Silviu's Journal
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Sunday, December 3, 2006
Part 5
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Amelia got up from the couch, laid the book she was reading on a chair and went into the kitchen. She checked the oven, the dinner was almost ready. Then got in the doorway, admiring the sunset. Two people drew her attention, walking on the dusty footstep towards Juliet's house. Juliet seemed to explain something to him, and Jack looked at her from time to time, nodding.
" I hope he's the one for her".
She closed the door and headed for the oven, it was dinner time.
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- You'll find the test results for the last couple of years for everyone. They are fine, although they seem to have been exposed to light radiation, but not enough to explain the fertility problems.
Juliet walked slightly behind her, looking around from time to time to see the faces of Otherville's residents, some returning from work, some working around the house.
- Sure, Juliet, I'll look on the files first thing tomorrow morning. I don't think you missed something, he smiled, but I'll see what I can do, I promise.
Jack stopped before they entered the house, letting her open the door. She stopped, then turned towards him:
- Come on Jack, you're the guest, please, showing him the way inside with her arm.
Jack noticed the fresh smell of her house, looking around. There were flowers everywhere, yellow, red, blue small wild flowers spread in small glasses around the house.
- Let me go and change these work clothes, then I'll set the table.
Juliet stopped on the stairs, put her hand in the right pocket and then extended the palm towards him.
- I almost forgot, she said winking, I managed to steal some rubber gaskets from work, see if they are the right size.
He went up the stairs and picked the gaskets from her hand, one by one, verifying them.
- I think some of them will fit, do you have a flashlight?
- Yes, I'll bring it to you in a moment.
Jack looked at the window, nightwall was about to envelop everything.
- Here, take it, said Juliet handing him the flashlight, not before checking if the batteries were good.
- Good, I'll go and try to fix the plumbing right now. After you change your clothes, come outside, we'll check if your plumbing works after I replace these gaskets.
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She came down the stairs, exited the house and turned right. Juliet walked slowly through the night towards him, careful not to step on him. He was half under a shed, only his legs twitching outside.
Jack just changed the gaskets and banged softly with the hammer on the pipes, sliding them in place. He felt her arm on his leg, and he stopped.
- Are you ok in there Jack? she asked loudly, crouched beside him.
- Yes Juliet, I think i got it. He crawled out, turned off the flashlight and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm.
- I need to to go inside and check the water.
- Okay.
- It's brown Jack, she yelled joyfully trough the window.
- Give it a minute, it should clear up. He crawled in again, checked for leaks, and crawled out smiling.
"I should be a plumber". He picked up the tools and headed for the house.
Juliet stood in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear.
- Thank you Jack, someone finally fixed my plumbing!
- You're welcome. Jack threw the tools behind the door and walked straight to the bathroom.
"I see he feels like home already", she thought, not without smiling. She went into the kitchen, setting the table.
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- Thanks for the dinner Juliet, said Jack wiping his mouth with a napkin.
- You're welcome Jack, I hope you like how I cook by now.
- Heh, yea, he smiled.
She stood up and started to clean the table.
- Ben is doing fine, if you want to know.
- No, I don't, he said instantly.
Silence fell.
- Okay, I'll leave Ben out of the conversation in the future, she said.
- Want some coffee and a cookie?
- Yes, that would be nice.
- Let's move to the couch, it's more comfy there. I'll bring the coffee in a minute.
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They stood side by side on the couch, like teenagers in a cinema.
- What did you do Juliet before coming to this island?
- I was a doctor in Miami, you don't want to know more, I'm boring, she said, staring at the carpet.
- Are you married? he asked.
She turned towards him for a moment, looking in his eyes with her sorrow look, then picked up the cup and sipped some coffee.
- Let's say we have more in common than both being doctors, she continued.
- I'm sorry.
- Thanks Jack, you are very kind. It doesn't matter who we were, it only matters who we are, she continued.
- I just wanted to know more about you, you have a thick file on me, remember?
Juliet looked in his eyes for a while.
-Well Jack, I'm 35, I like flowers, 60's music, I hate this hot weather and my current job. If you want to know something else, I'm happy to answer you.
Jack felt like wanting to hug her tightly, to chase away the sorrow from her face. But something held him back.
- I must go, I have something to do, he said, getting up. Thanks again for the dinner.
