He felt movement beside him and he jerked away. Movement at night always always meant attack. He reached out and grabbed whatever was touching him.

A squeal?

Rae.

He dropped her wrist. He didn't remember she was there and— he cried. He had hurt her, just like he knew he would because the Chief had to be there, mocking him, making him remember whatever horrible thing he had done, still longing to be in control of him. He sobbed and she held onto him, not angry, but understanding. Rubbing her fingers through his hair and trying to calm him. He gave her control. But that was so backward. Shouldn't he be in control of the situation? Wasn't he always in control? But he needed her.

"I- I'm s-s-s-sorry, Rae." He coughed through tears. "Movement a-at night just a-a-always me-means someone i-is attacking. A-and I d-didn't know i-it was y-you."

"Shhh," she said, "I know. Roger attacked me yesterday and I accidentally walked by him while he was sleeping on the couch."

Roger did WHAT? Jack would kill him. NO! Not kill. Hurt, quite possibly, but kill was taboo. It was of the Island.

They snuck out again that day. This time they walked without speaking. When he wasn't remembering small things, a game of tag, or a small argument, he was hurting. Hurting because he wanted to hold her hand but knew he couldn't.

Remembering. He had already remembered everything he needed. He remembered fights and promises and recitals and races. He remembered love and hate and envy and excitement. He felt, however, like there was once piece missing, which, we can only weakly describe as a missing piece to a complex and detailed puzzle. That dream haunted him, mocking him and masking that ONE memory that somehow seemed to be the most important one.

"Rae," he broke the silence. "Um… I had a dream last night and I wanted to know if it happened before, but I woke up before I could find out."

"What happened?"

"Well I was at a performance, the last choir performance." He just remembered that last bit, "and I walked off stage and I couldn't find you cuz you weren't with your mom."

"Y-yeah, that happened." She said, but she didn't look or sound confident, she had more sadness about features. "Do you remember anything else from the dream?"

"It was the night I left for the Island, right?" We sang one last time and then there was the evacuation." He said, remembering.

Her face… fell? "Yeah, Jack, that's pretty much it."

They went back. She left. He had a nightmare again.

"You're a beast, a swine…" the voice trailed on, calling him a thief. Really? Ralph thought he could say that? The Chief snarled and moved snakishly around in the circle of hunter. Hatred ran thought his veins like a poison. Like venom. Sharp movements, sharp orders. The King of the Cobras. He shed his savage skin for that of a more murderous tint.

"Don't leave me!" Complaining about glasses and Piggy rang though the scene.

"I GOT THE CONCH!"

AND NO ONE CARED! He was Chief! He was King Cobra! He didn't care about some republican conch that sought to control his actions, words, and power. No.

Suddenly a heave, a creak, and a crash. The rock smashed though the trees and hit Piggy. The same venom overtook the Chief, its source unknown. Joy? Joy or hate? Joy sprung from hate? He didn't know. He watched the shell and it's keeper break and shatter. He screamed savagely, directing the hunters into Ralph's pursuit. He hung back, the venom-high crashing. He and Roger ordering, so firmly "You gotta join our tribe."

He awoke to what he assumed was Samneric's screaming. But it was his own. And… Rae wasn't there to take the terror away.

"Mister Merridew…" the door opened and the lab-coat man entered the room. "You've made remarkable progress. You will be check out today."

The man left but… Jack wasn't ready to go. He still needed that single memory, the one that haunted him and made him so curious. And this place, this was his comfort zone. How could he leave and go somewhere uncontrolled? Somewhere were the Chief could be in charge? But nevertheless he went back. Back home, to his mother and her hysterical "I love yous" a million times over and once added. And he wished Rae would say it.