"I was just on a ferris wheel…"
George smiled up at the man. The flashes were happening faster and faster, he wasn't in control anymore.
George had just been at the San Francisco City Fair with his girlfriend who would later become his wife. Cinema. The two were sitting in the massive ferris wheel that had been set up in the downtown area, both laughing happily buzzed on the two dollar beers they had gulped down at dinner. It was a little after sunset and the sky gave a gorgeous dark blue color, with a full harvest moon shinning above. Sitting there side by side on the metal squeaking bench, the two laughed leaning against each other, watching all of the lit up rides and tents below. The two had been together over a year then.
It was the year 2000. They had been living together in Los Angeles for over a year now. Back in late 1998 he had been coming back from a business trip and was driving through New Mexico in his Thunderbird he only took out of the garage whenever he didn't have to fly for work. It had been his pride and joy, polished, and glimmering in the sun. He had been driving for the last few hours, listening to the radio, his mirrored sunglasses on as he drummed his fingers to the beat against the steering wheel. He had seen signs for a gas station coming up, and then noticed an old bullet covered metal red and blue sign.
Moon Lite Drive-In.
He could see about a mile or so down the highway the giant screen lit up. It was a little after dusk and the sky was a beautiful orange red. George felt that he honestly could spend forever out here. In fact, it was one of the few places he actually felt at peace. Pulling over into the old gravel lot, he saw there weren't too many cars parked out front. Killing the engine, he stepped out and looked around. Strolling over, hearing his sneakers crunch against the ground he saw the ticket booth which seemed to have seen better days. The windows were cracked, dirty, with fading flyers hanging there. An old woman sat there, reading an old star magazine and looking bored out of her mind. Walking over, he saw on a small sign with tiny removable letters that George Stevens' Giant was playing.
From what George could recall that was the movie set in Texas with James Dean and Liz Taylor. The ticket price was five dollars. Digging into his back jean pocket, he took out his worn leather wallet and opened it, pulling out a five dollar bill. Handing it over, he slipped it under the glass into the dip opening where the woman didn't even bother looking up. "Can park around back, speakers on the stands. Refreshment bar is closed, rest rooms out of order." Nodding, George thanked her before deciding to walk around back instead of taking the car around. Walking, shoving his wallet back he saw a set of metal folding chairs up front like the drive-ins he remembered as a kid. Walking around he saw how much this place was falling apart. The three buildings were broken down, pain stripped, crumpling concrete bricks, and overgrown grass. There were maybe five cars in total, and judging from the looks of them they were filled with teenagers all smoking enough dope to cloud the windows. Grinning, he walked towards the chairs when suddenly he heard something. Glancing over, he saw a young woman, mid twenties at the most. She was sitting in cut off jeans, and an old AC/DC shirt. Her hair was fallen across her tanned face, her arms covered in different colorful tattoos. She was waring old worn cowboy boots and sitting up front, tears smudging her dark eyeliner. George glanced up at the screen and saw James Dean slowly counting his steps across the Texas land. Leaning against a pole, he smiled down at her.
"Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a happy movie."
The girl lifted her beautiful golden eyes and looked up at him. By that evening he learned her name was Cinema Stockwell. She was in her early twenties, the drive-in had been her parents who had died earlier that year in a car wreck. She had lived her whole life here, and sadly after being turned down for the loan she needed, the banks were taking it. She had little to no money, and had simply accepted it as defeat. She knew she wasn't kidding anybody, she couldn't hold onto the place much longer seeing that most of the business had in fact died away. He had sat beside her, both moving up to the old rusting squeaking swings, holding onto the chains and dragging their feet as they talked. The movie played on ahead of them, as they talked.
He had introduced himself, told her he was from Los Angeles, and worked for a communications company. Once it finished, and the credits began to roll Cinema sighed shaking her head.
"This was one of my favorites, my parents used to show it all the time. Now…that's that."
George gave a sad smile before he looked around. All ready the cars were starting up their engines and putting on their lights pulling away. Looking at each other, Cinema sighed and rubbed the tops of her pants.
"Okay, I gotta close up. Rose will want to get paid before she leaves and I gotta turn off the projector."
"Need any help?"
George asked looking hopeful. Giving a small smile, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes and shook her head.
"No, I got it handled. Never thought this would be the final night. But hey, at least we showed a great movie."
"Can I strick around?"
"Huh?"
