way between the passengers. I heard the faint whisper from the old man in the brown suit. The slight tremble in his voice and sunken eyes watching Quina’s every movement, “And here we go.” I was unsure of what he meant. However, I did not have time to dwell on it.

Walking over to the large projection screen on the wall, she turned it on with the flick of a switch. The screen immediately went black and began to play a song that I recognized. Stewardess Quina turned on the television, “I need everybody to calm down and return to their seats. In the meantime, I will put on a video for everybody to calm down to.” “You’re bringing me down. And you know it ain’t right. You’ve been running around, love…staying out all night. Get outta sight, don’t hang around, you’re bringing me down.”

The man in the brown suit glanced at his watch, “any second now.” However, the plane gave a jerk from an unexpected turbulence. I heard the song lyrics fade as the screen displayed a plane soaring through a cloudless blue sky. “Here it comes…” The man in the brown suit continued glancing up from his watch. I saw the plane in the film flying almost majestically through the sky as the company’s slogan began in a sing song tone. “Thank you for flying high on Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson Airplane… Jefferson… Jefferson… Jeff… Jeff… Jeff.” The video began to glitch as if buffering from lack of bandwidth. The screen flickered multiple colors like a test panel as if an emergency broadcast was about to play.

I could hear numerous passengers beginning to scream in terror. The old man in the brown suit locked eyes on me. “You’re not getting away this time Matt. We are STOPPING this! You hear me? You’ve nowhere to go this time! THIS ENDS NOW!” The plane gave another violent jerk as my eyes traveled around the cabin. The lights gave an ominous flicker as the video glitched back to the beginning. It repeated the same sing song message it had previously. “Thank you for flying high on Jefferson Airplane.” I watched the old man in the brown suit gaze around the cabin. The plane gave a violent shake that ebbed into a shudder of the frame of the plane. I watched as every fearful eye traveled around the cabin anticipating and waiting for something to happen. The shuddering died and soon an uneasy silence filled the entire plane. Seconds passed as the slightest movement or rustle of passengers seemed amplified.

I watched as the countless faces of concern and fear slowly begin to change. The terror in their faces slowly beginning to twist into smirks of relief and oncoming joy. The plane continued to fly as if it had been undisturbed or detoured from its flight path. “Is that it?” Edith cried hopefully gazing at the old man in the brown suit. The ancient man began to smirk wider, “I think…I think it’s stopped. I think we stopped it!” Upon the old man in the brown suit’s comments the plane began to erupt in jubilation. Passengers began hugging each other as I stood utterly perplexed at their behavior. “You all are insane! I assure you that when we land I will be speaking with the police and suing Jefferson…” My words were silenced when the man in the yellow Polo shirt exclaimed, “I just saw something!” The jubilation died as the old man in the brown suit began to walk towards the tan man. “I think…I think there’s something outside?”

The old man began to erupt in whispered questions and eerie wonderment. The tan man peered out the tiny cabin window. “I think…I saw something flying next to us? I don’t know what it was. It was too dark to make anything out.” The passengers began to increase in their persistent curiosity unable to answer them all individually the old man began to wave the people down. His body trembled barely holding onto his own sanity. “C-c-calm d-d-down Ti-m-m…tell me what you saw.” “I don’t know what it was. All I saw was something dark and flat.” “Like…saucer shaped,” questioned the old man peering out of every corner of the window. He searching the cloudy skies unable to accept Tim’s struggled description. Sunken eyes rose from the depths of the window as the old man peered at Tim. “H-h-have you s-seen the saucers?” Terror filled the old man’s face as his eyes trembled to the roof of the cabin. The lights resumed their eerie flickering. I watched his fingers clench to his thinning face, “The saucers…I forgot about the saucers! I-I-I can’t do it! I can’t remember everything! OH, GOD PLEASE NOT THE SAUCERS!”

BAM… I felt the top of the cabin open from above me. I watched as a bright circle of blue light emerged from directly above me. Instantly burning a hole through the cabin’s roof. BOOM… The plane appeared to break apart before my eyes entrancingly locked on the diamond pattern in my eyes. The bright blue neon light enveloped me pulling me weightlessly up towards it. I heard a voice bellow, “STOP HIM, STOP HIM…grab him before he disappears!”

I flew straight through the top of the plane leaving it in a flash. The air rushed around me restricting my breathing. I gazed up towards the flying saucer and felt a blissful euphoria take over my being. I felt it unnecessary to scream letting the blue light lift me lightly as paper defying gravity. I heard the plane being ripped in pieces and felt a blaze of fire underneath me. My body became engulfed by clouds of thick black smoke. I choked helplessly allowing the darkness to swallow me up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACT ???

