F4 - Mid-Jungle Area

[Hollywood Heidi]

Mid-Jungle Area

Mid-jungle area a little ways in from the mid-section survivor's camp that's a half-hour to an hour's walk in.



Location found in box F4 below:


Each box is 3 miles by 3 miles. It takes an hour to walk 3 miles. But also keep in mind that hiking (like that really steep hill to get to higher ground) will take a heck of a lot longer and that if you're running (like from some jungle thing), that you'll get somewhere faster.

[Hollywood Heidi]

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Day 13

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AN HOUR LATER

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[DarkSideCookie]

*** Derek enters from E3 - Mid-Jungle Area ***


Another hour had passed in which Derek had been tracking nothing but old traces. This was leading him nowhere. Besides, he was still hungry, which caused his motivation to go on anyway to falter bit by bit. Derek guessed that these traces had come from other people on their way to find something to eat, maybe even while they hunted down some boar or whatever other native residents might be living in the depth of this jungle. He better not found out. First, he was no hunting person at all, only on the trailing part, and second, he had nothing with him that could serve as a weapon, as sharp and fancy some of his science tools might be. So, instead of giving this hunting matter another thought, Derek focused on the unmoving food.

It was just when he was going to pick some wild berries and fruits from nearby bushes - at least was he well knowledged in which of those to give a wide berth - that sudden movements in the distance were drawing his attention, yet again, away from this hollow feeling in his stomach.

Derek was admittedly still holding on this idea of running into the survivors of the plane's cockpit section. He had found it completely empty, which even went for any corpses that unquestionably must have been there. Derek even wondered if they might have buried them somewhere. That would be, at least, still a better explanation for their non-existence than imagining them not only kidnapping people alive but also dead. However, up until this very moment, Derek hadn't thought that he would come across these other survivors this early and, even more noteworthy, see them doing what they did there on this wide range of an open field behind these bushes.

Yet, there they were. Not as many as the cockpit's seating capacity could have given hope to, not even close to, but Derek still was seeing it as quite a miracle. He knew right away that these people weren't from this group everyone back at the camp had started to refer to as just Them. He simply couldn't picture people who kidnapped innocent young women having a golf session just some hours later. On the other hand, what did he know? Who knew anyway what kind of freaky place this really was. By now, he had started to expect practically anything to happen and see, especially after what Harley had told him.

Some words wanted to slip from his lips even with nobody around to hear them, but they just wouldn't roll off his tongue, not only because of the sight in general but also because of the sudden memory that came up as Derek watched the activities between a bunch of stranger people on that makeshift golf course.

[Flashback]

[Kristi Lynne]

*** Gwen enters from F4 - Golf Course ***

Gwen kept walking further into the trees, carefully scanning the ground beneath her feet. Either she had underestimated the distance of Charlie's shot, or that golf ball was much better at blending in than she thought. "Where are you?" she sighed in frustration. As a cooling breeze blew through the palm fronds, she paused for a moment to close her eyes and let it wash over her. When she opened her eyes again, she finally saw that elusive white sphere a couple feet ahead. "Ah, there you are!"

Gwen rushed over to pick it up, clearing away the dirt and tossing it from one hand to the other. At least she wouldn't get a scolding from Hurley. As she turned to make her way back, she noticed something different about the ground. Now that her attention wasn't elsewhere, she could see ... footprints? And not the ones she'd just left behind. The shadows and the rustling leaves started to take on an eerie quality.

Perhaps someone from the caves had taken an alternate route. Perhaps Locke and Ethan were out here hunting boar. Perhaps, a million things. "Hello?" she asked the emptiness, unsure if she wanted to hear an answer. "Is someone there?"

[DarkSideCookie]

Derek had been too occupied in his memories to notice any of the rustling noises or distant murmuring. His senses were still focused on the golf play before him while, at the same time, they were not. As for watching a golf play, yes, but, on his mind, a whole different one. He was missing Sarah a lot.

