Chapter 1: Up in the air

Authors note: Before we get started I'd like to clear up a few things. First, this is my first story, (on this site, not ever) secondly, this will be written as if it were offshoot series of Lost, similar to how stargate Atlantis took place in the same universe as sg-1, but with completely original characters, and finally if you've got any ideas or criticism I welcome it as I know I have a ton of room for improvement, enjoy!

Three. Seven. Twenty-eight. Thirty two. Thirty-five. Fifty-two. Green. Johnson. Hill. Knight. Stone. Hudson. Over and over. Matt was only familiar with the last name, Hudson. It belonged to him. Everything else, the odd, seemingly random numbers, the list of what he could assume were last names, and why they were repeating in his odd, as if the sequence would hypnotize him was a mystery. Matt's subconscious seemed to vaguely pick up on the fact that he was not in the real world, but was dreaming. As soon he realized this his mind snapped him back into consciousness and he awoke with a start, gasping for air. "Where the hell am I?" he said to no one in particular. Matt then realized that his mouth was inside an airplane oxygen device and he was sitting in the middle of a plane. "Ugh, what happened? Why aren't there any people?" It was true, he was sitting in an empty plane, well at least part of the planes passenger section. He looked to his left, "Sand? A beach? What the hell is going on?" It was then that he realized what had happened in the few short minutes before he had been knocked unconscious.

"What do you mean you don't have any seats left! My mother is dying for Christ sake I have to get on that flight!" "I'm sorry sir but the flight is completely full, there really is nothing I can do to help you, believe me I wish I could." The woman at the desk looked quite exasperated and seemed close to snapping. "Dammit every second I spend sitting in this God forsaken airport is a second I don't get to spend with my mother, she has cancer I don't have much time! Not that you would understand." This really put the woman on edge, "As a matter of fact I do, my father passed away two years ago, now if you would calm down," she said slowing down her pronunciation of the last two words for emphasis, "I can probably get you on the next flight out, what did you say your name was?" "Matt Hudson." "Alright Mr. Hudson looks like I can get you on Oceanic flight 328, it departs at 6:30, it will come at a cost though." "Doesn't matter thank you." She was as happy to be rid of him as he was to have secured a flight. As he walked through the terminal he began to feel a little guilty for the way he handled things with the lady who worked for Oceanic. Maybe I shouldn't have been such an ass, he thought. Great. Now she likes I'm a huge jerk, and so does everyone else in line who happened to hear me. Matt had reason to be stressed, his mother really was dying, and he really was missing time with her every second he stood around in this airport. I suppose she can wait a couple of hours more, she has too. Matt shuddered at the thought of his mother passing away before he even got the chance to see her. She's stubborn, she'll make it. His gate, B28, was fairly empty when he arrived, he could only see a few people sitting around. He sat down and fiddled with his phone for awhile, looking very bored. After a few minutes like this, Matt gave up when a girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes who looked to be his age sat next to him. She didn't look more than 21, if that much. Great, bet she's real talkative, got the whole damn terminal to sit in and she has to sit next to me. As she sat down she looked at his and greeted him with a very enthusiastic "hello!" that made him cringe. "I guess you're going to LAX too?" she said, the enthusiastic tone of her voice never wavering. "Yea that's why I'm waiting at the gate for the flight to LAX." Matt's tone reflected his annoyance, he really did not want to have this conversation. Never the less she persisted, "My names Laura, what's yours?" "Its Matt." His tone was short and annoyed, causing her smile to diminish by just a little bit before saying, "So why are going to California?" "Family." "Oh." At this point she had run out of things to say and decided to give up on the conversation, which was what Matt had wanted all along. The next half hour was passed in awkward silence before the flights other passengers filed into the gate. Matt was daydreaming, and only half perceived what was going on around him, he vaguely recalled some sort of heated argument going on and a man rushing in at the last minute. He didn't really care, all that mattered to getting onto that flight and to California as quickly as possible. Looking out from his window seat on the plane Matt mindlessly watched as the workers outside loaded luggage into the cargo section of the plane, before being interrupted by a familiar voice, "Hey looks like we're sitting together, maybe we can talk some more on the way there." It was Laura. Not enough that I had to lose my ticket and my original flight out, and that I had to sit with her at the gate, No Oceanic had to stick her next to me for the duration of my damn flight, great.

Well there's chapter one! The story is starting pretty slow but don't worry it'll get better I promise! Remember, any feedback is appreciated, it'll help me become a better writer. I'll attempt to update once a week with installments about the size of this chapter, but no promises. Thanks for reading!