Chapter 2: Takeoff
Bill Parker carefully guided the plane as it took off into the air. He wasn't worried in the slightest about operating the plane. He had been doing stuff like this for over twenty years. He felt safe to assume that he had completely mastered everything about properly flying a plane. Bill made sure safety instructions were shown to the passengers on the entire flight through the video screens.
As the plane reached the air, the passengers were allowed to move around.
"I need to use the restroom", String Becker muttered as he hurried out of his seat.
While the plane was on auto-pilot, Bill took out a photo of him and Allison holding Ben after his eighth birthday. How small he was back then. Bill looked forward to seeing his wife and son after he finished with this flight.
In Flight 248, First-Class….
As Bill Parker was getting ready for the plane to take off in the cockpit, Rohit Sharma, aged 21, was getting ready for a conference he was planning to attend in England. Rohit was a devout Muslim. Rohit's father, Nikhil Sharma, and older brother, Rahul Sharma, were even more dedicated to their Islamic faith. Rohit was a business entrepreneur. Rohit was born in India, then moved to Illinois when he was four years old.
Rohit had expressed interest in finance and economics after he graduated from middle school. Rohit had plans to start his own business and wanted this conference to go well.
But just like Bill, Rohit had no clue that God would have other plans.
Rohit had heard about Preterism. However, he never felt inclined to become a Preterist, and for good reason. Rohit's father believed that Preterists were enemies of God and an insult to Islam. And Rohit certainly had no interest in disobeying his father.
So, Rohit leaned back in his seat as he read the Quran. Sandy Comstock, 25, was another passenger of Flight 248 sitting in first-class. Sandy was a writer working with Global Weekly.
Joyce Dancer, 23, was also sitting in first-class, typing some notes on a laptop. Joyce was working with a magazine company in Illinois and was supposed to interview some celebrities in England.
In Flight 248, Second-Class…
Zoey Harper, 20, was sitting in the second-class section exchanging kisses with her boyfriend, Wishy Walters. Wishy was a Preterist, but Zoey was an atheist. Zoey and Wishy were planning a romantic vacation in England.
"God will take care of us", Wishy said.
"Sure", Zoey said, rolling her eyes. Zoey really didn't care much for Wishy's Preterist faith, but he was such an incredible and good-looking guy. Plus, Wishy genuinely cared about her. He wasn't like the many males in the world that had taken advantage of women or acted like an arrogant and selfish guy. Wishy wasn't boastful. Wishy really was living out his faith. But still, Zoey thought all the stuff about Preterism was boring and uninteresting.
Perry Warden, 30, was also sitting in second-class, hoping to attend some training sessions in England. Perry had served for a year in the United States Military and wanted to see if he could gain more work and experience.
Eddie Exton, 27, was watching a movie in second-class. Eddie was not really religious and was not a Preterist. He attended church, but he never really bought into the things that the pastors were saying at his church in Illinois. He definitely had no interest in learning about Preterism.
Josh Grant, 24, was in second-class looking forward to seeing Manchester United play their big soccer game against Liverpool. Josh was a secular atheist and did not believe in or enjoy Preterism in the slightest.
String Becker, 33, was planning to go on vacation in England after working for four grueling weeks. String really needed a break.
Kade Gordonhurst, 23, was planning to go to London and explore the city. Kade's sister, Kara, was a Preterist. Kade was not.
Tony Cataldo, 23, was immersed and engrossed in a TV show he was watching in second-class. Tony hated all religions, even though his entire family were Preterists.
Pete Alessandra, 29, was listening to music. Pete was planning on attending a rock concert that was supposed to be held in London. Pete was not a Preterist, and no one in his family was either. Pete's family members were Christians.
Larry Levine, 39, was reading a magazine. Larry's wife Jozie was a Preterist, and Larry and Jozie had two children that were two years and six months old, respectively.
Sylvester Coddmyer, 36, was watching a baseball game on his screen in second-class. Sylvester was not a Preterist, even though his wife was. Sylvester and his wife, Jenna, had only one child, who was seven years old.
The lives of these men and women would be changed forever on Flight 248. None of them knew each other prior to this day. But they would all share the horror of what they would experience as something they all had in common. They had no idea that on this plane ride, something would happen that would permanently alter their perspective on life completely.
After all the passengers seemed to be sitting and ready, Bill Parker then announced, "Passengers of Flight 248, fasten your seatbelts. It's time for takeoff."
They had no idea what would await them.