"Hello?""Is someone there?"

Taken by total surprise, especially due to his daydreaming, Derek almost literally jumped at the sudden voice not far from him. Unfortunately, his action caused his immediate revelation if he wanted it or not. He couldn't even be sure if it belonged to a survivor or even to one of these other people. Either way, it was too late to pass unnoticed. So instead of even try to play hide and seek, he decided it was best to just get it over with.

As he made a step out of the trees, showing his goodwill and especially that he was unarmed by slightly raising his hands in the air, Derek suddenly paused in the middle of his movements. For a moment, a look of astonishment flashed over his features before finally regaining control of the situation. One glance down at the golf ball in her hand told him that this - actually damn cute - woman must belong to that group Derek had been observing only a moment ago.

"Golf, huh? I, uh, lost some matches to a six-year-old once. A good six-year-old, in my defense." he started to speak with a mix of a probably misplaced nonchalance and slight nervosity, a combination that ended in a rather awkward chuckling. However, to him, talking always had been a way to avoid even worse awkwardness whenever finding himself in a situation that felt uncomfortable. Granted, that hadn't always worked out for him in the past. And besides, there was something not so uncomfortable about this here, probably very much misplaced as well, though. But if they would have met on another occasion, Derek was sure that he would have approached her of his own free will.

"Well - uh, sorry," Derek went on chuckling again before the young woman even could have reacted to his first line as he started lowering his hands. "I tend to just go on talking when - uh, well, hadn't been among people for a while." That was, strictly speaking, not a lie. It just depended on how one interpreted a while. "So. Surprise! Guess I found people. Or... one people, at least." Derek chuckled again, this time a bit more nervous. He didn't mean to come off as somebody who had been observing her people and therefore already knew that it wasn't only her. However, this time, Derek wouldn't make the mistake to cause anybody to grow suspicious of him. Not that he had done anything that would justify that in the first place. But after his conversations with Ana Lucia that, at times, had felt more like interrogations, and especially after he'd seen her snapping at practically anyone, Derek thought it would be better to be more careful about what he said, and that right from the start.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Golf, huh? I, uh, lost some matches to a six-year-old once. A good six-year-old, in my defense. ... Well - uh, sorry, I tend to just go on talking when - uh, well, hadn't been among people for a while. So. Surprise! Guess I found people. Or... one people, at least."

Gwen took a step back in shock as a stranger emerged from the trees. She hadn't really expected an answer to her question, much less a chatty one. Since she was only armed with her wits and a golf ball, 'fight' wasn't an option. She glanced back and tried to judge the distance to where she'd left Linda and Charlie, reasoning that 'flight' was the only other option. Though this man had made an effort to show he was unarmed, or so it appeared.

"Who are you?" she asked. "How did you get out here?"

[DarkSideCookie]

"Who are you?""How did you get out here?"

Derek was quick to realize that his chatty attitude, this time, had not worked out at all. Judging by the look in her eyes, the young woman was panicking like a timid fawn. Probably understandable. He even felt slightly sorry for having approached her like that. However, he also knew that, once questions had been asked, it was wiser to straight answer them than to go for apologies first.

"I've found myself hanging in the trees after, uh," suddenly, Derek stopped in the middle of his sentence, deciding to go for a question himself before continuing with giving any more information. He had to be sure that these people were survivors of the airplane crash and didn't belong to that group of people living on the island. "What was your destination?" If she had been on the flight, she would be able to answer that right away, with a little moment of confusion as for the sudden change of subject granted. And if she hadn't, well, then Derek would have to come up with another plan anyway. But on the other hand, he doubted that this lovely-looking woman could belong to a group of psychopaths who kidnapped people.

[Kristi Lynne]

"I've found myself hanging in the trees after, uh, ... What was your destination?"