- You're welcome Jack. Thanks for fixing my plumbing.
- Yea, don't mention it, I do this for every woman I met on an island, he tried to make her smile.
Juliet smiled and closed the door behind him.
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Jack arrived at his house, took the pile of files and threw them on the bed. He laid on the bed, pulled the pillow under his head, turned on the lamp on the nightstand and opened the first file.
To his surprise, the files contained personal informations about the Others, dates and places of birth, spouses, education, besides the medical records and test results.
"This is going to be interesting"
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To be continued
10:00PM
Timing
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This is a semi-independent story, based and following the ALWTO series which you may find at my LJ.
Recap: Jack is living in Otherville, in Goodwin’s former house. Juliet shot Picket, facilitating K/S’ escape. Jack and Juliet are drawn to each other, partly because of their agendas, partly because of something else. They see each other “socially”. The “official” plan is for them to escape the island together (more as in “both of them”).
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Three men walked through the small clearing in the woods in a line, facing the intense rain, heads down, every one thinking about their situation and the difficult task which awaited them. The point man walked in big steps, marching in a familiar way, left hand on the backpack and right hand on the butt-stock of his SKS rifle. The raindrops assembled above his ear and traveled down the man’s curly hair, resting for a bit on his shoulders and then falling into the mud, the cycle half-completed. The man in the middle of the column walked swinging his arms around his body, revenge building up with each step he took into the unknown. The last man confronted the rain with a smile on his face, knowing that the things have their own way of unfolding, and reasons and ends are just A’s and B’s on an imaginary roadmap.
They started to climb the steep slope, only the fog now fighting them every step of the way.
-We are getting near, said the point man, then he stopped and drank water from his bottle.
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“-Leave me here Jack. Go on, be free, and remember me”.
“-Nonsense Juliet, I’m not leaving you behind, not now, not after all you did for me, not after opening my eyes” Jack said, kneeling and checking the growing stain which formed on her shirt above her heart. He put his left arm under her knees and the right arm around her chest, trying to lift her up. But he couldn’t, he didn’t had the strength, and felt to his knees.
Jack got up suddenly with a headache and felt the wet pillow.
“God damn it”.
Each day he planned in detail his escape, each day he thought about taking her with him, or not, and each night the day’s plan unfolded and ended tragically. This night she got shot and he couldn’t lift her up and run, last night she betrayed him, the night before he died in her arms, after falling off a cliff.
The pile of files on top of the table got smaller and smaller, the lives of the Others flashed before his eyes every day, and sense was not something he could find on the yellowish pages.
Jack went into the kitchen, scratched the top of his head, took a deep breath and expired violently. The old smell of the house was too much. He opened the front door, and almost felt the fresh air rushing in and surrounding him.
He looked in the distance, seeing the seemingly abandoned village emerging from the disappearing blanket of fog.
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He stepped on the porch, stretching and yawning, taking in the cold fresh air.
- I see you didn’t gave me the pleasure of waking you up Jack, Juliet smiled and entered the house, a cup of hot coffee in each hand.
- Good morning Juliet.
He followed her in, drafting in the trail of hot coffee and sweet perfume. It seemed the flowers on her shirt were alive, taunting him from an arms-length distance.
- Well Jack, I took the day off to have the chance to pick your brain, she smiled. What do you think about my work? Did you look on the files or are you slacking?, she continued. Here, have a coffee to defrost yourself.
- Thanks.
He took the cup, their fingers touching for a moment, and sat on the chair. She leaned on the kitchen table, raised her eyebrows, and started to sip from the coffee.
- Juliet, to be honest, I looked through the files, but my mind was on something else. You said something to me, in my first night over here, near the gazebo, do you remember?
She looked down, laid the coffee cup on the table and looked at him with worry in her blue eyes.
- Jack, Juliet whispered, you have to be patient, we need some time to shatter Ben’s doubt and the paranoia.
- I just… I can’t play along, I need to get the hell out of here, he raised his voice.
She looked at him with sorrow in her eyes, and the angsty feeling returned to her stomach.
- Soon Jack, I promise.
She was the first to break the silence, trying to break his empty stare with a smile.
- Jack, come on, let’s calm down. The smile ended. We have to make a housecall.
