I'm really sorry this wasn't out on Saturday, but I had a bunch of relatives coming in for Easter and barely got any time to write. So, here's House of the Rising Sun! It's Parker Centric, so I hope you guys like it!


"It's not like I'm asking a personal question."

"It is a personal question."

"Is it a secret? You can't tell me?" Abby joked. Parker watched the water group. Abby put a water bottle into Jack's pack. Just the few of them had been chosen to tread to Jack's water source and bring back water for forty-six people. He hadn't been chosen to go, although he probably could've made a decent contribution.

"Well, you're not going to know."

"What's the big deal, then?"

"It's not a big deal. It's just something I did. I had my reasons. And I don't want to put it out there." Abby nodded her head in mock agreement. She laughed to herself as she slung her backpack over her shoulders.

"It's just you and tattoos don't really add up. Are you a hard-core spinal surgeon?" He laughed.

"That's me. Hard-core." The water group was just about to leave. It was Jack, Kate, Abby, Leah, Charlie, and Locke. Parker stayed behind, feeling morally guilty for almost beating up Boone, so he just needed time to sort things out. It had been a week.

"If you guys are finished verbally copulating we should get a move on. There's a whole beach of people waiting for us to get some drinking water for them. And the great white hunter's getting restless." Charlie complained, gesturing to Locke, who was shaving with the aid of a mirror.

"Charlie, ask Jack about his tattoos." Abby laughed.

"Oh, you guys have an inside joke. How nice." Leah piped in, walking up. She was slightly annoyed today, not as badly as the day before, but still pretty easily pissed. They walked into the forest, Leah trudging along as if regretting her decision to come. Abby was having a pleasant small talk conversation with Jack, who's load had been lightened by the finding of the water and the fact he knew someone on the island.

xXx

Parker turned the keys in his car out rather quickly. He dug his hands in his pockets, having second thoughts. He took his courage and opened the car door. He walked down the sidewalk, slowly, thinking about what he had done, what he was going to do.

"Hey, watch it." An Australian woman with a poodle warned.

"Sorry." He mumbled, his eyes on the sidewalk. He looked at the palm of his hand. 182 Rivercrest Lane. He looked at the addresses of the houses. 176, 178, 180, 182. He froze, his eyes fixated on the door. After what seemed forever, he walked up and knocked on the door.

xXx

Parker walked across the beach, hauling a beam of wood from the forest that was needed for a new tent. It was a calm, peaceful day. Mainly because the troublemakers had all left on the water trip. Not all the troublemakers, it seemed. As Parker hauled up the beam, he saw the Korean man tackle Michael. He started pounding him repeatedly, the Korean woman screaming and Walt crying 'Stop!' The commotion wasn't enough for any of the other people to hear, and Parker was too stunned to move. Suddenly, sensing something bad happening, Ivy yelled at the stop of her lungs.

"Help! Somebody help!" Sayid and Sawyer came running around the bend, Parker joining them. They ran over to the fight, and Parker pulled the Korean man off of Michael. Sawyer helped him up. Sayid restrained the Korean man, and yelled to Parker.

"The handcuffs! From the marshal! Go!" Parker ran and grabbed them from Sawyer, throwing them to Sayid. He grabbed the Korean man as Sayid chained him to a piece of the plane.

"What happened?" Parker asked Sun. He got no answer.

xXx

"Water's this way." Jack informed the group. They had been hiking a little bit over an hour, and were getting thirstier by the minute. Abby pushed a branch out of her way.

"How'd you find this place?" Kate asked.

"Luck." They walked into a cave, where in the far corner there was a bubbling stream. The cave was cool and provided shelter from nature. "This is it." Jack announced.

"No, it's just a cave with water. I would've thought it was the county fair." Leah said, dropping her backpack. Jack rolled his eyes and Leah glared at him.

"It's amazing." Locke commented.

"It's totally you." Leah scoffed. "Look, dark, and…stuff." Leah trailed her last sentence for Locke was staring at her, smiling. She edged uncomfortably over by Charlie, and tried to keep her eyes off of Locke. He confused her, and she didn't like it. She noticed some baggage in the cave. "Maybe we could go through this stuff, like…sort it."

