The Woes of Being Hungry (Open!)

[Libby Smith]

"It is only when we are very happy, that we can bear to gaze merrily upon the vast and limitless expanse of water, rolling on and on with such persistent, irritating monotony, to the accompaniment of our thoughts, whether grave or gay."

Libby smiled, and folded the corner of the page she was reading. How fitting, she thought idly as she set the book beside her. Her light eyes turned upward as she gazed upon the expanse of water before her that seemed exactly what her book was talking about. This, she thought, could truly only be enjoyed when happy. Yet, happiness wouldn't last long if she was plowed through every book she owned. She was reading so many books that she was bound to run out soon. The book she had right now was The Scarlet Pimpernel, and was only one in a long line of books she had read since arriving on the island. If she ran out of books, she didn't know what she would do. She sighed, and stretched out her long legs in front of her. At least she could always enjoy the island, right? The weather was nice, the place was beautiful, and the people were sociable. She had met quite a few people, though it was depressing to know that they probably wouldn't be her best friends. But she could get by. She always did.

Suddenly, her stomach growled. Libby wrinkled her nose. She didn't feel like going all the way back to her dorm for the food she had stashed under her bed. Besides, it wouldn't fill her up, anyway. With a bounce, Libby pushed herself up and looked back, towards the jungle. Some people had talked about eating fruit from the jungle, and now, the idea seemed all too tempting.

Still... she hadn't quite learned much about the island's flora yet. She wasn't quite sure yet which plants were bad or poisonous, and she didn't want to take a chance yet. She had gotten poison ivy once as a child, and all she could remember was how uncomfortable she had been. And weren't tropical places more dangerous? She folded her arms crossly, and looked back at the ocean, contemplating her options.

[Benjamin Linus]

Ben leaned his head against a palm tree in a more secluded section of beach, letting a sigh escape his lips. Normally he avoided the beach as much as possible - it was better to let the students think that the beach was their turf, where no one would disturb them too much - but he needed some sun. Or to wander around in the sand. Or something. He was getting a bit antsy back at the school, waiting for the students to stop staring at each other awkwardly. They needed to actually DO THINGS if he was going to manipulate them properly. As it was, only a few students had made any meaningful connections.

He stood up, letting the sun hit his face. He squinted a bit, staring into the picture-perfect ocean. It looked almost too blue, like a polarized picture. Ben crossed his arms. If only he could be sure he wouldn't be seen, he'd probably go swimming. But if a student found him, they'd probably steal his clothes. Teenagers were so predictable.

Ben wandered down the beach, lost in his own mind, feeling sand seep into his loafers. Rolling up the sleeves on his button-down shirt, he noticed a waifish blonde girl standing on the edge of the jungle, looking back and forth between the ocean and the jungle. He recognized her immediately, though most of the students only knew her by sight - Libby Smith, genial smart girl.

"You lost, Elisabeth?" Ben asked, stepping forward.