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Two armed guards were standing in front of the door, blank looks and old clothes. Ben’s house was the only living entity this morning, the king’s castle on the top of the hill.
Juliet knocked two times then opened the door, entered first, and waited for Jack. Jack’s anger started to build up, and he made efforts so it didn’t reached his face.
Ben walked slowly, helped by a woman, under the worried look of “Zeke”, a white giant with a black shape on top of his belt.
They walked in the living room, side by side, as Ben turned around to greet his guests.
Jack suddenly took her hand, tried and managed to put up a smile as Ben’s look was about to meet his.
Juliet froze, looked at him, trying to be casual.
- Well, I see you got broke the ice, Ben smiled deviously, radiant.
- I see you’re gaining the lost weight Ben, Jack started. I think you’ll be just fine, you’re on the path of recovery.
- Thanks Jack, you did a great job, I feel like new again. Juliet, he continued, why didn’t you tell me?
- You don’t have to know everything Ben, she blushed. Is there anything we can do for you?
- No, keep doing what you’re doing, he winked at them.
- Let’s leave him to rest Juliet, said Jack, putting his right arm around her shoulder and guiding her to the exit.
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They headed towards her house, hand in hand, one with fiery look and radiant, the other confused and wavering.
- Why did you…., she started.
- No more questions Juliet, said Jack stopping her, cupping her face and kissing her softly.
She felt the urge to return the kiss, thinking for a moment, then he pulled back, leaving her hanging.
- Isn’t this what you wanted?, he said softly, looking her in the eyes. Am I not your Christmas present, your reward for being a good girl?
She looked surprised, a smile breaking the surprise on her face.
He kissed her again, and this time she found herself biting softly his upper lip, feeling her breasts trying to break free through the pink top.
Jack pulled back again, looking at her with his puppy eyes:
- How it’s like not to be in control, Juliet?
- Let’s go back to your place, I want to see how much you want this year’s Christmas present, he continued.
He took her arm again and they headed to her house slowly, Juliet feeling like a lifeless puppet under his strong grip.
The guards at Ben’s house stopped talking and looked at them with curiosity, then continued their chat.
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The men ate in silence, passing around the knife and sometimes the water, trying not to look each other in the eyes. The curled hair man checked the rifle’s magazine, got up and headed for the top of the mountain.
- Let’s go!
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I hope you like it :)
Current mood:  amused
Monday, November 27, 2006
RULES:
Each player of this game starts off with 10 weird things/habits about themselves. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 10 weird habits/things as well as state this rule clearly. At the end you need to choose 6 people to tag.
1. I could stay awake 5-6 days without any sleep, and feel just fine.
2. I have lots of friends. I could befriend anyone. I bet I could be friends with Saddam Hussein or another evil person.
3. I could sense deception in any woman, but I don't see an obvious flirt even if it hits me in the face.
4. I burned my kitchen while I was chatting on the phone with a girl (some 15 years ago)
5. I like red wine mixed 50/50 with cola.
6. I hate hot weather/beaches/swimming, I love the late rainy autumn and the winter.
7. I could daydream for short periods of time even in tense/dangerous circumstances.
8. I love women wearing formal outfits more than naked women.
9. I'm close friends (day by day) with guys/girls for 16 years.
10. I love to cook for myself and others.
Victim no.1 http://hellybongo.livejournal.com/profile
Victim no.2 http://iorwen107.livejournal.com/profile
Victim no.3 http://foxylovesme.livejournal.com/profile
Monday, November 20, 2006
Part 4
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Jack was right. As soon as he reached "his" house, the storm began. He ran to close all the windows he left open earlier to ventilate the smell of old which was blanketing everything in the tiny house.
After the last window was closed, not without a little fight, he headed for the kitchen. He opened the water, searching around in the darkness for a glass.
"At least my plumbing works". He found eventually a glass on the kitchen table, which he filled with water, and headed for the switch to turn on the light.
He stood still in the middle of the living room, and after drinking the water he got a better look on the glass. Tiny colorful bears and bunnies were chasing each other around the glass walls, in contrast with his tall figure and big muscles.
"This would make a priceless picture", he smiled sarcastically to himself.
Jack headed to the bedroom, feeling more and more depressed by the spartan furniture and the '50's look of his new housing arrangement.
He turned off the light, feeling better in the darkness, and laid himself on the bed, pulling the pillow under his head.