(Part #1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Here comes the airplane…” I felt my eyes give the faintest of flutters. The flicker of my lashes like light kisses from a butterfly’s wings. A voice over the airplane terminal’s intercom had awakened me from my deep slumber. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we thank you for your patience and understanding while we were waiting for the plane to arrive. In a few moments Jefferson Airplane flight #420 roundtrip from Puerto Rico to Tampa, Florida will begin boarding the first rows now. Can those passengers please begin to line up behind the purple line?” The white light from the bright sunshine and loud commotion of the crowd seemed like a breath of life. I ran my fingers over my eyes as the sun seared my retinas. Awakened with a little jostle, I felt the air nearly rush into me filling my lungs reinvigorating my body. Feeling renewed as if my body had recovered from a long battle with a cold. My eyes fluttered again trying to regain my memory. I quickly gazed around the airport terminal and the surrounding people waiting for flight #420. I saw countless sets of eyes glancing in my direction from over dozens of individual passengers. I began to wonder if I had been snoring. I hadn’t remembered drifting off to sleep. I sluggishly began to gaze around the terminal continuing to catch numerous glances and pointing fingers.

Despite my spotty memory, I rubbed my head and forehead trying to remember last night. Ignoring the people around me, I tried to recall any memories from the depths of my mind. Every memory was patchy like video running through a projector. I could see the pictures displayed in my mind. The voices and conversations were half remembered, sullied by the betrayal of my newlywed wife. My eyes landed on the sight of a happy couple in front of me returning home from their honeymoon. I tried to hide my longing jealousy of their committed love for each other. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun under a floppy sun hat. She giggled into her husband’s chiseled face appearing happy with the world. I turned to the empty seat next to me and remembered that I was leaving my honeymoon alone.

It took me a minute to gather myself straightening up in the hard plastic seat. The large windows that surrounded the terminal emphasized the tropical paradise awaiting outside. I pulled out my boarding ticket catching a glimpse at my wedding band. I felt a knot twist my stomach trying not to relive the pain of last night. The attempt to not visualize my wife’s face within the depths of my eyes was difficult. She was everything to me and I foolishly believed that I was everything to her. The gold circle of my wedding band squeezed my finger symbolizing a constant reminder of her betrayal.

The warm air brought a feeling of calm relaxation to spread over me. My hands lowered and I found my brown leather-bound notebook in my lap. I shifted in my seat and watched it topple to the airport floor with a THUD! The noise sent a sharp pain through my head. I rubbed my forehead with a little wince as the flight attendant spoke again into the intercom. “Jefferson Airplanes Flight #420 will continue its boarding of first and second priority seating guests.” I reached over picking up my notebook from the floor. I heard an old man in a brown suit in front of me whisper, “And so it begins.” I raised my head with my notebook clutched in my hand. “Did you say something sir?”

BOOM……BOOM, I heard the eruption of gunshots from somewhere in the distance. The airplane terminal immediately erupted into chaos. One of the passengers dressed in a yellow Polo shirt had stolen a pistol from a police officer. He shot the gun wildly screaming at the top of his lungs. “I won’t go! I won’t go! I won’t do it again!” I heard the screaming of the scrambling people scattering in every direction. I ducked my head preparing to fall to the ground. I gazed up to discover the old man in the brown suit sitting perfectly straight in his seat. He appeared to be patiently waiting clenching a brown Bowler hat in his wrinkled hands. The commotion and gunshots were unable to detour his penetrating stare behind those exhausted eyes. He simply muttered loudly to himself, “This one again…I like this one…its quicker.” He gave an angry glower before placing his Bowler hat on his head. He grabbed his brown attaché case from the floor and immediately rose from his seat.

I watched as the old man in the brown suit turned towards me. “I’ll see you again in a few minutes.” I crouched on the floor as the old man turned back towards the gunman. Attempting to reach for him, I watched him outstretch his hands and arms outwards. Head tilted up I watched the old man walk towards the gunman without fear of death or loss of life. My eyes bulged watching the old man’s body take every shot with sickening THUD…THUD. I watched his blood spatter the surrounding chairs and windows. I stood up rushing to rescue the old man preparing to catch him. However, this exposed me to the mass shooter. The tan man dressed in a yellow Polo turned the gun towards me. BAM… I saw a flash of white light followed by immediate darkness.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACT ???

