The price of the passage (LOST plot)

[Jack Lexington]

The storm grants me about 10 seconds to spit out the rest of the salty water and get back on my feet to look in every direction for Minty and Salem. Unfortunately I can't make out their orange life jackets in these masses of dark water anywhere. Again I loose balance and only hang on to the boat by my stretched out arms but right at that moment I spot something orange in the waves quite a bit away from the boat.
"Araminta!" I call out although I'm not sure who it really is.

Another though crosses my mind. Where was Alexandria? She had crawled under deck but was she safe there in this violent storm? Struggling and sliding I make my way along the reiling on the swaying boat until my free hand curls around the door knob of the cabin. It takes two attempts to pull it open against the wind, which immediately tears it out of my hand.
Poking my head in I spot her with her back towards me on the ground. "Are you okay?"
That's when I notice that she doesn't move so I jump forward to turn her around and find her out cold and blood smeared.
"Oh shit!" I gasp while I try to feel for her pulse. My hands are shaking way too much to feel anything so I just go with my gutt.
"Wake up, c'mon. Alex."
I kneel down next to her and try to support her head when suddenly the world is upside down. A loud noise gives away that the mast just shattered against a few rocks and probably got stuck because the movements of the boat become less. We get tossed around like in a washing machine. My head connects with some edge leaving me disoriented for a moment until I realize that Alexandria is sprawled out on top of me on what used to be the cabin roof.

From the floor boards water is spraying down on us.
Groaning I push her off me and blink up at the leak. If it cracks open any more the cabin will soon be flooded.

My gaze falls onto the door. A moment later I struggle to my feet and try to open it just to find water gushing in. As fast as I can I close it again and gasp. "Shit!"

[School is the bane of my life]

The water is quickly flowing in, I was never trained for this. Serena was not prepared for the storm at all. First she has been having a cozy nap right on the side of the ship, letting the cool ocean breeze and summer sun overtake her. Then as she felt the sun going away and a colder breeze start to nip at her skin, a storm had come and she had not known.

Every where they were all running around, strapping down everything and escaping the wind. The once quick breeze picked up and crashed against her and the ocean spary that used to calm her down crashed against the ship and got Serena soaking wet. She dashed around, seeing everyone was heading into a little area of the boat.

With her once dry hair wet and stuck to her pale skin, she leaped in with the others. Seeing all of them together. "A storm- whats happening!?"

OOC: SORRY This was a terrible post. Been taking a break and ya sorry

[kendall]

IT'S A REVELATION, YEAH, IT'S A REVELATION



araminta roslyn  chaffee

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365 DAYS IN A YEAR. 365 DAYS TO SHOW WHO I REALLY AM.

I push and pull and try everything to steer the rudder but it is no use. The waves of water crash down on Nick's little boat as though t wasn't going to give up until we were ripped to shreds. As I was being tossed around I start to think, as I spit out water just to be hit in the face again with more, I didn't want to die. Well, not like this anyway. When I died I imagined myself dying some heroic way or in my warm bed, not the cold forces of the waves pulling me under. 

After about what seemed like eternity of being beaten by the waves I relaxed for a moment just to catch my breath and collect my thoughts. That, wasn't my smartest idea and I felt a wave crash onto me. As it rolled back into the ocean it brought me with it. Letting out a weak scream I just fell loose, letting the waves to it's business. If I was gonna die I didn't want to be fighting death. Great him as an old friend would do me better. 

As darkness pulls me in I feel myself sinking with the water, the boat up above me, everyone else on the boat or in the water freaking out. As I fall, quite slowly I must say. I hear my name being called in a frantic sort of tone.  Through the drowning out of the waves and the rain it was badly there but a my mind fades out it latches on to something it could use to pull me back to the surface. A savior. Someone who cares. 