The rain began its bombardment on the sheet metal of the roof, and from time to time a lightning strike lit the small village, fighting the wall of raindrops until the ground was found. Jack almost braced himself for the thunder after each lightning.
"It starts to feel like a horror movie". He pulled the blanket over his head and fell asleep after a while.
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Jack woke up to two knocks on the door, and jumped out of the bed, almost tripping, and opened the door. She was standing with the tray in her left hand, a plastic transparent bag with sandwiches and napkins hanging from her elbow, and the heavy raincoat packed under her right arm.
- Good morning Juliet, he smiled.
- Hello Jack, she said tilting her head slightly to the left. I'm off to work right now, but I couldn't go without leaving you some hot sweet coffee and something for lunch.
- No hot meal today?, Jack asked smiling.
- Not today, but can I tempt you with a nice hot dinner tonight, if you like?
- That would be nice, Juliet, his eyes resting on the raincoat.
- A girl can't be too careful, she smiled, looking for a second to the cloudy sky.
See you later, Jack.
- Bye Juliet.
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Juliet met with her colleagues at the assembly area, starting to talk about the weather and last night's storm.
At 7:59 the conning tower rose from the water, and the group approached the pier.
They started to board the submarine, each one sitting down on the metallic benches in the recreation area.
"Submerge the boat" came through the speakers.
Juliet swallowed, and fixed her eyes on the rusty floor.
"Ahead standard"
She was interrupted by somebody sitting near her on the bench.
- Amelia!, Juliet sighed, her face smiling.
- Hi honey, did I startled you?
- No, not at all, I'm happy to see you.
- I heard you found finally someone who knows how to fix your plumbing, Amelia said, winking.
Juliet blushed and looked at the floor.
"Ahead one third"
- I convinced him to look over my research, she continued. I'm going to bring him some files today.
- It's a start, continued Amelia. I heard you're closing the shop at the former Hydra station.
- Yes, I'm glad it's over for now. That underground complex depressed me.
"All stop".
Everybody got up, starting to queue to the main hatch.
"Surface the boat"
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Jack spent his afternoon on a chair on his porch, basking in the sun.
"A book would have been excellent now".
The time passed slowly, the sun snailed his way to the west, seeming to be afraid of the water, dodging the now white clouds from time to time.
Juliet found Jack outside his house, doing chin-ups from a tree branch. The branch was screeching and bending, seeming to break at any moment.
- Jack, stop it, you'll bring down the tree, she said laughing.
- Hey Juliet.
He jumped on the ground, headed towards her and stopped in front of Juliet, looking at the pile of files she was carrying with both hands.
- How was your day today?, Jack said, taking the files from her, touching her arms for a moment.
His sweaty arms shined in the now dimming light, as his forehead was riddled with tiny drops of water.
- Boring as usual, Jack. Leave the files in the house, the dinner is getting cold. Let's go.
They walked shoulder to shoulder towards her house, both looking at the sun making his way, reluctantly, towards the waterline.
Part 3
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Juliet said goodbye to Amelia and headed to her house, nightfall approaching fast. She entered and headed quickly into the kitchen, putting the water and coffee borrowed form Amelia on the table. Some leftover cookies from yesterday made their way on a plate, the coffee and the water jumped in the coffee pot, on the stove. A few minutes ready, the coffee was ready and its smell was filling the atmosphere of the small house, and Juliet headed upstairs to change her clothes. She was half-way on the stairs when she heard a high-pitched sound from outside the house and stopped. She waited half a minute, then proceeded to the dressing room. "Probably a cat".
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Juliet came down the stairs calmly, a long dress instead of pants and a thin flowerish blouse hanging from her shoulders, on top of a white T-shirt. She put the coffee cups on a plate, along with the cookies, and headed for the porch, where two empty armchairs awaited her. She laid the tray on the small table in between the chairs, and sat down. The big orange sun plunged into the ocean, and the crickets started their symphony in the woods.
Suddenly, a tall silhouette came around the corner of the house, and stopped, as Juliet got up half-scared.
- Jack!, she cried.
Jack then took two steps and stopped on the stairs to the porch. His hands were dirty and he had a big grease stain on his left cheek. He dropped the hammer he was holding.
