Summary: Jack became the absolute ruler of the island after Ralph jumped off a cliff. Now that Fate wants to play drama, meetings that weren't supposed to happen occur in the most unlikely places. Boats brought more people to join the games and one secret has turned the island into a country. Eventual Jack x Ralph
This is not an AU of LOTF – more like an AF, an alternate future. The prologue and the rest of the chapters have happened after Piggy was killed, after Samneric were captured, and up to the point when the entire tribe was chasing Ralph. They did not unleash the fires so the island is still its little island self.
Thank you for reading.
XXX
The tribe watched Jack, their venerated chief, who was staring down the abysmal waters below the steep cliff. The waters itself was a beast, clawing and screaming against the pink rocks as if it was the one trapped in the godforsaken island, a larger scale of a cage. Jack licked his lips, feeling chapped skin and tasting salt and blood. His knife, its teeth baring, was frustrated at the lack of kill, of conquer whilst the hand that held it was shocked at the revelation that happened just now.
Ralph, the ultimate game, jumped off the cliff and was devoured by the beast. The savage littluns reverted back to young British boys, running towards to the end of the pink cliff and yelled out for Ralph the boy and friend, not the past link of authority that connected back to the civilization they have abandoned without a second glance. Roger, the swarthy boy and lieutenant to Jack, stepped forward to clutch the napes of two littluns, barking the other boys to come back to their places. Awaken by Roger's authoritative voice, Jack steeled his face and heart. The chief turned to his tribe and spoke. Standing at the edge of the cliff with the ocean roaring behind him made an awesome picture alike to the Happily-Ever-After in storybooks. The hero slew the dragon and rescued the princess, carrying her bridal style by the bloody remains of the monster.
Except there's no princess. There is no dragon, definitely no bloody hero, and nobody's sure if this is even a Happily-Ever-After. But as the Chief spoke, the savages pretended it was, keeping their masks on.
"We did not kill the beast," their chief began. He paused, watching some of the concerned savages looking at each other, whispering. "We did not kill the beast," the Chief repeated," and we can never kill the beast."
The Chief's eyes turned aggressive. "The beast is strong, maybe invincible."
He pointed his spear towards the tribe," All of you remembered how he crawled to our circle, disguised to look like us, to fool us, and then attack us? We gave him the head of our kill to eat but he still wants more!" Some of the smaller savages drew back as if the spear itself was the beast. Fleeting memories of nightmares returned in full forth, causing some to whimper.
"But together – we are stronger than the beast! When we all unite and attack the beast, the beast screamed and crawled back to the ocean like a coward!" the Chief exclaimed loudly, a victorious smile lightening his features. The savages started cheering, and Jack was sunning in their praises. He continued," The pig and Ralph? They were just slowing us down; trying to spoil everything we do."
"But now they are gone. We can go on with our hunting and dancing like we used to. We will practice sparring from now on so when the beast comes back to try to eat us…"
"We'll be ready."
The tribe cheered, thrusting their spears to the air. All traces of the naïve British boys who first arrived to the island were erased. Painted faced devils woot and clapped, chanting "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"
"Maurice, Bill, Roger and me will hunt a pig. The rest of you will return to Castle Rock and continue to improve the fort. Samneric will be on watch again. We shall feast to celebrate today's triumph."
XXX
Sam remembers a lot of things; he just forgot when it happened. However, if anyone were to ask him to say the events that transpired in the island in chronological order, he would not hesitate to tell. After Jack became the autocrat of the tribe, the island, it was the same thing over and over again. Sleep, hunt, kill, dance – the daily routine blurred together. From time to time Jack issued meetings, conjuring up ideas what to do to improve their barbaric "civilization". If he was hearing all of these episodes from the radio, Sam would be amazed how the tribe could do the same things over and over again and never be bored. But actually living through these ordeals were an entirely different story; here was Sam, watching his twin brother, Eric, laughing with Robert at Phil, a littlun-turned-bigun who was tied up and beaten by Roger. Phil spat at Robert and Eric and Robert did the same to him. Sam wrinkled his nose but not disgusted – it just became a habit.