I kick my feet with the little energy I have and the little breathe in my lungs. I can only muster up enough energy to kick to the surface before it breaks and I am wheezing and coughing. Rain gets in my eyes and I notice tears from the salt water are staining my already wet face. "Oh. My. Go-" I couldn't even talk because of the lack of air. Then I see Salem. Was he my savior? The person who cares. What the he'll?
i thought you were a lifesized paper doll [/color]
_{PROPPED UP IN THE HARDWARE STORE, WATCHING THE PARADE}
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[aquatic mammalian wh0re]

4EE2EC
C3FDB8

Why do I smile? Why do I feel a wave of relief when I see that she's okay, rather than a real, salty wave? But she is okay, and that's what matters, right? "I thought I... I mean we lost you," I stutter. Of course, I have to practically yell, but hopefully she doesn't notice the desperation in my voice over the sounds of the storm. Although I shouldn't be happy yet. The others are still on the boat, and who knows where this other island is. My highest expectations are for one of us to make it out of this storm alive. And even that sounds ridiculous at the rate things are going right now.

[Jack Lexington]

Breathing like a steam engine my eyes dart back and forth from Alexandria's unconscious form, to the crack above us and the door. If I open the door the cabin will instantly flood. If teh passage behind the door is blocked by rocks we'll drown for sure plus I will have to drag the girl with me. If I wait it out we might make it until the storm dies down and hope for rescue but if we're unlucky the crack will open up more and we're as trapped as with option 1.
I might as well wait and see whether the crack lets in enough water and then take my chances with the door.

Shaking all over I slide down next to Alexandria, whose body is already half covered by water. I wrap my arm around her back to hold her head above the slowly rising water.
Now I have a moment to think about our situation. Despite my fear I'm amazed by how calm I can stay under pressure. Maybe it comes from a life time of running and being on my tip toes. Closing my eyes I try to slow down my breathing to a normal pace and calm my nerves.
Once I've taken two minutes I feel the bump on my head. It's only a small cut and is barely bleeding. Most of it got already washed away by the spray from the ceiling.
Alexandria on the other hand isn't that lucky. I can't see much down here because the only light comes in through a few cracks so we're basically sitting in the darkness but I remember that I saw her bleeding before the door closed behind me.
Gently I run my hand along her legs to feel for any injury. On the back of her left calf I make out a gash that must still be bleeding. But what can I do, down here in the dark? There's no way to find the first aid kit. All I can do is either take of my short or her shirt, which would be better to wrap around. I'm sure she wouldn't care that she was naked if that would stop the bleeding. With a lot of effort I manage to pull her shirt of and tie it around her leg. By now the water reaches my rib chage and her chest. If teh cabin keeps filling up at this rate we might have 10 more minutes.
"Wake up. C'mon, girl, wake up." I slap her left and right because of the urgency of the situation.

[Sher is back :)]

I fall into a pit of darkness, trying to find my way but I can't. I'm stumbling around in my head, trying to find a light switch, or a hand to help. I can't find anything, I'm alone and cold in a twisted, barren wasteland of wonderland. I fall to the ground and sit there for a while, my eyes cutting through the darkness, searching for a figure to make out. Nothing. All of a sudden, I feel liquid around my legs, getting higher and higher. i was confused for a second on what the strange liquid was, then i could smell the salt. Ocean water. It rose rapidly higher and higher, lifted me off my feet. Then, a light broke through the walls, a crack of light. I squinted my eyes against it and saw a huge wave come through, and carry me out.

I wake up shivering, and hurting. My face and leg sting badly, as I touch a few fingers to my cheek, there's no blood. I look up and see Nick's face come in focus slowly. I had no idea what was going on, I was at a blank. I see the water underneath me, slowly rising above my bikini top to my neck. I noticed my shirt was missing, and saw that it was wrapped around my leg, slowly, the light blue fabric turning a deadly red.

"W-what's going on?" I ask weakly. My head starts to ache badly, and there was still darkness. I could hear nothing but the howling wind outside, screaming and begging, banging against the wood. Then it hit me, we were trapped inside the boat. I came to life a little quicker, and frantically looked around for an escape.

