Down the Rabbit Hole
By: jb1515g
Disclaimer: I don't own Lost or any of its characters.
Summary: When five of the castaways journey into the jungle, they find something they knew was out there. Some were hoping it would never be found. Action/Adventure/Supernatural/Suspense/ not too much Jate or Skate except where the plot required it. Doesn't fit into the current Lost timeline. Fits best in a future slot toward the latter end of Season 2. This is Chapter 1. Please review so I'll know whether its worth continuing this story or if it would be better for me to explore some of my other ideas. Most interested in how well (or badly) I portrayed the characters through their actions and dialog. Enjoy!
Jack crashed back through the underbrush and emerged into the clearing. He took a sip from his water bottle and sat down on the ground, trying to regain his breath. The sky above was dark and foreboding; the rainy season had come and downpours had hampered their journey. Jack wasn't sure if he liked the weather hot and humid or wet and raining. I'm not sure I like it either way. There isn't much I do like about this place. As he thought, his gaze fell to Kate, still sleeping in the middle of the clearing. Jack watched her sleep, a quiet calm coming over him as the entire jungle around him fell silent. But that doesn't mean I don't like somethings.
He continued his musings for another few minutes until he heard the sounds of another approaching. Off to his left, Locke came trudging through, sweat pouring off his brow.
"John," Jack said, glancing up.
"Hello, Jack," Locke answered. "You the first one back?"
"Yeah." Jack took another sip from his bottle. "I didn't find anything. You?"
Locke took a deep breath and looked around at the jungle. The corners of his mouth turned upward just slightly and he paused for a long moment. At length, he turned to Jack. "Nope, didn't find anything."
Jack eyed the man for another second, then turned away. It would take more than a lifetime to understand John Locke and Jack knew better than to try. He shook his head and returned to his water.
Locke sat down away from Jack and Kate. He took a few sips from his water bottle, but soon put it away. He knew the day's hike had only just begun. To pass the time, he took out his hunter's knife and methodically went about whetting it.
About ten minutes later, both Sawyer and Sayid came back. Both reported seeing nothing in their small scouting grid.
"Okay, so where to now, Doc?" Sawyer sat down and took a big gulp of water. He laid the bottle down next to him and rested back on his hands. "Got enough of this place yet?"
Jack looked over at Sawyer. "No, not yet. We still haven't found our way around. It's important to know exactly what is on this island with us."
"I agree with Jack," Sayid spoke up. "If past experience proves anything, mapping out the remainder of the island can only be a good thing. Having accurate intelligence is one of the best ways to safeguard ourselves."
Locke was standing wholly silent, staring off into the jungle. The eyes of the other three men were on him. Suddenly, he snapped out of his trance. "Yeah, I agree with Sayid. We need to continue to search the island." He turned around. "For our safety." He added as an afterthought.
In the middle of the clearing, Kate rolled over and groggily sat up. She took in her surroundings and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What's going on?"
"The Doc here has decided to continue our wonderful hike," Sawyer said, getting to his feet. "It's almost like he forgets we're on a deserted island."
"Yeah, a deserted island that isn't so deserted," Jack said firmly. "How many other people do we have to run into before you stop calling it a desert island?"
Everyone waited for Sawyer's usual quick, stinging retort, but it didn't come. He remained silent.
"Then it's settled," Locke said. "Let's keep going."
"After you, John." Jack replaced his water bottle into his backpack. "Lead on."
Locke stepped into the jungle, closely followed by Sayid and Sawyer. Jack slung his pack onto his back as Kate walked over toward him. "How long did I sleep for?"
"A few hours. You needed it, especially after yesterday."
"Did anyone else get any rest?" She put on her own pack.
"Sawyer slept for an hour, as did Locke. Sayid never seems to sleep. Must be a military thing."
"And you?"
"I sat down for a few minutes." He looked at her and could read her thoughts. "I'm fine. I got a lot of sleep the other day."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Kate said, turning to follow Sawyer. Jack brought up the rear.
It had been about a week since the five had left the beach and the caves in favor of an extended march through the jungle. It was a tough decision for Jack and the others to leave the group behind for such a long time, but recent events had forced their hand. Rumors ranging from ghost sightings to whispers in the jungle to even another supposed visit to the camp by an "other" made their way around camp, damaging what little morale the castaways had left.
So Jack, with the suggestion from some other people, decided it was important for them to know exactly what they were dealing with. Since they had arrived, it had been one mystery after another. With Locke now in the lead, the five man group hoped to put some answers to all the questions.