"Buy you dinner, jeez your skinnier than me."
Cinema wrung her hands nervously together.
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Why not?"
"No offense…"
"George."
"Right, but I'm a mess clearly. I got a busy next week ahead of me and…"
"It's just dinner. I'll wait here until your done. Trust me, I'm not a filthy old guy."
Giving a faint laugh, Cinema rubbed the back of her neck before standing.
"All right. Give me a half an hour."
"I'll be here."
He watched her walk away, smiling to himself and unable to explain the way his heart was hammering in his chest. He waited, watching the screen finally get shut off, as he swung back and forth looking up and gazing at the stars. A half an hour later she was there, wearing an old red leather jacket covered in buttons and a purse thrown around her shoulder. He walked her to his car, which instantly she was impressive with.
"Wow, nice wheels."
"Yeah, it was for my early mid life crisis."
Laughing, she sat down in the passenger seat before he started the engine and flicked on the radio. An old Grassroots song was on, which made George smile. Last time he heard this song he was just a kid living in the city. Putting on his lights, they pulled out of the lot and drove a few miles down the highway to an all night dinner. There the two shared a booth, and he watched mildly amused as she ate with a big appetite. Excusing herself, feeling embarrassed she wiped her mouth after she cleared her plate and George smiled insisting they order coffee and some pie. Once they were finished, the two had talked for nearly three hours straight.
When George asked what she was planning on doing now? Cinema shrugged. She said she didn't reality know, she never went to college, and had only lived here. She then lowered her eyes almost in shame and admitted that she also had a bit of a problem.
"What kind?"
Sighing, Cinema shrugged off her jacket and held out her arms.
Turning them over, where the tattoos didn't exactly cover everything. She showed him the track marks going up and down her arms.
"I started after my parents died and the bills started rolling in. My ex got me into it…I…can't…stop."
Frowning, he reached forward, and gently touched the ugly marks going up and down her arms.
"Thank you George for the wonderful meal, but I think you outta take me home now."
George stared at her arms before slowly shaking his head. Lifting his eyes, he looked at her.
"I think I can help."
It had only taken a few hours afterwards when he drove her down the highway to a all night diner where he bought her a hot meal, and got to know her. By the end of that evening he knew for sure he was all ready head over heels in love with her. They had talked until sunrise, finishing up sitting on the hood of his car, watching the sunrise as she blankly stared ahead.
"What am I going to do?"
She had explained that she had lived in New Mexico her whole life. That she had grown up here, and had never been anywhere else. It was a small desert town, where most of the money had moved away fifteen or so years before. Her parents had owned this drive-in way back since the 1950's, back when it was in her father's family. In it's hayday it was one of the most successful bussinesses around. She talked about how she learned how to walk right in the back lot. That the small apartment above the refreshment stand was where she was born and lived with her parents. That everyone she knew was from town, how she had so many great memories of learning how to run the projection booth, cutting film, storing it, waiting on the cars, selling tickets, and being raised on all the classics right after night.
That all of that ended when her parents both died in a car wreck, and how as hard as she tried to hold onto the business, the people and money moved away. After being turned down for a loan, she finally had to call it quits and allow the banks to collect and take the only place she ever knew. Heart broken, she explained how she had fallen into a bad crowd, and started with the drugs. Blaming herself for a lot of what happened, she told George she had no place to go. That she had to get clean before she even attempted the idea of leaving and heading to the city. George finally after he insisted on getting her breakfast that she would come to Los Angeles with him. At first Cinema seemed taken aback by this. Her eyebrows narrowed and she told George she wasn't some dumb girl to be taken advantage of.
That she made her own mistakes and she was the one who had to deal with them. George waved his hands saying that was the last thing on his mind, that he really just wanted to help. He asked if she had any family, anyone she could go to? Bowing her head, Cinema sighed saying no. George patted her arm and said he just wanted to help. He lived in the city and could help her tie up her affairs her and she could stay with him, crash on the couch until she found a job. After breakfast, that day she finally agreed.
"All right, fine."
Smiling, he reached over and squeezed his hand. Never before had he been so happy to pull his car over.