He doesn't remember when he and Eric stopped becoming Samneric. One day, Jack randomly commanded Eric to come hunting with him and Eric returned ebullient, elaborating gory details of the hunt to Sam. Sam could only nod, dazed at the sudden yet slow changes visible in his brother. Sam went to the hunt once sometime afterwards and he admits that it is enjoyable. But there was a fingernail scratching the back of his mind lightly, silently asking how it is fun. Is painting his face like a child fun? Is killing a pig like a monster fun? Is dancing and chanting around the fire like an Indian fun?
Sam took comfort and pain at that fingernail. He felt somewhat, dare he think it, higher than the anonymous devils that surrounds him every day and every night because of his higher thinking. But he felt lonely in his mind, alone with the knowledge and wisdom that once revealing it, he fears that he will not be spared by the terrifying and revered ruler of the island, Jack.
He tried to tell his brother, believing that Eric would understand and protect the knowledge together.
This turns him to this situation that could have been avoided.
Sam waited until night blankets the sky and turns on the moon as a lamp. Patiently, Sam stood by as Phil states that he would never question the wisdom of the Chief with natural confidence in the middle of their circle and in front of the celebrity himself. Sam stood by, grinning like a fat pig before stabbed by a hunter when Eric enthusiastically told him and Robert dark rumors about a second beast like an avid horror storyteller while they eat. Sam stood by when Wilfred and Percy poured coconut bowls of water at the fire, a sign that it is time for everyone to rest and the sentries to go to their positions.
Sam stepped up when he and Eric were all alone in their personal shelter. The tribe once had to improve the fort, shoving and arranging rocks to make a form of a primitive shelter for everyone. Of course there can only be so many rocks and space so all of the littluns shared their shelters while the Biguns have their own. Sam and Eric were the only Biguns who actually shared but because they're still referred as Samneric sometimes by the Chief and Roger, nobody cared. Sam did not open his mouth to speak his thoughts until Eric finished placing the new pigskin hide on the center of the ground. Sam couldn't understand that either. The shelters, including theirs, were too small to be houserooms but big enough for just a person and their necessities. How could anyone attempt to make it more "homely" when it's so clear that the shelters and the island can never truly be a real home?
Sam asked Eric this.
Eric just raised his eyebrow as if the question itself was ridiculous. Eric scratched his head, the dirt on his hair highlighted by the moonlight creeping in the schisms of the imperfect rock room.
"Well we just have to do with the things we got," Eric finally answered, seemingly satisfied with his solution.
A shade of desperation crossed Sam's countenance. "Eric, you make it ad if it's normal."
"Well it's normal isn't it?" Eric asked confused. "We've been doing everything for a long time. Everyone has been hunting and sparring and doing everything else for a long time. By now this should be normal."
"Eric! This is not normal!"
"Then what's normal Sam?"
Sam hesitated. He looked away, ashamed. What was normal to begin with? The answer was at the tip of his tongue but he couldn't get it out.
Suddenly an idea inspired him. Sam turned back to Eric who lied down the pig blanket without him. The more sagacious twin changed his voice tone to a more frightened yet excited one and whispered to his brother's ear. "I think I know where the second beast is."
Eric jumped up, yelping "What!"
Sam nodded gravely. "I heard some of the others say it's at the cliff –"
"Which cliff! Why doesn't the Chief know this?"
"Shush! I said I think I know where it is! But that doesn't mean it's true. We should go together and check – just the two of us! If the second beast is there then we can tell the chief that we found it ourselves."
Eric looked worried. "But what if the second beast is real? What if it attacks us before we tell the Chief that it's there, and waiting…"
"Well we saw the first beast and we got away right?" Sam consoled. "We can do it again! If we find the second beast and tell the Chief, the Chief will be so proud of us. For the sake of the tribe we have to warn them that there's another beast."
Eric contemplated for a moment before nodding," Alright. Let's go check it out right now."