Locke led them through the dense jungle for an hour before stopping and inspecting the dirt very carefully. Kate and Jack came up to see what Locke was looking at.
"Looks like a set of footprints," Kate commented after a few seconds.
"That's what I was thinking," Locke agreed, picking at the ground with the tip of his knife. "But out here, in this isolated place, only one set. Doesn't make much sense."
"Come on, John," Jack said. "Making sense of this place is something many of us gave up a long time ago."
Locke looked up and stared back into the jungle. His eyes glanced up at the sky and then back down into the forest. "Let's get moving. The rains are coming."
They started off again, Sawyer falling into step with Kate. "So now he can predict the weather? Who is this guy, Rainman?"
Kate cast a sidelong glance at Sawyer and smiled to herself. "Do you trust him?"
"Not at all," Sawyer laughed. "But then again, Freckles, I've always had trust issues."
"You? Not trusting anyone? I never would have guessed," Kate said dryly. "Where do you think that comes from?"
"Probably from Iraqis and spinal surgeons who like to torture folks," he replied, just loud enough for everyone to hear. If Jack heard anything he didn't show it. Sayid noticeable stiffened for a moment, then relaxed again. He said nothing.
"Anyway, it ain't like our trusty guide is so open and honest anyway. I got good reason not to trust him. Hell, the last time anyone went out on a hike with him, they came back dead, or near to it." Sawyer wasn't done. "And who the hell does this guy think he is anyway, predicting the weath--," he wasn't even able to get the last word out. Pouring rain hammered down and erupted the jungle into a loud orchestra of pounding rain and high pitched pitters and patters.
Kate laughed as Sawyer looked around unbelieving. "What is this, some sort of cruel joke?" Kate laughed louder.
Up ahead, Jack and Sayid cracked unseen smiles. Locke, if he had been aware of the entire conversation behind him, gave no indication. He continued leading the fivesome through the jungle.
Things transpired pretty much the same way for the next two days. The group journeyed deeper into the jungle but found nothing out of the ordinary. Locke was leading them along a rough trail, one of the few in the thick jungle. "It's from the animals." Locke had explained when Sayid questioned the existence of a trail in the middle of the jungle. "Must lead to a watering hole or something. The animals get used to one route and following it again and again. Over time, the plants get worn away by the constant use."
Just as Locke had said, the trail led to a small lake where the group decided to rest. The lake was surrounded on one side by a sheer wall of dark, imposing trees and on the other side by a steep precipice.
Immediately upon seeing the water, Sawyer stripped off his shirt and dove in, luxuriating in the cool relief offered by the lake. He came up from his dive and floated there, beckoning to Kate. "Come on in, Freckles. The water's great." He emphasized his last word with his deep Southern accent. Kate was soon in the water.
Sayid and Jack both knelt down by the lake, dipping in their water bottles. Jack cupped his hands and splashed the cool water onto his face.
"It's a nice relief," Sayid said, after doing the same, "from the oppression of the jungle's humidity."
Jack nodded his agreement. He glanced around the lake area. "Where'd Locke go?"
Sayid looked up and surveyed the area as well. Locke had disappeared. "I'm not sure. Perhaps he is in the forest, collecting wood for a fire."
Locke came back a few minutes later, carrying a bundle of bananas. He tossed them to Jack. "Seems like all the treasures of this island haven't yet been discovered. Bon appetite."
Kate and Sawyer came out of the lake and everyone sat down to a small meal of bananas and some dried fish they had carried with them. It was the finest meal many of them had had in days.
Before they could finish and start off again, the cloud top darkened considerably. The low rumbling sounds of thunder echoed through the sky. A thick rolling fog set in, blanketing the surrounding jungle in deep gloom.
Jack replaced his backpack on the ground and slumped his shoulders. "Well, there's no point in starting off now. It's too dark." He sighed. "We'll take this time to get some rest."
"I'm all for that," Sawyer said, laying back and interlacing his fingers behind his head. Yawning, he laid back and drifted off.
Kate sat down and yawned, too. She blinked slowly a few times, trying to fight the fatigue. She yawned again as she rubbed her eyes.
"You feeling alright?" Jack asked, a look of concern flashing across his face.
"Yeah," Kate said through a third yawn. "I'm just tired."
"Get some rest. I'll take the first watch."
"No," said Sayid. "I'm not going to sleep anyway. I'll watch. You get some rest, as well."
