Not Penny's Boat.

She turned the words over in her mind and the meaning escaped her once again. Those three simple words had been running through her thoughts for some time, now. And the more she dwelled on it, the more it pained her to think of him.

Not Penny's Boat.

******

It was her birthday. She was trying to find a way out of her current state of mind. Depression had weighed down her shoulders as she walked aimlessly through the sand. The waves crashed against the shore; she continued walking, watching the grooves her sneakers made as she walked. In the distance, she heard the soft, twanging sounds of an acoustic guitar. A voice suddenly joined the music.

"'They say love can move a mountain/ love's gonna bring down trees/ well it's on this I'm counting/ cos for your heart/ I found the keys, keys.' "

She followed the music and found him sitting there beneath a tree, splotches of sunlight scattered around. His foot tapped the ground keeping the rhythm.

"'The keys to your heart, heart.'"

She came up beside him, listening to him sing, trying to place the song. He strummed the strings relentlessly, caught up in the music.

"'Yes I got them on a chain, chain/ when the doors come apart-part/ we'll never be the same, same.'"

He played for awhile longer, and she watched. When he had stopped, he turned to look up at her.

"Hey, sister. What's up?"

"Hi, Charlie…"

She sat cross-legged beside him, the wind blowing their hair. He seemed happy to see her.

"I didn't know you liked the 101er's," she told him, "I thought I was the only one who knew about them."

"You kiddin'?" Charlie laughed, shaking his head, "I worship the ground Joe Strummer walks on! 'Course I know the 101er's!!"

She cracked a smile. Charlie returned the gesture.

"You okay, Lisa? You've been acting' a little batty today."

Lisa sighed, a deep sigh that revealed the frustration and sadness.

"…It's my birthday…"

She said it as if it was embarrassing; almost as if it didn't matter. Charlie nodded slightly. He laid the guitar across his knees, reaching back as if to scratch his neck. To Lisa's surprise, he unclipped a necklace from around him, taking her wrist. He piled it in her palm.

"Happy Birthday, then."

Lisa looked at the necklace, smiling. There was a small silver key hanging off the end of the chain shining dully in the light.

"I can't take this…"

"I gave it to you, didn't I?"

Lisa looked up at him, as if for reassurance. He winked.

"It's good luck- the key to your heart, right?"

She laughed, and he was happy to make her smile.

"Me brother gave it to me, an' I'm just passing it on- sister."

Lisa nodded, clutching the necklace in her fist. She knew he meant it. Charlie pulled her into a one-armed hug, tousling her hair.

Brother and sister.

*******

Darkness had finally fallen. She sat on the porch, hugging her knees. The stars were bright and she was always amazed at how many there were. A sudden voice brought her out of a day dream.

"Good night, Lisa."

A weak smile crossed her face.

"'Night, Hurley," she said.

He nodded to her, and watched as he disappeared into one of the yellow bungalows that were nestled in the small clearing. The crickets were chirping relentlessly and the trees swayed in the breeze, reflecting moonlight off their leaves.

Lisa waited until all the lights clicked off in each house, her eyes settling on the one almost directly across from hers. She shared a home with Kate and Claire, who were both asleep. They thought she was, too…

With a small sigh, she quietly left the porch and padded through the grass to the house across from hers. The only sound she could hear was the pounding of her heart and the squawking of the wildlife. Lisa circled around to the side and gripped the window sill of what was once Alex's room. 'The screen is gone and the window is unlocked, she had told her, But why you want to go there is beyond me.'

Lisa carefully hooked her fingers under the window and pushed it up slowly, holding her breath. When she was sure it would stay in place, she vaulted over the sill and inside. She breathed a small sigh of relief, moving to sit on Alex's bed to catch her breath. Briefly, she listened for movement. Distant snoring told her John was asleep. Lisa made a face; apparently he had no problem sleeping here. 'Must have a clear conscious,' she thought.

Ever so carefully, she slinked out of the doorway, edging past the room across from Alex's. The door was closed; she could hear the snores more clearly as she passed by, heading for the door at the end of the hallway. Her fingers wrapped around the handle and she paused, as if debating on what to do. Lisa shook her head and opened the door anyway.

Automatically it was cooler and she shivered in her t-shirt and jeans as she walked down the small flight of stairs. The door snapped closed behind her. The corridor was dimly lit and the concrete was painted an un-inviting color. It felt like a prison, in a way. Her sneakers quietly shuffled down the hallway, kicking up a small puff of dirt. Lisa crossed her arms over herself, hiding the image of the band that crossed her t-shirt. At the end of the hallway was a room, sealed by a drab gun-metal gray door. A single padlock dangled from the latch that held it in place. Lisa stood in front of the door, chewing nervously on her finger.

You want an answer don't you? Just do it. You know what to do- you can handle yourself.

Lisa glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was there, even though she knew she wouldn't find anyone. Her gaze fell to the bottom of the heavy door. There was still a crack of light visible. Wrestling with her thoughts, Lisa stepped up to the padlock, taking her necklace in her hands. She kissed it, whispering,

"Key to my heart…"

Carefully, she stuck the small key charm into the padlock and wriggled it around. She knew how to do it right without ruining the lock or the item she was using. After a few more jabs, she finally heard the soft click of the bolt. The padlock fell into her hand heavily, and she clutched it triumphantly. Quietly, she wrapped her fingers around the hand hold and pulled the heavy door open. The groaning of the hinges sounded impossibly loud in the corridor. It almost scared her how piercing it seemed. Panting slightly, she straightened up, fixing her gaze on the figure before her.

Benjamin Linus stared up at her, seemingly surprised. He closed the book he'd been reading with a light snap, holding it between his palms. The light casted dark shadows over his face.

"Hello, Lisa," he told her, "What took you so long?"