He rented out a motel room, and was there the day where she handed the keys over to the band and packed up only two small suitcases worth of belongings. He stood leaning against his car, sunglasses on as she slowly walked out wearing jeans and a tank top. Turning, the wind slightly blowing her hair back she looked at the old rusting chain linked fence of her home and knew it was officially over. The place was no longer hers. The screen was now off, patched and weather beaten from the sun. Tumble weeds blew by, as she stared at it knowing in no time the place would be torn down and that would be the end of it. Looking back at George, her eyes rimmed with tears she sniffled and looked completely defeated.
"Help…I need help…"
Her voice choked. Opening his arms, he stepped forward as she dropped her bags and went against him. Clutching onto his chest, she loudly began to cry against him as he tightly wrapped his arms around her, comforting her the best he could. Even though they had only met a few days ago, he knew how much he loved this stranger, and that he would do anything to see a smile on her face again. The drive to the city they had listened to the classic station. Hotel California played softly as an exhausted Cinema looked out the window with wide eyes. He had taken her to Los Angeles shortly after, here he brought her to his condo which was barley lived in since he was always traveling for work. He had a house keeper come in a few times a week to water and plants, dust, and collect his mail. Besides that it was sorta a resting place between jobs whenever he was flying out.
Cinema hand't really said much since they left New Mexico. She had a little bit of money, and prided herself on buying her own meals as much as George tried to insist. She also demanded she pay for some of his gas money even though he kept refusing. She had stared out the window with wonder once they saw the city lights. Now inside the condo, he flipped on the A.C units and motioned around. "Well here we are, home sweet home." Cinema stepped forward, cowboy boots clicking against the wooden floors.
"Wow, it's nice…"
She hurried over to the bay window and looked out.
"Great view!"
George took his bag off his shoulder, dropping it to the floor he smirked as he walked over. Never before had he really gotten a chance to admire the view. In fact just by looking out all he really saw were other buildings, street lights, and part of the park. Shrugging, he stood beside Cinema. "Yeah, it's not bad." Smiling, Cinema looked around boots clicking loudly. She looked over his bookcase, mostly tech and sports books. Mildly amused, he watched her go from one place to another. His condo wasn't really crowded. There was the sofa, coffee table, chair, two bookcases, TV, stereo, and his plants. She looked around as if it was the most fascinating place in the world. She motioned to his framed Chicago Bulls jersey.
"Big basketball fan?"
George lightly laughed.
"Yeah, mostly just Chicago teams. That's where I lived for a while after i started moving around. My family on my mother's side was originally from there. I still follow all the games. You like sports?"
"Never really saw anything besides some baseball…"
"No basketball? Football? Or hockey?"
Cinema laughed.
"Afraid not."
"Well kiddo, we gotta change that. I'll show you all the classics. The team here sucks, but I'll bring you at a real game, show you how to root for the best team."
Cinema smiled before she kept looking around. George motioned down the hallway.
"My spare room is my office, but there's a pull out couch in there, you can take my room."
Cinema stopped and shook her head.
"No, I'll take the couch, trust me you are being more than nice to me."
"Cinema it's okay really…" Cinema looked over at him, her dancing earrings jingling as she faintly smiled. Following her, he kept smiling as she looked everything over.
"No photographs?" George stopped.
"Huh?"
"No photographs…at least not out here."
"Oh…right. Yeah well I don't really have much family. No siblings, or cousins…most of my relatives are dead or distant."
"Parents?"
"My mother died of a stroke in 93."
Cinema's eyes flicked, looking hurt.
"I'm sorry…"
George waved his hand.
"My dad, well…he was a typical New York Jewish man. Tough as nails, pretty much a bastard. After I went away to school he remarried and died about six years back. We hadn't talked in a while so…"
Cinema nodded.
"Yeah…" George stared deeply into her golden eyes, feeling the same unspoken tension that had floated around them since the first night they met. Breaking it, he nervously smiled clearing his throat.
"Um, yeah and my buddies from work and stuff…well…guess I'm not one to really snap photos and stuff…"
Smiling Cinema then hurried to her purse.
"Well, let's change that…"
Digging into her purse, she took out an old disposeable camera. Laughing, George watched her as she ran over and held the camera out as far as she could. "Smile." George looked ahead, grinning as Cinema stood on her tip toes and leaned against him. Clicking the camera it flashed before she stood back on her feet and smiled.
"There, now you have a new photo to frame."
Handing the camera over to George, he laughed before Cinema saw something and squealed with delight.
"Oh my God!"
She raced over to the tank where his pet iguana was.
"Oh that's Checkers, I've bought him a few years back. My house keeper makes sure he's fed while I'm gone."