"Sayid," Jack turned to him. "You haven't slept since we left. You need it more than me."
"I will be fine, Jack." Sayid sat down and began working at the fire. "You work much harder than anyone. You need to be rested."
Jack didn't feel much like sleeping. "We'll both stay up. For the first hour at least."
"Then I'll take the third watch," said Locke. "Just call when you need me." He walked over, a ways from the camp and sat down with his back to the others.
Jack glanced around. Kate and Sawyer were already asleep. He watched her for just a split second too long.
"I'm sure you know that she admires you, as well," Sayid said, following the path of Jack's eyes. "You can tell by the way she responds around you."
Jack remained silent.
"Perhaps I've said too much." Sayid picked at the fringes of the fire.
"No,"' Jack answered, "you haven't said anything that isn't considered common knowledge anyway. I'm just not sure what to do, especially here in this place."
"I'm sure the answer will come to you," Sayid said, thankfully ending the topic.
Jack knew that he talked with Sayid some more, but he couldn't remember anything about the conversation. He suddenly found himself opening his eyes, the grogginess of sleep threatening to overtake him again. Slowly, he sat up.
It was pitch black. Only the soft, dying embers left over from a once roaring campfire illuminated the lake area. Something clicked in Jack's brain and he suddenly realized what that meant: both he and Sayid must have fallen asleep. That's not like Sayid, to fall asleep like that.
Kate and Sawyer were still sleeping. Jack gazed over to where Locke was sitting. The man had not moved at all, still hunched over with his back to the camp. But there was something different about him.
"Locke?" Jack called, but the other man did not respond. "Hey, Locke!" Still nothing.
Jack got to his feet and stretched out his sleep tired muscles. He sauntered over to where Locke was sitting. Even from a few meters out, Jack could tell something was wrong.
The older man was much thinner a fragile looking. His breathing was ragged and came in short bursts. The grey jacket he wore was torn and ripped in places, revealing a pale, ghastly looking skin underneath.
"Locke?" Jack said again. He knelt down next to Locke and grabbed his shoulder. At his touch, Locke tumbled backward, slamming down onto the ground. Jack recoiled as he looked on his face.
The skin on his face had become baggy and was unnaturally bunched in places. His eyes sockets were empty. A small trickle of dried blood stained the bottom of his nose. His mouth gaped open, revealing the most hideous disfiguration of all. Locke's tongue was missing, cut completely out of his mouth. His breathing slowed and then stopped entirely.
"Locke!" Jack felt for a pulse. There was none.
"He is gone," came a voice from the treeline. Jack looked up. His gaze fell upon a tall figure, standing wholly still. The figure looked like a living corpse, with long, greenish-gray, gangly limbs, a thin torso showing his ribcage, and an oval face, crowned with sparse, stringy hair. "He was a sacrifice the island demanded."
Jack froze when he heard that. He'd heard that before. "Who are you?"
"I am the Messenger. Nothing more, nothing less."
Jack looked back down at Locke. His image seemed to be graying and gradually fading away. "I got the message." Jack looked back up. The figure was gone.
Jack grinded his teeth and stared down at Locke's deformed face. All fell silent around him, until a whisper pierced the air. It was an unnatural voice, coming from all directions at once. The whisper drilled into his mind, clouding out all other thoughts. This is the lot of a leader: to exist alone.
There was a high pitched wail from behind him. Jack spun instinctively, even as his mind told him he didn't want to see what was there. Leaping to his feet, he sprinted back to the glowing embers that marked the campsite. In the back of his mind, he noted that Sawyer and Sayid's sleeping forms were no where to be found. There was only Kate, desperately crawling on the ground toward him.
He knelt down and cradled her in his hands. Her breathing came in short bursts, forced through immense pain. The tan shirt she wore was dark and stained with warm liquid. Jack knew instantly in was blood.
She went to speak, but Jack put his finger up to her lips, silencing her. "Don't speak, just breath. Everything's going to be alright." But even he didn't believe himself. Out in the middle of the jungle, so far away from his supplies, he knew there wasn't much he could do. Jack eased Kate down onto her back, preparing to try and find out where the blood was coming from. As he began to let her go, she reached out and held his hands. "Kate, I'm here to help you. Don't worry."
"She looked at him and opened her mouth. Her voice was thin and pained. "Jack," she paused, gagging slightly. "Don't go down… the rabbit hole." She winced as he coughed. "Whatever you do…don't…go down the rabbit…hole."
