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-Chapter 50-
A New Beginning
Jack's eyes snap open; his pupils constrict to soften the sunlight permeating the thin leaves of the bamboo tops. The experience is so familiar it seems routine; the bamboo swaying in the breeze, the blue sky, the moist forest floor pressing against his back. It's the same place he awoke after Oceanic and Ajira. Once again, the Island has brought him full circle; perhaps it's a message from the Island that the end of his journey is a new beginning. Or perhaps, there never was a journey and time hasn't passed at all, and everything since has been one crazy dream.
The ground beneath him rumbles and the bitter aroma of sulfur returns to his nostrils, alerting him to the grim reality of the Island dying beneath him. He recalls being separated from his friends, choosing to go against his own philosophy of live together, die alone; and now, ironically, he's all alone with the eventuality of death hovering over him.
His eyelids flutter and close shut once again. He hears the crackling of leaves approaching, like a wild animal scouring the forest floor for food. He feels the warmth of the animal next to his face, its wet nose nudging his skin. Its nostrils sniff air in and out of Jack's ear, followed by a slimy drip of saliva running down his neck. It incessantly licks every crevasse of skin inside his ear. The tickling awakens him; the animal's tail rapidly wags back and forth, whipping Jack's thigh like a weighted baton. Jack opens his eyes and sees the white fur of a familiar four legged friend he never imagined seeing again.
"Vincent?" he softly calls in a raspy voice.
His voice prompts the canine to lick his face even more fervently. "Vincent," he exhales with a shallow cough as the dog's front paws press into his chest. Jack's strength returns as he pets the Labrador's head. "How did you get here?"
"Ruff!"
Footsteps approach several yards away to investigate the sound of barking. "Doc!" Sawyer calls out, entering the bamboo patch. "What the hell? Is that Vincent?"
"Ruff! Ruff!" Vincent replies, running over to greet Sawyer.
The bushes along the edges of the bamboo rustle; the vines part and Kate suddenly appears. "I found them! They're over here, in the bamboo!" she calls out to the rest of the group. She twitches her freckled nose and tilts her head slightly. "Is that, Vincent?"
"Ruff!" Vincent sprints over to Kate, licking her hands as she reaches out to pet him.
The bushes rustle from footsteps approaching in every direction; Sayid, Jin, Hurley, and Locke emerge from the jungle and enter the bamboo patch. "Dude! Vincent's here!" Hurley reacts, happy to see the four legged survivor rejoining the group.
The ground suddenly rumbles violently, everyone braces their stance by bending their knees and holding on to the bamboo shoots. Vincent whines and leans against Jack for comfort. The shaking ceases; Sawyer looks to Locke with an accusatory stare. "You want to tell me what the hell you did to the Island?"
Locke looks to the ground, ashamed to admit his disappointment in what they found, feeling responsible for leading them on a mission where they almost lost their lives. "We made it to the Swan site, but there was nothing but an empty pit spewing steam and pulling in metal. It was awful."
The hope of ever seeing Juliet again drains from Sawyer's face, replaced with an angry rage for falling for Locke's empty promises. "Well, what the hell are we going to do now!"
Locke looks to Jack, defeated and speechless, deferring to the Man of Science to call the shots from now on. "What do you think Jack?" he asks, holding his hand downward to help Jack to his feet.
Jack pulls himself up and brushes the dirt off his pants. "We've got to get back to the beach, fit all of us into the outrigger, and take our chances on Hydra Island."
Vincent sprints in circles around the group, trying to get everyone's attention. He picks up a stick and places it next to Locke. "Ruff! Ruff!"
Sawyer vents his anger out on the dog. "This ain't the best time to play fetch, you mutt!"
Vincent heads into the woods. "Ruff! Ruff!"
"I don't think he wants to play," Locke massages his chin, considering the canine's odd behavior. "I think Vincent wants us to follow him."
Vincent sprints further into the woods, barking repeatedly to allow the group to follow. "Everybody; follow Vincent!" Jack instructs.
The group leaves the bamboo patch and treks back into the jungle. They inadvertently spread out, following at differing paces, zeroing in on the sounds of barking in the distance.
Jack finds himself alone again; the jungle is eerily silent, absent of birds and insects chirping. "Vincent!" he calls out; a distant bark sounds in the distance, echoing off the trunks and boulders around him. Jack gauges the direction of sound toward a small clearing in the woods. The vegetation thins as he get nearer, making it progressively easier to walk. The grasses and flowers are fresh and the wildlife is chirping again; apparently, the clearing seems to be unaffected by what is happening to the rest of the Island. He spots a small abandoned cabin at the wood's edge; Vincent paces back and forth on the cabin front porch, waiting for his friends to arrive.
"Ruff! Ruff!"
Jack is startled by a hand suddenly reaching out from behind a tree, preventing him from taking another step. "Don't move, Jack," whispers the Middle Eastern soldier. "Look down at your feet."
Jack's heart races; he looks down expecting to see a trip wire; instead, he sees a line of grey ash poured across the ground. "What is it?"
"The material feels similar to ash, but could possibly be some kind of detonator," Sayid cautions. Vincent barks again from the cabin porch, coaxing Sayid and Jack to step across. "I believe our friend Vincent is leading us into a trap."
"Ruff! Ruff!"
The trees and bushes rustle nearby as Hurley runs toward the sound of barking. Sayid warns him to stop. "Hurley! Don't move!"
Hurley looks down and spots the powdery substance; he tries to stop, but his momentum carries him forward. "Dude!" he yells, falling across the line and into the clearing. He lies on the ground for a few seconds and takes a couple breathes; the air is oddly refreshing, and his headache is clearing. "Dude, I can breathe again!" He wipes his nose to check for any signs of bleeding. "My nose! It stopped bleeding!"
"Ruff! Ruff!"
Sayid closes his eyes and takes a chance crossing the ash. He opens his eyes on the other side and inhales the fresh air. "Hurley's right." He lifts his shirt to check his wounds; the bleeding stops and a new layer of skin instantly seals over. "Remarkable."
Kate, Jin, and Sawyer reach the clearing and step over the ash along with Jack. They're relieved to inhale fresh oxygen; Jack checks his neck and abdomen and discovers all of his wounds are miraculously healed.
John Locke is the last to reach the clearing; he kneels with caution and picks up a handful of ash. He stares to Jack, his expression filled with relief that his journey of faith is about to conclude. "This is why I came back," he says, pouring the fine substance back in to place. "I wish you had believed me, Jack."
Hurley encourages him to step over and join them. "Dude, we're fine. Step over, man. It's easier to breathe over here."
Locke picks up another handful, sifting it between his fingers, watching the powder drift down like falling sand inside an hourglass. "Sorry, Hugo. This line I cannot cross."
Suddenly, the cabin door creaks open; a man resembling Christian Shepherd steps out of the dark interior and into the light. He thanks his canine companion with a pat to the head, then makes firm eye contact with each person in the group. "I've been waiting for you, each one of you, for a very long time."
Jack's eyes well up with tears and a cold chill shoots down his spine. The tightening muscles in his throat prevent him from calling out. "Dad?" he cries softly, staring in disbelief.
The Man of Faith locks eyes with the mysterious man from the cabin; he promptly pours the ash back into its rightful place and takes a cautious step backward from the ash ring. "Hello, Christian," he says, biting his upper lip, knowing the truth about everything will soon be revealed.
"Hello, John."