- Hi Juliet. I'm sorry if I startled you. I came earlier when you were gone and looked around the house.
Juliet sat down, trying to compose herself.
- There is a problem Juliet, he continued. We need to fix your plumbing. And we need rubber.
She blushed instantly, looking into the ground.
- Wh.., Jack, I don't understand.
- The pipes are fine, I patched them up, but there are a couple of rubber gaskets that need replacing. I think I can make them from some rubber. Do you have surgical gloves around here?
- No, I... I don't think so, she said softly, trying to get over the embarrassing moment.
- Well then, maybe tomorrow. Where could I wash my hands?, Jack continued.
- Second door on the right. I'll come and help you, I think there is some water left in the bottle.
She led the way, passing through the kitchen, getting the water bottle, then opening the bathroom's door. She entered first, sliding the top of the dirty clothes basket into place just in time, as Jack entered and posted himself in the front of the sink. He took the soap in his hands and waited for the water to come, but Juliet was distracted, staring at his tattoo. She realized he was waiting, and tilted the water bottle, and he started to wash the grease and dirt from his hands.
- More, he said putting the soap away.
- Okay.
She turned around and picked up a clean towel from the rack. When she turned again, he was right in front of her, standing tall, his hands forward, palms facing up. She felt intimidated for a moment, then put the towel in his hands and threw away the bottle.
- Come on, the coffee is getting cold, she said exiting the bathroom, a strange feeling passing through her stomach for a split-second.
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They sat each other in their chairs, separated by the small table. Jack began munching on the cookies, tilting his head slightly from side to side.
- They are kind of hard, but tasty. Let's see how the coffee is, he said half-smiling.
She felt like in a exam, just after giving the paper to the teacher.
- Well, the coffee is good, it could use more sugar, but it's good.
He put the empty cup back on the table, and noticed a book laying there. What is this?
- It's "The Magus" by John Fowles, Jack, she said, sipping from the coffee, looking ahead. Do you know it?
- Yeah, it's about a teacher falling in love with a girl in Crete, now knowing she and her twin-sister were playing him in the start.
She looked at him with surprise in her eyes, then took the tray back in the house.
- What do you really do here Juliet?, he said when she returned and sat back.
- I'm trying to figure out why these people, the scientists and their families, can't have children. It's a mystery, she said.
- Oh, Jack said.
- I didn't make any significant progress, she continued. Maybe you can help me.
- And how can I do that Juliet, I'm a surgeon.
- Well, Jack, maybe you can look through my notes and see if my logic is correct. I can bring home some test results and maybe we can look again over them together, Juliet replied.
Jack looked up, the stairs starting to come blinking on the black sky.
- And what about the plan? he continued.
- Jack!, she sighed, looking around quickly and then into his dark eyes. People came back from work, the trees might have ears, you know, she continued softly.
Jack looked down like a punished school boy.
- Oh, sorry, he said in a low voice.
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The night fell completely on the island, and the crickets were yelling at each other loudly.
He stared at her, the yellow hair making its way between the flowers of her blouse like a small river coming down from the mountains. The light breeze made goose bumps on his arms, at least so he thought.
- I must head back Juliet, is getting chilly. Maybe you bring home some of your work, I can look over it, but I don't promise any breakthroughs, he continued.
- Are you sure you don't want to hang around a little bit more?, she said.
- Nope, I have to go back, close the windows, I smell a little storm coming, Jack said standing up. Don't forget the rubber gloves.
- Okay Jack, I won't. Good night.
She stood on the porch well after he disappeared into the black night.
A long way to Otherville - part 2
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He woke up realizing a ray of sunshine was exactly in his right eye. The soft bed made him sleep late. He got up on the left side of the bed, almost touching with his face the flowers put on the nightstand. Juliet's flowers. There was a smell of coffee coming from somewhere, so he headed for the small kitchen. Nothing there, but the smell got stronger. He opened the front door, looked down, and there it was. A black mug filled to the rim with coffee, some sandwiches covered with a napkin, and a note. Jack picked up the tray, entered back the house, sat on a chair and started to eat. The note read "You need to get up early if you want to see some action over here. Enjoy the coffee. There must be sugar in the kitchen if you need it more sweet. J.".
The coffee was still warm, "She must have been here a short time ago".