[ooc: i am proud of this post <33 ]

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[Jack Lexington]

After what seems an eternity my companion comes to. A feeling of relief washes over me as our chances to escape will be much better when she's conscious and can swim. So I give her a weak smile and explain. "The storm has turned the boat upside down. We must have hit some rocks."
Pointing up from where we're still getting sprayed with sea water I add. "The cabin is slowly filling up but I'm not sure whether the passage behind the door is blocked so I figured we try to wait it out."
I hope that she can't sense the insecurity in my voice. Isn't a captain always supposed to know what to do and in charge of decisions? I make a secret promise to myself to give up that position if we come out of this storm alive , which shouldn't be hard since I won't have a boat any longer. That thought stings like a bee because it also means that I will loose a good income and a way to pay back my debt and maybe be able to return to my daughter without endangering her. A deep sigh escapes my lips.

For a moment we sit in silence, my arm is still wrapped around her back to hold her up, but I drop it now and mutter an apology. "I was just trying to hold your head above the water."
We're engulfed in darkness, with only the odd flicker of blue in the water surrounding us. Outside the storm seems less severe as the rocking and loud noise has subsided slightly.
By now the surface of the water is up to her chin and has reached my chest. It cools us down fast and I know that we might soon be battling another enemy-hypothermia.
"I'm sorry." I mutter without looking at her. "I should have left the island earlier but that's not going to help us now, is it?" A mad laugh escapes me. I guess I am pretty scared now.

[Sher is back :)]

Nick explained how the boat was turned upside down. A bit confused, I realized we were laying on the ceiling of the cabin, broken lights laying sprawled on the wood underneath the cold, salty water.""The cabin is slowly filling up but I'm not sure whether the passage behind the door is blocked so I figured we try to wait it out." he also said. I kind of noticed the water summing up to my chin. I actually had to lift my chin the slightest bit to keep it from filling my mouth.

as I started to shiver, I realized the brutality of the situation. "W-We really need to get out of here." I said panic sitting into my voice and body a little. As i tried to sit up, something was holding me back, his hand. He pulled it away timidly apologizing. I shook my head with a small smile and searched the cabin for an escape. I analyzed the door, water seeping in from some cracks. I knew there was a wall of water waiting to fill the limited space in here.

"I'm sorry. "I should have left the island earlier but that's not going to help us now, is it?" I sighed and took my hands off the door looking at him sympathetically. "It's not your fault. If we had stayed on the island, we would have been killed by who knows what. Really, we couldn't have escaped this either way. No one could have seen this coming." I said softly. I turned my focus back to the door. It was our only way. "Hold on, once the water swells in, we will only have a couple seconds to escape before the door swings shut again, so, be careful."

I took a deep breath and readied myself. using all the strength left in my body. I pushed the door, slowly opening against the dense ocean water. Immediately, water fell upon us. I was able to take a deep breath and let it push me back. Once I could move, I opened my eyes against the stinging water and swam out sing the remaining will in myself. I hope Nick followed, becasue I didn't have time to look back to see if he was caught with the closing door. I just prayed e wasn't. Confused, I tried to decide what was up and down. I swam upward towards the slightest bit of light. Once I breached. I realized it was the moon, pale and milky, standing about against the still drizzling navy sky.

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[Jack Lexington]

She's trying to reassure me that nobody could have seen the storm coming but I know better. My bad conscience weighs me down more than the water surrounding us in a submerged boat. I might be facing a trial if we come out of this and go to the detention center. Not a very bright prospect.

Alexandria seems to be recovering fast as she is starting to pull on the door handle. Now that she's conscious and able to swim we might stand a chance.
"If you see anything blocking the way out close the door as fast as you can!" I warn her with a slightly shaky voice, be it from fear or the cold water. I can feel my hands and feet slowly go numb so we might have to act soon before we can't swim anymore.

Quickly I brace myself for the incoming flood when she opens the door but the current is too strong and throws me against the other side of the cabin.
At first I get whirled around as if I was inside a washing machine but soon I see dim light from outside. Holding my breath I dive through the exit once the flowing has subsided and follow my companion out into the ocean, which is swaying back and forth with a lot of force. It's hard figure out where exactly 'up' is but even harder to swim against the massive current. Usually I'm a good swimmer because my arms and legs are pretty strong but I stand no chance out here and get washed against the rocks just like my boat before. I feel them crushing some of my ribs and cutting into my flesh but right now I don't have time to worry about this. I need air and soon. My arms push back the water when I suddenly get thrown back again by a wave and feel my right arm slip into a gap between two rocks, where it immediately gets lodge in between the sharp teeth of the stone. The more I pull the more the sharp edges cut into my limb and don't give it up anymore. It's time to panick. With my arm stuck I can't possibly reach the surface of the water to breath. If I don't get myself free within a minute or two I will painfully drown down hear. My whole body seems to be filled with adrenalin and fear. I can hear my own heart beat in my ears while I frantically push my feet against the slippery rocks to pull my arm out. Desperately my head whirls around to see whether the girl is anywhere within sight.

