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Post by Charlotte Lewis on Mar 5, 2009 7:22:44 GMT -5
With enough begging and pleading, the child had finally convinced her mother to let her go outside. But her mother still seemed worried, as it had only been a few days ago when the man had walked into camp with the torch - a hostile. She'd heard the word be tossed around by the adults sometimes when they were bored, but hardly ever directly in front of her.
But that was long forgotten as she dashed across the concrete paths from her house, toward the swings. Red curls flew out behind her as she ran, trying not to stumble in her sandles or the mint green dress her mother had put her in for that day. She'd promised not to get it dirty if she went outside, but she couldn't help it if dirt was just so attracted to it that it wanted to be on her dress.
Charlotte sat down on the swing at the end, pumping her little legs to get herself to swing higher. She wasn't old enough to go very high yet, so often her mother had to push her on days when her mother wasn't busy. Every so often her dad would come out and play too. But eventually by herself, she'd be able to swing so high she could see all of the Island!
That was when she saw the man, who was sitting by himself. She'd seen him a few days ago in the same spot, except he'd been sitting with people she didn't know. She'd waved, but he'd disappeared soon after because of the hostile walking into camp. Leaping down from the swing, Charlotte proceeded to stumble over to him, smiling shyly up at him.
"Why you sittin' by yourself?" |
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Post by Daniel Faraday on Mar 5, 2009 9:53:04 GMT -5
It was harder and harder to try to process his own thoughts. He had stopped muttering after a while, because the words still swam through his head so fast that he couldn't form the words anymore. Juliet had said something about food and water. Sawyer had mentioned something about a bed. Miles had mentioned something about how he was 'batshit crazy'.
Daniel was starting to agree with him.
And then, he heard the creek of the swings, and he blinked tired eyes to look over at the redheaded girl. It was still a shock, and Daniel felt his heart hammer in his throat, threatening to burst up out of his mouth, and he felt sick for a moment. Bringing thin legs up to his chest, almost afraid to touch her, Daniel watched Charlotte, little red-headed Charlotte, move up to him.
"Why you sittin' by yourself?"
Not gonna tell her. I'm not gonna tell her. I'm not gonna tell her she has really red hair I loved her red hair did she know that I thought about kids ha that's a laugh not gonna tell her I can't tell her please please go away. Maybe I am batshit crazy and whatever happened...happened.
"I'm--" His mouth was dry, and his voice cracked as he slowly felt his eyes close, head tilting slightly, and then he opened them, pulling his knees tighter to his chest. "I'm just...really sorry...and I don't want to be around my friends right now."
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Post by Charlotte Lewis on Mar 5, 2009 16:11:23 GMT -5
Charlotte frowned and climbed up onto the bench beside him, legs swinging slightly as they hung over the edge. This guy seemed a bit like a weirdo, but then again, alot of people around here were to her. Oh well. And he didn't want to be around his friends? Well that just wasn't right.
"Why? My friends always make me feel better when I'm sad." She told him, looking up at him. He seemed sad over something, but her mother had always taught her not to prod people and be nosy. Of course, her mother had also told her no talking to strangers, but that was a rule Charlotte hardly listened to. There was no one here on the Island that she didn't already know anyway.
Looking down at her swinging legs for a moment, she smiled. "My name's Charlotte." |
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Post by Daniel Faraday on Mar 5, 2009 21:21:04 GMT -5
"Why? My friends always make me feel better when I'm sad."
"They're--They're not my friends." Daniel said, watching as the small girl moved to sit next to him. He shrunk slightly away from her, as if touching her would both make her die here once again. "They're--Miles isn't my friend. Miles thinks--he thinks I'm crazy. Sawyer thinks I'm crazy. Juliet--Juliet's nice. She doesn't think I'm crazy, she just thinks--" Daniel felt himself trail off as he stared at the jungle in front of him.
"My name's Charlotte."
The lump in his throat got bigger, tightening around his throat so much that he had to shake his head slightly. The tears pricked at the back of his eyes. "Yeah." he said slowly.
How can your mother help us?
Moving, he pressed his forehead against his knees as he tried to get the memory out of his head. "You--you should go home. Y-Y-You can't...you can't be here."
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Post by Charlotte Lewis on Mar 5, 2009 21:27:36 GMT -5
She frowned again. Hadn't he just said they were his friends? "Well Miles sounds like a meanie. And you shouldn't listen to that one guy if he calls you crazy." She said, and stood up on the bench, glancing around as if telling a big secret as she lowered her voice. "'Cause calling other people crazy just means they are."
She folded her arm over her chest, pouting slightly. "Well aren't you going to tell me your name? You're 'posed to." Charlotte said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her hands moved to her hips like she had seen her mom do when she got angry. "And why can't I be here? Mommy says I'm allowed outside 's'long as I don't get dirty."
She jumped down from the bench after a moment, a sudden idea sparking her mind. Reaching up, she grabbed the shirt of his sleeve and tugged, as he seemed to be asleep or something. He had put his head on his knees anyway.
"Hey! You should come swing with me!" |
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Post by Daniel Faraday on Mar 15, 2009 17:40:53 GMT -5
"Well, Miles sounds like a meanie. And you shouldn't listen to that one guy if he calls you crazy. Cause calling other people crazy just means they are."
"Maybe I am crazy." Daniel felt a frown spread on his face, and then he blinked tiredly, the frown switching into a smile. "Maybe I've just finally...lost it. I've--so much has happened. I'm surprised I've stayed sane. I guess it's all my fault, though, in the end. I'm surprised I didn't see it coming."
"Well, aren't you going to tell me your name? You're 'posed to."
"My name..." Daniel started, narrowing his brows slightly. "My name's Joseph. Joseph Hawking." He wanted to tell her that his name wasn't Joseph. It wasn't Joseph but his last name could have been Hawking and that 30 odd years from now, they'd meet again on a freighter and he'd share his cereal with her and he'd have to watch her die in the middle of the jungle.
But he couldn't tell her any of that, he told himself. What happened...happened.
"Hey! You should come swing with me!"
"Ch-Charlotte." Daniel stuttered out as she pulled on his sleeve, but she was already half way towards the swing set by the time he had spoken her name. Almost as if he was pushed, Daniel felt himself rise and move to the swing set that the little red-headed girl had occupied. He tilted his head slightly, looking at the steel-chained swing with a rubber seat, and he sat down on it, hearing the swing set creek slightly in protest from the extra weight.
"You and your mommy are gonna go somewhere...I don't know when, but sometime soon...you're gonna have to leave, Charlotte. You can't be here."
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Post by Charlotte Lewis on Mar 15, 2009 18:26:35 GMT -5
"Maybe I am crazy."
Charlotte giggled, and lifted her tiny shoulder in a small shrug. "You don't seem crazy to me." She said. But then he started rambling on about something, making her confused. "What are ya talking about? Did something happen that made you crazy or something?" She asked curiously, pulling at a curl of hair.
She grinned and twiddled her fingers in a small wave. "Imma gonna call you Joe, mkay?" She said with an affirmative nod. Much shorter than Joseph, and she liked the sound of Joe better.
She didn't hear him call her name as she leapt onto the swing, hands curling around the rusty chains. She pumped her legs slightly, sending herself moving back and forth for a moment as she waited for Joe to get over there, and sit with her.
But Charlotte frowned at what he said to her. Leave? She didn't want to leave! She loved it here! "But this is my home. I can't leave this place." She said, frowning. "I've been here since I was even little-er. Why can't I be here? And why is it just me and mommy? What about my daddy and sisters? Why can't they come?" He was scaring her a bit now as she continued to swing, trying hard not to think about what he was saying. |
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