Not a Spoiler !!! Just a Theory. Locke in order to help Jacob must walkabout with the dead to locate Jacob and Free him. I think Ben is holding Jacob hostage. In then spookie shack, Ben wanted Locke to think he was crazy talking to the chair, psycho! But when things started to move in the shack it became obivious to Locke a presence was there. The ultimate thriller was "Help Me?"

Locke after he was shot by Ben held up his arm when Ben threaten to shoot Locke Again. Ben is Scarred silly, because Locke heard Jacob speak and Ben didn't. Locke who knew he was not dying told Ben what Jacob said. After Locke reveals what Jacob said we see Locke go into a trance like state.

My theory is Jacob will somehow either become a part of Locke or will take over Locke's body. The fan favorite is Sawyer.

I have sensed that Locke has somehow known all along that he had some purpose. Locke is very curious but he is also fustrated that he can't locate that which calls him. In "The man behind the Curtain," when he sees Ben shoved into the wall and then hears "Help me" Locke knows his prpose is about to be revealed.

If Ben Wanted Locke dead he would have shot him several times. Ben knows Locke is very important and he can't afford to kill Locke, if Locke can even be killed at this point. Locke is the Hero, savior etc for the islands final purpose.

Locke is the relunctant Hero.

What do we know?
1) The Others have become increasingly dissatisfied with Ben as their leader,
especially since Locke's arrival among them.
2) Locke is someone they've been expecting, as was made clear last week when Ben
attempted to discredit him saying, "He's not who we thought he was." Remaining
question...who do they think he is? (Is it possible they thought that Ben was that
person when they came upon him in the jungle as a boy?)
3) Ben said that until Locke showed up in his house, he couldn't even wiggle his toes,
but as soon as Locke showed up, he felt pins & needles...it would stand to reason
that, if Locke radiates a level of his "special" qualities, and his communion with the
island rests heavily with the island's ability to heal, perhaps Jacob felt these affects
when John arrived with Ben, and finally felt there was someone who could help him.
4) He said "Help Me" to John as he went to leave...this was to make him believe...Ben
apparently didn't hear this. Locke didn't believe there was anyone in the chair,
but he DEFINITELY saw Jacob when he threw Ben against the wall (there is a close
up of Jacob's eye as he turns his gaze from a stunned Ben to a frightened John),
hence he ran out of the cabin...afraid...
5) Ben said he was sorry that John was too "limited" to see...limited by his loss of
faith...(the same thing happened last season with The Hatch and the pushing of the
button)...this is another trial for John to overcome...
6) Ben shot John because he wanted to know what Jacob said to him. I think of the
scene in the Stanly Kubrick film "The Shining" when we hear the telepathic question,
"Do you want some ice cream, Doc?"...we hear it, and the intended recipient of the
question hears it...Jacob did not intend for Ben to hear what he said to Locke.
Apparently Jacob has become dissatisfied with Ben as well.
7) Ben needed to exercise a tremendous ammount of patience to deal with his father
until the time of "The Purge". Perhaps Jacob has been exerting the same patience
with Ben until the arrival of Locke. Perhaps The Others have been exerting this
same patience with Ben.
8) Alex gave Locke a gun before he and Ben left to go see Jacob. Richard and Tom
ignored Ben's plea to stop Locke from beating Mikhail to a bloody pulp. All of The
Others knew where Locke and Ben were going. It would stand to reason that at least
one of them would follow not too far behind...
9) Ben is a mass-murderer...the island doesn't take kindly to evil-doers of that ilk.
10) Ben had a look more of shock and awe than anything else when Locke told him
what he heard Jacob say. Possibly because of what Jacob said, or (and I believe
more probable) because Locke admitted that he heard Jacob's voice, thereby also
admitting that he believed Jacob exists. (Until this point, Ben was the "only one"
who spoke to or heard from Jacob.
11) No matter what the truth behind these circumstances...nothing will ever be the
same after this. (I believe that when Locke heals from his wounds, his resolve will
be infinitely stronger, and his purpose more clear. This will be the end of Ben.)

I think it's obivious that Locke is Amoung the Daed.
Ben must be Scarred too. eitehr way Sawyer is my favorite too.