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                “The first story ever told was probably a scary story.”

George Romero

                The plane soared high over the cloud line.  Glistening with the afternoon sun, it passed innocently through the air, while down below, the ocean tossed and turned.  With the sun above and the wind at its wings, it climbed higher, passing on its way through the heavens.

                Amy stared out the window, her eyes wide as she marveled at the sight of the ocean.  She smiled at the clouds that concealed it at portions from her, then at the occasional glimpses.  She sat back in her seat, letting Lisa take a look.

                At the isle of the three First Class seats, Alex sat with his laptop open, studying a blank screen.  His eyes scanned over the empty blackness behind a pair of reading glasses, as a pair of headphones hung around his ears, softly playing music just loud enough for Lisa to hear.

                She turned back to him, watching as he read nothing.  She glanced at the computer screen, then at him, confused.  “Am I missing something?” she asked.

                Moving suddenly, he startled her as he closed the laptop.  The music ceased from his headphones as he turned to the two girls.  Amy turned back from the window, anxiety filling her.  “I’m called Alex Tolkien,” he began.  He took a casual glance around the half-full cabin, noting no one within immediate earshot of them.  “I belong to an international response team that I am recruiting you to join,” he continued.

                “International?” Lisa asked.  “You mean like Interpol or something?”

                “We work with Interpol,” Alex allowed.  “We’re technically a branch of the UN Security Council.  There’re a handful of teams on every continent and I’m part of the team located out of France.  We handle a lot of the western European stuff.”  He sat back, leaning against the chair’s padded armrest.  “I’ve invited you two to join me on this flight to recruit you for membership in this group.”

                “Us?!” Amy exclaimed.

                Alex nodded.  “Yeah.”

                “But we’re not European,” Lisa protested.

                “I had noticed,” Alex said sardonically.  “It doesn’t really matter.  Most of my team is from the States.  What does matter is your capacity to be of benefit to the organization.”

“What makes you think we’re ‘of benefit’?” Lisa demanded with a hint of indignance.

                “Very little,” Alex said candidly.  “But if I’m right, then you may be a rare talent that we couldn’t pass up the chance to utilize.”

                “And what talent would that be?” Amy asked.

                Alex hesitated.  “I can’t really tell you.  It’s not only top secret, but if you knew, it might compromise the chances of it manifesting and we have to let it manifest naturally.”

                “Let what manifest naturally?” Lisa pressed.

                Alex took a moment.  “The organization I belong to is called the Advanced Paranormal Tactical Responders.  We are an investigations and reconnaissance team that responds to alleged and confirmed paranormal activity.”

                The two girls stared blankly.

                “Like the Ghostbusters or something?” Lisa asked.

                Alex’s head bobbed from side to side as he considered the comparison.  He finally nodded his head.  “No,” he maintained.  “More like the Marine Forced Recon in the US Military.  Mixed with,” he paused, then mumbled under his breath “I can’t believe I’m about to say this.”  He looked to the girls.  “The X-Files.”

                “Forced Recon?” Amy asked.

                “Basically, we investigate and respond to any weird happenings that we come across,” Alex reconfirmed.  He glanced over his seat, making sure the woman two rows behind him had her headphones on.

                “Okay,” Lisa said.  “So you want us to join this group?”

                “‘Try out’ might be more accurate,” Alex corrected.

                “You want us to try out for this group, to do what?” she continued.

                “That will depend on where your aptitude lies,” Alex dismissed.

                “And you think that’s where?” Lisa went on.

                “That’s not for me to decide,” he said.  “I just find candidates.”

                “Is that what you were doing in America?” Amy asked.

                “America is two continents,” he corrected.  “The United States is a country.  And no, I didn’t expect to encounter any potential candidates.  I was attending to other matters.”

                “Like what?” Lisa asked.

                “Like what I’m doing on this plane,” he said with a sigh.

                “Which is?” Lisa went on.

                “What I do every Tuesday,” he said with boredom.  As he spoke, four men all stood up in the First Class cabin.  Carrying guns and wearing ski masks, they leveled their weapons on the passengers.  “Save the world,” he said simply.

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