THE LOST CHRONICLES of OTHER SURVIVORS
Featuring: Alexander Widmore
Episode 1: Belle Reve
The darkness is suddenly illuminated by white and purple lights. The flashes of lightning quickly reveal a yellow inflatable raft thrashing across an open sea. Inside sat a man hooded in a yellow raincoat trying with all his might to steer the raft as it continued to rock violently above the waves. The man stopped using the paddle for a moment as he looked with interest in every direction around the raft. Within that moment a loud roar stretched across the skies as if it’s mouth were opening only to expose fluids from deep within.
The rain was hard and caused almost all invisibility to cease into hazy fog.
The man returned, obsessively rowing his paddle. Once again the raft slid sideways, keeping on top of the waves’ crest, but in another flash, the raft had jolted sharply hard onto something!
“Whot in the blazes!?” the man shouted. It was beyond evident he was Scottish. He pulled his paddle up again and leaned over the air-filled edges of his vessel. “Rocks!”, he said at once , beginning to paddle away from them.
And, although the storm was viscous, it would be nothing compared to what came next. The skies roared again and with a fit of panic, the man had lost his paddle! The anguish consumed him and he found he could do nothing, but silently watch just when something stronger then the waves took control over the entire contents of the raft. The turbulence was brutal! The raft shook angrily, but not soon enough before the young Scotsman cried out! Everything gone black.
Flashback :The Hotel Pt 1:
A cool breeze lightly streamed through green sheer curtains belonging to a set of open balcony doors. A familiar man awoke in the bed of his hotel room where he slowly sat up before torqueing his body towards the edge of the bed and laying his heavy feet with a thud onto the ground. He cupped his hands into his face and pushed his arms along the sides of his cheeks until elevating to his forehead, skimming the sides of his temples, and pushed his hands through his messy brown hair then to his ears and finally let his hands rest upon both of his shoulders at the back of his neck.
He sat like that for a few minutes as if to absorb all of the information the day may bring him, like that of the light of the sun. The breeze pressed in the room harder and wind chimes could be heard from balconies all over the hotel. He put his arms down and then thrust himself upward and started to make his way through the swaying curtains of the balcony entrance. He stepped through placing his arms stretched across the balcony rails. The view was amazing. Golden beaches dotted with different colors of outlines of people filled the shoreline that hugged the turquoise sparkles that the sun cast over the water. It was paradise the man thought. How could he ever leave such a place?
End Flashback
Present Time:
The sky was as clear and blue similar to one previously described. The water too resembled that of a familiar place, but quickly that idea vanishes with the knowledge of clean unmarked beaches, lush thick jungle, and no corporate structure to be seen. The sands of the beach marveled and sparkled for several miles until reaching a small cove which was then layered and covered with shelved dark rocks that had the most severe of jagged edges like several small knives that could easily cut though any fleshy substance.
In the morning, especially after a large storm may have passed, the tide would always rush in leaving varying particles of ocean life splattered upon the dark rocks. Anything from shells and sand to seaweed and small fish were often left behind only to lay and hang there in the afternoon sun, unless by some miracle the wind would push the rain clouds in, and then participate in a very welcome cleansing of the rocks.
It was nearly noon now and no such luck as to any sign of precipitation could grant hope on the almost dried- up seaweed, once fresh and green, and now almost a dull brown, that barley clung high, dangling off the crisp edges of rock. The suns rays were baking. Steam rose and filed the shelved area in near the cove with heavy mist.
Soon a moan could be heard as the man from the raft woke up in a headed sweat as he at first could feel nothing as his conscience and memories of the night before came rushing back to him. He was about to retrieve a very important part of the memory, but not before the sudden pain of and realization that he was laying on what could have been a bed of daggers. He couldn’t give himself time to think, he thought to himself. He would have to just force himself to move as quickly as possible if he wanted to survive.
And with a great agonizing thrust he screamed and shifted his body upwards and then to the left as the rock edges that were lodged in his lower back, left shoulder and left arm tore longer length cuts through his wounds until running out of skin as gravity pulled the man rolling him down to a lower flatter section of rock shelf.
He lay on his side moaning and crying. Massive pockets of saline came raining out of his tear ducts as they streamed down like small rivers across the black and purple bruises of his cheeks that eventually puddle in salty pool next him. He must have done this for at least an hour before the exhaustion set in and caused him to pass out again.