"Los Angeles," Gwen answered, taking another step in this tango of trust. "You were on Flight 815?" It had been nearly two weeks. Even if she didn't know names, she knew the faces of everyone among their group of survivors. His was not one of them. It was certainly possible that someone had landed and survived somewhere else on the island. And they certainly would have had a rough go of it on their own. "How did you end up so far away from the rest of us?" she asked. 

[DarkSideCookie]

"Los Angeles,"

Impressive. Derek hadn't been awaiting an answer without hesitation. Not because he would doubt that she was a survivor rather than one of them, but because, contrary to the surface impression he'd been having of her, this woman was surprisingly ready-witted, especially when she went on with her own question catalog without the least delay. Derek kind of found that enjoyable yet tried not letting that reflect on his features too much.

"You were on Flight 815?"

Derek reacted to that with actually a slight shake of his head; one that didn't look like he would be replying in the negative, though, but rather like a self-acting action, an expression that was to show the blank astonishment about, after all this time, having found more survivors. That obviously being sufficient to serve as an answer, the woman went on with the next question. She wasn't wasting any time, was she? This started to feel like speed dating, yet probably only for his part. Well, he couldn't help but allowing his mind to wander on these routes, even in a situation like this.

"How did you end up so far away from the rest of us?"

"Good question," Derek suddenly said as he allowed the tension between them to fade a bit by making a gesture with his hands as to give her actual credit for that, yet again, probably only for his part as for the feeling the tension between them easing thing. "I surely can't give you a, uh, trajectory here - air draft and gravity are not exactly my fields of expertise, although I'm familiar with Newton's law of gravitation, of course - I mean, who is not, right? - Uh, getting slightly off the point, I know. Anyways, in the end, another law seemed to have found its use more satisfying." He made a little pause, then went on with a slightly flirtatious chuckling, after all. "The law of attraction?" But before she could have reacted to his ambiguous remark, Derek added with a casual shrug of his shoulders, finally giving her an actual answer, yet still one that wouldn't exactly match with her question, "Guess it plays into my hands to have come around one or two expeditions in places like this."

[Kristi Lynne]

"I surely can't give you a, uh, trajectory here ... Anyways, in the end, another law seemed to have found its use more satisfying. The law of attraction? Guess it plays into my hands to have come around one or two expeditions in places like this."

Gwen felt like she was asking simple questions, and yet she kept getting a manic monologue in return. Her defensive stature was beginning to shift into defiant, especially when he was offering pick-up lines instead of actual information.  "Oh, so you're in the habit of exploring deserted islands in the middle of nowhere -- Hang on," she stopped abruptly and held up a hand as if to put him on pause. "I feel like we've been here before...."

Once past the initial surprise of his appearance, she had begun to study it. Not just to gather clues about his identity or to verify his story, but to figure out why this felt familiar. His eyes, his self-assured smile, the way he spoke, those enthusiastic gestures... "Oh my God, I do know you!" Gwen exclaimed, clapping her hand to her forehead. "University of Athens, it was a...a fundraiser for an expedition. Your expedition! You're Doctor Schwartzman! And you were on my plane!"

[DarkSideCookie]

"Oh, so you're in the habit of exploring deserted islands in the middle of nowhere -- Hang on,"

The way she suddenly silenced him took Derek by surprise, which led to him just standing there with his mouth open. She seemed to study him more thoroughly, which, even to him, felt a little obtrusive - not that he had objections, but it was...

"I feel like we've been here before....", the young woman suddenly stated, interrupting his ongoing inner monologue.

Another chuckle was about to loom on Derek's features, while he was still somewhat taken aback at the same time - wow, that didn't happen often. Yet before he could have started to wonder about what her words might signify, she went on with some more that not only were surprising him even more but also let him forgot about the trouble and distress around them entirely, at least for a moment.

"Oh my God, I do know you!""University of Athens, it was a...a fundraiser for an expedition. Your expedition! You're Doctor Schwartzman! And you were on my plane!"

