Hey guys! So sorry I didn't update yesterday like I planned, got backtracked with homework and the like. But never fear, I'm here again! Hope you like this chapter 3. I'm thinking that this fanfic might be longer than 8 chapters because of what I've been planning in my head, but we'll see. Please R&R and Enjoy!
Walking back from Sawyer's tent, Charlie's angry mood skyrocketed as he made his way back, almost as if it was prepping him for the events to come. He looped around various survivors' tents, hoping not to run into anyone. Not that anyone would talk to him anyway, after what had happened.
But, even though he avoided several people, still they saw him, giving him hesitant looks before turning away. They talked amongst themselves, loudly even, not even caring if Charlie heard them or not. One couple of people, a woman and man who he recognized but couldn't put names to, didn't even bother to distance themselves from him as they gossiped. The man began speaking very loudly to the woman, raising his voice as Charlie sped up his pace.
"Yeah, it's disgusting how he did that. How could he just take a nearly newborn child like that?"
"I know, I'm just glad I don't have a baby that he could have stolen from me. What a creep."
Hearing them speak of him so, he hurried along even faster, trying to escape the tension in the air. A small breeze picked up and shot across the skin of his face, running across cracked, peeling bits of skin. He put his fingers up to his face, touching one thin slab of dead skin, and grunted in disgust. From spending so much time out in the sun and close to the sand, nature seemed to want to wear and tear away his boyishly good looks, another part of his life against him.
Once out of earshot of the people on the beach, he gritted his teeth loudly together, trying his hardest to concentrate on the irritating sound instead of the people. Although the talkers hadn't done anything to him, he certainly felt like giving them a piece of his mind. He didn't though, his fists in tight balls, fingers clenched hard against his skin, almost pulsating with a mixture of emotions. Reaching his sandy hill, he crumpled to the ground, knees first as if he was about to pray.
He didn't pray, but instead knelt there, a trace of hate growing on his face. Turning to look up into the sky, the sun touched his face once more before disappearing behind a dark gray cloud, like it even couldn't stand to be around him. One after another a grey cloud appeared as he continued to watch the sky, covering the beautiful blue with threats of storm or worse. He stared hard at the cloud covering the sky and sunk his teeth down into his tongue, tasting the blood. A crack of lightening suddenly could be heard, adding to the warning of bad weather.
Charlie just stayed there though, in a sort of trance, all bad thoughts of Locke coming to mind. How could Locke help him and then leave him, like some sort of a fool? How could he, in a way, betray him and cause him so much pain? Letting go of his tongue from between his teeth, he opened his mouth, a few words coming from his dry lips. He hadn't prayed in God knows how long, but he thought this time was suiting.
"Lord... please... please help. I know... I know I've been a sinner, I know I've been bad- but please help me. Help me seek revenge. Help me, please?"
As he prayed, he let the desperation he had been feeling pour over him and travel to the Lord above. His tone of voice was soft and low, reflecting the need in his heart. He needed it so badly, so badly for this to work. Finally, he ended and crossed himself, lifting a hand up to the heavens as if to thank God for listening to him.
After this, he felt drained from letting all the emotions out with the short prayer, and slumped over in a restless sleep.
Fires upon fires leaped up all over the island, burning and forcing it's inhabitants to flee to the ocean. Person after person jumped in, every one of them with handcuffs around their wrists. But, before each of them began to swim for safety, Locke appeared to unlock their wrists and set them free. He stood there, an all-knowing grin on his face, poking a golden key into handcuff after handcuff, seeing to it that all were safe. The people, once free, swam like mad, until all of them were mere dots in the distance. Where they went, would never know, but at least they wouldn't burn for all eternity here.
Charlie watched Locke in the distance, hiding behind a tree as he grimaced, hoping Locke would unbind him. The handcuffs caused his wrists to grow raw and bleed, chaffing and hurting like the Devil. He tried to let himself free a number of ways before: jumping on the chain while squatting down, sawing through it with a knife, kicking it- but nothing helped. He would be a captive until Locke helped him, and he feared that would never happen.
Creeping closer, he saw Claire walk up to Locke, waving him down with a girlish giggle. She took a place beside him, whispering kind and motherly words of advice to those who were about to take to the sea. They both continued this endless process until only one person was left, Charlie.
He still hid beside a tree, but knew they would come for him, so he began to run for the shore.
"Locke, hey... could I...?" he began, holding out his hands to the bald man once he reached them.
Locke shook his head, giving Claire a "I told you so" look before explaining his reasoning.
"I tried helping you, but you didn't listen; so I'm leaving you here to burn," Locke said, nudging Claire with his elbow to cue her to speak as well. She glanced over at Charlie pitifully before speaking, her eyes glued to the sand in front of his feet.
"He's right Charlie, you should just stay here." And with that, Claire turned to the ocean, diving headfirst into it. Locke put his fingers to his lips as Charlie began to speak again, not carrying about what he was about to say.
"Shh," Locke said, eyeing Charlie one last time before turning to disappear into the waves. Charlie opened his mouth to shout out, but nothing came out, his voice muted. He tried to shout at the top of his lungs, tears of frustration streaming down his face, but to no avail. He was doomed.
