"Claudia's Arrival."
UnKnown294 was the beta for it, for which I'm extremely grateful to her :) And as the disclaimer - "Lost" doesn't belong to me, of course (unfortunately). I thought it would be interesting if Claudia and her ship got summoned by the mysterious woman - the Mother - and the Roman woman's arrival wasn't just a coincidence. The result assumed the form of this short fic :)
On that early morning, the island was unusually silent. Gentle rustles coming from nearby palm tree leaves disrupt this serene stillness. In the distance, these tall plants are joined by almost inaudible, grunting boars. Their snouts are muffled against the dirt while they forage for food.
A dark-haired woman in her fifties stood on the sandy beach, staring at the ocean stretching afar. Her gaze, though weirdly empty, hid something more. It masked a deep understanding of this small islet that no one else beside her - an ageless protector - had. Mere words weren't required for the adult to foresee what every passing day would bring.
Cool wind blew like whispering secrets into tanned ears. The ground trembled delicately beneath sandaled feet, as if this piece of land wanted to inform her of something. She had heard - or rather, perceived - this call during the previous evening. A slight, almost totally imperceptible movement in the air that grew colder, similar to an oncoming, faraway echo.
"Claudia…" In haste, this name appeared within her mind, like a natural breeze tussling hair strands. Another heartbeat afterward, "Claudia's baby sons." She's certain this revelation wasn't a coincidence. Throughout the anonymous woman's residency here, the isle seldom spoke to her directly.
The sun rose. As the island's protector, she sets out for the ceremonial circle, where a moss-covered ancient altar rested. Runes were all over the object - ones carved by the previous occupants who inhabited the islet long before she arrived. The fifty-year-old knelt in front of the shrine, then closed her eyes.
The ritual starts. Hardy, veiny hands, tanned by the tropical sun, moved gracefully as fluid. Handfuls of ash are thrown onto the ground next, then mixed into the coastline's sand. They represent the sacred symbols of life and death.
"Come to me…" the protector whispered softly. Her voice seemed to blend with the waves crashing onto the beach. "Come, Claudia. Come to this place that calls you."
The wind grew stronger, buffeting nearby emerald green tree leaves as ash scattered. The woman felt the island listening in. Understood that the enigmatic Claudia, despite the far distance, was already connected to this area's fate. Clear as today's sky, she sensed the two unborn lives inside the newcomer's womb. Both babies carry the future within them.
The future of two potential island protectors. Two guardians of balance between good and evil.
Three days have passed. The silhouette of a sinking Roman ship loomed on the horizon. The guardian observed the galley fighting against the ocean currents from the shoreline. She admitted that what started has come into fruition. Aboard this vessel, unaware of a destiny designed by unfamiliar forces, and in the body of a clueless, pregnant mother, lies the islet's chosen offspring.
Later…
Claudia sat on a makeshift bench within the cave, her curious gaze fixated on the middle-aged woman's stern expression.
In retrospect, maybe thirty minutes earlier, she had awoken on the beach, face down atop the sand. Although weakened, Claudia got to her feet and embarked on the trek inland. And while clutching her abdomen, the Mediterranean later discovered a crystal-clear stream. However, the water's reflection revealed the odd woman before she could stoop down to drink. The second lady asked if she was hurt, then took Claudia to a primitive grotto residence, where, thankfully, her minor injuries were tended to.
Assumptions of the island's concealed character, that may be something beyond her comprehension than her initial speculations, have fueled the young Roman lady's thoughts. There was also an occurrence the shipwrecked survivor felt when first stepping onto the shore that was undoubtedly extraordinary. It was this weird warmth from the ground that had spread toward her head.
And now, parked on a wooden bench within a shadowy cavern, it was Claudia and the older woman, who gave her a "she knew her forever" kind of impression.
"Claudia..." She spoke. Piercing brown eyes clashed with calmness as she reached toward the soon-to-be mother.
In response, the aforementioned frowned and clutched her stomach. "Yes?"
"I had been informed by the island of your name before you'd told me. We have both learned of your arrival, as well."
Astonished, Claudia rose from the bench, unsure if she should trust the interlocutor. "But why? Why me?"
The fifty-year-old woman simply smiled, her hand placed on the bulging skin. "Your newborns - yes, the two children in your womb - are special. Or, at least, will be, after they're born. One of them shall become this island's guardian. The other... perhaps a threat to it."
Only horror reflected the Roman lady's widened eyes. "They are just babies."
"For now. But this place has already chosen them."
A shiver ran down her spine. The slightest idea of what may lie ahead was lost to Claudia. Yet, a distinct belief that the lives of her, and her unborn infants, would be changed forever.
And the little land whispered.