"She's got a point." Locke said. A shiver went down her spine. This guy was really creeping her out.

"Yeah. Bring me your bottles, and keep an eye out for any medical supplies, drugs in particular." Charlie's face froze.

"Drugs. Right." Abby handed the water bottle to Jack, she noticed Charlie walking away, taking something out of his pocket. Leah sat in the corner, shielding her eyes from the sun. Her interest was sparked, so she followed him. He stopped behind a tree, when Abby realized what he stepped on.

"Charlie!" she whispered loudly. "Don't move!" He froze. "You're standing on a beehive." She walked to the front of the tree and examined the hive. "If you move, you'll split it."

"How do you know so much about bees?" he asked, worry in his voice.

"I don't, but I can see the crack-" he shuddered, "that you're standing on." Jack and Leah heard Charlie, and Leah got up to check it out. There's nothing better to do, right?

"What's going on?" she asked. Locke came around, pressing a finger to his mouth.

"Shh. He's standing on a beehive." Charlie winced.

"Aren't beehives supposed to be in trees?" Locke nodded. "So why is this one on the ground?"

"If he moves, he'll split the hive."

"I don't like bees, okay. I have an irrational fear of bees. I think I'm allergic to bees." Locke rolled his eyes, Abby and Jack were still trying to fix the beehive, setting pebbles and sticks into open spaces. Leah propped herself up against a tree, and Kate was back at the caves. Bees were getting all over Charlie, and Leah swatted one off of her face.

xXx

"I'm getting tired of saying this. I was just walking the beach with my son, and all of the sudden this dude is all up on me. I didn't do anything." Michael explained. Sayid was interrogating him about the attack earlier that day. There was silence as Sayid thought.

"Surely there must be something you're not telling us." He concluded.

"Surely? Where are you from, man?"

"Tikrit, Iraq."

"Okay. I don't know how it is in Iraq, but in the United States of America, where I'm from, Korean people don't like black people. Did you know that?" Michael jeered.

"Hey! Let's stop with the racism and try to sort things out." Parker intervened. Michael was making him angry.

"Sort things out? Maybe you can try and talk to him." The Korean man yelled out an insult at Michael. His wife cried out and started tapping her wrists. Parker went to try and explain to her.

"The cuffs have to stay on, ma'am, until we can figure out why your husband," He pointed to the man cuffed to the wreckage, "attacked Michael." He looked at her with pleading eyes, trying for her to understand.


The door opened. A woman, with white blonde hair that was beginning to fade, and striking, ice blue eyes, opened the door. The woman stood in the doorframe, her eyes open with surprise for a split second, but then switched to burning hate. Parker opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted.

"Melville. What the hell do you want with my family? Haven't you ruined us enough?" she asked, glaring.

"Louise," she glared at him. He cleared his throat. "Mrs. Poawhay, if you'll let me explain-"

"I've heard enough. But maybe Creed's sister would like to hear what you've had to say. She's certainly had a lot to say about you." She led him into the house, where a young girl, around the age of 14, sat on the couch, reading a book. "Jeanette." She snapped her head up from the book. "Mr. Melville would like a word with you." At his name her face darkened, and her eyes turned to storm.

"Why the hell would I want to see him, Mom?"

"He just wants to talk, Jeanette. And don't use that language." She gestured to the couch, and Parker sat down. He took off his baseball cap, and held it in his hands. Louise left the room, and slammed the door behind her. Parker could hear her husband, Jonathan Poawhay, yelling at her.

"So, Jeanette-"

"Don't say my name."

"Okay. Listen, I came. I came all the way from the States. Do you want to know the reason?" She shook her head. "Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. The reason is because ever since the game where I kill-when the accident occurred, I've felt as guilty as hell. I came here looking for forgiveness." Her eyes softened. "I never, ever, mean for that to happen. And I'm really sorry for what did happened, and if I could take it all back, I would." Jeanette thought about his words. Her eyes snapped back to their cold original.

"You aren't sorry, you son-of-a-" Jonathan burst into the room. He was followed by Louise, whose face was tear-stained.

