I added ch 9 and 10 the other day, but 9 was skipped..so just so you know there was a ch 9

CH 11

When Bama and Vincent returned to the beach camp the little man and the important man were stacking wood on the fire. They were heavy in discussion over something and that something was the hunter. Bama heard the little man saying that if he trusted anyone it was the hunter. The dogs were very excited to see that he was there also. Now was their chance to ask the questions that bothered them.

As they passed the fire pit the little man spoke, "Good afternoon Bama." Bama walked over and under his hand as he pet her. She sure liked him. She looked at Vincent who was looking at the hunter. He turned to her and they headed down to where he was sitting.

The hunter seemed to be meditating. His back was to the jungle, which was good because he could talk without anyone seeing him. The dogs circled in front of him and lay down.

"We have some questions." Vincent got right to the point. "We need you to help us understand what you meant by being in "the balance". You said because one of us was light and the other dark, we were key to the survival here. In what reference, love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death?"

The hunter changed his gaze from the water to the dogs. "It's about life. The ever-going circle. For something to live something must die. It's human nature. Every minute of every day, something dies, and something is born. That's the balance. It doesn't just pertain to true life and death, but in accepting the loss of something, in order to allow something new into your life."

The dogs looked at each other and back to the hunter. "So we aren't "special," just that our colors represent a theory of yours?"

The hunter looked at them silently and said, "Who said you weren't special?"

"You are special. It goes far beyond color." He held the dogs gaze before relaying, "Take a moment, think about it. What do you hear? What do you see? What is different? What is the same?" He got up and headed off down the beach, leaving the dogs to soak it in.

Bama watched him walk away. "I hate when he does that."

"Does what?"

"Gets up and leaves after he's filled our heads with more ideas. I'm still trying to figure out the other stuff."

"Yeah, well, I think he does it on purpose. It's almost like a game to him. Bama, he gave us a lot just now, but don't you see? He knew we would understand."

"Speak for yourself. I'm totally lost." Bama headed back over to the fire, but Vincent grabbed her by the tail. "HEY!"

"Wait! Bama, when we crashed, my abilities were no more than fetching a stick and not getting caught licking myself in public... There is more here. How can we suddenly communicate with him? How is it that we seem to know more than the others? No, Bama, you aren't lost. Open your mind. It's the island. There is something here. He's found it."

"Can he give it back?" Bama almost looked serious.

"Bama close your eyes. Listen. What do you hear?"

"The ocean. We are at the beach."

"What else? Concentrate."

"Whispers." Bama's eyes flew open and she whined. "Vincent, what is going on here?"

"It's talking to us. Let's look at what he said. What do we see? We see the place just like everyone else. What is different? For starters, we can talk to the hunter. Second, our intelligence. Third, I think this place is what is protecting us."

Bama looked at Vincent in confusion. "What's the same?"

"Everything is the same. We carry on as always. We are still dogs. They are still people. We are still stranded. That part remains true." Bama furrowed her brow. "Relax, Bama. Drink it in. It wont hurt you."

The hunter walked back into the light of the fire. He met the gaze of the dogs. "Welcome to my world."

The hunter faded into the background and sat down. He was in the meditative state again when the pretty boy tackled him. He was punching the hunter and yelling about someone being dead. The dogs looked at each other. They sensed none of this, but they felt his anguish. He was hurting yet, almost, well...happy. The hunter got him to calm down and lead him back into the jungle. Vincent went over to the boy and sat by him. Bama went over to look for the little man. She found him by the fire.

"There's my girl!" Bama's tail wagged happily as she approached the little man. She pushed her head under the crook of his arm and laid her head on his lap as he scratched her behind the ears. She was so glad to have him, and hoped that one day they could reunite with her person. As far as she was concerned, he was her friend and she now belonged to him.

Bama wondered if he could talk to her too. She looked up at him and with all her might said, "I'm going to lick your face and nibble your ears." he looked at her and patted her head. He didn't seem to understand. Bama sighed.

The big guy hobbled in to camp and had a seat next to them. He favored one of his feet and carrying on about something biting him. "What're you on about, Hurley."

"Dude, I asked that Asian guy, Jin, to teach me how to fish. All the fruit I've been eating is just going through me." The little man held up a hand to keep the big guy from going into details. "Yeah, right dude, I don't need to explain. Anyway, I was out there catching nothing but rocks and seaweed. I had had it man. He's catching fish after fish. I gave up and on my way back to the beach; I stepped on a sea urchin. Let me tell you dude, it's an attention getter. So I tried to convey to the guy that he would have to pee on my foot but he just didn't get it."

Bama thought he should have asked Vincent. He has impeccable aim.

"Mate, I cant for the life of me figure out how that would be helpful."

"Dude, its what you do when you don't have any antiseptic. It's the next best thing. They do it in wars all the time. Its a tough mans peroxide."

"Did he oblige?"

"No man, he still claims not to understand English. Anyway, I am heading back to the caves. Have a good evening."

The little man pet Bama as he drifted off to sleep. She saw Vincent sleeping peacefully with his boy. Her eyes were beginning to close when she heard a word emit from the little man.

"Claire."

Claire. He said Claire. Bama raised her head and stared at the little man. Could she read his thoughts too? She got up and stood over his head. "Hello? Yoohoo? I heard you say my person's name. Come on, talk to me, or I'll hide all your imaginary food."

The little man just shifted in his sleep and said, "I'm sorry, Claire." Bama sat down. She wasn't reading his mind; he was talking in his sleep. That was a good thing too, because she had no idea where he stashed the imaginary food. She laid her head on his stomach and finally drifted off to sleep.

Morning came with crashing waves and a warm breeze in the air. The beach campers were busy with breakfast and putting their night things away. The scruffy man was leaning against the door of his tent with a fire stick in his mouth. Bama gave him a small lip-curling growl and then went to look for Vincent.

Vincent was just coming out of the jungle when he saw Bama coming toward him. "Good morning, Sunshine!" Vincent licked Bama on the side of her face. "Did you sleep well?

"I was just about to doze off when I heard the little man say my person's name. I thought maybe I was able to hear him too, turns out he talks in his sleep."

Vincent told Bama he had to go play with his boy for a while and would meet up with her later. He left her sitting there over looking the ocean. She set off to find the little man when a thought occurred to her. She was dark and the little man was light, and Vincent's boy was dark and Vincent was light. Would that be a counterbalance? Together they were a balance but apart with their others they would still have the same balance twofold. This made her brain hurt. She wondered if the hunter had thought this through. She made a mental note to point this out to Vincent later.

The little man was sitting against a tree playing his guitar. His mind was somewhere else, but what he played was soothing. Bama liked it and lay down beside him in the shade. As the melody filled her head, she thought of her person and started thinking of words to put to it.

The moonlight shone... upon the sand
she saw him reach... for her hand

And help her up... to her feet

Hand in hand...down the beach.

Louder than the oceans roar
higher than the eagles soar

He kept her close...by his side
his love for her...would never die

ahhhh oooooooooooo
ahhhh oooooooooooo
who knew... the power of imaginary food.
Imaginary food

Bama hummed to herself. That wasn't bad she thought. We can take it on the road. The Moon Howler and the Late Night Barker. Her name in lights. People tossing her bones. A diamond collar. A new leash on life! It was there right in front of her! The thrill! The joy! The...

"Bama?" Bama jumped. "You ok girl, you're shaking."

"The fact that I'm stuck here. Darn it." she laid her head down and closed her eyes. Her tail wagged to the rhythm as she hummed...imaginary food.

A/N: OK before you thrash me... remember the song is written by a dog and she will finish it in a later chapter. Please feel free to review. :)