Illusions of the island *A LOST fanfic*

Chapter 35: The island's hold on us

     The lights of Miami didn't comfort Juliet in the least. She thought she'd be so happy to be back home. It was strange waking up in a bed again. She couldn't sleep and found herself in the spacious living room in the new house her and James had just bought with the money from the settlement Oceanic airlines had given to them. It was barely sunrise, and she saw the sun was a strange color, dawn was supposed to be the most beautiful time of day, but the sun was the color of pale white paper. She turned when she heard sniffling just behind her.

"Mama? I had a bad dream."

Juliet sympathized with a 3-year-old Cara who stood in the doorway to the living room. Scooping her daughter up into her arms, she asked her what her dream was about.

"You can tell mommy about your dream. What was it about?"

Cara curled into Juliet on the couch and tried hiding her face. "You were hiding under a really big and scary tree. You had owies and you were crying. Then there was a baby."

Eyes widening, Juliet looked deep into Cara's hazel eyes and frowned.

"It's ok baby. Mommy's safe. Oh baby your shaking. It's ok. Nothing is going to hurt you here. Your safe."

Cara buried her head in Juliet's chest and stayed there. Juliet rocked her for a bit and listened as her breathing evened out. She then knew that Cara had fallen asleep. She couldn't say anything. She'd been having nightmares herself. Some were memories of her time on the island, others were something else. She wasn't quite sure what to make of them. Being here in the real world was almost scary. She'd been 'missing' for 6 years. Her sister Rachel had almost given up hope that Juliet would ever come back to Miami.

Thenshe realized that the island would always have some kind of hold on them.Whether it be in the form of nightmares or waking memories. It wasn't going tobe that easy forgetting about the one place that had nearly ruined her life forsix years. But it also gave her a blessing. A blessing that was lying in herlap, fast asleep, oblivious to what her mother was feeling at the moment.

To Be Continued...