Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 6

Beyond the Sea

Somewhere beyond sea

Somewhere waiting for me

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailing

Ana-Lucia sat on the beach softly singing. She scanned the blue horizon in front of her. The ocean gave its familiar roar and the rolling waves slowly made their way to the shore, breaking into white caps and dissolving into foam that fingered its way into the sand. She closed her eyes and leaned back onto her elbows. The sun warmed her face and a slight breeze tousled her dark hair. She tried to remember the next verse. Knitting her eyebrows together in concentration, she smiled and nodded her head. Her voice rose like a clear bell…

Somewhere beyond the sea

He's there watching for me

If I could fly like birds on high

Then straight to his arms I'd go sailing

"Bobby Darin" came a deep voice behind her.

She turned and looked over her shoulder squinting and holding her hand over her eyes for shading. "Sorry?"

"I said…" said the older black man lowering himself to sit down beside her on the sand. He was a tall man so it took a little time to sit his entire six foot two frame anywhere. He held his hands resting on his knees and turned to face the dark-eyed beauty next to him "That's a Bobby Darin song, right?" He looked up and closed his eyes in a memory "My wife and I used to dance to that song when it came on the radio."

Ana-Lucia smiled. "I guess so, Bernard," she said turning back towards the sea "It was something my mother used to play when I was little." Bernard snorted. "Not that you're old or anything" she said quickly apologizing. She started to say something else, but mentally bit her tongue. Way to go Ana, she thought, Do you have to insult one-fourth of the people on this island?

Bernard chucked softly "That's alright, Ana – I know you didn't mean anything by it." He turned and looked at the young woman with his tired eyes "Besides" he smirked, "I am old enough to be your father!"

Ana-Lucia's laugh was like tinkling chimes; light and happy. Bernard joined in with his own laugh that was low, like the ocean roar.

They made quite a pair, the older man thought – the beautiful Hispanic actress from California and the retired taxi driver from New York. They were two of the four people that survived the plane crash. They were in the tail section that separated itself from the rest of the plane. How they survived was a continuing question for the group, but somehow they did survive. They had salvaged a redundant transceiver from the crew's quarters in the back of the plane and had tried several times to send a signal. Only once did they hear any kind of reply, but even that didn't make any sense. At least that's what Robbie, the Oceanic flight attendant, thought when they heard a voice come through the static on the speaker. As the four of them leaned towards the hand-held transceiver, Ana-Lucia, Bernard, Robbie, and Laura, the blackjack dealer from Las Vegas, all they could hear was someone saying that they were the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 then the voice was lost in static. Robbie whacked the transceiver on the side to try and bring in a better signal, but it was gone. The only thing they could get out was that they were the survivors of flight 815, but that was lost in the static as well.

"Why are you sitting out here, Ana?" asked Bernard as he looked down the beach to where their shelters lay near the trees, "You should come back and get something to eat" he winked at her "I think Robbie's cooking some sort of rodent."

Ana-Lucia gave him smile that also showed disgust "Mmm, rodent, sounds tasty?" She stuck out her tongue and gave a choking sound.

Bernard laughed and pushed his large frame up from the sand. "Come on, it's better than nothing, kiddo"

"Says you!" quipped Ana-Lucia looking up at him. She turned back to the ocean and shook her head "I wanna sit and watch the water for awhile…" She looked up at him again "You never know…"

Bernard sighed and shook his head slightly. She still thinks someone is coming, he thought, even after all this time. A month and a half had passed and still no one had come. He thought about Rose and dropped his head to his chest. My sweet girl, he thought. He didn't even have his wedding ring to ponder over – he had given it to his wife to hold because his fingers swelled when they flew. He smiled. She always kept it on a chain around her neck. He tasted something salty on his lips. Tears were falling unbidden. He wiped them with the back of his hand, straightened up and started walking towards the fire. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself" he said calling back to the girl "But don't get your hopes up."

But that's all I have, thought Ana-Lucia, hope is all I have. She stood up and scanned the horizon again. And I'm not giving up yet! Her gaze became more determined. Come on! There has to be something – somebody out there! She turned towards the western horizon and searched until she started to give herself a headache from staring so hard. She cocked her head. What's that? She walked closer to the shore, water washing over her toes. A boat? The object was becoming more prominent on the horizon. It is a boat!

"BERNARD! ROBBIE! LAURA!" Ana-Lucia screamed at the top of her lungs. She started waving her arms frantically.

It's far beyond the stars

It's near beyond the moon

And I know without a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon.

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"Hey Dad! Are we there yet?"

Michael looked back to where the comment came from – Sawyer. The Southerner was leaning on the tiller, shirt off, and his hair falling irritatingly in his eyes. Michael shook his head and looked over at Jin who was still pulling at the makeshift oar, sweat pouring from his face. He called over to the Korean to take a break, but Jin just shook his head and kept pulling at the sea.