"You! Did you come to kill one of us again? Well? Did you!" He yelled. His face was red. Parker could feel himself sinking into the ground. "You did, didn't you? You no-good, dirty-"

"Jeanette! Leave the room!" Louise yelled. Jeanette stayed put. "Jeanette, now!" Jeanette stood up, but it was rather to join in on the yelling.

"The case was in your favor! Just because you were more famous than Creed! You know what? They were wrong! If I was there, I would have you under the death penalty in twenty seconds!" A single tear ran down Jeanette's face. She ran out of the room, slamming her door. Parker endured several more minutes of verbal abuse from Jonathan, before he finally left the room, hoarse from screaming. Parker was left to endure silence, a constant stare from Louise always persistent. Jeanette finally came out, holding her head high. She took a seat opposite of him. "Mr. Melville, do you have any idea what you've done? You killed Creed, and ruined me. I thought about your offer, the forgiveness one? I've made my choice." Parker cringed. "Leave our house. I'm not ready to forgive."


"A little louder, Moby Dickhead. Maybe then she'll understand you." Sawyer jabbed. Hurley walked over, holding an empty water bottle and hitting it against his palm.

"Guys, that Chinese dude is going to get pretty crispy out here. How long are you going to keep him tied down like that?"

"He's Korean." Parker mumbled.

"He tried to kill Michael. We all saw it. The cuffs stay on until we know why." Sayid said, glaring at the Korean man. He stared up at all of them, and then shook his head and attempted to make himself more comfortable. Michael put his hand on Walt's shoulder and they walked away. Soon only Parker was left, staring at the Korean man in disgust.

xXx

Back at the beehive, Charlie was close to a freak-out. Bees were slowly covering everything, including Charlie.

"Ok, Charlie, we're going to try to cover the hive." Jack explained.

"This is the most crap idea ever. It's never going to work." Charlie muttered, trying to blow a bee off of his face.

"Shut up and pull yourself together, Charlie." Leah muttered.

"It wouldn't be an irrational fear of bees if I could just pull myself together, would it?" Charlie asked sarcastically. Leah shook her head.

"If they sting you they die. So at least if you get stung, they pay for it." Charlie nodded his head in mock thanks. A bee landed on Charlie's face. Abby attempted to cover the hole with a suitcase. All were silent for a split second, and the bee stung Charlie. He smacked it, lost his balance, and then split the hive. The air was black and yellow as the angered bees stormed out, avenging themselves. Everyone ran for the caves, bees stinging everywhere they went. Charlie, Locke, and Leah ran away from the caves, where some of the bees were headed. Abby and Jack made for the caves, bees getting underneath their shoes and shirts. When they finally reached the cave, they took off their shirts to shake the dead bees from them. Abby went to get her pack, when she saw a skeleton. She gasped, and ran into Jack who was standing behind her. They stared in confusion at the skeleton, and it stared back at them.

xXx

"Who is it?"

"A male, the bones are old. I can't perform and autopsy, but I can easily say-"

"Woah! What is that? Is that a skeleton? No way. So there were people before us? That's amazing!" Leah said, running up, removing a dead bee from her jacket. Locke looked at her again, creepily, and she turned to look at Jack, who was staring at her like she was an idiot. "What?"

"What are you talking about?" Locke asked.

"Well, uh, couldn't there have been people before us? There are a lot of boats and planes and stuff that go missing. This could be the Bermuda Triangle!" She received some eye-rolls before Charlie had the courage to say,

"The Bermuda Triangle's in the Atlantic Ocean. Who are these guys?" Abby looked back at the bodies.

"One of them is female." She said. Locke nodded.

"Our very own Adam and Eve." He paused, and then turned to look around the wreckage. "I think someone should stink behind to help Charlie salvage. I'll stay. You four go ahead." Kate nodded.

"We should move out. People are getting thirsty." Kate said, after being quiet for most of the trip. Abby figured she was still upset over the marshal, so she packed up her bag and flung it over her shoulders.

"An average person needs to drink a gallon a day each." Abby said, picking up her water bottle and filling it up.

