The price of the passage (LOST plot)

”How do you know me so well?” he asked. I just shrug with a smirk on my face. When I tell him I’m cold, he gets a bit worried. What was it? It wasn’t cold? It worried me as well and he put his arm around me, bringing me closer to him. His skin was warm against mine which actually stopped most of the shivering.

I laugh a little as he makes an odd face at the taste of the plant. I take another nibble off of it, the bitterness over taking my tongue and throat as I swallow. The only good taste to it is the feel of the succulent juices fulfilling the thirst that has almost encompassed your whole body once again. Earlier today, I felt as if I was in a desolate desert, nothing but sand and the occasional shrubbery surrounding you, distant mountains growing out from the monotonous dunes, reaching their tall, pine covered peaks to the bright, blinding sky, where the sun burned strong among the few fluffy clouds that hung still in the air. Luckily though, we weren’t on a desert but an island, it sure did feel like one at times though, especially when dehydration plays games on your eyes and mind.

Nick then lightly squeezed my shoulder and ran off to the cliffs where we had first escaped the terrorizing beast. I watched as he walked away until I felt the cold take me over again. I attempted hugging myself and rubbing my arms, but it didn’t help much. The ocean rolled in and out gently, consuming the wet sand as it came up, and seemingly spitting it out on the way back to its greater basin. I have to admit, the island was beautiful, but beautifully deadly. I decided tomorrow if I felt up for it, I would go swim out to the reef that surrounded the shallows and see if I could find some clams or oysters to cook. Back in the district, I often caught my own food, mainly a variety of fish and eel. Occasionally, a shark would be snagged on my line and I would bring it up and cook it as well. Mainly the fins though, the meat on the spine and ribs were mainly bitter and bland, but if there was a shortage, I would try to do the best I could with it, cutting it up and letting it sit in a vegetable roast, it wasn’t as terrible that way.

As I waited patiently for Nick’s return, I looked over my body, examining the now crusted mud on my torso, spots of skin showing through. Well that’s going to leave a nice tan, I complained in my head. Mud served as a great natural barrier from the sun, but it looked stupid rubbed all over our body, but it was worth it when out alone in the wild like this. Spots of red, scraped skin spotted my arms and legs and abdomen as well, probably from tumbling down the side of the hill today. Some were shallow and others not so; they tore into my skin like razor marks leaving an ugly scab over where the blood coagulated.

Soon after my self examination, Nick returned with a fish in one hand and the spear in another. ”Dinner? Get the fire started, baby.” Did he just call me baby? I sighed gently and just brushed it off, ignoring it this one time. I just couldn’t stand that name, but I wasn’t about to make a big deal out of it right now. I looked around camp and found the tools I had used the night before. I took some slightly charred but not completely burst wood scarping and piled it into a little pile. I started rubbing the stick between my hands as fast I could, the friction bringing nice warmth to my body. I continued this hard task until a plume of smoke escaped the dry pile of scraping. I blew on it lightly, bringing the flames to life. I took the precious treasure carefully and placed it in-between two pieces of charred branches, which instantly caught, growing the fire like a weed. I sat back and took a deep breath, which of course, hurt my ribs. I continued the painful breathing until I had finally caught the amount of oxygen I needed to breathe normally again and sat back against the palm trunk as Nick skinned and prepared the tasty look fish.

We laid the fish above the fire and watched the skin charcoal and burn under the heat of the orange and yellow flames licking it. I settled down against the tree again, crossing my arms to keep warming anf watched the fish cook. It started to smell delicious. Almost like something I would cook back home, which brought memories to my head that I quickly pushed away simply because I was tired of thinking about home.

A few minutes later, Nick took the fish and cut it up into four delightfully equal pieces, laying two aside for Salem and Elizabeth, who showed no presence. He handed a small part of the fillet to me and I took small bites, making sure to make it last long and take in every explosion of flavor it offered to my grieving taste buds and stomach. ”Be careful, there’s a lot of bones in this fish. “ he warned. I nodded, sliding the small white bone out of my lips and putting it aside on the sand where I would bury it later. One by one I popped out the delicate shards and pieces of bone, laying them next to me.

