The Unknown

Soon after noon the group was already four miles out of the camp. Terrain began to look alitttle unfamiliar. At least in the daytime it did. Jack and Kate had only been anywhere near there at night searching for Claire and Charlie. With the sky overcast they still hadn't a clue where they were.

They traveled closely together looking around in opposite directions. Jack was trying to lead with no knowledge of where he was going. Kate looked up to see deep thought on his face. She knew he had no idea where he was. Looking over to Sayid he seemed to be as blank as Jack even with a map.

"You know it's ok not to know where we're going." Kate said breaking the silence. She could've been talking to either of the two, but it was easy to see that she was directing it to Jack.

"I know where we're going." Jack answered not even looking over to her. She got a huge smile on her face. There was no way anyone of them besides maybe Sayid had any clue where they were.

"Then where are we Jack?" She asked looking up to him.

"We're not lost Kate.' Jack said trying project knowledge of where we were. Kate shrugged off the impending argument as she let it go.

Now the three were slightly separated. Only by 20 feet or so with Jack in the lead, Kate off to behind him to his left, and Sayid off away to his right, looking over his map. Kate and Jack were looking around in the vegetation closest to them for some form of fruit or hint of bananas. Sayid seemed to be the only one not concerned with looking for fruit. He was concerned with the map the he held in his hands. Making marks for certain things he would remember on the way back to help guide them.

Wondering off from the other two, Kate walked over to what seemed to be the border of part of the jungle. Thinking she could find some fruit amongst the trees, she slowly headed off into the brush. Searching through some bushes she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Looking down to the ground there was a footprint imprinted in the dirt. Bending down over it she looked harder at it. It was a boot print. Standing up in somewhat shock she looked around to see dozens more tracks. Groups of them leading off into the jungle and out towards the other side.

"Jack!" She yelled towards the way she came in. Out in the open area Jack and Sayid's heads quickly turned back to where Kate was. No sign of her. They looked to each other. Where was she?

"Kate!" Jack called trying to locate her.

"Jack!" She called again. Hearing her voice both dropped what they were doing and ran towards her voice. Jack stopped and looked around for any sign of Kate. His heart began to race when he couldn't see her with her voice being so close.

"Kate where are you?" Jack yelled to an unknown place.

"Over here! Come quick!" She yelled back. With that Jack knew where she was.

Quickly running off with Sayid closely behind, Jack ran towards the borderline of trees. Running past the trees he pushed everything out of his way till he saw the back of Kate. She stood there motionless looking down at the ground. Oh god what had she found? Jack questioned. Slowly coming up behind he made her jump as he stopped. Resting a gentle hand in the small of her back she seemed to be calm.

"What?" Jack questioned as Sayid came up behind them.

"Footprints." Kate said pointing down to the ground.

Taking in deep breath to moderate his breath Jack squatted down over the prints. As a quiet baffle came over Jack and Kate, Sayid came down next to Jack.

"Their human." Jack announce with shock in voice.

"None of us have been out this far." Kate said exclaiming any of the survivors.

"Sawyer." Jack immediately put out.

"He has no reason to be out this far." Kate contradicted. Jack looked up at her with a questioning stare seeming to ask why she was defending him. Sayid looked up to see the two stare down. He knew it was about the Sawyer comment.

"She's right." He intervened. They both looked back to him.

"He had no reason to be out here." Sayid began.

"And plus there are many sets of tracks." He pointed out pulling the two's attention back to the tracks. Placing his fingers in the dirt Sayid felt around.

"They are still warm." He announced.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked as he looked between the dirt and Sayid.

"Whoever made these tracks didn't make them long ago." Sayid explained. A look of intrigue came over Kate's face.

"Let's follow them." She suggested. Jack looked back at her with a wondering stare. Both her and Sayid could tell Jack wasn't so up for the idea.

"Could lead us to something." Sayid said with an intriguing smile. Kate and Jack both looked to Sayid.

Kate with a smile as Sayid's and Jack with doubtfulness. He said nothing as he got up and started walking down the trail.

Nobody said a word as they walked along this mysterious trail of footprints. It led them through the winding jungle around trees and down muddy hills. This all reminded Kate of when her and Jack were searching for Charlie and Claire. She was keeping a close eye on Jack just incase he decided to bolt off after something.

All to unwanted the footprints began to become lighter and then finally disappeared. Stopping in front at the banks of a rapid stream, the tracks were no more. Looking down stream and then up stream the tree tried to figure out where to go. Looking across the stream there were no prints leading off into the other side of the jungle.

"Let's go this way." Jack suggested heading to his right.

"No." Sayid warned. Jack stopped and turned around.

"That was the way we came. It would be useless to head back that way." Sayid informed.

"It would take us back down to camp. That should be our way to head back." Sayid explained. Jack looked past Sayid to Kate who was intrigued by a steep hill that led over the large rift of rapids in the stream.

"Looks like up is the only way." Kate announced looking back to the two. Sayid of course followed, but Jack seemed hesitant.

"Come on.' Kate called with a smile as she waved him over. With that Jack took a deep breath and headed over.

With Kate in the lead this time they climbed the root covered hill. Good thing for the roots they had leverage to pull themselves up. Climbing over the crest of the hill Kate looked back over to the two below her. Her eyes were surely on Jack. Watching his every move. Glancing over she saw Sayid a couple feet from her.

"Here." She offered extending her arm out. Pulling him up and over Kate nestled back down to help Jack up. Not even saying a word Jack put his hand up to her before she could extend hers to his.

With all three up on level ground their eyes turned forward. The stream was narrower up there and more winding. Surround by more trees they couldn't make out where the stream led. So with gut instinct they just followed it. Still there were no prints, and yet there was no way someone of natural human strength could walk or climb up through the rapids.

Soon the brush began to get thick and it became hard to see what was in front. Once they were out of the brush they were dense in the jungle. Looking a head they could see a large wall of all different vegetation. Covered in vines and greenery that had died. It looked like the wall of hay where they had found Charlie. Everywhere they stepped there was twigs and branches snapping beneath their feet. Walking closely next to Jack, Kate was as cautious as the other two as they neared the wall. She had gotten used to the twigs under her feet, but suddenly she heard a cracking underneath her feet as she stepped on something round. Stopping she slowly raised her foot as she looked down. Her breath was sharp as she looked down to see a broken skull under her foot.

"Jack!" She gasped.

"What?" He asked as he continued forward.

"Jack!" She gasped again. This time the sound of her dim voice scared him.

He quickly turned around

"Wha-." He asked as he looked down to see a skull at her feet. Sayid quickly turned around. Looking around there were at least a two dozen or more skulls scattered amongst the ground.

"What the-" Jack began as his eyes wondered around seeing more.

"Skulls." Sayid announced. Jack looked up to a frozen Kate.

"Come here." He said grabbing for her hand. Taking it she leapt quickly to his side.

"Where did these come from?" Kate asked as she slowly let go of Jack.

"I don't know." Jack whispered as they all looked back over towards the wall.

"There." Sayid said pointing to a small opening in the wall. They all focused on it. Looking at each other they questioned their readiness to head forward. Slowly they approached the wall making sure not to step on any skulls. Their hearts raced as they came to the wall. Sayid was the first to go in through the doorway.

Jack after him with Kate's hand in his leading her in. With new light from the absence of the thick tree canopy their eyes adjusted to what was before them. All three of them gasped as their breath leapt back into their throats and hearts into the pits of their stomachs. Shocking was the sight before them.