Eric grabbed two spears from the corner of their shelter and tossed one to Sam. Alert, Sam looked around the area, checking the tonight's sentries. They were wide and awake, pacing back and forth from time to time. Two of them were having a chat that broke out into a friendly spar. Sam signaled Eric that the path was clear and the duo passed the guards. It was at this moment Sam felt true fraternal connection to Eric, a bond that he almost believed that was lost long time ago. Their breaths and steps were identical like one. They stumbled upon the Pig Run and Sam became the guide with Eric by his side. The air was cool and the moon was still lingering in the center of the sky. There was no sign of dawn creeping around the corner. The island was asleep.
"Ah!" Sam exclaimed as he took a wrong step and a ground vine scarred his leg, right beneath the knee.
"You okay?" Eric asked.
"I'm fine but I think this one is gonna leave a mark," Sam said, narrowing his brows at the thin line of blood. "Let's go."
While Eric was unsure of the unknown territory outside of the Pig Run, Sam walked past the trees and vines like an expert. He repeated the memories of the layout of the way to the cliff over and over again in his mind.
"This is where the second beast supposed to be?" Eric asked as they finally arrived to the other side of the island where the mountain towers. Series of pink cliffs stood around the mountain and the island until gradually sloping down to the beach where the abandoned washing pool sits.
Eric slowly walked over to the edge, watching the waves roll softly against the cliff. The water looked so clam and low, making the cliff look even steeper. Eric shivered, the instinctive fear of falling rattling his nerves and he took a step back. "There's already a beast in the water. Could there be two?"
"Are you really sure that the second beast is here?"
"I didn't being you here to see the second beast Eric."
Eric's head swerved to his brother's direction, nearly jumping at the close approximate he was to him. Sam looked back to his beloved family calmly – so calm that he looked cold. Eric wondered how his own face could have such an old yet young expression.
"I brought you here because this is where Ralph died."
It was Sam's turn to wonder how his own face could have such a terrified and betrayed expression. Why his brother felt betrayed he does not know. He continued," If I were to tell you this back at Castle Rock you wouldn't pay attention."
"No one would."
"What's going on Sam?" Eric demanded. The trees danced to the soft ocean breeze but the waves below glared at the wind, becoming aggressive to its unwelcome appearance. The moon was still beaming towards the island but it was growing tired of its work, slowly retreating away from the center of the night. Sam took in the details of the island that he had inhabited for god knows how long.
"Normal was home," Sam breathed. "Normal was when mum made supper and dad and grandpa were telling at the radio of a baseball game."
Sam's calmed face was interrupted by the desperate eyes that would forever haunt his only brother. "What is normal? Is normal killing pigs and people Eric? I don't understand and I don't want to try. The tribe killed Simon – don't deny it Eric! – killed Piggy and killed Ralph. I don't want to this life to be normal."
"I…want to be rescued."
"It can't be helped!" Eric snapped, hiding the unreasonable hurt that constricted his chest. Rescued? He hasn't heard, no, he never thought of that word ever since Ralph died and that was long ago. The life of civilization and normalcy never crossed his mind even once. He is satisfied with the life he has now and he doesn't want it to be twisted up by the forbidden thoughts his brother carried.
"We tried to be rescued long time ago! We will never be rescued and we will never get off from this island!"
"We're fine as we are Sam."
"Then I'm running away from the tribe."
Eric bolted to his brother, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him to get him to return to his senses. "Roger is going to slaughter you just by thinking like that! Running away from the tribe? That's a talk from a madman! Where are you running off to, huh!"
"LET GO!"
Sam shoved Eric away from him, the comment of being a madman boiled his blood. He is not mad! He is sane! Everyone else was mad, including his twin brother!
Eric smacked Sam's head, hard enough for Sam's head to throb. "Return to your senses damn you!"
The first hit, the first curse, the first fight. Sam snarled, jumping at his own brother and they wrestled. They were both unnerved at the uncomfortable conflicting emotions and each other's ferocity. Sam used the butt of his spear to toss Eric off of him. Eric started using his weapon as well, holding both ends to hold Sam down by his throat. Suffocating, Sam jabbed his knee, connecting it to Eric's stomach. Eric coughed, his organs felt as if they were trying to climb out of his throat and glared nastily at his only family. Teeth baring, Eric swung with full force with the spear at Sam who ducked to dodge the blow. Before Sam could retaliate, the nagging fingernail scratched him and he was stunned out of his violent fervor.
