THE NUMBERS

Jack was the person who everybody looked up to on the island. He was lying on the beach, relaxing for the first day, since he got onto the island. He looked up into the sky with a smile on his face and then looked back at the ocean view, in front of him. The waves were pounding the shore, like a fist, hitting its enemy.

"Hey, Jack, what's going on," asked Hurley, a rather heavy-set man, in his early twenty's. Curly plopped himself down next to Jack, sipping his bottle of water as sweat dropped down his face, and absorbed into his brows.

"What were you doing," asked Jack, his eyes squinted as the sun hit his face. "Oh…you know, just went out for a little run. Trying to knock off some of this weight," Hurley took another sip of water and then gave a great sigh and laid his back on the sand surrounding his body. Jack gave a little smirk and then continued to keep his eyes on the ocean. "Boy I'm tired," said Curly, breathing heavily. "Aren't we all," replied Jack.

A piece of metal floated up onto shore. It was about the size of a microwave oven. The metal moved around the foamy waters eventually stopping, as it got stuck into the ground. Jack had his eyes on the metal as it had flowed through the water. With a confused expression on his face, Jack got up, and started to walk over to the water where the piece of metal lay. He picked up the metal and examined it. He wiped off some of the sand that had gotten onto it and then brought it over to where he was sitting, prior to his discovery.

"What is it," asked Hurley.

"I don't know, probably the side of a plane, or a boat."

Hurley picked up his head and stared at the piece of metal, "Can I take a look," asked Hurley with a polite tone. "Yeah, sure," replied Jack. Hurley reached out for the metal and cut himself on the edge of it. Hurley placed the metal on his lap and tended to his cut. Hurley poured a little water on the cut and then picked up the metal again. He turned it around a few times, and noticed a green stripe along the side of it. He turned it onto the backside and noticed something very familiar. Inscribed on the back were the numbers, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Hurley stared at the numbers, confused of how they got there. He kept thinking to himself that it must be coincidence. Hurley looked at the numbers again and realized that they were etched in, probably by a stone, and that they were placed there on purpose.

"Uh, Jack. I think there's something you gotta see," said Hurley.

"What is it," asked Jack. Jack took the metal out of Hurley's hands and stared at the numbers. They both looked at each other, dazed, and confused.

"What do you think this means," asked Hurley in fear.

"Hurley, the numbers aren't cursed."

"But they are, Jack. How do you explain them in so many different places? First some crazy guy told them to me. Then I used the numbers to enter the lottery and won. After that bad things started happening. I mean, I already told you about that stuff and you know the rest of it about the rest of the island."

Jack didn't want to believe that the numbers were cursed. He refused, as well did some of the other people on the island, but it almost seems too real to him now.

"Where did this chunk of metal come from anyway," asked Hurley.

"I don't know, it was floating in the water," replied Jack.

"But how did it get there."

"Hurley, for the last time, I… don't… know!"

"Ok, dude, you don't have to get so harsh."

Jack turned around and started to walk away. Hurley's eyes followed Jack until he was out of his eyesight.

"Sayid," yelled Jack from ten feet away.

"Jack, what," asked Sayid, worried.

"The numbers are back," replied Jack.

"What do you mean, they are back."

"I mean that I find something involving the numbers."

"What is it?"

"It's this," Jack handed Sayid the metal and pointed out the inscribed numbers on the back. Sayid looked up at Jack and started to speak, "come with me."