Jack finished the coffee, exited the house, and started to accommodate himself with the surroundings. There was no soul in the small village, it looked like everybody left in a hurry. The wet grass smelled raw. He started to walk towards the center. He stopped and looked around, hoping to recognize some landmarks in the distance. Nothing familiar, the village was in a plateau. The white gazebo reflected the sunlight, blinding him for a moment. "There is nowhere to go". A distant figure moved in the distance. Jack put his hand above his eyes, zooming in to that figure. A guy with a long rifle was standing a hundred yards from him.
"So I'm not alone after all"
He hot back to "his" house, and he sat on the bed. "This waiting is killing me".
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Two knocks on the door woke him from his daydreaming. She entered a few seconds later, carrying a tray with both hands.
-It must be nice to get to wake up in the middle of the day, she smiled, putting the tray on the kitchen table. I came back from work earlier to make this for you.
"Not blueberry sauce again, please God", he thought.
- Oh, thank you Juliet, Jack said smiling.
- Dig in Jack, and after you finish, come to my house to pick me up, we'll take a walk. I hope you remember where, throwing a smile towards him.
The door closed, leaving things unfinished hanging in the dusty air.
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Jack got up, wiped his mouth with a napkin, got out of the house and headed to the gazebo.
"I hope I remember in which house she got in last night".
He knocked hard on the door. She opened the door almost immediately, leaving his hand in mid-air.
- I hope you liked the soup Jack, she giggled, I had to borrow the water from Amelia. Come in, I'll be ready in a minute.
She knelled to put on her shoes, as he entered in the hallway.
- My sink spits out brown water from time to time, she said standing up. Maybe you can fix my plumbing sometime, I have all the tools.
Jack looked perplexed at her for a split second, not knowing what to say. His eyes rested then upon the CD player.
- I can lend you some books if you want to kill the time. I'll see if I can get a player for you too, but don't hold your breath, Juliet said, passing near him and touching him with her hair, heading for the door. Come on, let's take a walk.
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They walked slowly through the deserted village, making their way to a hill nearby.
- There are nice people over here Jack. They are at work right now, I'm the lucky girl who gets to show you around, she said wrestling to put her hair in a poney tail.
Most of them are scientists, some of them with two Ph.D's, who left their world to come here and do something important.
Jack looked ahead, trying to see again the guard from earlier, but he wasn't there anymore.
"He must be here somewhere".
- You'll get to know them soon, and you'll see I'm right.
- I don't want to socialize with these people, I just want to get out of this forsaken island, said Jack in a determined tone.
- Well Jack, you'll have to learn to be patient, Ben is still in control over here. He'll let his guard down in time, he will stop seeing you as a threat. Then we will make our move.
- What move, what are you talking about? Jack touched her arm, stoping her.
- Jack, you want something, I want something, it looks like we can help each other out, but we have to be patient, Juliet said, staring at him.
He couldn't take his eyes away from her blue eyes. Her perfume was getting into his brain mixed with the smell of wet grass.
- Come, let's see more of my corner of the world, she said, leading him gently by his arm.
- I got Ben to withdraw the guards from your house, Juliet continued. We are in a plateau, and the only way out is guarded 24/7. I think that made a strong argument.
Jack felt like a boy led to the school.
- You can drop by anytime if you get bored, maybe you'll show me what music you like, we didn't had that in your file, she smiled, letting go of his arm.
- Why don't you come over tonight, we'll sit on the porch and watch the sunset together, over a cup of hot coffee. What do you say?, she sighed.
- Sure Juliet, he said himself replying a split-second later.
- Let's head back, this heat is killing me, Juliet said unbuttoning the top button of her blouse.
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They separated near his house, and she waited until he entered the house.
"Will he come tonight?", she wondered, making her way to Amelia's house.
- I watched you lovebirds taking a walk together, Amelia said opening the door.
- Well, Amelia, I don't know what to say, yet. Maybe. She looked down for one second. By the way, I'll need some water again, and I need to borrow some coffee, I'm fresh out.
- Sure dear, come in, and maybe you'll tell me what did you two talked about during your walk.
Juliet followed her into the house, smiling shyly.
- I'm afraid this will be too much for him, he's only here for two days.