Why is he fighting his own brother?
Why is he fighting?
Although Sam stopped his side of sanguinary rampage, Eric did not. Daily spars and kills ingrained in Eric's soul and instincts, prompting him to lash out at his own brother as if he was the pig he hunted with the tribe many times before. The sharp end of his spear stabbed at Sam's right shoulder. It did not penetrate the torso but it did slashed deep enough to bleed heavily. Sam screamed and felt himself falling backwards.
Sam did not look at the moon retreating to the horizon to pass the baton to the sun. Sam did not notice the laughing seagulls that watched him fall. He did not notice the cries that followed him.
All he saw was his brother's panicked face before he crashed the water, the beast engulfing him and swallowing him down into the deep, airless abyss.
XXX
"Chief, Samneric are not here," Roger reported looking at the semicircle of savages around the Chief.
The Chief frowned, finding the twins' absence distasteful. The other savages began giggling, betting each other how badly beaten the twins will be for oversleeping before Roger silenced them easily with a single glare. Cold blue eyes studied the savages through the long shaggy bangs of filthy red hair.
"Go to their shelter and tie them up," the Chief answered finally. "They will be punished."
The cold blue eyes glint and tilted upwards. "Roger, will you properly count twenty-five this time?"
The dark boy smirked in return. "Of course Chief, but sorry if I forget and start over."
Their blood exchange reminded the rest of the tribe who were the main authority figures here and shuddered. Some even felt a bit of pity for the chastisement the twins will be facing until –
"CHIEF CHIEF!"
A red and white face looked up to see Eric who was panting and covered in fresh cuts and bruises across his nakedness. His spear was coated with blood that was turning into the color of rusty brown. Eric's painted mask was ruined by sweat, his cheeks messy by the half dried trail of tears.
Roger stepped forward, "You are la-"
"THE SECOND BEAST! HE GOT SAM!"
Silence greeted Castle Rock. The entire tribe was shocked frozen, their eyes wide and bulging. Roger stopped in his movements, his unkempt black bangs belying his frightened eyes. The Chief's mouth tightened to a fine line, jaws clenched and knuckles whitened.
"What happened?"
Eric never meant to tell the truth and yet he couldn't afford to feel guilty. The lies flowed naturally out of his mouth into a terrifying tale that made the littluns whimper and the Biguns tremble. Even Roger and the Chief could not tell them to shut up. Eric's fear for his life of harming another tribal member overrode his shame at the face of Jack and his tribe.
"Me and Sam were sleeping in our shelter right? M - Maurice – you saw us go in, remember? So I fell asleep, thinkin' that everything's fine and then in the middle of the night something came into our shelter."
Eric gulped, his pause bringing the entire tribe to the edge of apprehension. His rattling nerves made his voice stutter and his words incomplete. "I heard a small noise but I thought it was nothin'. 'Was tired so I didn't thought much of it 'til I didn't feel anything next to me. Sam was gone."
"I-I finally woke up and saw Sam wasn't there a-an' more. So I waited – thought he went out to do his business right? – but he did'n c-come back."
"So I snuck out to search for him all over the island. I checked the Pig Run, checked the beach, checked the forest – everywhere! I went all the way to the other side of the island where the mountain and the cliffs are and I-I…"
Eric gave a serious shudder. His voice began to stutter even worse. The tribe thought it was the fear and grief and they were nearly correct. Fear for his life, grief for his brother, and shame for his serpent mouth. Yet he continued his story.
"I-I s-saw," Eric swallowed the ball of emotions down. "This b-black thing carrying S-Sam down the edge of the cliff. I tried to get Sam back – honest I tried! I stabbed the beast but he was t-too strong for me – fightin' and Sam was struggling to live an-"
Sobs wracked Eric's body and he broke down.
