2 Chapter Two -

Leaning against one cold window of a high-class plane, I peered outside at the clouds in awe, and watched my sigh slightly mist up the glass; winter seasons always seemed to trigger some deep emotions in my soul.

I was a hidden poet.

Travelling on a plane, for the first time in my life, had been a challenging experience. I wasn't one who aimed to soar up high and reach for the stars. For me, watching planes fly over my head and enthusiastically waving at them was a content feeling. I wasn't the one who looked life from a dreamer's view, a lively girl's perspective. There was just too much reality and understanding that had sunk in my heart.

Turned terribly bitter and paranoid by the bullying and wicked rejection, I had grown so vividly content with just being a sad loner that it was actually depressing. There was no regular excitement feeling in my soul, no visible thrill. I had just slowly morphed myself to become a weird outcast, sad.

However, there were moments when my heart would feel a piercing ache. Sometimes, my wounds would feel fresh and provoked, such moments included being reminded of my failures, reminded of how badly my past hurt. My soul hurt.

My family trips. It wasn't just an ordinary trip. In fact, my parents, along with Jamie, his soon-to-be wife, and their families were flying up to the northern mountains to have a grand wedding ceremony. Mr and Mrs Smith, Jamie's parents, were loaded with money. They wanted their son to start with his fairytale and wanted us to join along. My family's plane tickets were actually a gift from them.

Status-difference was a real deal.

Listening to how Jamie had actually arranged for the plane to be solely reserved for our families. I realised how out of my league our match had been. There weren't any real grounds, to begin with. Too much class and status difference. The fairytale I had wanted would have been an ordinary story for him. Jamie truly deserved someone like Helen.

Wincing as Jamie's parents occasionally came over to chat with my parents and apologise for getting my family economy-class seats while the business-class seats were given to Helen's family, I fidgeted with my fingers and eyed my mobile screen.

Safe…

This was the word Maggie had texted me. She had raged havoc in my world, made my anxiety shoot for the sky, yet wanted me to believe that I was going to be kept safe from the clutches of the deranged man. Was I going to believe her? Temporarily, desperately, yes.

Apparently, the task force believed that their notorious criminal only made appearance twice or three times this year, I was going to be safe, for now. Also, the detective woman had assured me that Sid wouldn't be showing up at airports. He wasn't going to find out where I was going, when I was going. My security had been the task force's priority.

By believing that the police force knew what they were talking about and finding sheer logic in their statements, I had given into fully feeling the vibes of my trip. It was a crushing get away from the feeling of fear and having it replaced by depression and self-pity. The criminal had probably chosen to randomly chosen to randomly stalk me, given he had taken so many other pictures, so would soon lose interest in this game. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

Feeling curious about Jamie now walked to our side and began distributing sweets, I kept my gaze low and suppressed a smile. Jamie, he was an 'okay' person; a decent human being with certain vices. I couldn't keep a grudge for having him choose someone of his status. It was how society worked, I had understood its dimensions.

No worries.

"Everyone enjoying themselves?" He asked my parents. I was sitting near the back-end seats while my parents were sitting in the front. The air hostess had already given us food, but Jamie wanted to personally hand out sweets to my family. A clear gesture to show no hard feelings.

"Course, thank you for inviting us along," Dad expressed with gratitude. He was a wise, hard-working and quiet man, but this trip had brought colours to his mood. Was it sad that I wanted him to feel this way because of my achievements?

"No issue…umm…Helen was thinking about introducing herself to your side of the family, so you won't mind if she comes and hangs around you guys for a while?" Jamie now sounded awkward. It was weird having him ask that. I didn't think our opinions mattered to him, I mean did Helen really need to mingle with us? My high school bully, she knew me too well.

Chuckling, my father was quick to respond. "Of course, Grace would be more than happy to accompany her." What?

Sighing in relief, Jamie was quick to go and get Helen. Our sections, they were divided by a curtain; a velvety black curtain. It felt insulting, for some reason. My parents loved Jamie's family too much to ever feel offended by the actions, yet I was cynical.

Feeling panicked by what my father had just offered, I was about to sneakily ask my mum to solve this issue, when the black curtains were pulled apart and in stepped Helen. She was looking so rich, her golden necklaces, bangles, they were gleaming with pride.

Immediately, mum stood up to hug her. Since this was a reserved flight, there weren't staff around to stop people from randomly getting up.

"It is so nice to meet you." Mum's sweet coos echoed in the air.

"Likewise." Helen hugged back with enthusiasm. She seemed so different from high school; her actions even more poised and graceful. I had heard that she was now studying to become a doctor. Her training had already begun. So popular, rich, brilliant, and wanted. She had once made me feel so low yet was living her dream. Along with mine.

After hugging my mum, she then swayed her gaze around and stopped upon meeting my gaze; her smile growing wider.

"Grace!" she greeted with thrill. I was shocked at such behaviour. Helen, the girl who used to push me around, hated my old-fashioned bags, made sure to express how pathetic I was, broke my self-esteem, and made full of my childish ways, was actually happy to see me? There had to be a motive, some reason. Perhaps, getting her prince charming had truly brought out her good side, which depressed me.

