Ellie ran, as fast as she could through the jungle, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. She could hear Jack and Kate behind her, trying to keep up and at the same time calling her name over and over again, begging her to stop running away from them. She turned her head slightly to see how far away they were. Her foot caught a tree root and she suddenly hurtled over, landing heavily on the ground. She tried to sit up and catch her breath, but she couldn't. She was crying too hard. Her eyes went fuzzy, everything around her was going black when suddenly Jack and Kate were there, crouching in front of her. Jack placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"Ellie listen to me. You're having an anxiety attack." Ellie's shoulders heaved as she panicked, trying desperately to gasp in air. "Ellie! I promise you, you're going to be fine. You just have to calm down. Breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Slower, take it nice and easy." Jack refused to break eye-contact with the terrifed teenager as she struggled to control her breathing. Kate was kneeling on his left, both her hands tightly clasped around Ellie's shaking one. Gradually Ellie's breathing started to slow down.

"Good girl," Jack assured her, releasing his grip. He gently brushed her hair away from her face, noting that her skin was returning to more of it's normal colour. Ellie turned to look at Kate, who was still grasping her shaking hand.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Kate shook her head,

"It's OK. You don't have to explain."

"I want to."

Jack and Kate hadn't really done anything wrong. But seeing them standing united in front of her, it had made her remember and to remember hurt more than she would have ever guessed was possible.

"About a week before my parents left for their vacation I broke curfew." Ellie began. She, Jack and Kate were back in the hatch. Jack and Kate were in each corner of the sofa. Ellie had her back leaning against Kate and her knees tucked up to her chest. Kate was slowly stroking Ellie's hair. Ellie took a deep breath and continued.

"It was a school night and I was supposed to be home by 10.30, but my boyfriend was home for the weekend and we went to this club. I guess we lost track of time. When I got home they were freaking out, calling me irresponsible. It was stupid, I know it was stupid, but I flipped out and started yelling at them. I'd never done anything like that before, we always got on really well but suddenly we were in this huge fight and I was yelling at them, and they were yelling at me and then they started yelling at each other, it seemed like it went on for hours." Ellie paused to wipe away the tears which were soaking her cheeks.

"The next day, for the whole week, it was like there was this huge great...elephant in the house with us and no matter how many times I tried to apologise it was like they were looking at this totally different person. They were so disappointed and they looked so hurt all the time. So I stopped trying to make it up and I ignored them too. I figured I shouldn't be the one to keep trying when I'd always apologised about a hundred times." Ellie coughed, wheezing slightly. "I'm ok." She said to Jack, as he leaned forward, putting his hands on her knees.

"They came into my room on the day they were leaving to go to Australia. I wouldn't even talk to them. I didn't say goodbye. I never said goodbye to them and now I'm never going to get to see them again. They're dead and I never even said goodbye!" Ellie collapsed into sobs, her shoulders heaving and the loud, broken cries echoing all round the room. Jack took one of Ellie's hands in his. He turned it over, revealing the scars he and Kate had seen on Ellie's first day on the island.

"Is that why...?" His question hung half-asked in the air. Ellie's sobs stopped abruptly but she didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she used her free hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. And then, ever so slightly, she nodded.

"I didn't mean to kill myself. Not really. I just wanted it to go away. Everytime I breathed, or spoke or thought it was if someone was reaching inside me and twisting my heart in knots. I didn't want it to hurt anymore." Jack looked up and locked eyes with Kate. Both her arms were wrapped tightly around Ellie's shoulders, and she had tears in her eyes. She looked back at him, their eyes connected as Ellie continued.

"Everyone thought that I was mad for believing that they were coming home. 'Poor Ellie, refusing to accept what everybody knows already.' But I didn't have anything else to cling to; I had to believe that they were coming home because then it didn't mean that I had let them die without telling them how much I loved them."

"Ellie," Jack said, speaking for the first time since they had gotten back to the hatch. "They knew."

I just wanted to say thank you for everyone who has read and reviewed this story. It seems to know exactly where it is going; hence the quick updates. I'm glad people like it and reviews are always welcome. Sarah x