Charlie awoke from his nightmare in a freezing sweat, shivers racing down his spine despite the heat. He gasped for air, his lungs straining for the much-needed oxygen, and noticed that he was no longer alone. He tilted his head, trying to see who it was, and sighed in relief. No need to flee now, he wanted to talk to this person.
Sitting in a plane seat he had stolen weeks ago from the plane, Sawyer lounged lazily, sunglasses perched on his nose. He looked like a professional bum there on his seat, his hands and arms up behind his head to prop him up.
"You okay there Checkers? You look like you saw the boogie man," Sawyer said with a laugh, shaking his head. He wore the same checkered shirt he had been wearing hours ago, looking strangely handsome in the fading light.
"Yeah, I'm fine… I was just..," he mumbled, sitting up. Raising an eyebrow, Charlie suddenly noticed that he must have been sleeping for hours, for the sun dipped slightly below the ocean's surface in the distance. The sun, a beautiful dark red color, still emitted rays of fading heat to the island, not ready to disappear for the evening quite yet. The sky around the sun was light up with an array of colors, streaks of orange, pink and even a little bit of blue still.
"Just takin' your scheduled nap for the day Checkers? I understand, I was just gettin' done with mine myself- so you're in luck," Sawyer said in response, giving Charlie a thumbs up sign. Standing up, the other man streched before pulling his chair closer, obviously not wanting to give up his seat at the moment.
"Heh. So, you gonna tell me the plan," Charlie asked, brushing off the sand which had accumulated on him while sleeping.
"Yep," Sawyer said, taking his sunglasses off. The sun sank ever lower as the two sat in momentary silence, still as red as ever.
"So...," Charlie whispered, growing impatient with the wait. He had been waiting all the day, so he wasn't about to wait any longer.
"So listen here Checkers, I'm about to tell you somethin' you probably won't wanna do- but it's the only way this here will work," the southerner began, his eyes focused on Charlie's right now. He sat up in his chair, kicking off his sandals so he was barefoot now.
"..." Charlie said nothing in reply to that, already wondering what it was that Sawyer thought he didn't want to do. Boy, he was ready to do just about anything to get revenge on that bastard.
"It's a fairly simple little plan, but it involves you doin' some mighty big dirty work. You're going to be the distraction while I," he said, his famous smirk reappearing on his face, "will go and retrieve the ammo in the holy hatch."
"Dirty work? What do you mean dirty work," Charlie asked, standing up to sit on the bottom of the sandy dune. To hell with trying to get the sand off anymore, he would deal with the mess on his clothes later.
"I mean you're gonna have to get rid of that halo that you try to wear and let your real horns show. Look, this will be a cinch if you don't dwell on it, but it'll be hell if ya do. Just follow my advice and you'll be good to go," Sawyer warned, standing up to sit beside Charlie now.
"Okay, just tell me what I have to do," Charlie said impatiently, wanting for the other to just get on with it. What was going to be so bad about it?
"You gotta pick a victim first, but I have someone already in mind- cause I'm in expert with these sorts of things," Sawyer answered with a playful wink, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair.
"A victim? What the hell do you want me to do- kill someone? I'm not a bloody murderer," Charlie almost yelled back, not liking the sound of this at all. He just wanted to get revenge on Locke, not involve anyone else!
"Calm down there Chuckles. That's not what I said. You just gotta… injure someone, not too badly of course, cause ol' Doc might have a cow and send the Island Police into the jungle. Just get it to where the person is hurt enough to where it isn't just a broken nail. Get my drift," the southerner asked, the last beams of sunlight of the day casting a shadow on his face.
"But I don't want to hurt anyone Sawyer! This isn't about other people, I just want to get back at Locke," Charlie said, looking at Sawyer like he was insane.
"I know you don't wanna hurt other people, but there's a price to this kinda revenge Checkers. Look, if it makes ya feel any better, my hands are pretty dirty with sins from the past too- so we'll be sinners together," Sawyer said with a chuckle at the end, reaching over to give Charlie a sound pat on the back.
Charlie narrowed his eyes, glaring at Sawyer now, but realized that he had a point. He knew there was a price of revenge.. but would he be willing to pay that high of a price?
"So when the victim is hurt, everyone will be so worried over that person, that I'll be able to sneak in no problem. It'll be a piece of cake for me after you do that." Sawyer nodded to himself and Charlie, picturing the scene now in his head. He wouldn't even have to pretend to be on hatch duty, he'd just waltz in and take em'.
"Isn't there any other way we can distract besides hurting someone," Charlie asked, really wanting to pay some sort of other price for revenge.
"What, you don't like my plan Checkers? Hey, if you don't, you can just say so now and I'll be on my way," Sawyer stated simply, giving Charlie the option of backing out now.
"No… I didn't say that. I just... fine, I'll do it," he suddenly agreed, surprised at himself for being so quick to change his mind. Somehow the revenge was more important than someone's health right now... and that should have scared him. But it didn't anymore. All those worries of endangering someone else's life faded to the background when he thought of how Locke hurt him so, and he decided to just go with the flow.
"Alrighty then. I got someone in mind, but I want to see who you pick first," Sawyer said, curiosity aflame in his eyes.
Charlie shrugged, not knowing who he would pick, but knew he had to pick someone. Who would he be willing to hurt for his plan?