The Longest Flight

Alec Barnes sat back in his seat, adjusting his collar as the flight attendants began their safety briefing. It was a routine flight, a quick three-hour hop from New York to Chicago, nothing to be excited about. He had been on hundreds of flights before, always with a vague sense of anticipation and a dull ache in his back from being confined to a narrow seat for hours. He was tired. The kind of tired that didn’t have much to do with lack of sleep, but everything to do with the weight of his life, the lingering sense of inevitability that each day had become.

The plane’s engines hummed to life, and the vibrations traveled up through his spine, grounding him. He had no real reason to look out the window at the gray sky beyond, but he did anyway, just to avoid the awkwardness of small talk with the woman sitting beside him. She was about his age, mid-thirties, with dark hair and a nervous fidgeting manner. She kept glancing at the exit row, as though trying to gauge the safety of the emergency exits, despite the fact they were still on the runway. He couldn’t blame her; he did the same thing every time he flew.

The plane began its ascent, the familiar rush of pressure in his ears. His thoughts drifted, as they often did in the quiet moments of flight. There was a meeting waiting for him in Chicago, but that was secondary. Alec wasn’t sure what he was running from anymore, or even why he kept going. It had been years since the divorce, but sometimes, the ache in his chest didn’t feel much different than when he’d first walked out of their apartment. But he had a job to do, and that job kept him grounded—at least for now.

The woman beside him shifted in her seat. She looked over at Alec, then quickly glanced away, as if she had decided he wasn’t someone worth speaking to.

Alec gave a half-smile and turned toward her. “It’s always a bit nerve-wracking at first, isn’t it?”

The woman blinked, then laughed, a small, uncertain sound. “I guess it is. I’m just not a fan of flying.” She extended her hand. “I’m Claire, by the way.”

“Alec,” he replied, shaking her hand. “I get it. There’s something about being so high up that makes everything feel out of control.”

Claire nodded, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her seatbelt. “Exactly. I like the idea of being on the ground, where I can feel... well, in control.”

Alec chuckled. “That’s fair. Being in a plane makes you realize just how little control we really have.”

She laughed again, though it seemed a little forced. “You’re probably right.”

For a moment, they both fell silent, the sound of the plane’s engines filling the space between them. Alec wondered if he should say something more, but then the seatbelt sign turned off, and the flight attendants began their rounds. The small talk had come to an end.

But Claire surprised him. A few minutes later, she leaned toward him again, a hesitant look on her face.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” she said, her voice low, almost secretive.

Alec raised an eyebrow. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

She hesitated, glancing around before speaking again. “This is going to sound weird, but... do you ever feel like someone’s watching you?”

Alec blinked. The question caught him off guard, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure how to respond. The words came out slowly, as though testing the waters of something unknown.

“Not really. Why?”

Claire’s eyes flicked toward the windows and then back to him. “It’s probably nothing, but I’ve had this feeling... for the last few months, actually. Like someone’s following me, watching me when I’m not looking.”

Alec’s interest piqued. There was something in her voice that suggested she wasn’t just being paranoid.

“Have you ever... done anything about it?” he asked, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.

She shook her head, her fingers gripping the armrest tighter. “I don’t know who to tell. It sounds crazy, right? But it’s like... every time I go out, I feel it. Like someone’s just lurking in the background, waiting for the right moment.”

Alec studied her face, trying to gauge her sincerity. She didn’t seem to be making it up, but who would want to talk about something like that to a stranger? Maybe it was a sign of trust. Or maybe desperation.

“Maybe you’re just stressed,” he said gently. “A lot of people go through phases where they feel like they’re being watched or followed. The mind plays tricks sometimes.”

Claire nodded slowly, but her eyes were dark, troubled. “Yeah, but it’s more than that. A few weeks ago, I found something in my apartment. A letter. No return address, just a single sentence. I’m watching you.”

Alec’s stomach tightened, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure how to respond. “That sounds pretty unsettling.”

“You have no idea,” Claire whispered, her voice shaking. “I’ve changed locks, I’ve even installed cameras in my apartment. But I still... I still feel it. Like I’m being watched from outside, even when I know no one’s there.”

Alec leaned back in his seat, considering her words. The tightness in his chest seemed to grow, the weight of something he couldn’t place pressing down on him. He was no stranger to paranoia—his job had taught him that much—but this felt different. There was a raw edge to Claire’s anxiety, something that made his pulse quicken.

“Have you told anyone else about this?” he asked cautiously.

She shook her head. “I don’t know who to trust anymore. I even thought about going to the police, but... I don’t want them thinking I’m crazy. I just... I can’t shake this feeling, Alec. I don’t know what to do.”

Alec stared at her for a long moment, unsure of how to respond. But something in him wanted to offer comfort, even if it was just a small amount. He could tell she was reaching out, desperate for something solid to hold on to.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he said slowly. “But maybe you should talk to someone who can help. A professional, I mean. If this is really happening, you need to have someone who can look into it.”

Claire nodded, but the relief didn’t reach her eyes. The conversation had turned heavier, darker, and Alec could feel the shift in the air. The plane seemed to grow quieter, the hum of the engines almost deafening.

After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Claire suddenly turned to him again, her expression different—more intense.

“You know,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, “there’s something else. Something I didn’t tell you.”

Alec felt a chill run down his spine. The words hung in the air between them, unspoken yet heavy with implication. He had no idea what she was about to say, but he knew he didn’t want to hear it.

“Whatever it is, Claire, you don’t have to—”

But she cut him off, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear.

“I think... I think the person who’s watching me might be on this flight.”

Alec’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced around the cabin quickly, noting the other passengers, none of them standing out in any obvious way.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice tense.

Claire didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked over her shoulder, scanning the rows behind them. Then she leaned in closer, her breath shaky.

“I don’t know for sure, but... I saw someone when I boarded. I think it’s the same person who’s been following me. I swear I’ve seen him before.”

Alec’s mind raced, trying to process what she was saying. Could this be real? Was she just overly paranoid? Or was there something more to her story than he could understand?

Before he could respond, Claire suddenly grabbed his arm, her grip tight and desperate.

“Look,” she whispered, her eyes wide with terror. “He’s sitting right there, in the row behind us. I don’t know what to do, Alec. He’s watching me.”

Alec’s heart pounded in his chest, his gaze flicking over his shoulder, searching for anyone who might match the description she’d given. But there was no one immediately obvious. The rows of passengers looked like a sea of strangers, all too ordinary to stand out.

But then, he saw him. A man, sitting alone, his eyes fixed on Claire.

Alec felt a wave of cold wash over him as he locked eyes with the man for a brief moment. He didn’t look threatening at first glance, but there was something about him—a stillness in the way he sat that set Alec on edge.

His stomach twisted with uncertainty. Was Claire really being watched, or was this all just her mind playing tricks on her?

One thing was for sure: Alec had no idea what he had just walked into.

The flight had just become much longer than he’d anticipated.