"Carrying all of that is going to be a major pain in the ass. You're starting making me rethink volunteering." Leah joked, though it was a fact.

"These caves make too good a shelter just to be used for burial. Adam and Eve, they must have lived here. Their plane crashed, or maybe they were ship-wrecked. They probably found this place and knew they could survive here. Unlimited supply of fresh water, tree canopy keeps the temperature down, shields out the sun, the openings are narrow, easier for protection against predators. We don't need to bring the water to the people. We need to bring the people to the water. I think we could live here."

xXx

Parker left the house, close to depression. He felt guiltier than ever. It started drizzling outside, and Parker put his hands in his pockets. It was supposed to work. Supposed to give closure, take away his guilt. They weren't supposed to refuse. He dug his hands in his pockets. He walked down the sidewalk, thinking. How could they not? He made his case perfectly clear, and he was truly sorry. Parker began to believe what they had told him. The case was in his favor, because he was more famous. He hit his head, trying to erase the thought. The rain beat down harder. He approached his truck. The windows were down, and it was soaked. Parker sighed, and got in. He turned the keys. Nothing.

"Damn it!" he yelled, slamming on the steering wheel.

xXx

Adrian and Henry were gathering firewood when the saw the water team returning. Sayid was with them, though he didn't look very happy to be. Abby put her pack down, and Leah trudged fifteen feet behind them.

"How much longer until we get to cam- Oh hi." Leah complained, but when she saw Henry and Adrian she stopped.

"It's about time!" Adrian said, putting some wood down. "I was about to drop dead!" He dramatically added. Abby laughed, and then gave him a bottle. He downed half of it in a few seconds. Henry received one also, but he drank it in small sips. Kate continued down the path, for she didn't want to keep the other people waiting for water.

"I'm going to start talking to people about the caves. Might be able to get a few to go with me before nightfall, start setting up camp." Jack explained to Sayid.

"You're serious?" he replied.

"Is there a reason you didn't consult us when you decided to form your own civilization?" Adrian asked. Jack laughed, and shook his head. Henry was confused.

"The only way we're going to survive is if we go to the caves." Abby explained, sharing Jack's side of the argument.

"Our best hope of survival is in being spotted by a plane or a ship, and for that we need to organize everyone to keep that signal fire burning while others scout the Island for supplies. Digging in anywhere else is suicide!" Sayid cried, exasperated.

"And staying on the beach isn't suicide?" Jack asked. Sayid stormed away. Henry tried not to laugh. Leah shared his predicament. Adrian couldn't help himself, and laughed. Sayid glared at him.

xXx

Sayid approached a few survivors, asking about their ideas and opinions.

"Jack is seriously thinking about moving to the caves. I'd like to know what you think." He asked Tammy. Tammy sighed.

"I don't know. The beach is nice. And it's the only way we're ever getting off this place." Sayid nodded. He approached Henry and Adrian, who were just now putting the firewood up.

"Your opinions?" He asked, because they already knew what he was talking about.

"I really want to get far away from this place, back to my wife, she's a seamstress, y'know. Her name's Marie. We got married three years ago. She about this tall, and she has dark brown curly hair to her shoulders, with blue eyes. She's really pretty. And-" Adrian laughed, getting Henry back on track. "Oh yeah, sorry. Well, I'd probably go to the caves, if that's what Jack thinks." Sayid turned to Adrian.

"Yeah, probably the caves." Sayid approached Parker.

"The caves. Safer there, from what I've been told." After a while, he had come to a 50/50 split between the caves and the beach. Abby was still undecided, as was Leah. Hurley made up his mind, and Tammy spied (Or as she'd prefer to call it, gathering info.) on them.

"Hey man, I go where the boar's at. So, what's up with you and uh, Abby? You guys going to move into a cave together, or what?"

"Am I in high school?" Jack asked, laughing slightly.

"Well, it wasn't a denial." Tammy laughed to herself. Boy, was someone going to enjoy that.

xXx

Abby was getting her stuff together, just in case she made up her mind to go to the caves. After she was finished, she took a break, and she sat down in an airline chair and read Lord of the Flies, a book she felt was perfectly appropriate for their situation. She opened the front flaps in the tarp over her tent, and moved her chair outside. She slipped on a pair of sunglasses she had found, and Sawyer walked up.

