a/n: Hey all! Back with another chapter! I meant to update sooner, but I was out of town for a few days. Now I'm back!
My two fav characters happen to Kate and Walt. Hence I was very upset when Walt got kidnapped (I hate to admit it, but I cried!). Who else enjoyed the finale? I want more "Lost"! Now!

Please keep up with the reviews; I truly enjoy them!
Romen

Disclaimer: nothing is mine

18. The Roller Coaster Ends!

Sayid stumbled forward, collapsing on a hard bunk with a sigh of relief. "It feels so good to be on solid ground again!"

Michael Jack's Son nodded in agreement. "I know; it's a good thing that Wanda happened to be passing by!"

Wanda was the pop star's pet capuchin monkey, who had accidentally turned off the roller coaster just as they slid to the bottom.

Sayid pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Michael, why do you wear only one glove?"

"Huh? Oh, this old thing? Because it's all the rage on Sploik!"

Sayid cocked his head to the side. "Sploik?"

"Sploik is the planet where my alien friends come from," Michael explained. "When they first abducted me, they taught me all about their customs. While I've been stranded here during their experiment, I've put together a book that I plan to publish once it ends!" He lifted a very thick stack of papers, grinning.

"How...interesting..." Sayid tried to sound enthusiastic. Frankly he just thought Michael had ridden that roller coaster a little too many times, if you know what I mean. "I'm sure it will be a best-seller."

"It's my account of my stay with the Sploikions," Michael Jack's Son continued promptly. "Would you like to here it?"

Sayid shook his head hurriedly. "No, please! No!" (Manners are forgotten after you have ridden a roller coaster for many, many, hours)

"Okay dude, that's cool. Don't worry about it. I think I'm going to edit it for a while though, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead!" 'Yey!' Sayid thought to himself shrewdly. 'Now he'll have something to preoccupy him, and I won't have to listen to him run at the mouth!'

Michael slipped on a pair of dignified looking reading glasses, bending over the memoirs. "'Chapter one,'" he mumbled to himself. "'The Aliens Abduct Me.'"

Sayid's eyes flew wide with horror. You see, Michael Jack's Son was one of those people who couldn't read silently to themselves; a faze the many young children go through. He just had never grown out of it.

It seemed that Sayid was going to be hearing those memoirs whether he liked it or not.

Meanwhile, back in the clearing...

Shannon set down three cards. "Three fours!" she cried out happily.

Claire chewed on her lip. "BS."

"Nope! Look, they're all jokers!" She held up the cards as she shoved the stack toward the mother-to-be.

"Wait a minute." Hurley took the cards from Shannon. "There are only two jokers in every deck. Shannon, these are Jacks."

"Jack doesn't own a deck of cards!"

Hurley was just about to explain the rules of BS again before the now familiar sound of the banging gavel drew their attention. They turned to face Kate as the contestants assembled.

She smiled serenely, holding up a small notebook. "Thank you. I am now going to read out the current scores to you.

"Walt; last time, you had a 7.9. You now have 27.25!"

The crowd roared as Walt did a cartwheel, accidentally running into Locke and knocking the poor man off his feet. The kid hastily helped him up.

Kate cleared her throat, trying to ignore the little incident. "Jack, your score for the First Task was 5.2. You now reign in at 26.68!"

Jack nodded at his fans, a very small, diligent group who sat the back of the crowd. He was just behind Walt! (He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing)

"Sawyer, your score is 21.32!"

"Uh-huh! Take that!" He pointed accusingly at the audience. "You think I can't win this contest? You just wait! I'll be taking home the gold metal! What are you looking at, boy?"

Charlie looked around. "What? Who is he talking to you?"

"I'm talking to you, son! Yeah, that's right!"

"Okay, enough." Locke shoved Sawyer over to stand next to Walt and Jack, who had moved over to the other side of the table.

"Boone, you used to have 9.5. You now have 32.55!"

Sawyer and Jack gaped. As Boone moved forward, one of the women actually lunged at him, trying to tear off a piece of his shirt. Shannon shoved her off angrily.

"I had him first! That's not fair!"

"Ladies, ladies, please!" Locke blocked Boone from their reach and helped him arrive at his destination safely.

"I didn't even get his autograph!" Claire sobbed as Sun patted her consolingly on the back.

"Phew!" Boone wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, grinning cheekily at his fellow contestants. "I'm sure you know how the feminine public can be at times..."

Sawyer's eyes narrowed. "You just watch yourself, Little B., 'cause someday, that big mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot of trouble!"

"Is that a threat?" Boone asked challengingly.

Before Sawyer could reply, Kate was banging her gavel harder than ever, looking flustered. "Order! Order! STOP TALKING!" A cricket chirped as everyone grew still. "Thank you. Now, Michael, since you did not compete in the First Task, we are going to use the average as your score to make it a fair game. Locke, would you please give me the numbers?"

Locke nodded. "The average for the First Task was 5.65, so you have a score of 28.7!"

Jack gritted his teeth. "This isn't right. He's not even in it for Kate."

Boone nodded in agreement. "He's just toying with her heart!"

Kate beamed at them. "Boone is now in the lead with 32.55, and Sawyer falls in last place with 21.32!"

"Mr. Sawyer isn't going to be in last place for long!" Walt informed them, patting the red-neck on the back. "Why, he's the most creative boring person I know!"

Kate shrugged. "Whatever you say. Anyway, the next task is..."

Meanwhile, back in the jungle...

"'These Splokions are the most intelligent beings I've ever met. They have a wonderful ear for music, and while I'm stuck on this island, my records sell for ridiculously high prices! Soon I will be shooting a music video there and I will become an even larger icon among Sploikion giants.'"

"Someone," Sayid breathed, "anyone, please, help me!"

TBC...