30 Days of Undead Summer [Zombie Challenge]

June 22nd: #20000FeetThursday

(Not exactly my best work. I think I had a better idea at the beginning of the month, but I've forgotten what that might have been. Hopefully this is decent enough.)

It was meant to be my last flight of the day. I had already gone past my usual hours of working long flights. Yet when they told me the other girl couldn't make the flight and they'd be down on flight attendant for so many passengers, I quickly accepted my fate. I'd just take the return flight back and be off the plane with no problem.

That was before. Before the end came.

I was just a girl working as a flight attendant with no one at home to miss me.

The flight started out normally, like most of flights. Sometimes nothing happened and other times it was a drunk that made the entire flight unbearable. Considering this was a flight from Washington DC to London, we were all prepared for the long haul.

While my feet ached and my eyes grew heavy, I gave each passenger a smile. They would never know exactly how tired I was. Maybe if I hadn't been so tired I wouldn't have allowed the sick child on the plane. Yet, one look in those big blue eyes and I let them on. Usually people had to pass most of security so I figured she'd be alright. Perhaps there was a note that she just had a cold. Her mother's British accent told me they were on their way home anyway. Who was I to stop them from going home?

Apparently her father was staying behind, he was still working in the country. He was headed toward New York instead of coming home with them. I found it rather strange but then again, she was harmless.

I didn't think they would use a little girl like that. As an incubator for a disease even they didn't quite understand.

Anyway, like I said, it was started off normal. Macy, the other flight attendant, and I were serving drinks in the coach section. The little girl and her mother were in my section. I poured the little girl something to drink hoping it would soothe her.

"My little sister always said that sprite helps a nasty stomach," I smiled at them placing the drink in front of her.

The mom gave me a grateful smile, but the little girl just moaned. Her little hands were clutching her stomach tightly.

I didn't think much about them as I finished. My tired mind was jumping from one thing to another. Within three hours, we had a toddler that puked all over two passengers besides his parents. A few adults were back and forth from the restrooms as Macy relaxed in the back. She was relatively new, she wasn't accustomed to the long hours like the rest of us.

By the fourth hour, I decided to take a break as well. It was mostly quiet and I just needed a couple minutes to rest my eyes. A couple minutes turned into twenty when I woke to a scream. Immediately I was a bit disoriented as I pushed up. Macy was standing in the back of my section her face horrified.

It was then I noticed the blood on her uniform. "Macy?" I asked, my voice hesitant.

Turning toward me, her eyes were so scared I didn't quite understand. "What's going on?"

"Th-The little girl. She threw up blood on me. She doesn't look too good."

Carefully approaching, I didn't see the little girl's mother. The little girl, however, was strapped into the seat belt with blood peppering her lips. It was all over her clothes and her face looked even paler than hours ago. When she looked up at me, it was as if she didn't see me. Her eyes had tiny spots of blood in them. Whatever sickness she had was worst than just a little cold.

"Where's her mother?" I demanded, my eyes sweeping the area.

Macy looked confused. "I haven't seen anyone with her. As far as I know, she's an unaccompanied minor."

I shook my head, moving toward the restrooms. I might have been tired but I didn't invent the woman she came on the plane with. Each bathroom at the front was empty and according to the last one with the unoccupied marked, it was meant to be empty as well. Instead when I tried to push the door opened, it wouldn't barely budge. There was just enough room for my eyes to peer into the mirror.

The note pinned to the reflective mirror made my blood run cold.

I'm so sorry. No one will make it off this flight alive. She's deadly. You've been exposed. Hijacked.

Tears filled my eyes as I ran toward the pilot's quarters. Banging my hand against the door, tears blurred my vision.

"Carla? What's the matter? Rowdy passenger?"

Phil's voice filled my ears and my heart pounded. After working this job for six years it was impossible not fall for a coworker. We worked so many of the same flights lately it was bound to happen. Our relationship worked because we didn't expect more from the other.

I chuckled. "Not exactly. I just..." I trailed off, my voice failing me in my fear. "I needed to you that I love you. Don't open the door no matter what you hear. There's a young girl infected with something on the plane. She's exposed everyone that's come within a few feet of her. I don't know what's going to happen, but the woman she was with is dead. Please, Phil, if it gets too much, you can't let this get into London."

I removed my hand. Returning to the passengers, I smiled. Suddenly over the intercom, I heard Phil's voice.

"This is the pilot speaking. In order to remain in control, we are going to drop air bags for anyone. Your flight attendants will shortly explain the procedure for an airborne illness. Please remain calm."

Unfortunately we had no procedure for this. We weren't doctors, we were not prepared for something like this.

Macy suddenly came dragging into the room. She didn't look too good either. Peeking over at the little girl, I realized her head was bent at an unnatural angle.

"Macy?" I asked, attempting to keep a smile on my face as I approached her. The last thing we need was the passengers freaked out even more than they already were.

She looked up, but it was no longer Macy. Her eyes were grayish and her skin was pale. She was dragging her feet along the carpet.

"Everyone remain calm," I said, my voice catching. I tried to move back but at that moment the air bags fell from the ceiling toward each passenger.

She took that moment to strike. I didn't really have much choice. My entire body froze as she growled at me, her teeth showing before she lunged.