#03 "The Practical Son Returns"

Walt got out of bed. He looked at Hurley, who looked very alarmed and confused. The sunlight coming in through the window was blinding. He was still struggling to process the dream he just had, which made him speechless. Walt walked towards the door to leave the room.
“Walt? Hurley asked, “What happened?”
“I just need a moment” Walt replied, “I just need to get some air.”

Emma was sitting on the front porch of her cabin when she noticed Walt walking out from the cabin across from her. “Walt! Wait up!” She stood up and ran up along side him. “Where are you going?”
“I didn’t sleep well.” He replied, “I just need to be alone right now.”
“Oh.” She replied as she stopped walking, “I just wanted to let you know that if you ever wanted to talk, I am a great listener.” Emma sounded concerned, trying to coax what was obviously wrong out of him. Walt kept walking as he stared off into the jungle ignoring what she said. Emma stood and watched him walk away into the woods.
“He’ll be alright.” Hurley said as he stepped off the porch and walked towards her, “Give him some time, girl dude. He’s got a lot to get used to, ya know?”
“Yeah I know. He said he wanted to be alone. Isn’t that what he’s always been?”
Hurley paused before responding. He just stood there and crossed his arms. “Yeah. He’s gotten used to it. I’m going after him.” Hurley shuffled off to follow Walt.

Walt stood as he gazed upon the tall pylons that were protecting the village. The electrical hum was barely audible over the breeze that moved the trees. He looked around the lush foliage beyond the sonic fence, listening hard hoping that he would hear something. As he stared into the brush, he saw what looked like a human male moving through the branches of the bushes. Walt walked towards the movement, “Hello??” but no response came. “Is someone there??” he asked, still walking towards what he had seen. “Hello?!?!” he yelled.
“Dude! Stop!” Hurley yelled back, “Don’t move!”
Walt turned to see the sign he saw the day before. ‘Warning – Sonic Fence Will Cause Serious Injury – Do Not Enter’ and the electric hum was a lot louder. Walt carefully took a step back.
“What’s going on little man? That sign is like, not lying.” Hurley urged.
“I thought I saw something in the woods.” Walt explained, “It looked like a person.”
“Did you see who it was?” Hurley asked.
“No, I couldn’t tell.” Walt thought for a moment, “Are there other people here??”
“That depends on your point of view.” Hurley explained, “Come sit here with me. Now I get to tell you my Obi-wan Kenobi speech.” Hurley sat by the pylon control panel. Walt sat next to him with a confused and concerned look on his face. “You know I asked you to come here because we needed your help, right?”
“Yeah, a job.” Walt replied.
“Well it’s a very special job, for a very special person…and that special person is you, dude.” Hurley started, “You’re gonna see things that aren’t gonna be easy to explain.”
“Well, there were those whispers I heard yesterday.” Walt exclaimed.
“To be honest, that’s nothing to worry about.” Hurley confirmed.
“How do you know?” asked Walt.
“’Cause I’m also special, and I heard them too. I hear them all the time.”
“What about the others back at the cabins?” Walt asked, “Are they special too?”
“Not like us, little man.”
“Not even Ben?”
Hurley chuckled, “Ben is his own kind of special, but not like us, well not anymore.”
“I don’t get it. I try to make sense of everything, but I have so many questions.” Walt clarified, “I don’t trust him. I only came back ‘cause of you, Hurley.”
“You will eventually trust him. Ben has struggled a lot to get to where he is, but he’s still struggling inside. He’s very remorseful for the things he did to you when you were here last.” Hurley went on, “But I’m not the only reason why you came back.”
“No.” Walt thought to himself, remembering the sound of his father yelling his name from the raft as he was initially kidnapped. ‘Waaaaalt!’
“My dad. It’s been 6 years.” Walt stuggled to put his feelings into words, “The last time I saw him was through the bedroom window of my grandmother’s house. He came to talk to me a couple months after we got back. Just before Christmas. I was so mad at him for what he did to those women here. I was so confused… All the nightmares, like last night… For years I’ve tried to rationalize everything that happened to me… The hospital.” Walt’s eyes started to tear up, “My only regret is that I never got to say goodbye. I should have gone to the door.”
“Your father regrets the way he handled things and what that did to you,” Hurley responded, “One thing you have to realize is that he’s human. We all make mistakes, and we all do things we wouldn’t normally do to protect what we love. Believe me dude, I speak from experience.”
“Ben said I could still help him…” Walt asked, “If he is dead…How?”
Hurley opened the control panel on the pylon and deactivated the fence. The humming sound faded. “Let’s go see who you saw in the woods.”

