Here it is, first cahpter of season two. i wish more had happened tonight so id have more to go on for next week, but i guess ill have to wing it for the next chapter. its not much, but then, all i have to go on is one night. hope you like it. r&r as always. please feedback the writers lol.
Lina hated the caves. It wasn't so much the caves themselves that she hated, it was the way everyone was crowded into them, milling around like ants. Never one for crowds, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She found a little nook set into the rock face and sat in it, trying to separate herself from the crush of people. She'd rather have been outside, but she'd promised Claire she wouldn't leave the caves. Also, she was rather certain that, if the Others did show up, sitting outside alone was probably not the best idea.As worried as she was for Sawyer, and the others, out there on the raft, atleast they were safe from whoever was on the island.
Everyone was arguing, everyone was scared. She heard Shannon yelling something about Walt in the forest. She stood, and tried to shove her way through the crowd, panic fluttering in her chest. If Walt was in the woods, something had happened to the raft. She could not get close enough to even see Shannon, let alone try to question her about what she'd seen in the woods. Shannon was arguing with Charlie.
"There are no Others!" he yelled. Lina felt her brian go numb for a moment at that statement. She sheer ridiculousness of it astounded her. No Others? She was about to shout her outrage to Charlie, but Jack piped up and ordered everyone quiet. Her interest in what they had been doing the whole day took precidence over her anger with Charlie's idiocy.
"Locke found a hatch in the woods. We tried to open it, thinking we could all hide in there, but now that won't work. There's no way to get everyone in there tonight. We'll stay here, we'll be safe. We've got four guns, we'll post look-outs at all the entrances. We'll wait for the sun to come up, together."
When he was finished, everyone went back to milling about, and murming in fear and speculation. What the fuck is a "hatch" doing in the middle of the jungle! She thought.
Charlie volunteered to stand watch at one of the entrances.That was a shocker. The man always seemed to be trying to get his hands on a gun. He had some serious control issues, that's for certain. She didn't blame him though, if any place could send you tetering on the edge, it was this island.
"Charlie?" she called softly, as she approached him, so as not to startle the man.
"Lina, hey." He wiped sweat from his forehead. "What's going on? Is Claire-"
"Claire is fine, Charlie. The baby is fine. I came to ask you a question, actually."
"Oh?"
"Yeah… are you out of your flippy, little mind?" The words were harsh, but she said it softly, so no one else could over-hear. He blinked rapidly in surprise.
"What?"
"You said, rather loudly, that there are no Others. Are you out of your mind?" she reiterated.
"Look, that crazy-"
"I know, I know. Can't trust the crazy French lady. That's exactly my point. You of all people know that there are other people on this island. They may not be coming, but they are obviously out there," Lina insisted.
"Shannon was scaring everyone!"
"I know, Charlie. Everyone should be afraid. Ethan can't be the only person out there. And if he's any indication, the rest of them are pretty scary people."
"I'm just… I wanted to…" He trailed off, brow furrowed in frustration. Lina layed a hand on his shoulder.
"Trying to protect Claire," she finished his thought. He let out a short breath and nodded.
"I want her to feel safe. Her and Turnip-head."
Lina couldn't help but laugh. "Please, stop calling him that."
He flashed her that adorable sideways smile. Charlie could give any girl a soft spot.
"Pretending that nothing is out there, isn't going to make her safe, Charlie."
"Might make her feel better, though," he said quietly, glancing up through his lashes. She smiled, shaking her head.
"You're too cute for your own good, sometimes, Chuck."
He grinned at her. "Just sometimes?"
She rolled her eyes, and shoved him playfully.
"It's my secret to fame, you know. That, and my amazing voice… You all, everybody."
"Oh, no!" Lina groaned, covering her ears.
"You all, everybody!"
Shannon was sitting by herself, looking miserable. Lina knew she should leave the woman alone, but she had to know what she saw in the jungle. If anything had happened to that raft… It was eating her up inside, just thinking about the possibilities.
"You saw Walt?"
The other girl looked up at her, eyes filled with malice. She looked aweful. Her skin was blotchy from anger, and her hair was desheveled from her run in the jungle. She was wringing her hands together in a way that suggested she imagined a neck between them. Her lips were stretched so tight across her teeth, they were pencil thin, and white from lack of blood flow. When she didn't answer, Lina repeated her question. Shannon only continued to glare at her.
"Please, tell me, Shannon," she requested, urgently. The blonde looked like she might say something, but apparently, it was too much of an effort. "Please!"
"Yes, I saw him in the jungle," she finally answered.
"Was he hurt? Did he say anything?" Lina chewed on the inside of her lip harshly.
"He looked like he was trying to talk, but I couldn't hear him," Shannon informed her. The girl's voice shook slightly, in what sounded like rage.
"Was he hurt?" Lina repeated. Shannon shook her head, tugging her fingers through her hair.
"I couldn't tell, it was dark. But he was soaking wet."
Lina's knees gave out then, and she sank to the ground infront of Shannon. The blonde eyed her warily.
"God… Do you think he fell off the raft?"
Shannon's eyes narrowed. "You believe me?"
"Yes, I believe you," Lina assured her.
"No one else does," the other girl pointed out.
"They might, but if they admit you saw him in the jungle, they have to admit something happened on the raft, and we aren't getting rescued."
Shannon looked like she's just smelled something aweful. Lina knew how she must feel. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Don't you want to be rescued, too?" She asked suspiciously. Lina nodded.
"Of course."
"Then, why aren't you in denial, too?"
"One, it's hard to see something in the jungle, and mistake it for a wet 10-year-old boy," Lina told her, as if it were obvious. Shannon continued to looked at her as though she were Rosencrantz.
"And two?" the blonde challenged.
"I don't have the luxury of pretending everything is okay, if there is a good chance it isn't."
"Why not?" Shannon looked at her, as if sizing her up.
"I've got too much invested in the well-being of that raft," Lina said, honestly. Shannon shook her head, as if this was absurd.
"We all want to get off the island, Lea," she said. Lina fought the urge to smirk.
"That's not what I'm talking about. Look, if you want to be the crazy loner, that's fine. It seems to work well for that French lady. I just thought you'd like some help," she told the blonde, standing.
"Help with what?"
"Proving you're not crazy. That you did see Walt out there in the jungle."
Shannon shook her head. "And just how are we supposed to do that?"
"How the Hell should I know?" Lina huffed, exasperated. "but don't you feel like someone should do something?"
"I can't do anything about it, I'm-"
Lina cut her off. "I seem to remember that you're the one who snatched a key of sleeping Jack, stole a gun, chased that crazy old bastard into the jungle, and tried to kill him."
"That was different," Shannon protested. Lina nodded.
"Yeah, it was. But it seems to me that if you put your mind to it, Shannon, you'd be surprised what you're capable of when you get out of your own way."
The girl looked like she wanted to say something. Probably something mean, designed to shut Lina up. She couldn't seem to get anything to come out. Lina sighed, and began to walk away.
"If you figure out what you want to say, Shannon, I'll be around. And my name is Lina, not Lea."