Chapter 7: Twenty Bodies

"Can you tell me anything? Or are you just going to lead me into the middle of the forest and kill me?" Charlie had been walking behind Eko for the last half an hour, and he was fed up. He tried the silent game, but Eko had easily won that. He was always silent.

"Eko… please just tell me what you saw…er… know…" Charlie muttered. Eko stopped.

"I saw them." Said Eko. Charlie moved up beside him.

"The others?" asked Charlie. Eko nodded and began walking forward again. Charlie sped up to keep in pace with him.

"Okay, so you saw the others. What were they doing?" asked Charlie.

"Dying." Eko said after moments of silence. Charlie laughed.

"Dying? From what the black plague?" Charlie said. Eko's face turned down into a frown.

"I don't know. I saw them, about twenty or so. They were dead. All lying on the ground." Said Eko. He brushed up against a tree and grabbed onto the leaves, then letting the branch go.

"And they were dead? Not sleeping?" asked Charlie.

"No." said Eko. "They were dead." They walked forward and Charlie looked around at his surroundings. More forest. Charlie really didn't like the forest much, but at least it wasn't the hatch for once. Then a thought struck him.

"Hey Eko, how did you know about Locke?" asked Charlie.

"Excuse me?" Eko asked. Charlie stopped him and looked him hard in the eyes.

"You know, how did you know the others had him." Charlie said. Eko looked away and started forward.

"Eko!" Charlie said leaping forward and grabbing his arm. "Please tell me. Did you see him being taken?" asked Charlie. Eko ripped his arm out of his grip.

"No." said Eko. "I saw him in the dream." He stopped and looked at Charlie. "I think he was killing them." Said Eko. Charlie's eyes widened and he focused on Eko.

"You mean to tell me that Locke went out they're to kill all the others by himself and that he was not taken by the others?" asked Charlie. Eko nodded.

"That's exactly what I am saying." Said Eko. "That's why we are out here Charlie. We must find him and those he has taken with him." He started walking forward leaving Charlie behind him.

"Isn't that a good thing thou?" he asked, "Don't we want all the others dead?" Charlie exhaled as Eko ignored him and continued to walk through the bush. And without another word Charlie walked forward and followed him.

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Navigating their way around the bay was harder then Jack thought. The trees and bush were so thick that they had to go way out of their way to get around. It seemed they had been walking for hours, without any sign of the beach again.

"Sawyer stop complaining." Said Kate cutting into Jack's thoughts. Sawyer grumbled something back at her but to quiet for Jack to hear. Sawyer burst forward bumping into Jack as he went. He walked forward up to Sayid asking for some Guava. Jack watched the exchange and then he felt someone to his side.

"How's your head?" asked Kate. Jack smiled down at her.

"Just a little sore. Thanks for the sleeve by the way." Said Jack as he brought his hand up to his head.

"No problem. You would have done the same for me." Said Kate. Jack looked forward again at Sayid, who was now following Sawyer, who was walking along dreamily eating his food.

"Are you hungry?" asked Jack.

"Just a little. I can go get some from Sayid if you want." Said Kate. Jack shook his head.

"I got some with me." Said Jack. He motioned the pack that was on his back. "Want to get some out?" Kate nodded and they both stopped. She went over to his back and pulled out some fruit and water. Next thing Jack knew Kate was holding out a piece of fruit.

"Here you go." Said Kate. She held out the water. "Mind if I have some? I lost mine." She said. Jack shook his head.

"Not a problem." Said Jack taking a bite of his fruit. They both started walking forward and he looked up from his food.

"Where did they go?" asked Jack. Kate looked up from her own food.

"Haha. We lost them." Said Kate. With a smile, they both burst forward through the trees. They stopped as they almost slammed into Sayid and Sawyer.

"What's wrong?" asked Kate as she pushed in between them. Jack followed standing between Kate and Sayid.

The sight before his eyes was the most brutal thing he had ever seen in his life.

Sitting in front of him was a pile of people. Dead people. Twenty or so were lying on the ground motionless, blood was covering the ground, and clothing was torn. Jack kneeled beside the first person feeling his pulse.

"Dead." He said. He looked behind at Kate, Sawyer, and Sayid. Kate's eyes were hard and worried, Sawyer had his mouth tightened and Sayid came forward with a look of curiosity.

"These are not our people." Said Sayid.

"No. I don't know who they are." Said Jack. He looked back over at Kate and Sawyer who were still standing in the same spot. Jack stood and walked around, trying to recognize the people. He looked at every face, every person he walked by.

"Jack." Said Kate. He looked up she was standing about three feet to his left staring at a person. Jack came over.

"What?" he asked. She gulped and pointed down.

"Recognize him?" she asked. Jack followed her finger. There was a man, a man with a white beard. Except this beard was falling off.

"A fake beard." Said Jack. Kate nodded.

"It's the others." Said a voice. Jack and Kate instantly looked up and Jack reached for his gun. A man lurked in the shadows. He walked forward as Kate also pulled her gun.

"What is it?" asked Sayid from behind. The figure came out of the trees.

"Locke?" asked Jack. Locke emerged from the shadow and stepped over the first body. He smiled up at them all and gave them a wave.

"Hello. What are you doing out here?" he asked.

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"Are you sure this will work?" whispered Mrs. Clue. Her and Henry were sitting amongst the trees behind a group of twenty somewhat people, who were lying on the forest floor, dead.

"It must." Said Henry. They watched as two people came into view. "Look." He said to Mrs. Clue. She looked over between the bushes at the two men that were now standing in front of the group.

"I didn't know that he could get back to his group so fast." Said Mrs. Clue.

"Who cares how fast that stupid idiot walks. They are here." Said Henry. Then suddenly two more people appeared.

"Isn't that…" started Mrs. Clue. Henry held up his hand.

"Mr. Shepard, Mr. Ford, and Miss. Austin." Replied Henry through gritted teeth. Mrs. Clue turned to face him.

"I thought you told him not to bring them." Said Mrs. Clue. Henry stood and retreated back a step.

"I did." Said Henry. Then suddenly he heard a sound to his right. He peered through the bush and saw a pair of legs.

"It's the others." Said the man.

"Locke." Whispered Mrs. Clue. Henry gave a large smile and looked over at Mrs. Clue. He held out his hand and she took it as he pulled her up.

"This is working better then I thought." Said Henry. "Get Hugh and Alex. They can tail him." He let go of Mrs. Clue and quietly retreated back through the forest.

Henry had never felt happier in his life. He knew these three would buy it, he just knew it.