"Oh he's beautiful, mind if I pick him up?"
"Naw, go ahead, he's friendly…"
Cinema leaned over the lit up tank, removing the screen top before picking the big ugly green lizard up. Holding him against her chest, she laughed before turning.
"He's so big!"
George walked over smiling as he reached over and stroked the iguana's thick scaled skin.
"Yeah, as much as I would love a dog, with work this is pretty much the only pet I can have besides a fish."
Lifting her golden eyes, she smiled at George before he smirked and leaned down. Gently his lips brushed against hers. When he pulled back, he dropped his eyes and muttered…
"Sorry…"
Cinema smiled.
"It's all right, just…I'm holding an iguana."
Breaking up laughing, George and Cinema both cracked up. And that's how she spent her first night there. After she unpacked, and changed the two sat on his sofa and he asked if she wanted to go out and explore. He would love to take her out to dinner and show her around. Instead, Cinema sighed and shook her head. She explained that if she was going to make this work, she was going to have to get clean. She asked him if she could borrow his lap top to look up some nice rehab centers, she didn't have a lot of money but maybe she could find some meetings to go to and even a place to drain out before it became a problem.
Sitting forward, George told her he didn't want it to happen that way. He had tons of time off coming his way from work. He would help her get clean himself.
"No, you've all ready done too much. I'm not your responsibility."
"I know, but I don't really have anyone that cares about me, I guess it would be nice to…"
Sighing, he couldn't seem to find the right words. Feeling her smooth hands against his stubble covered face. Looking up, he stared into her eyes before she smiled. There she learned forward and kissed him. Their mouths quickly opening and closing, both of their frantic hands began pulling at each other's shirts. By dawn the next day, both laid exhausted in his bed, tangled in the sheets staring up at the ceiling fan. Cinema was nuzzled up in his arms, as he gently rubbed her back.
The next two weeks were utter hell. Cinema went through withdraws but seemed to have nerves of steel. She handled herself as well as she could despite the constant sickness, and fevers. She never cried out, moaned, or complained. Instead she insisted she stay on the pull out couch, she always tried hurrying to the bathroom in time. George was there for her the whole time. He cradled her in his arms whenever the fevers got bad. Used damp cloths to wipe the sweat from her forehead, soothed her, and stayed awake watching her as she slept through this hell. Every time she was sick, he held her hair, rubbed her shoulders, and was there with glass after glass of water. One night, after being violently sick, she starred up at him with glassy bloodshot eyes and sadly smiled.
"I guess I finally met my guardian angel."
Gently brushing her sweaty bangs away, he smiled. Finally after nearly two weeks, she woke up one morning, took a cold shower, and dressed. It was the first morning she actually felt hungry. Making her pancakes, she laughed as she woofed them down. When he asked how she was feeling, she looked up and smirked.
"Better, for the first time in a while…I feel better."
Three days later he took her out for the first time. They drove around, sight seeing, before parking and walking hand in hand. George had a ball showing her everything, and loved the wonder in her eyes when she looked at things he drove by almost every day and never thought twice over. When they reached the beach, they walked the docks watching the sunset.
There he turned and told her he loved her. A few weeks after that Cinema attended meetings twice a week at a rec center just a few blocks down. George had also helped in getting her a small part time job not that far away in a small editing room where old film stock was cut and transferred into hardware drives.
Cinema loved it, and said it was one of the few things she was really good at. Right away she went to work every morning with a huge smile on her face, coming home with stories of the people she was meeting, and the sort of film she was able to work with. Now earning her own paycheck, Cinema instead she pitch in for the bills. George said he wouldn't hear of it, but she said even a little would make her feel less of a leech. George kept arguing with her that money didn't matter. He had plenty of it, and he wanted her to stay with him, he never expected anything. Still, Cinema prided herself on being able to somewhat support herself and kept giving him money.
Unknown to her, George never used any of this for bills, instead he opened a savings account in her name at his own bank, hoping this would help. He watched as the weeks turned into months how she was getting used to the city. She had made friends, had gained a little weight, and started to act like what he suspected was her old self. Whenever he was at work, he would think about her, counting down the hours until he saw her again. Each evening they would take turns with dinner, usually burning whatever they experimented on, and fell over each other laughing. They went out to dinner, dancing, and even swam on the beach.
