Jack heard the screaming, too. Pulling out his gun, he ran in the direction of the sound, following the echoes as the scream faded, redoubled and then stopped completely. He clicked back the hammer on his gun and crept noiselessly around each tree, nearing the source of the sound. He peered out behind a tree and shook the water from his eyes, and saw... nothing.
He relaxed his posture and turned. Out of nowhere, Locke was behind him. He jumped and let out a little exclamation of shock, and then pulled himself together.
"Surprised?" asked Locke.
"You scared me." admitted Jack.
"I'm good at that." teased Locke. They both hesitated. "You looking for Ethan?"
"Yeah." said Jack.
"Well, you're looking in the wrong place."
Jack stared at him. "But I followed the sound –"
"Screams echo." Locke informed him. "Never trust where a scream sounds like it is coming from." Locke pointed in a different direction. "There's where you might want to try."
Jack stared at him for a moment. "Where's –?"
"Boone left to investigate a white noise." Locke shrugged.
Jack nodded. "Thanks," he said, and started off in the direction that Locke had indicated. That man was one of the few things he still found creepy. Creepier than things that went bump in the night. Creepier than Sawyer. Almost creepier than Ethan.
He pushed a leafy branch aside and froze.
Speaking of Ethan...