While I had turned so bitter and bruised, she was reaching for the stars. My bully was succeeding.

"Can I come and sit with you?" she asked, walking up to me.

I immediately stuttered. "C-course."

Smiling, she collapsed down on the seat next to me and carelessly wrapped an arm around my head-rest. I was confused by her level of frankness. Has she forgotten the past?

"So, how have things been since after high school? I can't believe how long it has been since graduating. Are you in medical college now?" she gave me a curious look.

I felt embarrassed. No, but I had wanted to become a doctor, felt deeply proud whenever I got a chance to wear my lab coats, but back then depression had ruined my grades. Dad was disappointed.

Hating confessing how much I had fallen behind, I simply shrugged. "Umm studying economics now."

"Oh," there was an ounce of pity in her tone. She had grown up, turned a bit sophisticated. Though I didn't like her showing me pity.

"Umm listen," she then grabbed my hand in a comforting manner. "About what happened with Jamie. I wanted to check if you are okay with that situation now. Before our wedding, I want to be clear about everyone's emotions because I can't have any misunderstandings soiling the wedding air, so are we good?" She gave me a pointed look.

My emotions picked up a notch. So, she was going to pretend to deny our high school experience and was simply here because she didn't want anyone's hurt spoiling up her wedding day. Made sense. Nobody would want a downer attending their party, but the hypocrisy of it all, she might be pretending to have forgotten about her high school days, but I remembered them clearly. Where was her apology for that?

However, not wanting to spread bad vibes, especially when this girl was going to start with a new chapter of her life. I simply squeezed her hand in assurance. "Course, don't worry about it."

"Sweet." She took her hand out of my grasp.

A momentary silence settled between us.

With my social anxiety getting triggered by the silence and, somehow, finding myself compelled to respond back to her kindness, I shifted and quietly tried to make small talk. "So how are you feeling?" I was always like this. The minute anyone talked sweetly to me, I would simply forget how that person had wronged me and make attempts to be extra friendly. I felt like I should return the favour, because kindness, I hardly received it. Bullying had made me cherish this gesture so much.

"Wonderful!" her eyes immediately gleamed with happiness. "Jamie has been sending my family so many presents. He promised that he would take my entire family to Egypt, soon. And this gold I'm wearing, it's all a gift from him. I have never truly felt close to a princess until I got engaged to him." She beamed. I gave her a warm smile.

"Good…I'm happy for you."

"What about you?" she nudged me. I gave her a look of confusion.

"What about me?"

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about…" she teased, folding her arms. I seriously didn't.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Ma'am," she lowly whispered to me. Stress lines clear on her face.

"What's wrong?" I frowned.

"You are needed in the pilot's compartment. Hurry!"

"What-"

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

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

"Will be back in a minute."

They seemed to buy that.

My heartbeat had gone frantic, I had no clue to what this could truly be about. Why was I needed in the pilot's compartment?

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

Helen had called out to me, curious about where I was going, but before I could respond, the air hostess just quelled her curiosity by simply stating that I wanted to see the pilot's compartment. How childish…

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

"Quickly!" He urged, slamming the door shut as we stepped inside.

"Grace." He then gestured for me to sit on a chair placed behind the pilot's seat. I was in full panic mode by now.

"What's going on?!" I whisper-yelled to the air hostess.

She simply grabbed my shoulder in a comforting manner. Ma'am, I am inspector Anne from the county police department, my husband is the pilot who has been flying this plane. We have been sent for your protection, and just now, we received a crucial voice message. I think you should listen, it's urgent." She supplied, quickly pushing me to sit on a chair and handed me a pair of headphones.

I was trembling, shaking. What was this all about? Sid, what had he done now?

"Is it serious?" my voice couldn't help but sound high-pitched, edged, and beyond scared; It was reflecting my emotions.

"Not really." I knew she was lying. Something had gone terribly wrong. Had Sid learned where I was going? Was he present at the airport where this plane was supposed to land?

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

"You left," a broken sob finally echoed through the cries. It was Sid.

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

"Come back. I don't like planes." He cried.

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

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

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

"Come back!" his voice abruptly turned scary and furious, a dark threat hiding in his voice.

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

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

"What's happening?" I cried, throwing away the headphones.

Anne turned to give a scared look. "Hacked. He has hacked our system." She confessed, making me feel like collapsing. This couldn't be happening, so far above land. This couldn't be happening.

"How? What are we supposed to do now?"

"Umm we don't know," she returned back to desperately fiddling with the controls. "He sent a message before this one, which demanded to have us make you listen to his next message. It was threatening and crazy. Now, we are not sure what we are supposed to do!"

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

"We were…this is one unpredictable and highly dangerous man we are dealing with"

"Who exactly is he?"

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

"Why? What does he want?"

"Your attention."

Insane…crazy…so terrifying…surreal.

What on earth!

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

Extreme emotions…they tend to ruin.

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

I was trapped.

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

"Three hours…ticking…make her come back…or else."