(Part #2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Here comes the airplane…” A silver spoon whirred in the air mimicking an airplane in flight. It circled before the man’s mouth opened with a small droopy smile. It was the simple comedic line unfailing in its ability to make the man smile. It was within that smile the nurse placed the spoon in his mouth. “There you go Matt. You sure do love that airplane, don’t ya? It’s the only way you’ll take your medicine, isn’t it? Oh, you’re drooling a bit!” The nurse gave a simpering little shake of her head wiping his face with a cloth from her front pocket. “There that’s better now, isn’t it?” Matt reached up and tapped her gold name badge with a TINK…TINK. He chuckled innocently repeating the name, “Dormouse…Dormouse…” The nurse gave a praising toothy smile, “That’s right Matt my last name is Dormouse.” “Dormouse,” he repeated as Nurse Dormouse straightened up in front of him. “Alright, Matt so we’ve had our medicine what is next on the list of Head Nurse Hart’s and Dr. Brown’s instructions?” Matt turned his head with a twitching little lop of his head. “Oh, don’t you go quiet on me now Matt.” Nurse Dormouse playfully scolded her patient beginning to push him in his wheelchair. “You know you are getting me into quite the little scandal with Head Nurse Hart and Dr. Brown. They have told me that you barely say two words to them. That you only are now accepting your medicine from me. Nurse Hart thinks you’re a little sweet on me. Isn’t that silly? Although, I am not sure you heard but Nurse Hart retiring soon. So, it looks like you and I will be spending a lot of time together. In fact, Nurse Hare has offered to help me with your nap and evening routine requirements. Wasn’t that nice of her?”

They moved through the hospital recreational area passing various other patients. One man twitching violently next to him, “I’m still not clean…germs…germs everywhere!” His maniacal fingers clawed at his face as Matt just twirled his head back to the ceiling. He watched the humming lights pass above him. The murmuring of two men could be heard to his side. Their bickering caught the attention of Nurse Dormouse, “Mr. Dee and Mr. Dum you have been working on the electricity in this building for days now. When do you plan on finishing?” One large egg-shaped man rose from the patch of hole in the wall. He ruffled the small patch of reddish hair on his head. “We found the short in the wire and replaced the wire all yesterday. We are just reconnecting and about to switch everything from backup to the main line in a couple minutes. You go take this guy back to his room and don’t worry about a thing.”

The door to his hospital room opened with a CLICK! Nurse Dormouse said, “Here we are Matt in your room. It must be a real step up now that you have switched from short to long term status. Are we ready for our daily nap? I see that Nurse Hare is already here and has poured your tea for you.” Matt gave a simpering little smile, “Head Nurse Hart informed us you can’t rest until you drink your tea, right?” Nurse Hare a slender woman made her way next to him and helped him with his tea. “What song do you want to hear for your nap Matty?” Tea dribbled down his chin spattering his white patient gown. Unconcerned with the new addition, “Oh, here I’ll get that.” Nurse Hare wiped away at the stain, “I know we must always have our tea, but do we have to make a mess of it? We must drink the tea.” She chuckled wiping his mouth again, “There you go, all better?” Matt’s eyes widened slightly as his lips parted a fraction of an inch. He turned his head and raised his finger slightly pointing at the record in Nurse Dormouse’s hands. She gave a pleasant little smile with a playful roll of her eyes. “Why do I even bother to ask anymore?”

Nurse Hare helped Matt to his bed, “Now go on get under the covers there. You have yourself a good nap and listen to your music.” Nurse Dormouse gave a polite smile and returned to Nurse Hare’s side. The song “Somebody To Love” began to play over the small record player in the room. “Is that everything with this patient?” Nurse Hare’s question was met with a pointed finger, “Yes and Nurse Hart reminded repeatedly to make damn sure that the repeat button is on.” “He…he has to hear the same song.” “It keeps him in a state of relaxation and keeps him asleep. Nurse Hart informed me that he doesn’t like it.” Nurse Hare nodded as they both left the room under Grace Slick hypnotic voice.

“It’s a shame too. He’s a very attractive young man. Can I ask what happened to him?” They both walked down the hallway as an old man in a brown suit stood near one of the rooms. He gave a polite nod of his head holding a brown attaché case. He exchanged it for a white lab coat from an intern speaking in a nervous tone under his aura of authority. “Doctor Brown,” responded Nurse Dormouse as they passed the doctor. He returned to the intern as Nurse Dormouse continued, “tragic story…just tragic story and so young too.” They both continued to walk down the hallway passing into the short-term patient wing. “He walked in on his wife having sex with his father.” Nurse Hare’s hands shot to her mouth exclaiming, “oh my, that’s awful just awful!” Nurse Dormouse nodded, “Supposedly he was on his honeymoon too. He walked in on them from planning a special day. From what I recall he even brought wine to celebrate. Anyway, he couldn’t take it…had a sort of psychotic mental break unable to cope with the trauma. Missed his returning flight home because he wouldn’t stop drinking. Dr. Brown thinks that was what brought on the catatonic state. He spent a couple days hoping from bar to bar until he got himself arrested. The police brough him here five days ago and put on a psychological hold. However, he as shown no improvements and now has been selected for long term commitment.” “I’m confused what does him missing his flight have to do with anything?” “It was flight #420…” “You mean Jefferson Airplane flight #420?”