"You know, man, you wouldn't be so mouthy if you had to row this damn thing" Michael said bringing the bamboo oar out of the water and resting on it.

Sawyer dropped his eyes and gave a sideways look, "Aw come on, Chief – you know I gotta broken wing" he raised his left arm showing the wraps around his shoulder. "Maybe if I hadn't been shot…" he started.

Michael made a "get away from me" gesture with his hand, "Yeah, man, whatever." He put the oar back in the water. "Just shut up and steer!"

Sawyer brought his hand to his brow and saluted Michael – of course the middle finger was more prominent than the others. "Aye aye, mon capitan!"

For most of the day they had floated on a calm sea. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the unforgiving sun beat down on what was left of their raft. They were traveling at a decent speed between the rowing and the wind blowing on the waves. They could see the highest mountains on the island. They looked so near, but it was illusion – they were still far from their "home" shore.

The only thing on Michael's mind was getting back his son, getting back Walt. God only knows what has happened to him, he thought. If they have touched one hair on his head, I'll, I'll…. It was only with Jin's shout that he saw he was almost breaking the bamboo oar between his hands. He looked over at the Korean and saw him pointing at something.

"What's the matter, man? What do you see?"

Jin became very animated and started shouting in Korean. Sawyer raised his head and turned it towards where Jin was pointing.

"Whacha got there, Charlie Chan? Flyin' fish?" The con man grabbed hold of the remnants of the cabin and pulled himself to his feet. He sucked air through his teeth as a sharp pain went through his injured shoulder.

Michael strained his eyes to see what Jin was seeing. He could see land! And a beach? Wreckage? He looked at the Korean. Why would there be wreckage? Didn't the tide take the wreckage? He turned and looked at Sawyer who was also looking where Jin was pointing.

"Land, man!" Michael clapped his hands "He's seen land!"

Sawyer pumped the air with his fist, "Yes!" He wondered what Kate would say when she saw him returning. He found himself yearning to see that freckled face again.

"There's something weird, though" said Michael as he pulled his oar as hard as Jin now.

"Like what?" asked Sawyer.

"There's wreckage on the beach!"

"Whadda you talking about, son? The tide took what was left of the plane..."

Michael shook his head while he continued to row, "I'm telling you, man – there's some part of the fuselage sitting on the beach."

Jin shouted and pointed again. "Fire!" he said pointing at the beach. Both Michael and Sawyer could see what Jin was yelling about. There was a fire on the beach – and – people! There were people waving!

"I'll be damned" said Sawyer "They've got a welcoming party for us, Mickey!"

They were coming rapidly into view of the beach. Michael could make out four people; all of them yelling and waving their arms. Both he and Jin lifted their oars slightly because the waves were starting to take them into the shore. What was left of the raft suddenly became a huge surfboard, moving swiftly with every swell.

Michael tried to make out who was on the beach. He could see a dark-haired woman, a blonde woman and two men – he thought. One of the men was black. That realization brought Michael up short. Where was Jack? Is that Kate? Something was not right. Something was different.

The raft was moving rapidly through the surf. The parts that were hanging on by a prayer were starting to break off. The new rudder let go with a loud crack; almost taking Sawyer's arm with it. He cursed as the wood broke in his hand.

Now they could hear the shouts and screams over the roar of the crashing waves. They couldn't make out the words, but the tone seemed to be happy.

"Hold on, Hoss!" shouted Sawyer above the sound of the wave starting to break over him. The wave came down full force on the fragile raft and when Michael looked around, the cabin was gone. All the passengers were hanging on for dear life. Another wave came and it was the final push to get the even more fractured raft onto the nearest part of the beach.

"Jesus Christ!" cursed Sawyer as he was tossed onto the beach and rolled over onto his injured shoulder.

Michael was face down in the sand when he felt a hand come underneath is arm. He felt himself being gently pulled out of the rushing water and a deep voice filled his head.

"Hey there, son – you okay?" Michael turned to see a large black man helping his up and then pulled him into a bear hug. "I am so glad to see you, boy!" the voice rumbled into Michael's ear. He broke out of the embrace and gave a look of both shock and curiosity at the older man who was holding him. The other people on the beach were all talking at once.

"Who are you?" Michael's questions came out like bullets, "Where are we? Where's my son? - - Who are you people?

A young dark-haired woman stepped up to the men smiling. "We're the survivors of a plane crash - - Oceanic flight 815" she said looking at each of them, "Who are you?"

Michael backed away from the large man and stumbled over to Jin who was helping Sawyer up. He looked at them both with a questioning look and then back to the four people who were staring at them.

"B-b-but we're the survivors of flight 815."

We'll meet beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we'll be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailing

No more sailing