"THE BEAST TOOK SAM WITH HIM TO THE OCEAN AND SAM NEVER CAME BACK UP!"
Eric wailed and the tribe started panicking, turning to their Chief for guidance out of this abject situation. Jack just sat still like a statue. Jack looked aghast, his heart hammering but not because of fear but of challenge. It was an indescribable yet addicting feeling that he hadn't felt for a long time.
"Which cliff did the beast took him to?"
Eric sniffed and the Chief gave him some time to recover.
"The cliff where Ralph jumped off sir."
"It's a ghost!" Percy gasped. "The second beast is Ralph's ghost and he's haunting us!" Murmurs that go along the lines of "How do we kill a ghost?" sprouted from the tribe. Jack signaled Roger to silence them.
"That's nonsense," the Chief settled. "If it was Ralph's ghost he wouldn't go after Sam."
The Chief's face darkened.
"He would go after me."
Suppressed memories of Ralph, their past chief, surfaced. The fair hair, golden body, and the stunning charisma he carried like an adult.
And his bereaved stricken face before he voluntarily jumped off the cliff to escape from the face of death.
"Eric, you will be taking me and Roger to the cliff. Maurice will be keeping an eye out over the tribe here."
"Let's go."
XXX
Sam gasped, coughing salty water. He groaned and rolled over to his side, wincing when he felt a pang at his right shoulder.
Right shoulder…
"Eric!" He spoke and sat up too fast and coughed more violently. His head was pounding as if there was a live creature hiding in his skull trying to escape. He felt a little numb and gave himself time, letting his conscious to get comfortable. His senses slowly returned. He was able to smell the sea air and hear the waves although it sounded more airy and hollow. Sounds of drip dropping – like a leaky faucet did not go unnoticed. He can feel his fingers – there was something wet and slimy under his palm. It felt like film over the rocky surface underneath. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked, his eyelashes washing off the remnants of salt and dirt. His eyes burned but he forced them to see. Last night's events were not forgotten easily and his chest tightened at the thought of his fight with his dear brother. Oh Eric…
Then sight came.
He looked around and became frightened. He remembered falling into the ocean, not crawling inside a cave. He tried to stand up and staggered. He placed a head on a nearby rock and frowned at the strange texture. Sam's hand retreated instantly, his eyes studying what wasn't a wall but a giant natural column of shiny slippery rock. It was light brown mixed with clear pink – color making it seem to be a see-through object. Sam admired it until he noticed that there were a lot more of these rock columns. The cave he was in was huge, so wide and stretching that Sam couldn't see the end of it even when the mysterious light, which origins did not matter, bounced and reflected on all the rocks inside. The cave glowed light pink, brown and white. Sam had never seen anything of the likes before.
It was like a cave you would see in those fairy tale books.
Sam was so entranced by the alluring upside down spirals hanging from the ceiling that he did not notice his spear was lying next a column adjacent to him, next to the large and sharp edged seashells. There were animal bones, charred wood, and a pile of flat brown leaves seen on palm trees and seaweed gathered in a spot like a mat. Right behind Sam was a round small pool, nearly as wide as the bathing pool at the beach. But this was not just a pool. This was an entrance to this cave, grotto and sanctuary.
Sam turned to the noise of splashing and watched as a figure emerged from the pool. The reflecting light made the figure's pale skin even whiter. Wet fair hair stuck to the forehead of this person. In the person's right hand was a sharpened bone of a pig's rib, collected in one of this person's many daring adventures to the upper island. A fish was pierced by the sharpen rib, its white lips parting in a silent prayer.
Sam stared at this human. He finally found his voice.
"Ralph?"
XXX
I do not have that much time to write stories anymore but hopefully this story will not stay uncompleted (like my other story). This plot bunny came to me after reading LOTF for my school assignment and it would not leave until I write it.
So I wrote it.
The summary mentioned about boats of people. This is not a lie – if I have the time to continue this story, there will be more people arriving to the island. Wow, what an original idea.
Anyways, thank you for reading – I hope you enjoyed it :D