Her eyelids settled down and she was gone.
Jack took a deep breath to try and calm his shaking nerves, but it didn't work. His vision blurred as he brought a hand up to wipe his face. "No, no, no, no," he repeated again and again, refusing to believe his eyes. But it was right there in front of him. He couldn't not believe it.
"Thus is the lot of a leader: to exist alone," came a voice from the left. Jack forced himself to look. The tall, gangly corpse was back, standing motionless at the edge of the jungle.
Jack stared at the corpse, anger and hatred boiling up inside of him. He stood and began stalking toward the thing. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do, but he knew that whatever it was, it would be painful for the corpse. "Who are you? Why are you doing this!" Jack heard himself yell. He almost didn't recognize the blackness in his voice. In his haste to attack the corpse, Jack tripped over a fallen branch and tumbled headlong to the ground.
"I am the Messenger. Nothing more, nothing less." He heard, but when Jack looked up, the corpse was gone.
Jack's breath hissed through clenched teeth. He began to pound the ground with his fist, over and over, uncaring of the pain in his wrist or the soreness of his muscles. "No!" he shouted, pounding the ground harder.
Jack was shocked awake, sitting up suddenly and lashing out with both hands. As his vision adjusted to the light, he slowly recognized that his hands were clutching Locke's throat. Easing his grip, he stared in disbelief at the face before him.
"You okay, Jack?" Locke asked.
Without answering, Jack shot his head left and right. There was Sayid maintaining the fire, just like always. He heard the splashing of someone swimming carelessly in the lake; Sawyer taking another swim. Locke was still in front of him, kneeling down. Only one person was missing.
"Where's Kate?" Jack realized his breathing was rapid. As if in answer, the jungle behind erupted into the sounds of someone crashing through the brush. Jack turned and was met by Kate's warm smile.
"I'm right here, sleepyhead," she said.
Jack turned back to Locke. "John?"
Locke smiled. "That's what they call me." He eyed the doctor. "What's wrong?"
It had all been a dream. But it had been so real, so lifelike. The realest thing I had ever experienced. "Nothing's wrong." He looked all around and noticed the sky had cleared up. "How long was I out for?"
"Three days," Locke answered.
"We were worried about you," Kate added, sitting down next to him. "You talked in your sleep a lot."
"Must've been really tired." Jack shook his head. In actuality, he felt sluggish and groggy now, even more than when he had fallen asleep. Digging the heels of his hands into his eyes, he wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Sorry for falling asleep for so long--,"
"Don't be sorry," Kate interrupted. "You needed it."
"But we lost so much time."
"I don't mind it," Locke said. "After all, we need our leader to be well rested. You're the most important person here and you need to be fresh."
"Yeah." Jack cast his eyes to the ground.
"Hey, Doc," Sawyer said, coming over toward the fire. It was some time later. Jack was managing the fire while Locke led Sayid back to the banana tree. "Glad to see you're back with us."
"Hey Sawyer," Jack said, glancing at the other man. He looked for only a second, then went back to staring into the flames.
"Ready to tell anyone 'bout what's wrong yet?" Sawyer asked.
"Nothing's wrong."
"Oh, come now, Doc. I may act like a kid but I wasn't born yesterday. You ain't foolin' nobody."
"It was nothing," Jack hesitated. "Just a dream I had while I was sleeping."
"Dream, eh? Sure it wasn't a nightmare?"
Jack turned to look at Sawyer. "How would you know?"
"Don't know too many people who shout 'No!' over and over again when they're dreamin' of candy canes and cute, little bunnies."
"It was…nothing. Just a dream."
"Hey, you're the doc, Doc. Just thought I'd ask."
The five started off through the jungle at daybreak the next day. Locke and Sayid took the lead, with Sawyer behind them, and Kate and Jack bringing up the rear. They marched in silence for an hour before Kate finally spoke.
"So really, what's wrong?" She whispered to Jack. The natural sounds of the jungle assured that no one but Jack could hear her question.
"It was just a nightm—dream I had while I slept."
"What about?"
"The island, different things," he answered.
"Sure it was a dream?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, Jack. This isn't a normal place. I've heard the stories some of the others have been telling." She looked meaningfully at him. "About ghosts and hallucinations and visions in dreams. I've even been there for the 'security system' and the polar bear. A polar bear, Jack. This isn't a normal place."