Flashback: The Hotel Pt 2:
The man now dressed in a sport coat and jeans looked pleasantly into the hotel bathroom mirror. His first glance was serious, but suddenly like that of a small child changed into a big grin and a whole manner that was filled with fun and mischief ! He grabbed his wallet and hotel key-card and slid them into his back pocket, turned off the bathroom light and walked out of his hotel room door.
The hallways were full of strange photographs of famous sailors, artists, actors, musicians, farmers, and even what appeared to be some kind of tribal natives to where ever it is he was. The photographs and art work filled both sides of the halls that hung loosely on bamboo print wall paper that had been plastered above the medium vertical sided wooden chair rail. The carpets were a similar green to that of the bamboo leaves within the print, a light green that almost looked like it was fading away, but was done that way on purpose.
The man’s gate through the halls was light and easy. Many people passed him and wished him good morning or good day. He happily returned the greetings with similar dialogue and with an all encompassing smile.
Yes. It was THIS smile that always got this man out of trouble. It was SO luminous that one could quickly forget what ever it was they were thinking once exposed to his fanciful facial expressions! It also helped that everything about this man was youthful. He had a medium build, but obviously worked out or was rather very athletic and to go along with his pearly whites, he had the most bluest of blue eyes of any person.
Soon he came to the hotel desk next to the front downstairs lobby. There was nobody there so he rang the bell and even before the ring could fully diminish it’s ringing vibrations a very tall forty something man came galloping out from the back room.
“Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Purdue. We have just received a shipment of new furnishings for our sweets and the whole ordeal was a fiasco.” he explained, “How can I be of service today?”
Mr. Purdue smiled as he often did and just shook his head. “No Problem, Eddie. I was just wondering if there were any letters or phone messages for me?”
Eddie quickly looked through the stack of post-its and notes left from the clerk from the night before. “Hold on one second, sir.” he continued to shuffle through the pile.
“Nope, Mr. Purdue. I am afraid not.”
“Thanks, Eddy…that’s just why I like it here on Lizard Island. -It‘s like a dream, a beautiful dream!”
End Flashback
Present Time:
It was nearly late afternoon when Mr. Purdue awoke from his painstaking slumber. The sun was hot. He could feel the heat absorbed deep into his cuts and pours on his face and arms. The rocks he rested upon too, were on their way to being large conductors of hot pokers that may in fact broil and fry his body if he didn’t get off of them soon!
The steam that was there earlier seemed to diminish and now he could see the ocean in front of him and jungle brush behind him. He knew his best chance would be to get under the trees and into the shade. He sat up and rolled onto his knees and used the little energy he had left to force his mussels to stand the weight of his upper body, and slowly walked like a toddle towards the brush line.
It was excruciating he thought. Having to climb over different elevations of rock and all the while not realizing till now that his shoulder must be dislocated! He looked down at his left shoulder in angst. He had to pop it out and back in, but knew that would be hard to do by himself…
He came to brush line and looked at the large trees that stood directly in front of him and immediately had an idea. He suddenly changed into a running position like that of a quarterback. He looked at the tree’s bark and with a great grin he cocked his head a bit. “Well, here goes a-nothing!” he said, as he began to run full force with his left shoulder hitting the tree trunk.
The sound Mr. Purdue made upon impact could be heard echoing throughout a good 100 yards of jungle.
Not too far away was a young woman climbing up in a tree picking fruit. Her wavy dark brown hair hung behind her in a low pony tail as she anxiously picked small seedy round edible delights and placed them in her canvas bag. She started to reach up again before hearing the agonizing screams that came suddenly through the jungle.
She froze a moment before thinking that maybe one of her friends could be in trouble. She slid down the tree dropping her bag and went running towards the direction she thought the sound came from. The loudness of the sound didn’t last long as the young woman found herself standing still trying to hear more.
But nothing could be heard for a few minutes, until yet another hellishly familiar sound ticked and crackled right behind her. “KABOOOOM!!!!” She looked behind her and saw the trees in the area she had just been in start to uproot and fly and the mechanical sounds of what was making them quickly became identifiable. “The Monster!” she gasped!
She started running away from it as fast as she could and for at least 2 minutes she knew it was right behind her. She was SO panicked she wasn’t even sure to where she was going . And suddenly she was at the edge of brush where she could see dark shelved rocks and the ocean. “Oh No! -There’s no where to go.” She turned around and was about to make a right when she saw a man laying face down on the ground. She knew she didn’t have much time and she also knew he could have been ‘one of them’, but he was obviously injured and felt horribly guilty leaving him there.
