Caves. Surrounded like a cove by tall rail like trees. With the sun coming out from behind the clouds it shone through the trees playing down upon the three standing in shock. Walking closer to them slowly the features came to light. These caves were nearly identical to the ones back at camp.
"Wow." Jack nearly whispered as he and Sayid's eyes wondered over the caves. The cloth-covered objects lying about on the other hand took Kate. Some of them lay scattered about and others neatly placed in the caves.
Slowly she wondered over to one of the rocky openings with Jack and Sayid distracted behind her. Looking inside the opening there lie one of the objects. Draped with a dark cloth of some sort. She extended her hand to touch it, but quickly pulled it back as she felt that the cloth was moist under her fingertips. Stepping back she looked down the length of the object. She now knew what it was.
"Jack." She called turning around. He and Sayid were hunched over another object. Jack looked up as Kate motioned him over. He unhurriedly got up and walked over to her.
"What?" He asked. She turned and pointed to the object in the cave with a shaky hand.
"Yeah there's dozens of them lying around." Jack said as he turned to emphasize the others.
"No look what it is." Kate said as she began to cover her nose with her hand. The stench was horrid around that cave.
Jack was cautious as he extended his hand over the object. Taking a piece of the cloth between his fingers he quickly pulled it back. Fear ran through their bones like as ice at the sight before them. A body. Quickly the stench over took the two as they pulled away gagging.
"Bodies." Sayid announced as he pulled the cloth back from the body he was looking at. The stench was completely unbearable. Jack stood up as he wrapped his arm around his face trying to shield his face from it. He looked over to Kate who was bent over gagging so uncontrollably she was on the verge of vomiting.
"You ok?" Jack asked walking over to her. She nodded her head quickly covering her nose as she stood up.
All three walked cautiously over to the body in the cave. It was that of a young girl. Her hair golden blonde and shoulder length. Her eyes closed with her arms folded over her chest. Her body was perfectly preserved so it couldn't be that long ago that she died.
"She didn't die to long ago." Jack said as he examined her face.
"Yeah, but who is she?" Kate asked in a near mumble from underneath her hand.
"I don't know." Jack answered, as he seemed to be in a daze with the body.
"Look this one. I've seen him before." Sayid called from behind them. He was standing next to the body he uncovered. A young man with short choppy brown hair, with his hands in the same position as the girl's. He looked almost like Boone.
"He was sitting across from me on the plane." Sayid explained.
"Did he survive the crash?' Kate asked.
"Yes. I saw him…yesterday.' Sayid slowly went off. Kate looked back to see Jack over at one of the other caves looking over another body. She slowly walked over.
Looking down at the body Kate realized it to be Steve another one of the survivors. His body wasn't as well off as the other two. Then she remembered Steve had gone off with Michael to look for Claire and Charlie and never came back.
"They're burying them here." Jack said. Sayid slowly got up.
"But who are they?" Kate asked.
"The others.' Sayid announced.
Suddenly there was a rustle in the trees. All their eyes turned towards the trees to the left of the wall. It was becoming louder and closer to them. All three could hear each other's short breaths. Their eyes wondered around looking for what was making that sound.
There was a loud roar to the left of them. It was it. The thing in the jungle that had ripped the pilot from the cockpit. Kate and Jack knew that sound all to well. Out of the corner of their eyes they saw something huge leap from the ground. Knocking over a couple of trees that loud roar came about again.
"Run!" Jack yelled pushing the other two on towards the trees.
Quickly without thought the three went running into the jungle. The sound was coming louder behind them as none of them dared to look back. Piercing sharp cries came from behind the tree. Kate was ahead of the other two. Looking hurriedly back all she saw was Jack.
Thinking nothing of it she ran for her life as she saw trees behind her being crushed down by what ever it was. She turned and looked forward as she ran as fast she could.
Her legs seemed to turn to liquid below her as she felt like she floating as she ran down a hill nearly tripping over her feet. Suddenly she saw a tall stone at the base of the hill off to the side. It was either go strait or jump over this rock and try and find some refuge. Quickly she jumped over it landing 10 feet down into a muddy ditch. Pain struck her body landing hard on the ground. Wincing in pain she strained to stand up.
Slowly she rested her back to the large stone. Opening her eyes she looked around. She wasn't in a ditch. It was just a steep slope from the hill. She was back on level ground, but alone. She looked around seeing no sight of Jack or Sayid. She listened too to hear faint sound off in the distance of what was chasing them. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she looked around in panic. She began to hear the trees to her left moving around. She looked turned her head to be nearly scared to death as something jumped from the brush.
Closing her eyes she completely tightened up every muscle in her body.
"Kate.' She heard. Quickly she opened her eyes. There stood Jack in front of her.
"Jack.' She sighed as she wrapped her arms around her.
"I thought it got you." She cried.
"No.' Jack assured her as he pulled back with a smile on his face.
"You ok?' He asked looking her over.
"Yeah. I think I sprained my ankle though." She said as they both looked down to her ankle.
"Where's Sayid?" Jack asked as he slowly looked back up to her.
"I haven't seen him since we started running." She whispered.
Suddenly something pushed it's way out from the brush behind Jack. Kate again clenched up as Jack jumped to her side. Opening their eyes there stood Sayid.
"Sayid." Jack said with cheer in his voice.
"I got away thankfully." He smiled as he looked over to a stressed Kate. She rest against the wall with her hand covering her forehead.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Maybe. If certain people wouldn't pop out of trees after we were chased by something that knocks them down." Kate sighed giving Sayid and Jack a chuckle.
"At least you guys think it's funny." Kate smiled as she sat down on one of the many large rocks dug into other dirt.
With Jack standing next to her and Sayid sitting next to her they sat in quiet off in their own dazes, but all thinking of the same thing the bodies.
"So do we tell them?" Kate asked breaking the long silence.
"Tell them what?" Sayid questioned.
"About the bodies." Kate replied. "Of course we do." Sayid answered back.
"And scare them out of their minds?" Kate asked.
"No we protect them by warning them.' Sayid began.
"We're not going to tell them." Jack put in. The two looked up to him.
"If we do Kate's right they'll be scared. Then we'll be the only ones willing to go out into the jungle to do anything." Jack explained.
"We already are the only ones." Sayid interrupted.
"Everyone will be to terrified to do anything. They won't sleep, they won't eat, and they'll end up going crazy." Jack explained.
"So we don't tell them." Kate repeated. They both looked to Sayid for agreement.
"We don't tell them." He agreed nodding his head.
Jack looked out towards a valley off down past the trees.
"So are we ready to head back?" Sayid asked with a sigh.
"I know I am." Kate intervened looking up to Jack.
"I guess, but we never found any food.' Jack wined.
"They have enough for today. We won't have time to try and find any and get back before dark. We'll go out tomorrow." Sayid explained.
"Yeah. It's nearly dark now and finding camp ain't gonna be pretty." Jack sighed. Shrugging off the thought he looked back to Kate.
"Can you walk?" He asked.
"Yeah." Kate said readying to get up.
"Here." Jack said taking her hand. Helping her up she stood between the two just incase she needed some support. Making sure they had everything they slowly headed off to find their way back to the caves.
