Wow, so I think it's pretty clear that I suck at the whole updating thing:p hope I still have some readers left! Anyways, please review!!:) I will try to have more out soon.
Chapter 7: The Truth
It was so small. The small flame that appeared to burn so bright was comforting; its heat conjured up made the weary travelers hands warm. Each flame danced around the pile sticks with a lively air. Shadows were cast on the cave's walls by the red and orange flames. The colors and movements burned in each of their eyes. The fire had a life of its own. Such power in strength was in such a small object. The fire reflected off their eyes and penetrated their hearts. The symbolic truth held by every second looking at the flames only harmed the desire of the souls.
With tired eyes Kate looked up from the flames. She viewed her surroundings Londy, Sawyer and she sat in what was an abandon polar bear cave. Its cold walls were altered by the ever growing fire. With each twig or stick added to fuel the flame the darkness of the cave was striped away.
With every passing hour the fire's brightness faded. The sticks failed to fuel the flame any longer. As the strength of the fire dead so did the strength of the three travelers. Sawyer's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep while leading his head on his backpack. Kate's mind gave way to that of exhaustion and she was soon lost to sleep as well. With her head on Sawyer's chest Kate slept to the steady beat of his heart. His hand lay upon the arch of her back.
After a few hours Kate awoke suddenly. Looking around she did not see Londy anywhere. The fire had died down dramatically so the cave was extremely dark. Dressed in a cream colored sweatshirt Kate stood up from her resting position on the cave floor and walked to the shelter's entrance. There sat London looking out at the night sky. As quietly as possible Kate went and took a seat beside her young traveling companion. She tucked her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She looked at London's profile. A reflection of the stars shown in her dark eyes; they held a small glimpse of hope amongst their dark blue surroundings. London kept her gaze outward, away from the sights of the cave. Kate's arrival hadn't appeared to effect her in the slightest. Kate continued to look at the shaded silhouette of London; she saw strength beyond her years, wisdom covered up by silence and not a single hint of fear hung about remaining childish characteristics.
"How do you do it?" Kate asked in a careful tone. She asked the question as some one how had been pondering about a possible answer for quite for time. Kate looked with questionable admiration at the young women to her right.
London did not turn her head, she did not change her expression, she did not move; she merely shut her eyes. The bright night stars reflection's were lost. The quarter moons light impression left London's face all aglow against the dark cave walls and dense surrounding jungle trees. A blue vale provided by the night sky had appeared to cover the two of them. They sat in the cave's entrance as if in trance, only focused on the subject at hand. Kate listened intently and heard every steady breath London made while contemplating the answer she would give.
"I was born here, on the island." London stated simple, still not turning to face Kate.
The sounds and views of the world outside of that story no longer mattered; the chief concern of that moment was listening to London's story and understanding it.
"My parents, within months of my birth, died, the cause being some unknown illness." Her words were cold and seemed to hold no compassion or sorrow. "I was born and raised as a Dharma kid." Kate listened, fixated on London's voice. Slowly, with every word said she began to piece together the parts that made London who she was, her visible courage, the mystery that kept others wondering.
"Ben, he taught me. I was an orphan. Lotsa people taught me stuff actually. I had no parent to guard me, no one took my under their watchful eye. I was soon seen as an opportunity, a tool or an experiment."
The stars in London's eyes lost their brightness by the absence of Kate's glace. Her ears were more attached to every word uttered by the girl beside her than the sight of a lost hope seen in her eyes she had noticed moments before.
"I was never taught to live, I was taught to work, obey, deceive, to win, never to trust, never to love, never to dream. Disobeying orders was never an option. I always struggled with that part." London said the last statement with a lighter air. She continued her story, sparing Kate many details.
"I learned to shoot and track when I was very young. They taught be everything, I went from person to person learning new traits, I never had a family. The older I got the more they used me to do their dirty-work. I had learned how to be different people, I could be whoever they needed me to be; the interrogator, tracker, hunter. Life wasn't about living it was about doing my job; I had never been taught differently than that." While London told her story Kate listened in awe; she was confused. The tone London took while sharing the tale was different. She stated facts as if they were as clear as day, as if it was normal to raise a child to be the ideal person and train them to come at every beck and call.
Kate listened and found a hidden understanding. London was different and it wasn't because she had been raised a certain way; it was because she had never fallen into the trap. That knowledge came to Kate as her ears let in London dry words, she was as independent as a person could be, she was taught to do 'this or that'. Then Kate knew that she had never fallen victim of the devious mind game. She was an individual who knew what to do, she did what she was told, but always had a hidden agenda of her own. That was the very reason London was out in the middle of the jungle on a starry night sitting in a cave with Sawyer and Kate. She took what she had learned and used it how she wanted too, instead of following the demands of others. It could have been seen as the larger of two evils but Kate didn't take it that way. She looked in admiration at the young girl beside her. She saw a soul struggle, one that was difficult to overcome. London was the younger version of Sawyer and Kate the only difference was that London had never had a place to run.
"When you and Sawyer came to the camp, I found a reason to change. I saw you two, and even apart form each other you both were so strong. Through the struggles and pain you each found a reason to keep moving on. But I know my people, so I knew that it wouldn't be that easy."
It wasn't all clear to Kate; she continued to struggle to see everything, although she knew she never fully could. Kate had a better understanding of London, and why she did the things she did. She was so much like herself, Sawyer and so many others. All she wanted was change; she wanted to know there was more to life and that there was a reason to live. In helping the two of them she was breaking the chain, going off the beaten path than she had been told so much to tread upon. London turned for the first time to Kate. The night wind blew her thick blonde hair in her face, her eyes held a piercing effect. There was the ever so slight hint of moisture that lined her eyelids.
"I do it by breathing. I take one breath at a time. Kate, as hard as this may be to believe this is all new to me. I look at you two and realize that I don't have a choice, I have to go on. I could fail ya know?" London said actually using some expression in her tone. "And to fail at the one thing in my life that I wanted to do on my own, to help you two, well I can't think of a greater disappointment." London spoke slowly and carefully chose her words. Turning away from Kate's gaze she confessed one last thing. "…and that scares me to death."