A long way to Otherville
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He woke up to the rain drops pounding faster and faster on the windows, tired like after a long night party. The soft bed was a dream compared to the steel grate he was used to. He expected the thoughts to rush in all of a sudden like every morning, but this time everything was calm and quiet. The room he was in looked surreal, a large bed, one nightstand, a green carpet and few wooden chairs, a lot of dust on top of everything.
“Where am I?” thought Jack getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed.
He didn’t remember anything from before, thinking he was still dreaming.
The sound of the raindrops hitting the glass windows got louder and louder.
The reality came back when he wanted to get up and saw the tray on the nightstand. A cup of cold coffee, some sandwiches piled up one on top of another, the small bottle of DHARMA mineral water, and, surprise, a glass cup with yellow little flowers in it.
“Damn it, where the hell am I?”
The smell of the flowers wasn’t getting through the dusty blanket which surrounded everything with an aura .
He walked to the nearest window, opening it. The coldish mist came into the house. Jack could see through the light fog and rain only a few trees, and the silhouette of a man standing a few yards away, alone in the rain. The man shifted the top of his raincoat, drawn to the sound of the window opening, and looked straight at him.
- He’s awake, he said into the walkie-talkie.
- Tell her to bring him here, came crackling through the speaker.
The man with the raincoat approached the window.
-Stay there!
Jack recognized the man which carried the torch and led the way at Colleen’s funeral.
“Damn it, I’m still on the island”. Jack rushed to the front door, but the door was locked. The raincoat guy touched the window glass with the tip of his rifle, drawing Jack’s attention:
- I said stay there!
Jack started pacing the small house in his familiar manner. After the circling around made him a little dizzy, he sat on the bed’s edge and began munching at the now kind-of-crispy sandwiches. He chased them down with the cold sugarless coffee, just in time.
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Four loud bangs on the front door were followed by a moment of silence. His heart began pounding loud, recognizing something familiar.
He stood up beside the bed as the door opened and two figures dressed in black raincoats came in and stood in the doorway. The shiny metallic flash suppressor of a rifle came up from behind the shoulder of one of the men, projected against the rain, as he shifted his weight.
The other figure made two steps forward, taking down the hood of the raincoat, revealing a lot of blond hair and a pair of warm green eyes. Jack dropped the coffee cup on the floor, the cup broke and the black coffee stain grew larger and larger on the green carpet.
Juliet tilted her head to the right, looked him up from head to toe, finally staring in his eyes:
- Hi Jack! How are you doing this morning?
He felt like wanting to sit down, but his legs didn’t listen.
- I see you’ve settled in just fine in Goodwin’s house, she giggled. I hope you’ll change the water on those flowers from time to time, I picked them myself.
Jack’s face went blank for a minute, then he replied angrily:
- Where the hell am I? Am I still on the island? And who is this Goodwing ?
- All in due time Jack, now it’s time for you and me to make a house call. No need for blindfolding , you won’t make it far through the rain and fog.
The party of four began to make their way through the thick fog and unforgiving rain , torch guy in front, Juliet following, Jack in her footsteps and the second guard in the rearguard. Jack could see contours of other one-story houses on the left and right trying to break through the fog, small footpaths intersecting like giant spiders on the ground.
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The group stopped in front of a house, the pointman knocked two times and opened the door, holding it open for the other three.
- Come on in Jack, Juliet said taking him softly by the elbow and guiding him to the right.
There was a pharmacy smell filling the air, and Jack could see a room with a bed and a person lying in it, surrounded by some chairs and a man standing by the bed. It was “Zeke”, with a worried look glued to the patient.
- Oh, come in Jack, nice to see you again. To Jack’s surprise, he recognized Ben’s voice, although he seemed more frail. “He probably lost some weight after the surgery”, Jack thought.
- You promised me to get me off this island!
- Well Jack, you’re not on *that* island anymore, you’re on another island now.
Jack felt the blood rushing into his temples.
- You can go now, you have your orders, now leave us, said Ben to “Zeke”. He left, not before looking with a sincere hate in Jack’s eyes.
- Well Jack, Juliet says I’m doing fine, I’m recovering pretty nice after that operation. I heard what stunt you pulled in there, Ben smiled.
Things started to come back to Jack, one at a time.
- What do you want from me now?, he said angrily.
- Well Jack, a good doctor must follow his patients and make sure they are recovering OK from the surgery, aren’t they?