He lent her books he liked, and she did the same. Most nights they would curl up against each other drinking wine and watching some of the old fashion classics she had grown up with. They attempted jogging some mornings, collected records, made love constantly, and simply sat and talked. By the end of the year, Cinema was clean, sober, and adjusted. His condo and become hers as well. Every night, she would be there, jumping into his arms as they began making out like mad people. The two sometimes would just rip each other's clothes off, and lay on the hardwood floor, staring up, laying in each other's arms.
A year later, he knew she was the one. Sitting on that ferris wheel, the two looked up at the night sky listening faintly to the carnival music below. Looking over at her, he could't help but feel like the happiness person in the world. The two were taking a weekend here after George had worked nearly a month straight on a new project. The two had rented out a nice hotel room that over looked the bay, and had spent most of yesterday shopping, and walking around.
Cinema had made a tattoo appointment with an artist she had been following on-line. George had gone with her, and had sat beside her as she handled it like a pro. She had gotten a bunch of shooting stars, with what looked like fireworks glittering over water. George kept asking her if he hurt and offered his hand for her to squeeze. Once it was finished, George couldn't stop looking. He snapped photos with his phone and kept remarking how beautiful it looked. As Cinema paid, she joked with the artist that they were going to get him to get one next. Making a face, George said after he saw the needle, he wasn't so sure. The rest of the day, they eased the pain by drinking more than enough beers between the two of them.
That night after a good hour of love making, Cinema collapsed against his chest as he kissed her tender swollen arm. Tonight, they rode the ferris wheel sitting side by side. Digging into his jean pocket, he pulled out the small black box he had packed in his suitcase. Taking it out, he nervously felt his stomach flutter before he turned.
"Hey kiddo…"
She glanced over, instantly her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Jesus George…"
Opening it, he showed it to her. There the antique 1940's diamond sat there, the same one he had bought months ago.
"I know this is fast but…stopping at that drive-in was the best thing that could have ever happened to me."
Cinema brought her hands up to her mouth as she starred at him, completely shocked. George had rehearsed this nearly a million times in the bathroom before. Feeling his heart pound out of his chest, he nervously laughed.
"I love you Cinema, and as much as you go on and on about how I saved you. It isn't true. You saved me. So…could you…do be the great favor and…marry me?"
Cinema's eyes filled with tears before she laughed, throwing her arms tightly around him and squeezing as tight as she could. Covering his face with kisses, she couldn't stop laughing and crying before nodding.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
She kept squeezing him before he laughed, feeling the ferris wheel begin to slowly go around again, as he slipped the ring on her finger. George then snapped back into a reality he didn't know was real or not. He was back on the ferris wheel, and he had just proposed to Cinema. They were going around on the ferris wheel almost four years ago. He found himself sitting there at the state city fair in San Francisco. He was beside his wife, his beautiful darling wife who he would marry just a few months after this in the desert. The same wife he was married to for four wonderful years before that business trip in Sydney.
They had spent over a month there before he drove her to the airport. She was flying back a little earlier. He remembered driving her up front, kissing her, and saying…
"Remember babe, the sky is just for the stars."
Flight 815.
How for those four terrible months he believed she was dead. How badly he just wanted to give up and die when the job was offered to him by a man by the name of Mr. Widmore.
"I know where your wife is."
He was on the ship, working the radios, being warned not to speak of Cinema. He never knew how badly he wanted to just scream and ask these people where his wife was and if she was okay? Instead, he jumped at the first chance on flying in, when they were forced to turn around the flashes started. He found himself back when he first met Cinema at the drive-in. When he first brought her to the condo, the night they first made love, when he told her he loved her, all of their happy memories together…
The flashes became quicker and quicker. He kept trying to figure out of he was dreaming or not. Twice he was so confused he tried shaking Cinema, demanding what was going on but each time he tried, he would be pulled back. It kept hitting him like a pile of bricks. His head ached, he felt nauseous, and his throat burned with blood. At first he played along, truly believing he was dreaming before finally he knew he wasn't in control.
Now he had flashed back to the ferris wheel, where he had just proposed to Cinema.
Sitting there, he blinked as he stared out from down below at all of the lights.
"Oh George, it's so beautiful…"
He blinked again and turned his head looking at Cinema. She was waring a faded old T-shirt and skirt. She was wearing her sparking engagement ring and holding it out admiring it. George held out his own hands. Seconds ago he was strapped down in the medical bay. A strange and very confused man had been locked down with him. He had been getting worse, his head aching as he tasted blood. Still, he knew his wedding band was on.
