Chapter 21- The Water Game

The weeks following Boone and Ethan's deaths were sad ones. Shannon hadn't said a word since she had found her brother's dead body and she was eating less and less. The only person she seemed to listen to was Rose.

Everyone was starting to sink into a state of depression. There was a lot less laughter and a lot more work.

Alex knew what they were going through. The others had raided her old came once before they had kidnapped her. They had killed three people. All the people of the science team had stopped talking to one another and they threw themselves into their work.

It was Robert, her father, who had saved them all. He made games for them to play, and after a few days, people began to live again.

So, all Alex had to do was make a game or something before things got worse.

The first person she sought out for help was Hurley, but even he seemed too depressed to help out.

"There's always the golf course." Sayid suggested to her half-heartedly.

"No good. We need something new, people are tired of golf." Alex ran a hand through her golden hair.

What could she possibly do to make people happy again? Alex couldn't think of anything, so she had to wait for inspiration.

Fortunately, that inspiration came the very next day when Jack announced that everyone was to take their clothes to the small river to be washed.

"You need to clean your own clothes! I want everyone to be working!" Jack called to the castaways as they tramped behind him.

"Why do we all have to work at washing clothes?" Sawyer grumbled "Hell, he's even making Locke do his laundry! What are we going to eat for dinner id Locke doesn't get to hunt today?"

"Be quiet, Sawyer. Jack is just trying to get everyone to do something, so they aren't sitting around thinking about death like they usually are." Kate whispered, poking Sawyer in the ribs.

"Well he's going about it the wrong way! What we need is some fun!" Sawyer replied, playfully swatting her hand away.

Once they came to the river, everyone began their chores. They washed their clothes from both sides of the river.

Alex knelt between Sayid and Kate and looked around at the survivors. No one was smiling, no one was talking. She looked down at the sopping purple shirt she was holding. Suddenly, she had an idea.

Alex quickly rolled the shirt into a ball, aimed, and lobbed it at Hurley, who was on the opposite side of the stream.

The tank-top hit him in the chest with a smack, soaking the front of his shirt.

"Dude! Alex! What-" Hurley looked at Alex's devilish grin and he understood. Grinning back, he dunked the shirt into the water. "You're gonna get it now!" He tossed the "ball" at Alex, and missed.

The wet shirt hit Kate full-force, catching her off balance, sending her toppling into the shallow water. She spluttered angrily.

"HEY! What's the big idea?" She scooped up her own laundry and threw it in Hurley's general direction.

The clothes missed their target and hit Sun and Jin instead.

Without missing a beat, the couple jumped up and began hurling the missiles back at Kate, who shrieked and tried to get out of the river.

By this time, several other people had noticed the commotion and were watching. Some were even smiling.

Alex scooped up a handful of water and threw it at Sayid.

Sayid laughed and splashed Alex back.

Soon, everyone had stopped washing their clothes and were throwing them at each other, laughing and shrieking with delight.

After half an hour of unorganized soaking, a new game was formed: beach dwellers against cave dwellers.

"Hey! We're on the same team!" Kate yelled as Sawyer hit her with a pair of pants.

"So?" Sawyer laughed, sweeping her into a kiss.

Jack had to halt the game a couple of hours later, due to the fact that it was going to be dark soon.

Gathering up all of their still-dirty clothes, the castaways headed back to camp, talking and laughing, reliving the high-points of the game, like when Hurley tackled Jack, sending them both into the river.

Sayid put an arm around Alex. "You did it. You made everyone forget their troubles."

Alex smiled. "There's only one thing."

"What?"

"We're all gonna have to wash our clothes again tomorrow."

Sayid laughed heartily. "Somehow, I don't think anyone will mind!"