She made a weird face as rushed to his side a tried to put his arm around his shoulder to lift him up. The man tried to say something, but she couldn’t hear over the clicks and clanks and bashing sounds of the jungle as the monster grew nearer. “Come on! We HAVE to get YOU up!!!” she said. He grabbed onto her as best he could and together the stood and started to run. The jungle was thick and full of broken logs and tall grasses. It would be hard for anyone to move fast let alone an injured person. The made it only a few kilometers from where they were before Mr. Purdue tripped fell clumsily to the ground! The girl once again tried to pry him up, but it was too late. The monster was right over them. The girl protecting put her hands in front of her. “STAY BACK!!” she yelled at it and then closed her eyes and whispered, “I love you.”
And then with a few mysterious flashes the monster was gone. “Whot was that bloody thing!” the man looked towards the girl’s back and waited for a response.
The girl opened her eyes and shakily turned around to answer him. “I’m not sure…a monster.’
Mr. Purdue couldn’t help but to be excited. He smiled largely at the teary -eyed girl and began to laugh. She couldn’t help to join right in, but never forgot that he could be dangerous and reached her hands towards the back of her denims to see if her gun was still there.
They sat there a moment and the girl couldn’t help but to ask a few questions. “So, what are you doing way out here?” she smiled.
“I , well, I was in a raft and I crashed here, I guess.”
“Your Scottish?!” she said in a school girl voice.
“Um, I think so.”
“What do you mean, you think so?”
“I can’t quite remember anything before I crashed here. I have been trying all day, but me memory seems to have gone out to sea with the tide.” he said in an amused tone. “Whot about you? Who are ya and why are you here? -In fact, where is here anyways?”
The girl took a second to think a moment before responding. If he was one of them and he if he was lying, he would already know here name and if he wasn’t, then what would it hurt if he knew it?
“My name is Kate…I crashed on this Island too.”
Flashback: The Oyster’s Desire:
Mr. Purdue stepped out of an expensive town car as his driver opened the back door for him. He stood up and reached back into the car. He turned around and stood up again, but this time placed a new pair of polarized Oklys over his eyes. He turned to his driver and smiled, “See ya on the other side!”
He walked up a short flight of stairs before entering an upscale restaurant named The Oyster’s Desire. The ’E’ at the end of desire was attached to the dot of the ’I’ which was meant to be a pearl. The doormen attended him as they took him to his usual table.
“Ah, here you are sir. Miss Stella has been waiting for you.” the host said.
“Thank you, Raymond.” Mr. Purdue said.
It was understood from Mr. Purdue’s direct glance that Raymond should flee immediately, and so he did.
The beautiful tall blonde dressed in a white hat and matching gloves with strands of pearls that draped down and reached to a light blue Sunday afternoon sleeveless dress, stood up and graciously smiled. She leaned in close over their table waiting for him to do the same so she could kiss his cheek. He knew their formality well and did just that before they both sat down and looked a little blankly at each other.
“So, Stella…did ye have a good flight?” She sipped her water and placed the crystal glass down and folded her hands in her lap before she responded. “How long are we going to do this?”
“Do whot!” he leaned forward in his chair.
“We can’t keep pretending, CAMERON.” she rolled her eyes, placed her hands on the table top, and looked out the window towards the sea.
He leaned forward and took her hands in his. “So does he know then?”
She took her hands back and looked down. “No, but I….I want to work things out with him. I married him for God’s sakes!!!!”
“Whot happened! Whot made ye change your mind?! -You didn’t tell him that I am here and what I have been calling myself have ye?!!”
She didn’t answer. “Well, HAVE YE!!!!!!!”
The whole restaurant went silent. No one had ever seen Cameron Purdue behave like this in the whole history that he had been coming to the expensive part of Lizard Island.
She immediately stood up and grabbed onto her clutch. “Of course not.” and began to walk out of the doors.
“Wait! WAIT!!!” he called after her and then leapt up, like tiger about ready to loose it’s pray. He reached the front steps when he caught up to her.
“Stel-”, he paused. “Shannon. I am sorry for all of this, but it was the only way.”
She looked up the stairs at him. “Look, Zander, you never change. You talk about it so much, but you never do it! -I can’t live this lie…”
“ I can make more money than him any day!” he retaliated.
“It’s never been about the money, Zander… It’s about who YOU are…and God knows I’m not the only woman in your life!!!…Cliff may be a bit direct, but he doesn’t pretend that he’s something he’s not…this is no longer a dream it once was, Zander, it‘s a nightmare running away with us and it has to stop.”
She turned her back towards him and aimed in the direction of her town car, which was parked right in front of his. Her driver saw her coming and anxiously hopped out of the driver’s seat to beat his beautiful rich boss to the back door.