 

[10 Days Earlier]

CLINK… The bottle of wine spun in my hand landing in my grasp. I gave a content little smirk heading down the resort hallway. The open hotel atmosphere was a true paradise. The warm breeze played across the stretch of hallway as I made my way back to my room. I felt almost euphoric when my eyes landed on the flowered numbers of room number 4-2-0 intertwined with tropical feathers. I clenched the bottle of wine as I raised my fist to the door.

Knuckles halted as I sound came from behind the door. I heard a sound that I was familiar with but had not heard in quite some time. A sound Lara had promised to share with me every day on our honeymoon. The gut groans sounded like she was being attacked. I swiped my keycard and heard the lock click. I entered the honeymoon suite to the full volume of my new wife’s passion. Their attention did not detour nor waiver as I made my way into the room. I froze in the door frame staring at the scene before me. I saw a leg with a familiar tattoo a white rabbit holding a gold pocket watch. A message in faded black ink read, The One That Got Away.

“D-dad…” I felt the wine bottle fall to my side with a CRASH! They seemed to tug over the sheet to try and cover them both up at the same time. I could feel my eyes bulging see them as if I was seeing them for who they really were. I saw the betrayal guilty looks across their faces. “Baby it’s not…it all just sort of happened.” His eyes gave the lightest of twinkles and he didn’t need to say anymore.

“I turned to Lara who gazed up at me with those frightened eyes. Her fingers between her lips and sensing my question. “We- we wanted to tell you, but Darby thought it would be…WAIT, baby!” I heard Lara yell as she scrambled over the bed. “Please don’t, we can talk about this?” I stormed down the hallway leaving everything behind in my haste.

Unblinkingly, I walked down to the first floor of the resort complex. My mind unable to process what had transpired. I heard protests from the room, but nobody followed me. I hadn’t expected them too after the way I discovered them. Sluggish in my walking, my mind adrift in a sea of my own confusion. I walked without a destination, nor purpose.

Walking until I found myself stepping out in front of the large pool area. The inviting scene called to any passerby with an entrancing promise of relaxation. The waving palm trees that circled the large outdoor pool seemed to be the only thing moving in his world. I barely registered the world gazing into the distance. The waving sea able to change entire landscapes did little to change me. Few guests of the resort walked along the dimly lit paths. A lone grass hut Cantini came into view with a man shaking a drink for another lone customer. He watched as the customer placed a large black vinyl onto a small record player. “OH, I love this song,” he said as the needle scratched against the black disk.

A lone song broke the tranquil grounds of paradise. “When the truth is found…to be…lies…and all the joy within you…dies. Don’t you want somebody to love?” Zombie like in my walk, I made my way towards the lone cantina letting the song carry me. It consumed me entrancing me in a sense of security and sensibility. It was steady and content luring me to the stool in front of it. Unblinkingly my eyes met the bartender. “Wow buddy you look like shit or at least seen a ghost!” I sat unresponsive as the bartender’s words barely seemed to register. The bartender gave a little gulp from nerves realizing I had no response or reaction. “So, um…what can I get you?” “Beer,” I replied simply. The bartender nodded, opening the cap with a quick SNAP! Foam poured down the neck as he slid it over to me.

Almost robotically, I picked it up and began to drink it. One gulp, two gulps, three gulps, four gulps, I drained the bottle and let it fall to the wooden table with a CLINK! “Another,” I said softly. “Uh…” The bartender replied unable to contain the bewilderment in his gaze. “I um…I’ll need your room key.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew the keycard, “Keep it…I want need it anymore.” The man took it and handed him another beer. “You better find somebody to love!” The music began to fade as the bartender made his way over to the record player. “Wait…” The bartender gazed at me. I turned my head a fraction of an inch. “You want to listen to something else? What do you want to hear?” Gripping the bottle of beer, I muttered “Play it again.” The bartender gave an odd expression returning the needle to its starting point. The beautiful voice belted out her first note she had upon his arrival. “When the truth is found…to be…lies…and all the joy…within you…dies.”