They stood up and walked into the jungle. Almost immediately faint whispers could be heard, soft and incomprehensible. The cold breeze returned, as the whispers grew louder. The phrase ‘He’s back’ could be heard again along with ‘I love you, Walt’. A rustling came from within the bushes ahead as if someone was coming. Hurley put his hand on Walt’s shoulder.
“Walt?” a familiar voice asked.
“Dad??” Walt responded as Michael came through the brush.
“Walt…My boy!” Michael pleasingly called out, as he walked towards them both.
“This can’t be hap-… I thought you were dead.” Walt froze, stunned. He could not believe what his eyes saw and refused to believe. “You are not my dad.” Walt turned to walk away but Hurley held him still.
“It is me, Walt.” Michael urged. Walt looked at Hurley.
“It’s him.” Hurley confirmed. Walt turned back around to face his father. For a moment he stared into Michael’s smiling face. Walt suddenly became angry.
“My dad is dead!” Walt yelped as he broke from Hurley’s grasp. Hurley watched with Michael as Walt ran off into the jungle in the direction they had come.
Stunned, Hurley said, “I totally didn’t see that comin’”

Elsewhere…

The night was humid, quiet, and only the distant lightning lit up the sky. “Hello?” came from the other end of the cell phone, spoken in Archaic Egyptian.
“Yes, I am here now, at the address you gave me” Chisisi replied.
“Good. Do you have the boy?”
“No. Hondo, there is a problem. He is not here,” Chisisi spoke anxiously.
“Are you sure? That is not possible,” Hondo replied, becoming agitated, “I was told the boy would be there.” Another voice could be heard in the background, but could not be understood.
“I am sure,” Chisisi confirmed.
“This is not good. Something is out of place. Stay there. Keep a watchful eye. Know yourself. I will get back with you with further instructions.” The phone clicked before he could respond.
“Namaste.” Chisisi said to himself as he walked past the Santa Rosa Mental Hospital sign putting the phone into his pocket. The entire hospital was without power and the sign looked dilapidated as though it had been this way for some time. Chisisi walked across the walkway, got into his black SUV and drove down the empty street.

Back on the island…

Walt leaned against the pylon where he and Hurley sat moments before. As the emotion overcame him, he slid down to sit on the ground. Tears fell, as he was not prepared for the overwhelming feelings.
“Hey, are you ok?” a soft female voice came from behind. Walt quickly wiped his tears and grabbed a stick that was lying close to him.
“I’m fine, Emma.” Walt replied, digging the stick in the ground.
“Can I sit with you?” she asked.
“I guess.” Walt answered, as though he didn’t really want her there.
“Why are you here?” Emma asked as she sat beside him.
“Thinking” he responded, now rubbing the stick back and forth in his hands.
“About?” she persisted.
“What I am doing? What I just saw… I dunno.” Walt stammered, “H-H-How is any of this possible???”
“I can’t tell you why these odd things are possible,” Emma started, “They just are. A lot of strange things happen here. It’s gotten better since Hurley and Ben have been taking care of us.” Walt looked at Emma at the sound of Ben’s name.
“I don’t trust him” he said, “I don’t get how you all do.”
“Ben has taken care of us for a long time. He has always been nice to me.”
“He ever stick you with needles?” asked Walt.
Emma gasped, “What?”
“Never mind” Walt said as he stood back up, “I don’t know why I’m here actually,” Walt scoffed, as he threw the branch back into the woods. Sweat started to bead on his forehead.
“Why did you come back then?” Emma inquired.
“To help my dad.”
“Then go help your dad, Walt,” she softly commanded.
Walt hesitated, but gave an assuring nod, “Okay,” as he headed back into the jungle, “Now, let’s find out what this job is.”

The Adventures of Hurley and Ben

 
 
Next week, on LOST: The Adventures of Hurley and Ben...
 
#04 "Where Have You Ben"
 
Preview coming soon