"Well, well, well. If ain't it the bell of the ball?" She sat her booked down and raised her sunglasses, giving him a confused look. "Just call 'em how I seem 'em, sweetheart. Truth be told, I'm not the only one wondering where you're going to weigh in on this whole moving off the beach thing. Are you going with the pessimists, or staying here and waiting for the rescue boats?" Abby sighed. Didn't he know she was still undecided?

"Are you going?" she asked. She had begun to take a friendly liking to Sawyer, he was entertaining.

"Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? We all pack up stakes for the caves and the next day a plane passes by, they're going to go on their merry way and be none the wiser. On the other hand, stay here, get eaten by boars, fall off a rock, not going to be anyone around to answer that 911 call."

"That's true, but you haven't answered my question." Sawyer smirked.

"You didn't answer mine." Abby opened her mouth to speak. "And I asked first." Sawyer left, smiling to himself. Abby decided she needed a change of scenery. She walked into the forest, where she found a small patch of what seemed to be plowed soil. She turned around the bend, and there was Sun, in a garden. She looked worried.

"Need any help?" Abby asked. Sun gestured to the garden, and Abby nodded. They planted a few seeds, and Abby asked her a few questions, even though she knew Sun wouldn't understand. "Do you know that rescue's bound to come any day?" Sun didn't make any notice, and covered up a hole with soil. "The weather's crazy here too." Sun nodded, and Abby looked at her, confused. "You just nodded. Did you understand me?" Sun looked conflicted, before she hurriedly whispered,

"I need to talk to you."

xXx

After talking with Sun, and swearing secrecy to not tell, Abby told one person she thought she could trust: Parker.

"Let me get this straight, she speaks English? Why doesn't she tell anyone?"

"She says her husband has a bad temper. The reason her husband, his name is Jin, attacked Michael, is a watch he was wearing. It's her father's watch, and it means a lot to Jin. He thought Michael stole it. She asked me to get him free."

"I think Michael's the only one who can do that."

"She said we could tell him. Do you want to?" Parker nodded, and Abby nodded back in thanks, then ran off to catch up with Jack.

xXx

Parker fumbled with his ticket, and a young flight attendant picked it up for him. He scanned it under the ticket booth, and made his way to the gate. He checked his phone. No new messages. Then it rang. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Melville, don't visit us again. My mother's hysterical and my dad's showing signs of insanity."

"Who is this?"

"Jeanette. So don't call back, Mr. Melville. You ruined my family." The line went dead, and Parker sighed. He boarded the plane, Oceanic 815, and lugged his bag behind him. A young woman with black hair and dark eyes followed him, and he let a father and on group pass him on his way to his seat, 37A. It was going to be a long ride.

xXx

Back at the cave, the newcomers were coming to settle down. Adrian lugged a huge suitcase behind him, followed by Henry, whose was only slightly lighter. Sun and Jin followed them, and a few other people followed. Tammy, Leah, and Abby had chosen to stay at the beach. Ivy decided at last minute to come with the cave-people, and Parker volunteered to stay with her. As the sun got darker, they got to the cave, and Adrian loosened his scarf. Ivy laughed.

"Short walk. I think they stretched the truth." Ivy laughed. She was slightly creeped out by the skeletons, though she thought they were interesting. Ivy had spent the day in the woods, gathering food. She didn't care much for the drama the island was bringing, but she swore she hard the most peculiar whispers around her whilst she collected. Parker could sense this, and he asked her what was wrong.

"You're never going to believe me." He gave her a look. "It's probably just island fever, but I could have sworn I heard whispers in the woods today." Parker nodded. "I'm not crazy."

"I know, I believe you. This is one crazy damn island, isn't it? You have to watch where you're going or you'll get eaten by a monster or hear whispers in the woods. I wonder what comes next."

And what does come next? Find out on Saturday, when The Moth comes out! (Adrian centric, just in case you were wondering) Don't forget to review! And remember-You guys are what makes this story happen!