"Help!" I scream under water while the last bit of air leaves my lungs.

[Sher is back :)]

It was hard to get my breath back as strong black waves bobbed me up and down in the ocean, water filling my mouth and nose. I looked around for Nick. Where was he? "NICK? Nick answer me! Where are you?!" I screamed through the noise of the bellowing waves. Tears almost came to my eyes as I called his name. I was panicking.

I dove under the cold water and searched the bottom from Nick. I moved onto the rocks and sure enough I saw him, blood trickling through the water in feathery strands. His arm was caught between two jagged pieces of rock. I inspected it careful not to hurt him. I saw he was running out of air. I wasn't going to be able to get him out of the rocks in time before he passes out. Then it came to me. I remember my brother teaching me a neat trick, if you didn't have a dive tank. Go up and get some air, and then give it to the other person, by kind of like kissing them if I was correct. I really did not want to. I cringed at the thought actually, but it was life or death.

I went up to the surface and took a huge breath, I dove back down and found him easily. I just shut my eyes and pressed my lips against his. I released and looked at him, color returning to his face. I swiftly then took hold of his arm and slowly wiggled it, freeing his flesh from the crevasses in the tooth like coral. It took a little bit longer than I had hoped, but it finally tore free, although bits of skin hanging from his arm as if attacked by a shark. I dragged him up to shore with the remaining adrenaline in my body. "Are you ok? Nick?" I said with a shaky worried voice.

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[Jack Lexington]

My lungs are so empty and tight now and I yearn for just one deep breath. I’m suffocating painfully, panic is setting in. Like a maniac I tear at my arm not giving a damn about the massive pain. I’m actually trying to tear it off if that’s what it takes to stay alive.

Just when my mind starts getting cloudy I feel a hand on my neck and suddenly lips press onto mine and release sweet oxygen into my mouth. It’s all I need to regain my hope.
Soon enough my saviour helps me to free my torn up limb from the rocks and drags me to the surface, where I gasp for air.
A long, intense pain follows when my lungs fill with air and oxygen gets back into my blood. Salty waves spill over my head as I struggle to stay above the surface kicking like a horse. There she is: Alexandria.
Spitting and coughing I try to get closer to her and reach for her hand. For a moment I lift my arm out of the water and realize why it’s hurting so badly. My skin and flesh is cut to shreds and bleeding heavily.
“Land!” My eyes suddenly fall on a distant shore, which we might be able to reach if we try hard enough.
The wind blows so hard that I’m not sure she heard me so I point and yell louder.
“There! Land!”

[aquatic mammalian wh0re]

4EE2EC
C3FDB8

Minty and I have just barely found each other, and I'm assured she's okay, before the moment is ruined. I only have a split second to worry about her safety before I'm plunged deep beneath the water by a huge wave. Or is it a current? I'm not sure, but I'm being pulled this way and knocked that way, and suddenly the stinging pain in my back is the least of my worries. Is everyone else experiencing the same madness as I am? Or are they safely on land and laughing at us as the ocean throws us around like ragdolls? I assume they're still stuck in the grasp of this horrid ocean. Reaching for air, just like me. Speaking of which, I can't seem to find the surface. I'm dizzy and I can't figure out which way is up, but I think I see a faint light over there. If I only I could just kick my way over...

I gasp for breath, and I float there, panicky, as my lungs recover. They were burning down there, providing an unwelcome warmth to my body under the cold ocean waters. The waves have calmed for the moment, but I perceive the blinding flash of lightning as it illuminates the sky, and... something else, not too far from me. With the storm clouds, the moon hardly provides light, so I wait for another flash. It comes, and this time I know what I'm seeing. Land. And it's not far. Taking the opportunity I know might never return, I ignore my aching body and lungs and swim as fast as I can to the island, which seems to be bigger than our last one. My heart begins to race, because maybe if I get there, I can actually survive, and maybe the others found it or will find it too. It's so close, so, so close.

