A fresh start (Claire & Open)

Claire loved the rainy weather on the island. It was amazing and cooled her body off. However, add that to the sound of screaming, disoriented people running around, and people begging her for dry clothes to her already miserable migraine, and she just wanted to stab someone with a pencil. Too bad she didn't have one of those. She eyeballed the hunting knife a few feet away and was tempted to use it on the hysterical blonde woman trying to get out of the rain so her dye job wouldn't get messed up. Claire hated those types of women, but she couldn't kill any of these people. That would do nothing for her except give her slight satisfaction and peace until the rest of them beat her with sticks. So she refrained...from physically hurting her, anyway.

"It's already ruined! Get a life! And a better dye job!" she yelled in annoyance as she moaned and stood up, brushing sand off her jeans and picking up her carry-on bag, slinging it onto her good shoulder and taking a deep breath before spinning on her heel and half limping away from the havoc on the beach. She didn't need this. She just wanted to be alone for while. She saw people staring at her like she was nuts out of the corner of her eye, but right now she was in too much pain to care at that moment in time.

Turning, she headed in the direction down the beach, trying to hum to herself to calm herself down. This morning, she had struggled herself into her other jeans and her red and black layered camisoles and leather jacket with her black Converse's, and she was grateful she had such a big carry-on to fit at least four outfits in. Of course, ever since they crashed, everyone's been asking for her help around the different groups for firewood or food and all the other things needed for survival. And Claire had been a great help, never speaking to anyone but always keeping up her share of the work so that she could have relaxation time like now to be alone.

She had been in that damn area surrounded by dead bodies, where the tail end of the plane had been. She wasn't supposed to survive, but somehow she did. And she was pissed off. Why was she allowed to survive when so many other people didn't? It was a thought that had plagued her every second since she woke up. After she had already had the lives of her family taken away from her, why was she allowed to live through something like this, when so many innocent men and women had their lives taken away so quickly? Why did she have to see more pain and death around her?

Pushing those angry thoughts from her head, Claire kept walking towards a secluded area of the beach and, with an immense sigh of relief, gazed upon a large palm tree offering enough shelter from the rain for her to be satisfied. However, the sound of a baby crying crankily caught her attention, and she turned her head to see a handsome man a few years older than herself picking up the little girl. With a soft smile, she watched him for a moment before remembering what she had found and placed in her bag in case someone asked her for them. Babies made her melt like the Wicked Witch of the West with water, and she loved it. That was one of the thiings in the world that could always make her smile no matter how much pain she was feeling at the time.

"Uhm, excuse me? I don't mean to interrupt..." she began gently, keeping her voice low as to not disturb the baby or startle the man as she took a few steps forward. Her face was kind and curious as she stopped in front of him and began reaching into her bag. "I found these in the wreckage earlier. I don't know if they are yours, but I'm guessing so..." she pulled out the torn bag of diapers, and some of them were missing, but half of the bag still remained. She handed them over, was about to turn to walk away, but her eyes focused on the adorable crying face in his arms, and she stopped again.

"Aww, poor girl must've just woken up, huh? That's the cranky cry. Just rock her a bit and make the shushing sound. Reminds her of the womb. And if you can sing, I'd suggest a lullaby or two...that's what I used to do for the children I used to watch...and they went right to sleep...music works like a charm..." With a shrug, she looked back up at the man. Seeing that innocent little girl made her day ten times better and brighter, and she also pulled out something to keep the baby safe, warm, and dry, and the brunette handed it over to him as well.