"Holy cats!" now also Derek exclaimed with one finger raised to his lips, not like someone who made a silencing gesture but rather like someone who just had a wide range of lively gesturing and facial movements. "Now, that is the pink of attraction, wouldn't you say so? But no, uh, sorry, if that came off... you know, it wasn't meant offending or, uh uh, sexist even." Derek felt honestly a little embarrassed regarding his flirty attitude, yet only a little. He would be lying if he said that he didn't feel quite attracted to her, which caused him to be still a bit smiley despite the apology. Having met her before - and he now as well remembered the short but memorizable conversation they had shared - wasn't changing that, of course, but it kind of made him remember how she had looked up to him as for his work and publications. However, being honest to himself, Derek had thought of her being attractive already back then, even had been searching for her later that day, but unsuccessfully. "Well, my god, it's so.. nice to see you. I mean, usually, I would ask you how you're doing or how the world has been treating you, but, uh er," he made a wild gesture towards around them, chuckling slightly, not even seeing a need in finishing that sentence, but instead just went for a next. "If my sudden appearance out here has shocked you, well, then I must apologize and, uh, hope that I won't be unforgiven for the rest of this stay." The chuckling, rather charming than obtrusive, which always had been to his advantage, was still present all the while he spoke.

This whole meeting by a coincidence, for which the chances must have been not even worth the mention, was still distracting Derek so much that, right now, he didn't even think about his former plan and the difficulty of her knowing who he was, maybe not a celebrity like these guys from Hollywood but still somebody well-known, might lead to a problem later. Back at the other group, people had started to question and denounce everyone around, probably reasonable by looking at the trouble they had come across, but Derek couldn't afford anyone hindering him in his work with that. Stranded or not, he needed to find out more about the island, and people questioning him surely were a hindrance.

[Ariel]

***Linda enters from F4 - Golf Course***

"Gwen! Gwen, can you hear me?!" Linda placed a cupped hand up to the side of her cheek, her gaze wildly looking around every tree and bush in the existence of the jungle. She wasn't a particularly good tracker like Mr. Locke, so she did not know what she was looking for in regards to tracks or markings. Yet, there was no sign of a body or fresh blood so Linda pushed herself to remain optimistic in the flight attendant's disappearance. 

All of a sudden, Linda heard voices. A slight gasp escaped from her lips as she stopped in her tracks. The wind furiously rustled the leaves on the trees and bushes around her as she had stopped to listen intently. Her eyes widened as she could hear soft voices amidst the howling of the wind. "Hello...?" Linda's voice entered the jungle again with extreme caution. She had heard something similar to this before while wandering the jungle, and it surely was eerie enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up straight. Linda wasn't sure if her mind was playing tricks on her or if something bad was about to happen.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Well, my god, it's so.. nice to see you. I mean, usually, I would ask you how you're doing or how the world has been treating you, but, uh er .... If my sudden appearance out here has shocked you, well, then I must apologize and, uh, hope that I won't be unforgiven for the rest of this stay."

"No, of course, I'm just happy that you're alright," Gwen replied with an enthusiastic smile. "I mean, are you? Alright, that is? Have you been out in the jungle by yourself all this time?" She couldn't imagine what a frightening and isolating experience that must have been, but he seemed to be in good spirits despite all that. She waved a hand back toward the golf course. "A group of us crashed on the beach. We have food, water. We've taken shelter in some caves. Oh, and we have a doctor. He can take a look at you once he's finished his round of golf. And yes, I realize how odd that sounds...."

"Gwen! Gwen, can you hear me?!"

Above the rustling of the trees, she could hear a faint voice with a similar accent. Gwen felt guilty for causing someone else concern, but at least someone had taken note of her absence. "Linda!" she called back. "I'm over here!"

