Chapter 18: Ben

It is dusk. I sit at my kitchen table, in my empty house. There is no one here, but me. Ghosts, people I once knew, are swirling around in my mind. Alex, the French woman, the 815 survivors, Horace Goodspeed, Ethan, Goodwin, mom, dad. But mostly Karl is there, taunting me and my thoughts. Then there is pounding at the door. I open it to find Tom and Danny. "What are you two doing here?" I snarl. "It's 3am, you idiots!" "Ben, listen to me. Take this camera, and look at the pictures we took. Please Ben." Tom says. "Ok, I'll look. Now go home, and get some rest." I close the door before they can protest. Then I head back into the kitchen and turn in the light. Then I look at the pictures. They're blurry, and I can't tell which end is up. So I radio Tom. "Tom, get yourself over here. Now." 10 minutes later, there's a knock on my door. "What did you want to show me, Tom? Because I cannot tell what you're trying to show me with these pictures." He looks nervous, and I ask. "What's wrong, Tom? You seem tense. Did you find them?" "I sure found them all right. Standing under an arch, making out, that's when I saw them. With rings on their fingers , and Eko, the lreost had a bible in his hands. No doubt about it Ben, they were getting married. They are married." "THEY WHAT?!,!" I yell. "They're not old enough, they're not smart enough! Who were they with?" I shout. Tom says. "815 people, all of them. Those two disturb me, Ben. No offence to you or Alex." "Coming from you Tom, you're one to talk. Remember the time I walked in on you and-" "He was nothing to me." says Tom defensively. "Good night, Tom." I say, slamming the door in his face. "MARRIED?!" I scream at the silent household. "I curse the day you were born Karl Martin!" I yell. Then I throw the picture of Alex, Karl and I at the wall. It shatters, and the photo tears. I throw plates against the wall in anger. Then I break down in my cut and bloodied hands, for the loss of Alexandra Emily Linus, my daughter, to Karl.