Now, his hands were bare. Why? Because it was nearly four years earlier, and he had just proposed.
"George?"
George's large green eyes shifted to the side looking over at Cinema.
"Cinema?"
He asked, reaching forward and resting his hand against her cheek. Smiling, she cocked her head to the side.
"You okay?"
George's eyes began to rim with tears when…
His eyes snapped open again. He was back on the boat, strapped down. Just then the door opened and Ray came in. Ray was the medical doctor on the ship, and had been the one who brought him down here for his own "safety".
"See Ray? I'm not crazy. It's happening to him too Ray! And it's going to happen to you. It's going to happen to all of us. Everyone! Once we start heading to that island again!"
He saw Ray turn, a syringe in his hand. He spoke to the man with the beard.
"Would you please step aside?"
Watching him approach, he struggled under the straps.
"No Ray…Ray no!"
"I need you to relax for a minute."
George continued struggling as Ray rolled up one of his sleeves.
"NO! It's not going to stop it Ray! Nothing can stop it Ray! NOTHING CAN STOP IT!"
He struggled as hard as he could, arching his back and throwing himself back down over and over again. The second the needle pierced his skin, he felt the drug shoot into his blood stream, causing a foggy cloud to cause him to shut his eyes.
He found himself laying in the large king sized bed of the hotel they were renting in San Francisco.
It was late, in fact the alarm clock said it was a little after one in the morning. He was naked, laying in the middle of the bed against the cool sheets. He was sweating lightly, and saw Cinema on his lap. She was arching her back, eyes closed in complete ecstasy. He stared up at her naked tanned body, covered in those beauitfuil colorful tattoos that lined her arms, ribs, and sides. Her hands were down, pressing lightly against his hairy chest. Her body was rocking back and forth on his pulsing erection, and he remembered this was how they celebrated their engagement after the fair.
Both had drank a whole lot more, and had stumbled back to their room. The windows were open, causing the curtains to flutter in and out from the breeze coming in from the bay. She was sweating lightly, and moaning. Stopping, he starred up at her.
"Cinema?"
Cinema opened her golden eyes and starred down, a lazy smile on her face as she brought her hand up and brushed back her fallen hair. She was wearing her engagement ring.
"What honey?" George was speechless. "Cinema, stay…"
He snapped back. Two men were downstairs now and he heard the one with the dark hair call the one with the beard Desmond.
"Desmond? You're Desmond?"
Both men stopped and turned.
"Do I know you?"
George licked his lips, he didn't know how much longer he would be here.
"I'm George Minkowski. I'm the communications officer. Before they strapped me down here, all the calls to and from this boat came through me. In the radio room, and every so often I'd get this flashing light on my console, an incoming call. We were under strict orders never to answer it."
The man with the beard stepped forward.
"So? What's that got to do with me?"
"Those calls came from your girlfriend. Penelope Widmore."
Desmond then froze, almost in place.
It was indeed happening to him. Laying there, he struggled again. The man stepped forward.
"Did you say your name was Minkowski?"
"Yeah…"
"You're wife…"
George tried sitting up more.
"Cinema?! You've seen her? She's okay?"
"She…"
Before the man could answer, Desmond came back, nearly falling down. The other man took hold of his shoulder.
"Hey! Hey! You okay?"
George felt sick again, the room was spinning, his thoughts were rambled together.
"You look a lot older now huh? Welcome back Desmond."
"I need to call Penny." The other man shook his head.
"Calling your girlfriend is not our priority."
"Listen brother, I don't know you. But you seem to know me so…if you and me are friends than I need your help. I need to call Penny now."
"Whoa! You boys are getting way ahead of yourselfs. Two days ago someone sabotaged all the equipment. We lost all communication with the mainland. I probably could have fixed it, but then…then I went nuts."
"Where is the radio room?"
George shook his head.
"First, you tell me where my wife is. That's the whole reason I'm even here."
Desmond looked confused, not exactly knowing what he was talking about. The man with the dark hair sighed before looking at him.
"I'm sorry, but about a week or so ago a few friends of ours saw the people who live on the island shoot your wife."
George starred at them. Somehow those simple words came crashing down around him as he looked up, completely speechless.
"What?" He began, choking his words out.