 

[Present Day]

The lights around them began to flutter and then flicker going out with a POP! Nurse Hare watched as a horrorstruck look came over the face of Nurse Dormouse. “Oh, the electricity went out huh Nurse Dormouse? I guess Mr. Dee and Dum crossed some wires huh? Where are you going?” Nurse Hare’s question went unanswered as Nurse Dormouse had already began sprinting back down the hallway. Following her frantic footsteps, the hallway was filled from screams coming from a familiar room. “THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY! THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY! THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

Dr. Brown immediately charged into the room bulldozing over the interns around the door. His Bowler hat blew off the top of his snow-white hair in his haste. “Matt, Matt, it’s me Dr. Brown! Hear my voice and remember the tools I’ve been trying to teach you in our sessions! Where are you right now?’ Matt’s head turned towards Dr. Brown who repeated. “That’s right Matt, where are you right now?” “High on Jefferson Airplane,” he muttered in barely a whisper. Dr. Brown released his grip. Matt began to thrash his body jerking with every movement and annunciation of his words. “HIGH…ON…JEFFERSON…AIRPLANE!” Dr. Brown began motioning to the nurses in the room. His orders drowned under the maniacal laughter and bellowing from Matt, “HIGH ON JEFFERSON AIRPLANE! HIGH ON JEFFERSON AIRPLANE!”

 

THE END

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somebody To Love

(Re-Write)

By

Robby Richardson & Darby Slick

(Featuring Sweta Shriya, Basma Shahnawaz)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truth is found within love and truth is found when love dies

Truth is found in the lies and truth is found in spite of

A world that spins so fast in a world where dreams won’t last

And in your heart, yes in your heart, you don’t know why

I feel fine when your fingers intertwine with mine

Feeling sublime with what I got

 

“Don’t you want somebody to love”

I want to find love with somebody

“Don’t you need somebody to love”

I need to find love with somebody

“Would you love somebody to love”

When will I find that somebody to love

 

Love can sprout like flowers in a garden

The difference between love and addiction is a small margin

And in that bed of you and me needs are the weeds and you’ll find there are none

So, let’s fly through the haze of a psychedelic sky and a painted horizon where senses ignite

Where we dream in rainbows and cherish starry nights

Surrender to the currents on high or let go and free fall

Finding life’s meaning in nothing or all

Fly on Jefferson Airplane across a kaleidoscope colored sky

Love in the flight and cherish the journey until life’s goodbye

I want a love like chasing white rabbits to caterpillars with funny habits

To find out who are you on top of a magic mushroom

Mind free from cramped rooms driving me mad hopping around padded rooms

Laugh with jesters named Lewis and sing carols with mad professors

To find “Somebody to love” whether on airplanes or starships

A butterfly effect kind of effect that would trip Grace Slick

 

“Don’t you want somebody to love”

I yearn for the spark, a connection so deep

“Don’t you need somebody to love”

My heart’s a vast ocean, waiting for love’s tide to sweep

I need to find love with somebody

My spirit thirsts for a love as vast and wild as the sea

“Would you love somebody to love”

To love somebody else you must first find love in yourself

 

[Sweta Shriya]

In the quiet moments, when the world fades away,

There’s a love waiting to bloom, come what may.

This love for yourself, a beautiful start,

An open and tender embrace of your heart.

From this fertile ground, love for others takes root,

A blossoming connection, a love absolute.

 

You entrance me with your eyes, yes with your eyes

I get lost in your blue while flying high through cloud strewn skies

To reach a disoriented destination to where the Dormouse led

I don’t know where I am, no I don’t know where I am

My eyes are red…are full of red and I need to feed my head

And in my head, yes in my head it’s so full of them

Of the dreams we dreamt

 

“Don’t you want somebody to love”

To hold you close when the stars are above

“Don’t you need somebody to love”

And smile with you, to cherish every touch

I need to find love with somebody

Together to explore, in joy we applaud

“Would you love somebody to love”

To love somebody you must first find somebody to love

 

[Basma Shahnawaz]

Don’t look at face rather look at heart

To find someone right is a very tricky part

Love everyone and sometimes tolerate as well

Towards the end you will have a lot to tell

Your kindness will draw good people near you

Pick the one who willingly stay and bear you

 

I need a love that leaves me numb and strikes me dumb

My head swims with every cough, I can’t feel my face, and I am just on takeoff

When you find that connecting kiss do the tears not fall when you are missed

Do the tears not run does the sorrow not drown…“Tears are running down”

When somebody you love returns back down to the ground

“You better find somebody to love”

 

THE END