Crossing Lost: Getting Here is the Easy Part

Who: Hugh Emerson
Where: Camp Crash
When: Day 21, Oh-Dark-Thirty in the morning
Invited: Anyone at Camp Crash
Status: Complete [Closed]


The bodies of the vampires burned briskly. They'd been carried well down the beach, dumped onto a pile of wood "borrowed" from the regular signal fire supply, and doused with a cupful or two of Dr. Pierson's moonshine. Then Sayid had set them afire without ceremony. Monsters didn't deserve any such consideration as far as Hugh was concerned.

The bodies of their victims had been collected and laid out side by side under tarps and blankets, awaiting the arrival or George or Daisy, or both. Once they'd done their jobs, the victims would be given a funeral and then burned as well. Hugh stared at the lumpy tarps for a long moment, then trudged over to sit down by the signal fire.

Sleep wasn't an option anymore tonight. Conversations buzzed all over camp. Most of the camp was there, standing or sitting or pacing anxiously. Chloe was absent, being tended to in a shelter. Sun, Carrie and Rose Elder were huddled with Veronica, who was no longer hysterical, though Hugh wasn't certain her withdrawn silence was a big improvement. She was a smart girl, maybe too smart. Hugh could hear some of the more inflexible minds among them trying already to rationalize what had happened.

Veronica was too smart to be able to retreat into denial that way. She couldn't deny the evidence of her own eyes. Question was: was she flexible enough to wrap her mind around it and come out whole? Hugh didn't know, though he hoped so. Only time would tell.

Hugh heard the crunch of footsteps approaching. He looked up and gratefully received the cup of coffee extended to him. "What's news?" he asked before taking a sip.