Lost

Chapter 9. What They Died For

I'm laying my head on Sawyers shoulder as we look out into the ocean.

It's daytime now and I don't remember the last time I've slept.

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes but I won't let them.

"We should get going now," Jack says.

"Go where?" I ask.

"Before Sayid died, he said that Desmond was in a well. If Locke wants Desmond dead, we're gonna need him."

Sawyer grabs a rifle and we go.

We start walking.

Jack asks Sawyer and I, "Any idea exactly where this well is?"

"Sayid said it was close to our camp,we're about an hour away," Sawyer says, "If Locke wanted Desmond dead, why didn't he just kill him?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's one of his rules."

"The bomb in the sub. You said he couldn't kill us." I say.

Jack stops walking.

"I've been wrong before."

"I killed them, didn't I?" Sawyer says.

"No, James. He killed them." I tell him.

*

Hurley comes to get us and says that he has something important to show us.

It's night now, Hurley and Sawyer have torches so we can see.

We come up and we see a fire and a guy standing there.

I recognize him.

I look down at my necklace and realize it's glowing a little more now.

Is the guy who gave me the necklace...it's Jacob.

"Hello Kate, Hayley, James...Jack."

Hurley is shocked by the fact that we can see him.

"So you're the one who wrote our names on the wall." Kate says.

"I am."

"Sun and Jin Kwon and Sayid Jarrah-you wrote their names on the wall?"

"Yes."

"Is that why their dead."

"I'm very sorry."

"I wanna know that Sun, Jin, and Sayid didn't die for nothing."

"Come and sit and I'll tell you what they died for...I'll tell you why I chose them...and why I chose you...and then I'll tell you everything you need to know about protecting this island, because by the time that fire burns out, one of you is gonna have to start doing it."

We all sit down.

I sit next to Sawyer.

"I don't know where to start." Jacob says.

"How about with why you brought us to the island?" I say.

"I brought all of you here because I made a mistake. A mistake I made a very long time ago. And now because of that, there's a very good chance that every single one of you and everyone you've ever cared about is going to die."

"What mistake?" James asks.

"You call him the monster," Jacob says.

"But I'm responsible for what happened to him. I made him that way. And ever since then, he's been trying to kill me. It was only a matter of time before he figured out how, and when he did, someone would have to replace me. And that's why I brought you all here."

"Tell me something, Jacob," Sawyer says, "Why do I gotta be punished for your mistake? What made you think you can mess with my life? I was doin' just fine til you dragged my ass to this damn rock."

"No, you weren't." Jacob says as he stands up, "None if you were. I didn't pluck any of you out of a happy existence. You were all flawed. I chose you because you were like me. You were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn't find out there. I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you."

"What is the job?" Jack asks.

"There's a light at the center of the island. You have to make sure is never goes out. You have to protect it.

"Your monster friends said there was nothing to protect it from." Sawyer says.

"You have to protect is from him."

Jacob says something about him wanted us to kill the monster. But I tune him out all I can think about is this damn necklace.

"Is what my necklace is? The light at the center of the island? Why did you give it to me?" I ask. 

"Your necklace represent is the light at the center of the island, if your necklace ever stops glowing that means the light at the center of the island has gone out and that means something horrible will happen, and because Hayley...I wanted you to take over the island, I thought you could do the best job, you needed this place more then anyone else. And if that light ever went out in your necklace, I knew you would do something about it."

"Ain't no way in hell am I letting that happen," Sawyer says, "She is not staying here the rest of her life protecting this damn island. She is my kid and I'm going to protect her no matter what, so she is getting off this island with me."

"Hayley?" Jacob says.

"You heard the man, ain't no way that's happening."

"So now who are you gonna pick?" Hurley says.

"I'm not going to pick, I want you to have the one thing that I was never given- a choice."

"And is none of us chooses it?" Kate says.

"Then this ends very badly."

After a few moments of silence.

"I'll do it," Jack says.

He stand up.

"This is why I'm here. This is...this is what I'm supposed to do."

"Is that a question, Jack?" Jacobs says.

"No."

"Good. Then it's time."

We watch as Jacob does whatever he needs to do to make Jack the protecter of the island.

I lay my head on Sawyers shoulder.

I'm so tried, It's been days since I've slept.

I got used to actually sleeping when we were at Dharma.