It was just another regular flight—until it wasn’t. I’m Leslie, a flight attendant with years of strange stories, but nothing prepared me for what I found behind the restroom door mid-flight. I’d heard what sounded like a kitten meowing. Curious, I opened the door… and froze.
There, curled up on the bathroom floor, was a small boy with red, tear-stained cheeks. “I’m Ben,” he whispered when I asked his name. But here’s the strange part—there was no Ben on the flight manifest. No ticket. No unaccompanied minor. Nothing.
He clutched a worn paper bag like it was treasure. Inside were a few old photos, a chipped toy car, and half a chocolate bar. “It’s all I have left,” he said quietly. The photos showed a smiling couple with a baby… Ben. His parents were gone, and he’d snuck onto the plane, alone.
My heart broke as he said he’d run away from the place “they took him.” An orphanage. He just wanted to get away. I held his hand and promised he’d be safe with me—no matter what. But I had no idea what would happen when we landed…