[DarkSideCookie]

"No, of course, I'm just happy that you're alright,"

Derek's smile grew wider once again. It might sound weird since they had been sharing only one little conversation on an event many years ago, but he felt somewhat glad to meet somebody who was able to kind of reconnect him with the past. A past where he'd only been Dr. Derek Schwartzman, archeologist, writer, and professor, always on the search for a new adventure for the mere thirst for knowledge. That felt actually like forever ago. Well, it was.

"I mean, are you? Alright, that is? Have you been out in the jungle by yourself all this time?"

"Uh," he started a bit hesitantly. Derek didn't like to lie to her, but he also didn't like to talk about the other group just yet. "Well, guess you never are when outside in the jungle, right?" he finished, yet again, in a jokingly manner, although there probably was much more truth in his words than one might think. Thanks to her waving towards that golf-playing bunch of people behind the bushes, she didn't take notice of the hint of guilt flashing over Derek's features for a moment.

"A group of us crashed on the beach. We have food, water. We've taken shelter in some caves. Oh, and we have a doctor. He can take a look at you once he's finished his round of golf. And yes, I realize how odd that sounds...."

"Like Disneyland Resort wherever-we-are," Derek answered her remark with a chuckle, about to add more words when suddenly another voice was joining into their conversation.

"Gwen! Gwen, can you hear me?!"

Well, shoot. Derek wasn't sure if he was ready to meet more people already now. But, at least, now he had a name to the face in front of him. He tried to exchange one last look with Gwen before this would become a group meeting, but she was already about to make the call.

"Linda!""I'm over here!"

Derek tried to act as composed as he could when another young woman was approaching them, stopping her steps and also probably her breath once her eyes met with his. Derek's first reaction was a wide artificial smile, his second a greeting like in the old school days. "Hi." Both probably not looking the part when the story to tell was to have been on his own for almost two weeks.

[Ariel]

"Linda!" "I'm over here!"

A sense of relief overcame Linda as she finally heard Gwen's voice emerge from not to far from where she was looking. Her pace quickened slightly as she followed Gwen's traveling voice as it trailed from a specific direction. Linda hadn't noticed the little ways that she had actually ended up from the golf course until now, realizing that the grassy floor underneath her feet had turned into the mucky jungle ground and the trees and bushes were getting thicker. Someone sure had a good arm for golf. 

Moving a few branches away from her face as she stepped around a tree trunk, Linda suddenly stopped. With Gwen was another person, a man. Fairly average looking with dark hair and glasses sitting on his face. She tilted her head in surprise as her eyes narrowed to study the man, recollecting whether they had met. Or was even apart of their camp at all. He was standing comfortably by Gwen, unarmed, so he didn't exactly appear to be a threat. And she didn't look necessarily threatened by his presence either.

"Hi."

Linda's face had scrunched into a bewildered state as her gaze shifted from the man, to Gwen, then back to the man. It was a mere moment before Linda finally found words to speak, "Sorry, I don't believe we've met. Were you on the plane with us?" Linda didn't want to be completely rude. Yet, she had no idea who this man was. Him being on the plane would be the only logical explanation to his presence. With all the freaky creatures and mysterious monsters roaming this haunted island, Linda thought any human inhabitants would be highly unlikely if not possible at all.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Hi."

"Sorry, I don't believe we've met. Were you on the plane with us?"

"Linda, hey!" Gwen enthused, ready to fall back into her hostess ways despite the strangeness of the situation. "So sorry to have disappeared. I didn't mean to worry you. But yes, apparently someone else survived the crash." And didn't that mean that there could be others out there on the island? They just hadn't crossed paths with each other yet. 

"Linda, this is Dr. Derek Schwartzman," Gwen began. "He's a very well-respected archaeologist. And Doctor Schwartzman, this is Linda, one half of our newly-formed golf course design team." She certainly didn't begrudge Linda's hesitancy. After all, Gwen had felt the same when a solitary scientist appeared out of nowhere. "I apologize in advance if you don't get the warmest of welcomes with our group," she cautioned. "We've had some unpleasant experiences with a rather massive creature out here in the jungle. I take it you've been lucky enough to avoid it."