George woke up, but this time in a different room. In fact, it was from the place they were renting in Sydney. Laying there, his arm around Cinema, he found himself underneath the sheets, sweating lightly and listening to the hum of the A.C. He was just in the middle of tracing Cinema's tattoos with his finger. Something he usually did to drift off before bed. He was laying there, listening to her breathing and seeing faint moonlight come pouring in from the windows. Cinema turned, looking up at him and smiling. No, she wasn't dead. How could she be…she was right here.
George snapped out of it and looked up at Desmond and the other man. He felt vomit bubble up in his stomach. His heart began to hammer inside his chest, aching, and throbbing. He felt awful, in fact…he felt dead. No, not his Cinema, not his wife, not the reason he had kept going on. They had been wrong before about the plane crash.
Maybe they were wrong here…
The man with the dark hair knelt down beside him, pity in his eyes.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't know you're wife very well but she was very kind to me. I hate to ask you this, but they say you run the radios…do you think you could help us?"
George stared off at the side, thinking his hardest of Cinema, his beautiful Cinema who's seemed to fragile and broken all those years ago sitting below the movie screen. He felt hot tears running down his face.
"How?"
"Where is the radio room?" George broke out of his trance and looked up at them.
"It's one deck up. I'll take you there come on."
They began to unstrap him.
"And how do we get out of here?"
"Through the door…" Turning, they saw the door was open.
"Looks like you guys have a friend on this boat."
The man named Desmond carefully helped him before stopping and motioning to his face.
"Hey, uh…your nose brother."
George touched his nose and saw the blood on his fingertips. Feeling his stomach roll, all he wanted at that exact moment was his wife. Instead Desmond took a tissue and helped wipe his nose. As he slid off the bunk, the man with the dark hair said it was clear when Desmond froze again. It was happening, and faster now. The man turned and looked.
"Is he okay?" George found himself on unsteady feet. He looked and sighed.
"It's happening again."
"What is?" George ignored him, instead he looked up with pained eyes.
"My Cinema…who…killed her?"
The man stared at him, his eyes serious.
"There are other people living on this island, for some time now I believe. They are dangerous, and their leader is a man named Ben. They trapped my friends, and from what I heard shot Cinema when she tried to distract them."
"Where…is her…body…"
The man shook his head.
"I don't know…" George roughly wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand and looked digested.
"Jesus Christ…"
Just then Desmond returned, nearly falling. George helped him and looked up.
"Desmond, I know it's getting harder. It starts happening faster too."
"Come on let's move."
"Hey, how did this happen to you?"
They slowly began to move, listening closely.
"We were anchored here. Waiting for our orders, bored out of our minds. Me and Brandon…he's one of the crew members we took off the ship's tender. We just wanted to see the island, but Brandon started acting crazy…so we had to turn back around."
"Where is he?"
"In a body bag." They entered the radio room and carefully shut the door. George felt weak, ready to pass out at any second.
"There…"
"Who did this?" "You got me. But when the captain finds out, I feel sort…"
He was in his jeep, sunglasses on, sitting beside Cinema who had her purse and tickets. This was the day he left her go. "Honey?" George blinked.
"Huh, what?"
"Honey you okay? Spacing?"
She smiled before George reached forward, grabbing onto her as tight as he could. Squeezing her, he buried his head against her neck.
"I'm here…" Cinema nervously laughed.
"Of course your here…what's the matter?"
George pulled back, feeling tears start to build up in his eyes.
"I'm not letting you go…"
"George what are you…"
"You can't go, I won't let you. I…"
George woke, in the middle of a seizure, Desmond was holding onto him as he cried out, eyes darting madly, choking on his own blood. Flashes kept coming before him. One second he was in the jeep holding Cinema, the next he was laying here.
"I…can't…get…back…"
Thirty seconds later a brain hemorrhage burst, killing him. His eyes clouded, and finally…darkness. His large greenish blue eyes drifted down, as blood dribbled from his nose, running into his salt and pepper stubble. Desmond felt his entire body stiffen for a moment, before relaxing in his arms. Gently he eased his body down, watching his head tilt to the side.
The two starred at each other. Ten minuets later, Desmond had spoke with Penny, and for the moment seemed fine. Sayid and him worked together and lifted George's body up onto the table. They pulled a wool blanket up on him and stood together.
"He was Cinema's husband."
"He helped us." Both nodded.
"I just hope, wherever they are…they can be together."