Jack didn't get a chance to answer. Up ahead, Sawyer leapt off the trail and plunged into the forest.
"Sawyer! Where are you going?" Jack increased his pace.
"Calm down, Doc. Saw something shiny in the jungle." He cast back a wry smile. "And you know how much I love shiny things in the jungle."
Jack and Kate caught up to where Sawyer had left the trail just as Locke and Sayid came back.
"You should stay on the path," Sayid said.
Sawyer was bent over in the underbrush tugging at something. "Calm down, Mohammed. You ain't worried 'bout me, are ya?"
"What is it?" Locke asked.
"It's some sort of handle sticking up outta the ground. Can't open it, though," Sawyer was yanking the handle, but to no avail.
Locke and Jack looked at each other. "You don't think," Locke said.
"I'm not sure. But I don't want to find out." He walked further up the trail. "Let's get going."
"Hold on, Doc," Sawyer shouted. "I've almost got it." He pulled one more time and fell back over as the handle came up. A small metal door surfaced from under the dirt with it. "What the hell is this?"
"It's the second entrance," Locke whispered to himself, beginning to walk forward.
"Come on, Locke. We aren't out here for this," Jack had stopped walking and was starting to return.
"If we're not out here for this, what are we out here for?" Locke called back, reaching Sawyer. Kate and Sayid had followed Locke off the trail. Jack jogged to catch up.
Soon, all five were standing around the open hatch. "What is it?" Sawyer asked, eyeing the darkness beyond the doorway.
"It's a hatch," Jack answered.
"The second entrance," Locke specified. Leaning in closer, he peered down.
"The second entrance?" Sawyer looked from Locke to Jack. "Where was the first entrance?"
"It's a long story, Sawyer. A story for another time," Jack said.
"The ladder to this one seems to be intact," Locke commented. He wasted no time in stepping in and gaining a foothold.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked.
Locke was surprised at the question. "I'm going down, Jack."
"No, you're not." Jack stepped forward, nearing the hatch. "We're moving on."
"Jack," Locke stepped out of the hole and planted his feet. "We came out here to explore the island and see what else was here." He motioned toward the hatch. "This is exactly what we're out here for."
"I wasn't think about descending into bottomless black pits."
"As apposed to hikin' blindly around an evil jungle that wants to kill us?" Sawyer said. "Come on, Doc. Aren't ya the least bit curious?"
"Not you too," Jack groaned. "Out of everyone here, I'd expected you to be the last to want to go down."
"Call it the new and improved me." Sawyer smiled.
"I'm not going down," Jack stated firmly.
"I think it would be a bad idea, as well," Sayid agreed. "We have no information and no way of gathering it. The first hatch was bad enough. I think we need time to prepare and plan if we were to go down."
Everybody turned and looked at Kate, the only remaining party member not to have voiced their opinion. She looked from face to face, trying to read their thoughts.
"I think--," her statement was cut off by a loud roar from the jungle. The group immediately looked toward the direction of the sound. It wasn't long before another roar, this one mixed with a strange, unnatural tooting sound. The second roar was noticeably closer than the first.
Jack looked at Locke, both communicating without saying a word. The rumbling of the ground increased. Two nearby trees uprooted and were flung into the air. They came crashing down far closer to the band then they would have liked.
"The security system," Sayid said, watching the jungle.
"It's settled then," Locke said. "We all go down."
"No." Jack shook his head. "Nobody is going down. We can't. It's not safe." The nightmare was still fresh in his mind and he didn't think it was smart not to heed its warning. It's just a dream, another part of his mind shouted at him. It wasn't real. Go! The beast is coming.
"Jack, we need to go down," Locke said. "You've seen this thing for yourself. The only safe place is down the hatch."
Any further debate was silenced by another, much stronger and closer roar. More trees uprooted and flew through the air, flung around as if they were nothing more than small twigs.
"Fine, we go down," Jack said. He looked at Sayid.
Sayid put his hand up. "We will go down. There is no need to explain."
Locke was first, deftly dropping down onto the ladder. After a few rungs, he was gone, engulfed by shadow. Kate followed closely behind. Sawyer, a bit clumsy on the ladder, clambered down next. Jake was last, following in Sayid.
"Anyone ever read Alice in Wonderland?" Locke's voice echoed up from above. "This is just like going down the rabbit's hole."
Jack climbed down in silence, trying to think past the ball of ice that had settled in his stomach.
Jack, Sawyer, Locke, Kate, Sayid