[DarkSideCookie]

The blonde woman seemed to need some more moments to assess the situation; One that was - granted - a little odd. But then she spoke up, after all, at least not seeing him as a threat.

"Sorry, I don't believe we've met. Were you on the plane with us?"

Before Derek could have given any reaction to that, it was Gwen who replied for his part. For once, he was grateful about someone giving him a hand with the talking.

"Linda, hey!""So sorry to have disappeared. I didn't mean to worry you. But yes, apparently someone else survived the crash.""Linda, this is Dr. Derek Schwartzman,""He's a very well-respected archaeologist. And Doctor Schwartzman, this is Linda, one half of our newly-formed golf course design team."

Derek cast a glance over at Gwen, a slight smirk on his features about her way of so flattering introducing him. Then he turned his attention back at the girl named Linda, scanning her in silence while Gwen went on talking, only a moment later realizing that she was addressing him again.

"I apologize in advance if you don't get the warmest of welcomes with our group,""We've had some unpleasant experiences with a rather massive creature out here in the jungle. I take it you've been lucky enough to avoid it."

"Creature?" Derek repeated without reacting to her apology in advance, yet again in a rather joking manner. "You mean massive like, uh... in a... T-Rex kinda way?" He chuckled, then paused, his features suddenly becoming more serious, remembering Harley having talked about creatures before as well. Even though he had made it seem like not taking Harley's fears of creatures lurking in the jungle too seriously, yet without making her feel like it was completely insane, Derek had been giving that much more thought afterward, in fact. Yet still, hearing it from these people now as well was quite disconcerting as it made the issue even more real. "No dinosaurs, right?" he asked both of them, still half-joking, yet mixed with a tone that gave away he required getting a negative answer to that.

[Ariel]

"Creature?" "You mean massive like, uh... in a... T-Rex kinda way?"  "No dinosaurs, right?" 

Linda's eyes widened slightly at Derek's contemplation of possible dinosaurs lurking around the island. She didn't quite pick up on his signals that he was half joking. Though with the things she had heard and seen, prehistoric creatures wouldn't be a shock at this rate. Realizing he had meant what he said as a rather playful remark, Linda's bewildered look melted into an amused half grin as slipped her hands into her jean pockets, "If we've got dinosaurs to worry about, all I gotta say is: hold onto your butts," Linda chuckled before growing a bit more serious, "They'll probably be looking for us, we should head back and join everyone," Linda addressed Gwen and Derek before turning completely to Derek, "We'll introduce you to Jack. He's kind of taken on the leadership role, and if anyone feels uneasy he'll make sure everyone feels safe. The Doc is good at that kind of thing," Linda shuffled her stance as her body language pointed back from the way she came, "Shall we?"

[Kristi Lynne]

"Creature? You mean massive like, uh... in a... T-Rex kinda way? No dinosaurs, right?"

"If we've got dinosaurs to worry about, all I gotta say is: hold onto your butts. They'll probably be looking for us, we should head back and join everyone. We'll introduce you to Jack. He's kind of taken on the leadership role, and if anyone feels uneasy he'll make sure everyone feels safe. The Doc is good at that kind of thing. Shall we?"

"No dinosaurs as of yet," Gwen confirmed. "But remind me to tell you about the polar bear later." She tossed Derek a cryptic grin before falling into step behind Linda and ducking through the palm fronds ahead.


*** Gwen, Derek, and Linda exit to F4 - Golf Course *** 

[Hollywood Heidi]

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The rest of Day 13 and all of Day 14

pass by fairly uneventfully. It is now:



Day 15 - Mid-Day

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[Hollywood Heidi]

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The rest of Day 15 passes by. It is now:


Day 16 - Morning


Thursday, October 7, 2004

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