Part 124: Day 29

Seth yawned as he walked with Shanna and Locke. They were just on their way to continue the boar hunt, until Locke showed up with a coffee pot and a fresh bag of coffee. Sawyer was highly upset that the boar ate his share of the food and apparently urinated on his shirt. Kate didn’t like that fact of how much the southern man was upset. He suggested that Shanna and Seth follow Locke back to camp while she stuck around with Sawyer. Seth was a little worried; he was under the impression Kate was afraid of him. After all, he did find her in his photo him and Tanya at the Worthington. Even during their game of “I Never” he even suggested he knew her. Seth sighed, wondering what to do. “Is something wrong, Seth?” Locke asked.

“No, sir. I was just . . .thinking of something.” The bookstore worker sighed.

“And what might that be?”

Seth was curious about the man. He saw a lot of Mia in him. He wondered if he should trust him. Until he was told otherwise, he decided not too; at least, not yet. “I am faced with something . . . “:he stuttered, “I don’t know what I means, this . . .thing that has been presented before me. I don’t know what I should do about it.”

Locke smiled. He already knew the young man didn’t trust him. “This thing you mention?” he said, “Do you think it was presented before you for a reason?”

“I don’t know, sir,” he confessed.

“No, you do know. You just haven’t found the reason yet.”

Seth raised an eyebrow, “How do I . . .find the reason, sir?”

“Trust your instincts,” he smiled.

Shanna looked at the man, then back at Seth. The young bookstore worker looked at his redheaded friend with the same confused glare. Last night when they discovered Kate in the picture, his first instinct was to tell Mia about the picture. How did Locke know that? “Sir, have you . .met Mia yet?” Seth asked.

“I have.” He laughed, “Why do you ask?”

“Something tells me you two will get along perfectly.” He said, rubbing the back of his head.

Locke let off a mild chuckle at the statement. Seth raised an eyebrow, as if the man knew something he didn’t. As they turned a corner, they had finally arrived at the grassy hills and in the great distance was the beach. They walked a few more steps and then made their way onto the hot sand. In the distance was their little encampment. Already Mia had spotted and was waving to them like a big sister sitting her siblings come home from college.



Locke held the coffee pot over by the fire, letting boil. He looked at the package of coffee with the strange name and how it describes that it’s “packed to the gills” with caffeine. He held the back to Mia. “Where did you find that again?” he asked.

“A box washed up from the sea three days after we crashed,” she said, placing it down, “It was from a company that specialized in computer parts, and various techno-savvy things. We called it The Nerd Box.”

Locke then laughed yet again. Mia smiled; enjoying his laughter. He reminded her so much of her father. An older man who had found something special, and was at the moment able to see the joy in many things. He rubbed his eyes, and sighed. “It’s been a long time since I have laughed.”

Seth held out his metal coffee cup to toast him. “Then welcome back to the human race, Mr. Locke.”

“Indeed,” he smiled, clicking his cup to his.

Locke sipped on the coffee and then made a moment like the coffee had just bit him the cheek. “Whoa,” he whispered, “That’s good. This will keep me on my feet all afternoon.”

Mia laughed at his reaction. Once again, he reminded her so much of her father. Locke then took his bag and stood up, getting ready to go about his business. “Mia,” he winked at her, “I’ll be back this afternoon to show you what we discussed.”

“Okay, sir, but . . why not now?” she asked.

“Cause Seth has something he needs to tell you.”

Seth spit out his coffee, making the fire sizzle a slight bit. Locke smiled and then sipped his coffee, beginning his walk into the distance. Shanna held her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. Mia just stared at Seth while he wiped his mouth with the back of hand. He coughed for a second, then pointed at the disappearing form of Locke. “You know!” he stammered, “He needs to keep that kinda crap to himself.”

“He’s a man of deep intuition.” Mia smiled.

“Oh, no duh, Mrs. Sherlock,” Seth coughed, “Like I didn’t guess that.”

“Why are you so upset over what he said?” the Lakota girl smiled, still finding this funny.

“Because I didn’t tell him that I was needing to talk to you, he only said it!” Seth then paused and had a look on his face like someone just stepped on his grave, “He . . he . . .he can’t actually READ minds, can he?”

Shanna finally started to laugh. “Seth, would you just listen to yourself?” the red head giggled, “I am pretty sure Locke is not a mind reader.”

“WELL, THEN WHAT THE HELL IS HE?” Seth stammered, “I mean, am I the only one here that even remotely fines this creepy as all-get-out?”

“Seth, would you stop freaking out and just tell me what you wanted to tell me.” Mia laughed.

Seth too a deep breath, then took a gulp of his coffee, and stuck the cup into the sand. He then reached over to his backpack and pulled out his journal. He reached into the back portion, pulling out his favorite photo. He then got up and walked over to Mia. He gave her the photo and she looked at it. “What am I looking for?” she asked.

He used his pinky to point to the blonde in the background, serving drinks at the bar. Mia squinted her eyes, bringing up the photo closer. Then her eyes went wide. “Is that Kate?” she asked.

“It would seem.” Shanna whispered.

“Yes, it would seem a woman I just met a few days ago has been in a photo I’ve carried with me for three years,” He leaned closer to his friend, “Please, Mia, please . . . tell me this is just a wild coincidence.”

“I don’t think this is coincidence.” She immediately replied.

Seth then fell back and collapsed onto the sand. He reached up and covered his eyes. “I can’t take this.” He whispered.

“Seth, it has to mean something that Kate is in your photo,” she said, shaking his leg, “It wasn’t just coincidence I met Locke at the Walkabout Station. Certain things are meant to happen. Why would you believe that Kate is in your photo all that time, only to run into her here on this island? There is something you must know about her.”

“LIKE WHAT?” he exclaimed, leaning up.

“I don’t know. That is what you are supposed to find out.”

Seth sighed, taking the photo back. He walked over, placed it back in his journal and picked up his backpack. “I’ll keep an eye out for her and I have absolutely know idea what I am going to talk to her about to get this info out of her.”

“You’ll find a way, Seth,” Mia smiled.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, professor,” He said, starting to walk away, “I’ll get this homework assignment to you soon.”

As he walked away, he was muttering about his mother sending him to Australia for a vacation and how he shouldn’t have listened to her. Mia and Shanna giggled before the Lakota girl motioned for John to come over and have some coffee.