Zander/Cameron stood there silent. He was very puzzled at what Shannon had just said. She was about to get in, but turned around to face him one last time. “You really should come home to visit…They BOTH would want to see you.”
He remained silent at the top of the stairs. She got inside the car and left.
If Zander was shook up about this meeting, it didn’t show.
Two girls, who were obviously young , poor locals of Lizard Island, just came off of the beach and onto the boardwalk that ran right next to the restaurant. Zander guessed like most people who lived on the island, that they would have never seen the light of day of such an elite restaurant. He walked down the stairs and right up on behind them and placed his hands over their shoulders as if he was greeting some long-time friends. The girls, giggly and starry-eyed, looked at each other and began to walk up the stairs to enter The Oyster’s Desire.
End Flashback
Present Time:
Kate had gone into the jungle to retrieve her bag and bring the man some fruit and bottled water. She didn’t know if she could trust him. She had enough on her plate knowing that jack had let Juliet xome back with them from the barracks. “That’s it.” she whispered. She would see if Juliet knew anything about this man!
She came back to where he sat. He was resting his back against a tree trunk. “Here.” she handed him first the fruit and then the water. He smiled and vigorously swallowed down the fruit and chugged the water. “Thanks.” he said.
“Are you sure you don’t remember anything? -Maybe you have a wallet or something!?”
“Ye can look if ye want.” he continued to grin and flung open his arms.
She hesitated, but decided to do it anyways. There was just something about him that made her curious. The man happened to be wearing a waterproof green vest. She searched the outer pockets first until she found one on the inside and there it was. She pulled out a small clip with a bunch of cards. The one on top was a New York City driver’s license for Cameron Purdue with the picture of the man sitting right in front of her!
“Cameron Purdue!” she exclaimed and smiled.
“Well, and so ye have it.” he said.
She placed the cards back in his pocket. It was getting late and she knew she had to get back before someone from her camp would notice.
“Cameron, I have to go now. I will leave you the rest of the water and fruit I have left…I will be back as soon as I can…and with bandages.”
Cameron looked almost scared, “Leave me HERE? -Alone with that thing going about?!”
“It’s complicated.” she said. “I promise I will be back and then I will explain.” She got up and started running as fast as she could away from him.
“Wait!!! -Kate, WAAAIITT!!!!!!---------------”
When Kate arrived back at her camp she knew she would have to get on Jack’s good side in order to execute her plan successfully. She waited for him to approach her.
It was very late at night when Jack came into the make-shift beach kitchen. He was grabbing the cereal, a bowl and looking for a spoon. Kate stood there excitedly and told him she was going on a dangerous mission, to wash all of the dishes in the ocean. Jack thought it very cute and smiled back at her as Kate licked the only available spoon and then handed it to him. He smiled again and quickly said goodnight. To Kate’s surprise she watched in horror as jack took the spoon, bowl and cereal back to Juliet where they both were happily talking and consuming their late meal.
Kate was SO upset by this that she completely forgot about Cameron and marched straight to Sawyer’s tent where she knew she would be admired by someone.
In the meantime Cameron had tried to stand and go after Kate the moment she had left, but he would only get a few feet before he would fall down again and again. It was clear he was too weak so he decided he would rest awhile and then he would try again. He ate some more fruit and then fell asleep.
It was dark when Cameron awoke. He was startled by what he thought was the sound of the monster from earlier, but then realized it was the sound of a twig breaking as if someone was walking towards him.
“Kate?” he asked out loud. “Kate, is that you?”
No answer came, but there in front of him stood a familiar face. A tall blonde woman dressed to the hilt complete with gloves and pearls. “I know you, don’t I?” Cameron said.
The woman looked at him and nodded.
“But, I can’t remember…Who are ye? Can ye help me get to Kate?!”
“No, Zander. You must not go after her just now. She will come back when she is ready.”
“Zander? -but I’m Cameron!” he fished out his license to show her.
“And so you are, Cameron.” she said. “You WILL remember, but you must start at the beginning until you come to the end. Then stop.”
“Who are ye?! Whot do ye want? Why can’t I go find Kate? ….Is this a DREAM?” He stood up and approached her.
“Yes. And you MUST stop dreaming NOW!” She picked up a large log and thrust it into the side of his head. He fell down and in between states of conscience and not, he said her name aloud, “Shannon.”
The End
*Note:
Belle Reve is a referance to "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams, which is meant to be a parody to this epsiode and a continous referance when writing of Alexander Widmore.
