Because I love her
By: Amee Eliza
Author's note: This one-shot takes place the day of the crash of Oceanic flight 815.Ben shifted under his covers. It was five in the morning. The cold morning air drafted in through his window with alacrity. Ben thought with annoyance that someone must of left it open.
Ben's body wanted to sleep but he forced himself out of bed to shut it. The window was jammed; Ben shook from the cold. He inspected the window: it looked in perfect condition, then he noticed them. Three stones stuck in the slider to stop it from closing.
Ben's eyes flared.
He tried to pry them out, but they were dead stuck.
Ben left his room with intention. He peeked in her room. Alex lay asleep, her dark tresses in a pile at the top of her pillow.
"You are going to lose her." Something warned him in his head.
He shut the door and headed to the living room.
The room was small and the kitchen was even smaller. In the living room was a cream colored sofa and a black little tv set sat on bookshelf. Under the bookshelf was many of the books he had read. He was proud of the collection and even more satisfied with the knowledge he had gained from them. If he summed them all up he would say the underlining theme would be: man's inability to do right.
This was terrifying to him.
He lay on the couch, his fat little feet resting on the arm support. He observed his own breathing for a while. His upper body went up and down and then he breathed in deeply.
Benjamin had the recent habit of doing this, observing his breathing patterns. It was amazing.
Ben thought he was cursed. Ever since Juliet told him about his cancer he had been a little uptight. Would death touch him soon? He wondered. He ran his hand across his hair. It was spiked slightly and was a brown that shined in the sun.
Alex hated him. It hurt him more than he understood but he would not let that get in the way of protecting the island. The island was a place that was truly beautiful and he sensed a connection with the atmosphere. The ocean, trees, plants, rocks, it was all a part of the middle aged man but he didn't acknowledge it, only sensed it.
Ben rolled up off the couch. He walked down the hall and straight to his room. He grabbed his clothes and headed towards the bathroom. He took of his shirt and felt bare as he did some morning stretches side to side. He dressed and folded his pj's.
He started the coffee and made eggs for Alex; she would be awake soon he knew, but he would be gone before then. He got a plate and put the scrambled eggs on with the toast. He wanted to do something for her and that was the sole thing he could think of. He drank a sip of his coffee and then poured the rest of his cup down the sink.
He stepped outside of his bungalow at six o'clock. It was misty. The mist licked his face as he passed over the wet lawn. He then jogged all the way to Tom's place. Ben found him caring for his garden as he approached. Tom hurried to turn off the hose. Ben regarded Tom with a nod and Tom said in a low crackled voice, "Hi Ben!"
"Look Tom, someone did something to my window, could you come by later to take a look at it?" Ben stood straight with his shoulders back, Tom was much taller and it embarrassed the leader.
"Sure, no problem. How's Alex taking the news?" Tom squinted his eyes in the fog.
Ben breathed in and glared, "I think she'll survive." And Ben was off for his morning walk.
From my childhood's hour I have not been as others were; I have not seen as other others saw; I could not bring my passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken my sorrow; I could not awaken my heart to joy at the same tone; And all I loved, I loved alone.
Alone by Edgar Allen Poe