- I see you are still breathing and being yourself, can I go now?
- If that’s what you want, Jack, of course you can go, but remember this: if it wasn’t’ for Juliet, you were dead by now. My friend who just left wasn’t very pleased with you trying to kill me out there. She convinced me she has an use for you, for now, so I would thank her if I were you.
Jack turned around angrily and went for the door.
- Jack, please…., said Juliet in a soft voice.
But it was too late, the torch guy grabbed Jack, threw a bag over his head, and pushed him to the door and outside.
- Let’s go!
The two men and their prisoner walked fast back to the Goodwin’s house, facing the cold rain.
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Jack got his bag pulled over from his head, he got pushed in the house, and the door slammed shut behind him. He felt like wanting to smash something, but instead he started pacing around the bed, trying to adapt to his situation. His boots left brown marks on the carpet, adding shapes to the black coffee stain.
Finally he stood on the edge of the bed, taking his face in his hands, trying to accommodate to the current situation.
A soft knock on the door woke him up from the dark thoughts embedded in his brain, and the door opened after a few moments.
Juliet walked in, carrying a big basket and a bag. She put the things down quietly and smiling, took off the heavy wet raincoat, her blond hair tumbling on the flowerish shirt which covered partially the pink top.
She approached him, stopping just in front of him.
- Well Jack, I see you are still stubborn. You have a dry change of clothes in the bag, one pair of jeans, a white T-shirt without sleeves, some socks and other stuff. You better change soon, we don’t want to get pneumonia or a flu, don’t we, she smiled and backed away, heading for the basket.
- I made you some soup, which is hot right now, I made for you some coffee if you want some later. She set up the dinner table for him, then walked to the still open window, and closed it.
She approached him, leaned over his shoulder, and whispered in his ear: I have to go now, but as soon the night falls, get out through the front door (I’ll leave it open), walk straight 50 paces and wait for me there.
- How do you know I won’t try to escape, he said, grabbing her hand and looking in her eyes.
- Well, soon it will be night, and I bet you won’t make it very far through this rain. Besides, I think you’ll want to know what I have to tell you, she smiled and winked at him.
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Her perfume was stuck in his nose while he counted the minutes until the night fell. He didn’t change his clothes, after all, he wouldn't want to be made wearing that white shirt.
He opened the door silently, walked on toe tips, then started to count the 50 paces. Right before the countdown ran out, he began to saw a white structure in front of him.
“What the….”, Jack mumbled surprised at the white gazebo. He crouched and headed for a tree nearby, hoping he won’t get seen.
After a short wait, he saw a silhouette coming from the right and stopping near the gazebo. “It must be Juliet, Jack said to himself, nobody is crazy enough to patrol in this heavy rain”.
He approached her from behind, grabbed her arm and pulled her near the tree.
- What’s going on? Where am I?
- Calm down Jack, lower your voice, somebody can hear us.
- Ok, ok, tell me what’s going on, said Jack losing his patience.
- We’re on the main island, the same on which your friends are. You are in our home, in the place we live when we don’t play mindgames with our captives, Juliet said, trying to smile.
- Do you think this is funny?
- No, it’s not. But I have some good news for you Jack, she paused.
- What?!
- Sawyer and Kate made it safely to your camp, although I would stay clear for a while if I were them, especially after I shot Pickett “for Sawyer”. Juliet paused, with a frightened look on her face, then continued. No one must know this, or I’m a dead cookie. Now you trust me Jack?
- You tell me you shot one of your people to save their lives?
- Yes Jack, exactly.
- Well, that changes things, said Jack after a long pause. What do you want with me now? , continued him, remembering what Ben said about her “plan”.
- Well, said Juliet , we must wait for the things to settle down a bit, and then we’ll try to find a way to leave this island, along with your friends.
- Why are you doing this, asked Jack in a soft voice?
- Because is the right thing to do….
Suddenly, a noise was heard from nearby. Probably someone opened the front door to check if the rain stopped.
- Jack, you must go, said Juliet, getting up and starting to walk slowly away.
Jack waited a little longer, following her with his eyes. Juliet walked faster and faster, and entered a house very close to their meeting point, to his surprise.
He looked around him, verifying they weren’t seen, and started to go back to “Goodwing’s” house until they saw him.
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