Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Please read and review the story after chapter 12 in the novel Lord of the Flies and enjoy!
Lord of the Flies
Chapter 13
"Misdirection of a Leader"
Heading home in a storm is not as simple as it should be. I'm stuck in the bloody cabin below deck while Mr. Johnson steers us clear away from the lingering clouds. I would much rather be on the island hunting! Oh, how fun that would be! One bloody week from the beach and we have already been lost at sea, well, that's the way it seems anyway.
"Roger will you step forth." It wasn't a question, but as order from Mr. Johnson the soldier. I marched up to my rescuer, who saved us all, he says. I expected he would allow me on deck for my expertise in hunting.
"Can you load and shoot a gun?" He questioned me; not what I had expected.
"Um… I reckon I can just like my dad Sir."
"This causes a problem then. I guess I'll just have to keep my rifle hidden."
Even though I wanted to, I didn't protest. Soldier Johnson was a proper chief and not to be meddled with. He had his weapon in his arms, like a watch dog protecting his littluns'. Our protector then saluted us and walked out the creaky, wooden door. Then the cabin boy rushed in with the American baseball cradled in his hands.
"A meeting again!" We all complained. Thomas ignored our cries and continued on.
"The captain would like me to explain something. Once I'm finished I will pass the baseball around the circle so hurry and sit so we can get this over with." He explained impatiently.
After a few minutes he spoke again. "Now that you are all settled and such I shall begin. The captain would like you to use the lavatory properly and not like savages. He would like you too stop yelling and shouting that creepy chant of yours. Most of all he wants you all to stay above deck from now on because he's sick of your complaints and would like you to see how dangerous it is." Then he passed on the baseball. As it went around the circle from no one wanting to talk, it stopped at Jack.
"I want… never mind." Holding back, as he passed on the small ball to me.
"This is ridiculous." I spoke. "We should rebel and chant as much as we want when ever we want. He is not our chief. We never have even seen his face save the time his boat picked us up."
"It is not your option, rules our rules, and this is dictatorship!" scolded Thomas. "Pass on the baseball; it is no longer your turn."
I gave it up reluctantly, passing it to the first who had bawled on the day of our rescue, Ralph, but he just passed it on, realizing it didn't matter what he had to say, even is they had the chance to speak.
The white and red baseball finally reached its owner and he walked off. We each stood up and walked through the door of which was the gate of our week's prison.
It was dark outside, lighted only be the lanterns on the wall and pale sun showing dim as a distant candle in a thunderstorm. We walked together, like it was an instinct, across the wooden floorboards, and in view of Captain Dougery. He acknowledged us and spun the wheel towards the left. We felt the ship rock sharply, tripping us to our hands and knees. Percival screamed looking over the rail.
"It's a beastie! It's a beastie!" He panicked. "Look! Look! It's a beastie. We are all going to die!"
"What is all this commotion for?" Mr. Johnson lifted Percival up and away from the railing. "There is no such thing as a beastie. Wait, where is Jack?"
I looked around till my eyes passed by a dark figure with a rifle in his hands, aiming at the soldier.
"Look here son. Shoot the gun, and you'll miss and I'll get you."
"No, I won't miss. I'm a dead shot." He pulled the trigger and I heard a bang and then a violent choking sound; then silence. Jack had shot and killed my, our protector. Jack asserted his authority as he did before, and he ran for the captain. Ralph ran after him to stop his actions, and held him back.
"How thick headed are you. You just killed our soldier and now you're going for the operator of our ship!" Ralph yelled in his face.
Jack had his new found answer.
"You bloody imbecile! I should kill you off too! I'm not going to kill him, but blackmail him!
Ralph stepped back and let him pass. The idea of death had entered his mind before. Man was truly dark to him, but not to me.
"Look over here Roger!" Jack call to his attention. "The captain's room contains wine bottles strewn across the floor! He's drunk!"
This was certainly an advantage. It looked fun, the way the captain was acting. Maybe I could just take a little. I was beaten to it though. Samneric were already at it. At that moment the ship was thrust into a quick turn. The captain was going to kill us!
"How do you do children?" The captain asked hazed over.
"Anyone know how to steer this thing?" I screamed over the storm outside.
"It couldn't be too hard. Though, it wouldn't be as good of a job as an adult." Ralph exclaimed.
"I'll try it. Roger, hold the rifle." Jack pushed the captain to a chair and ordered Samneric to tie him up, even in their current drunken state. I grabbed the rifle and pushed Ralph through the door, making him fall down a flight of stairs.
"Don't come back up either!" I warned him.
I shut the cabin door and headed to Jack who was trying to steer the large blue and red ship. He turned it to the left and we hit an object coming extruding out of the sea. I could hear the screams of the littluns yelling. "The beastie!" I ran out the door and shot up into the air.
"Now you all listen up! I'm in chief here while Jack steers the ship. I'll shoot anyone who so much as screams again, you hear! Now hush up!" I threatened the children before me, but my finger slipped, and shot at the dark image in front of us all. I witnesses a chip of what seemed like a rock, but couldn't have been. It was the beast come for revenge! I began shooting for dear life, but I missed and hit Percival. He screamed and then lay silent as death.
"You shot a littlun!" Ralph accused.
"I was shooting the beast! I did no such thing! He got in my way!
"He was protecting us!" Robert defended. "I saw the beast with my own eyes!"
"If you saw it, where is it now?"
I looked up to see Jack steering somewhere else. But we were thrown against another rock. I felt myself reach the rail and hit my head hard. I felt myself fall in slow motion as I reached the ice cold water below me. I went under thinking to swim, but the ice took my breath away and I'm beginning to slip into unconsciousness…
