Even before Claire and Shannon reached the caves they could hear the yelling. They looked at each other unsure but decided to go ahead anyways. Stepping into the clearing they could see that Sun and Jin were arguing again. Though in the week following the big "Jin-hunt, Sun-speak-English" fiasco they had avoided each other whenever Sun tried to talk to Jin he yelled at her. Personally, any man who tried to speak to Shannon like that would get knocked on his ass.
Shannon pulled Claire away from the spectacle and towards Kate, who was doing something with a bunch of seeds and stuff on the far side of the caves. Stepping closer, Shannon could see that Kate was sorting them…and that she'd been crying.
"Kate?"
Distractedly she looked up. "Yeah?"
"Me and Shan were going to go looking for some fruit. Do you know where we can find some good ones?"
Kate concentrated for a minute then nodded. "Yeah. Ummm, not far from here there's a little clearing. On the trees inside there's some good kiwi looking fruit. Hard outside but gooey inside. They're easy to find." Kate pointed deeper into the forest, away from the beach. "Go that way for about fifteen minutes. There's a slight path already broke in. Just follow that."
"Thanks. Uh, Kate?" Shannon asked. "Is something wrong?"
For a second anger blazed across Kate's face. "No, I'm just tired of having to deal with my past as if it's this huge unmovable block." Turning away she dismissed Shannon and Claire.
Together they once again started off in the forest. "What was up with her?"
Claire grinned. "She and Jack had a lover's spat last night. Something about a toy plane."
Shannon thought for a minute. "It must have been about the toy plane they found near that boar."
Claire furrowed her brow in confusion. "What boar?"
Shannon teetered for a minute. "They didn't tell you again? What is it with them?"
Claire smiled. "They think I'm delicate."
Shannon snorted. "No woman having a kid is delicate." Before Claire could comment, she continued. "So Sayid and Jack totally found this like mutilated boar last night. On the ground the boar's…like…insides were spelling the words, 'They're coming.' It was totally creepy."
"Who's coming?" Claire asked as they reached the clearing.
"Don' know. Supposedly no one knows."
Claire stooped down to pick up some of the fruit laying near the trees. "What do you mean 'supposedly'? Suspect someone knows something?"
"Well…no, but doesn't it seem strange that someone could get by Sayid? I mean, only someone good at sneaking around could do that. He's like super soldier."
Claire grinned at Shannon. "Got a crush?"
Shannon blushed. "NO! Okay, so we kissed…"
Claire jumped at Shannon. "WHAT? Ohmigod! Tell me!"
Shannon smiled. "Okay, so Boone started some stuff and Sayid…Did you hear that?"
Claire and Shannon studied the forest around them. There it was again. A snap of wood in the forest. Suddenly it got louder and bigger. Something very large was coming towards them. For seconds they stayed frozen and just as they were about to start running it stopped. Everything stopped. It was silent in the forest. No birds, no insects. But it wasn't a comfortable silence. No, it was a predatory one.
(Flashback)
Shannon swung her foot back and forth where she sat waiting in the library. She was eighteen today and it was time. Past time to tell her father what she was going to do.
"Shan? What's this about?" Her father asked as he rushed into the library, just returned home from the airport where he and his wife had arrived home from their vacation. A week in the Bahamas. It was deliberately noticeable that Shannon had not been invited while Boone had. That bitch never like her, merely put up with her for her father's sake.
"I'm leaving Dad."
"Don't be silly Shan. There's no need. I've discussed it with her. Elizabeth is over that little incident." That little incident as he put it was a huge conflict to Shannon. Exactly one month ago, Shannon's stepmother had informed Shannon that she was to be married to one John Vanderbilt. It was a suitable union, you understand. Shannon had freaked. Attacked Elizabeth with a fireplace poker. Elizabeth had been furious. Threatened to have Shannon thrown in jail. Her father had smoothed it as expected.
"It wasn't a little incident! She's trying to control my life."
"She wants to do what's best for you, Shannon."
"I've played princess to that bitch for long enough! I'm leaving tonight. Give me congratulations daddy! I'm getting' married!"
The door slammed open, startling both Shannon and her father. Boone stormed in. "You can't get married to that idiot Frenchman Shannon! He's just using you! To get our money!"
Shannon smiled. "As of right now I'm leaving with him. We'll be married in a month and in France soon after that. Don't worry about your precious money, brother. I don't want any of it."
Elizabeth stepped through the door, regal and cold. "That's good Shannon. You walk out that door and you'll get none of it. You will be disowned."
Shannon laughed. No giggle for her though, this was a full-bellied, gut hurting laugh. Then waving good-bye, she stormed past them all. Shutting the front door behind her, Shannon felt free. As the silence of the night surrounded her, she felt…loved.
(End Flashback)
"Claire, when I tell you…run. 1…2…3…RUN!" Claire took of on the path back to the caves. Shannon decided in a split second to go towards the commotion. The monster must not get Claire.
Next Chapter: The Monster
