THE PRISONER

Chapter One

John Miller walked into the very busy airport an a very ominous morning. Something just felt off about today. But it was too late to reschedule this business trip now. It took awhile to get through security. Then he checked his luggage and boarded his flight just in time...

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John awoke to a loud buzzing alarm sound. He rubbed his eyes and slowly opened them. It was all a dream, he realized. He was now back home in his cell, with his bunk bed around him and his roommate waking above. This is the only existance he's ever known. John sat up and stretched a little. His roommate, Mike, jumped down from his bunk and walked over to the sink.

"I had the strangest dream last night." John told him as he washed his face.

"What was it about?" Mike asked.

John got out of bed and stood up. "I was in this strange place. There lots of people and.. tubes that fly. I got even inside one. They were called.. airplanes."

"Whoa. That is strange." Mike replied. "Are you okay?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm okay." John walked to the metal bars and looked out. "Do you think there could be more beyond.. all this?"

Mike approached John. "What do you mean?"

"That there's.. people.. an existance beyond this.. place. THere were so many people in so many kinds of clothes.. at the airport. That's what that place was called." John explained. "The clothes. Everyone had their own. Not like here." He looked down at his own, which paled in comparison.

"Don't let them hear you say stuff like that. They'll drag you outta here like the others." Mike warned.

"What others?" John asked. "Did they have dreams like mine?"

"Yeah, from what I've heard. They were taken away in the night and were never seen again. So I'd watch it if I were you." Mike told him.

"Could it be that they don't want us to know that these dreams mean? That they don't want us to know that there's more out there, something to escape to?" John's voice rose near the end.

Mike pulled him away from the bars. "I told you to be quiet about that. Don't even question your duty to our leader."

John was about to reply when a voice came booming throughout the facility. "Breakfast begins in five minutes. Prepare."

"I wonder what we're having today?" Mike said let out a short laugh in reply.

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John got his breakfast and sat down in the cafeteria even though he wasn't really hungry. For the horrible tasting food that was usually served anyway. His mind flashed back to another dream he had had. The one that gave him a taste of real food. In it, John was sitting down for a meal with a group of people who felt strongly like family. He was a father to a son and daughter. And had a wife who loved him. It was his favorite dream so far. John smiled for the first time in a while.

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John was sitting inside the airplane, watching the world go by outside. He still couldn't shake this feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. And then, it did.

"We're making a bried stop in Clevelend." the pilot announced over the intercom. "Please return to your seats and buckle you safety belts." John watched some of the others on the plane do so, then he buckled up as well.

Some minutes later, the plane landed at an airport. But instead of stopping near a terminal, it stopped next to a very large others on the plane began to talk, wondering what was going on.

Moments later, they were told to exit the plane, inciting even more discussion. John got a puzzled look on his face. But he wanted to know what was going on, so he undid his seatbelt and joined the others in getting off the plane.

They were led out the doorway they had entered through, down some stairs, and toward the hangar. A security-looking person raised a megaphone to his mouth. "Please enter the hangar and you won't get hurt."

This is getting stranger and stranger, John thought. What's going on here? He looked to the front of the line leading into the hangar and noticed they were handcuffing us with plastic cuffs. What the hell?

Apperantly, someone in line behind John noticed this too. The man seperated himself from the line and began to run away as fast as he could. "Stop!" one of the security guys said. When he didn't comply, a gun was pulled. The man was hit by the first shot and fel lto the ground. Two security men then ran to the fallen man and began carrying him toward the hangar.

A loud roar erupted nearny. John looked and saw that another plane was taking off that looked somewhat like the one he was just in.

There was a flash and he saw the same plane turning sharply and crashing straight into one of two very tall buildings. A ball of fire escaped from the wound.

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John awoke in his cell in a cold sweat. He sat up. "It was just another dream. Just another dream." he muttered. But something deep inside told him that he was wrong.