”That won’t be enough to get me satisfied.” he commented. I looked at the piece I had and handed over the small remaining bites. ”You can have the rest, I’m really not that hungry after that plant, and besides, you need the protein.” I said handing him the fish. I lied about not being hungry, but with his muscles torn by the reef, he would need the protein to rebuild them so he can build a raft and get us the hell out of here. I flashed him a quick smile, and returned my gaze back the flickering flames, holding my hands out, warming them.

”I’ll go and collect some fire wood.” said Nick, looking out onto the nearly dark sky, the bright orange sun lowering itself half way over the ocean, casting a colorful reflection onto the distant waves. All I saw was water, water, wand more water. It went out so far, I noticed the horizon curve with the side of the Earth, and it was actually quite an amazing sight. Breaking my slight journey from reality, Nick squeezes my arm lightly asking me if I’ll be okay, a slightly worried tone in his voice, looking me straight in the eyes.

”I’ll be fine. Just go get some firewood before this runs out.” I said giving him a smile just to reassure him. As he left, I closed my eyes leaning back against the wood of the tree, trying to focus on sleep and nothing else. My mind kept wondering though to other places. It took me back to the mutt, then to the boat crash, then to the District four beach, then home. I shut my eyes tighter, just wanting my mind to go blank and just drift off into a dreamless sleep. Sooner or later, I got what I wanted and slipped into a light sleep. I could still feel the fire by my legs and the land breeze chill my skin every now and then, but I was calm, everything was serene. It was perfect for once. Peaceful.

A thin film stood in between reality and sleep as I lay there with my eyes closed, trying to slip deeper and deeper into sleep, it was kind of hard. As my breathing slowed bringing my heart rate down as well, something woke me. A hand touched my forehead gently; I knew it was Nick because he was the only one who knew that I might be getting sick and the only one who would really care I guess. I didn’t bother opening my eyes rather than just sitting there pretending I was asleep. I heard the crack of flames as a piece of wood was thrown into the now raging fire. With the warmth from that combined from the body heat radiating off Nick, I was pretty comfortable despite the chillness on my back.

I let out a small breath as I twisted into a more comfortable position on my side. I opened one eye and looked at Nick, just sitting there with the reflection of the bright flames in his eyes as he watched them intently. I might as well say something, ”See any sign of Salem or Elizabeth? I say rather gently, now both eyes open. They have been gone for a while, I hope nothing bad happened to them because that would lower all our confidence completely, leaving us with no hope for survival as we waited here to die like who knows how many other unfortunate sailors and passengers that had ever crashed here. What a horrible death that would be.

I shake my head in a no when he asks if I want him to go search for him, ”I rather not risk anymore lives, if they’re not back tonight we’ll go look for them tomorrow, and lets hop ewe don’t have to dig two holes in the ground.” I said propping myself upright, hugging me knees against my chest. The flames danced in their glory and grace, the light breeze moving them around like ribbons in the wind. Something about fire always dazed me, kept me watching, like a show almost. Such a beautiful show it was.

The area around us was almost completely dark, but nothing had changed this evening. The pain in my sides still burned like hell, it was hard to keep comfortable with bruised or broken ribs. Hard to sleep as well. I felt my side with my hand, seeing if I could feel if anything was broken. I grit my teeth and shut my eyes as my fingers ran against the tenderness of my skin and muscles. They seemed all intact except for one, where I could feel a slight break in it. I pulled my hand away and opened my eyes slowly, as if opening them would hurt the fractured bone as well.

”I-I think one of my ribs is broken, but I think, hope, that’s it.” I said, staggering my breaths as the pain started to melt a bit. Every time I spoke though, it reentered my body, seemingly tearing at the insides of my waist, of course, it wasn’t tearing my skin from the inside, I hoped as well. Calmly I laid back and closed my eyes for a second, taking a deep, but slow breath.