06.15.07 - 12:53 am

The sun burned relentlessly, its golden beams piercing holes in the dense canopy of the jungle. Light spread across the emerald hills of grass, up the vertical mountainous slopes and out beyond the white sandy beaches. A cloudless cobalt sky lightened above an established collection of well-manicured matching houses.

There was a whisper in the dark.

"Get up, Jack. It�s time."

Jack�s eyes immediately opened, but he lies there, focusing on the darkness and regaining his consciousness. In a moment he is sitting up, pushing against the cold cement floor until he is on his feet. Sweat ran down his face and liquefied his shirt. A single bar of light beamed from under a doorway on the other side of his darkened chamber. His eyes could not distinguish much more than shapes beyond the reach of the light. He heard the rustling of others awakening around him. His head throbbed.

"You need to get these people out of here, Jack. Take them out that door, behind the building and back to the beach. I�ve taken care of the guards stationed outside, but I wont be able to take of...well, the others that will soon be coming." Jack Shepard recognized the hoarseness of that quiet voice. The man smelled of nights spent sleeping on moist jungle earth, and weeks of sun baked sweat.

"What�s going on, John? What have you done?"

"There isn�t time Jack. It�ll be here soon, and I can�t stop it."

"John....what is on its way?"

A silhouette broke the beam and cracked the door handle. Suddenly a flood of light illuminated the room. Cool air flushed in as a soft breeze. Dozens of people sharply protested with groans and hands in front of their squinted eyes. Jack struggled to make out Locke�s shape before he vanished into the glare. Immediately his mind began to comprehend his surroundings, the cryptic message from John, and what to do now with the dozens of people expecting him to lead them out that doorway. It didn�t take long to find Sayid, already pressed against the wall near the door peering out beyond the cement path and well-trimmed grass.

"Sayid, which way did Locke go?"

"I have not seen him Jack. Did he kill these men outside the door?"

"He must have. I don�t know. He said we need to leave, that something�s on its way. Now I have no idea what he meant, but I don�t want to be here any longer than I have to. Make sure we have a clear path to the beach from behind this structure."

"Of course."

"Alright everybody, keep quiet and keep together. We�re leaving this building, and heading out directly behind it. Stay together. We�re going to be just fine."

Sayid returned quickly from his scout and gestured everyone out of the building. A chain of people began to flood outward, stepping over the bodies of three guards; motionless and bleeding silently face down. Tucked safely behind a dense row of light colored bunkhouses, the large storage structure was out of sight to the Others, all seemingly strolling casually about their courtyard. Some sat in benches. Others played football. A few walked with rifles slung over shoulders. Still others read novels on their backs, oblivious to the hemorrhage of captives occurring just out of sight.

The hum of concerned whispers immediately silenced. Jack paused and looked to Sayid. He had heard it too. Jack�s eyes darted around the small neighborhood, his heart racing. It was close.

The sudden roar shattered the still afternoon air. It was followed closely by a rapid series of terrible crashes and the deep grumble of metal grinding. Somewhere out beyond the commune, beyond the tree line.

"Go. Now!"

The Others slowly stopped their complacent activities, abruptly facing the dense barrier of jungle just beyond the fringes of their housing structures. Some shielded their eyes from the sun as they peered, hoping to see what had created such a tremendous noise. Ben stood up stiffly, his face pale with the acute awareness of knowing what was close. What wasn�t supposed to ever be this close.
Immediately he began to clumsily limp backwards before turning his awkward steps around. A crowd began to cluster together, as people stood to softly whisper amongst one another, still curious but not yet afraid. Ben at first calmly pushed passed them, but his pace became increasingly more concerned as he limped in the opposite direction from the forest.

Trees swayed unnaturally in the distance. The ground rumbled softly. With every burst of noise the canopy of the jungle became violently more disrupted. An incredibly thunderous bellow erupted earth and wood amongst the metallic screams from the tree line. Trees exploded from the ground, uprooted and shoved aside, as something large and determined approached and with unrestrained haste.

"Excuse me, excuse me please..." his rush brought him to shoving, but it wasn�t long before Ben broke free from the group and made for an all out sprint. A few people turned to see his concern, and slowly began to back away themselves. As if a sudden wave of panic and realization washed over them, the entire group made one simultaneous turn to run. Away from the jungle.

Just as it breached the tree line.

With a deafening groan of noise, several black pillars of smoke burst between the trees. They stretched outward and swiftly seized those running, wrapping around them like thick rope. Some broke through the windows of the housing structures and exploded them from inside. Wood and glass. Dirt and trees. Blood curdling screams echoed through the courtyards. Bodies were flung through the sides of buildings carelessly. Dozens of houses completely obliterated in mere seconds. The creature roared, its black smokey mass cranking and whirring as it moved, swelling in size as it emerged enormously from the tree line. Broken bodies lay scattered amongst the shredded wood pilings and demolished courtyard, while survivors crawled pleading for rescue. With a final horn of accomplishment, the creature gradually shrunk into a thin cord of smoke, and slowly retreated back into the jungle.

From his position from a hill top tangle of tree roots, John Locke watched the devastation unfold within the Others compound, and somewhere safe enough away he can see the path of Jack and his followers moving steadily toward the beach. As the wailing of the injured continued below, a slight smile broke his thin lips. He opened his hand, letting a small silver key fall from his dirt filled fingertips to the soil beneath. The rumble of the creature dampened to the sound of rapid clicks as it moved back through the trees, giving way to the sound of helicopter blades somewhere just beyond the shores.