[Jack Lexington]

I'm not sure how long we got washed back and forth by the waves, just that this damn storm seemed to take forever and that I was clinging to Alexandria for dear life because one of my arms didn't operate properly anymore.
Finally a large wave made my fingers slip from her vest and loose her. Some strong underwater current got a hold of me, tugging on my clothes and feet with its icy cold fingers. A few times I went under but managed to struggle back to the surface each time. Thank goodness I was such a good swimmer with strong legs. I knew better than to struggle against the current but swam with it until it got weaker and allowed me to get out diagonally.
I could only hope that the girl would get caught by the same current because together we stood a greater chance of survival.
Come to think about it. My bleeding arm must have attracted various predators like reef shark. It was a simple miracle that I made it all the way to some sandy shore where I finally got washed up.

I cannot describe my feeling when I finally felt land under my knees and hands and knew that I wouldn't die drowning today. Tears filled my eyes as I crawled onto the wide beach of who knows where and what did it matter....I was save.
Breathing like an old steam engine I finally rested sprawled out in the wet sand.

After a few minutes I rolled onto my back and clutched my torn up, heavily bleeding arm to my chest, while I made a mental note to do something about it as soon as I had the strength and tools.
At least I was now able to lift my head and look around for Alexandria. I even dared to hope to find one or two of the other passengers washed up here as well due to the strength of that current.

"Anybody here?" I croaked into the darkness of the moonless night and against the wind.

[aquatic mammalian wh0re]

4EE2EC
C3FDB8

The waves and current continue to thrash me around, but I let them carry me without losing my sense of direction. The occasional flashes keep me aware of the island in front of me, and I swim when the current isn't too strong. Finally, I think I escape it, because I can swim much more easily. But I'm still lacking oxygen and my legs are burning in the cold water, my muscles fighting the effort. I grit my teeth as I see the beloved land draw nearer. I can't tell how close it is. Maybe 100 yards, or maybe 50. I focus instead on swimming; pacing myself and making sure I'm not totally overwhelmed by it. And then I'm close enough that I can touch sand with my feet, and I'm running uncontrollably onto the shore, laughing like a madman. Land has never been more welcome beneathe my bare feet. Today, right now, it's a sight for sore eyes, or should I say stinging ones. I let myself collapse onto my back, my laughter reduced to a mere chuckle. My smile drops when I hear a voice.

"Anybody here?" it croaks desperately. I imagine it's one of the crew members, having found land just like me. I refuse to believe in the alternative; some freak who's lived on the island for years with no escape.

"I-I'm here. On the shore," I call out, finding my voice again. It brings on a coughing fit, as I spew out salt water I hadn't even realized I swallowed. Might this person be the difference between my own life and death? And when will I decide whether I want to be dead or alive? I wonder if they're thinking the same things as I am.

[Jack Lexington]

Even lifting my head takes more out of me than I have left right now but when I hear a distant voice over the howling of the wind my head shoots up again. I have no idea what the person said, nor who it was but I know I heard something...unless it was just the howling.

Slowly I struggle to me knees and squint against the wind and spray from the ocean. My eyes search the beach, rocks and trees but I can't see anybody. In the opposite direction the island is just as deserted but suddenly I spot the yellow of a live jacket near a rock about three hundred meters away from me. One of my passengers survived.

Faster than I thought I could I'm on my feet with water dripping out of every pore of my body. Foot by foot I stagger forward until I can finally recognize the person. It's the boy. He made it. Out of all of them I thought he'd be the unlikeliest.
My eyes dart out to the waves to search for the others. If he's here they might be as well.

Unfortunately I don't make it all the way to him before my knees give in and I fall flat on my ass and have to take a break. The wind is chilling my wet skin to a very uncomfortable, unhealthy degree and the bleeding arm, from which droplets keep running down my side and into my waistband, doesn't help much either. Maybe the guy, what was his name again?, could help me.
"Come here....help me!" I choke out.