It was approaching faster now; somehow it was always coming faster, getting closer, thicker by every passing minute. Ralph reached out, pushing back a stray branch. Hearing the hiss of air and accompanied by the loud smack on skin, Ralph turned around. Faint images of Samneric and Piggy brought relief to Ralph's sigh.
"What's wrong?" Ralph asked the images. "What's wrong, WHATS Wrong." Piggy yelled. "You just smacked me in the face" Piggy's hand retreated to his face.
Ralph squinted, stepping closer in order to investigate. Peering closer Ralph saw the slowly growing color of red. Piggy's cheek had been whacked good. Ralph stumbled with his words as he thought of an apology, but Piggy just shook his head. In order for them to find their way back to the huts they would need all the light they could get. Only a faded color of the sun remained now. Ralph knew exactly what Piggy was saying. Now that Piggy could barely see and Jack becoming more savage they would need to regroup.
"Right then!" Ralph started. "Sam, you lead Piggy and Eric go on Piggy's other side!"
The twins obeyed Ralph's commands, quickly stumbling to each side of Piggy. Ralph sighed, feeling a sense of authority, but quickly dismissed it.
The few huts that remained from after the ambush were badly damaged. Ralph stepped in each and every one of them, hoping to find at least a decent one to sleep in. Ralph emerged from one of the very first built huts on the far right, away from the others. He waved both his arms up in the air, calling over the other three. Piggy collapsed with a grunt, once inside the hut. The loss of sleep had made them all excessively drowsy. So much had gone on that day and everyone needed a good night's rest.
Ralph opened his eyes, lying on his back. He stared upward and noticed a small hole on the huts roof. After awhile, the sun's rays shined through the small hole. Ralph moved his hand slowly to his face to shield his eyes. He waited for a minute then stiffly got up. Ralph glimpsed at each of the sleeping bodies. He smiled. By the way they slept it would have seemed that all troubles had vanished, that they weren't in a constant struggle for their life.
Quietly Ralph maneuvered around the sleeping boys to the flapping door held together by thick grass. Ralph pushed it aside crawling out of the hut. He looked back and smiled. Today they had planned to approach Jack and try to reason with him. Ralph started at a jog and found his way to the fruit trees. They wouldn't be able to live here much longer, half the fruit had vanished.
Ralph skillfully picked an armful of ripe fruits. He carried them to the hut carefully, as to not damage the tender skin. Looking around Ralph had a childish plan. Ralph examined all the fruit carefully. He noticed that two of them had been ruined by the others weight, they were no good. Ralph hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouted.
The boys emerged, shielding their eyes from the sun. Ralph picked up the fruit and chucked. The fruits hissed through the air, spraying loose skin into the air behind them. Ralph hunched over clutching his stomach with one arm and holding his mouth with the other. Ralph couldn't hold it anymore; he started to snicker then started laughing hysterical.
The bigger fruit had fallen apart and covered the boys in purple fruit guts. Seeds from the fruit were plastered in their hair and the smaller fruit had split open on Piggy's head, staying upward almost like a hat.
"Why'd you do that?" Piggy yelped
Samneric turned to each other, picking out the seeds in their hair. Ralph had used the coconut shells to gather bathing water for washing. Piggy's hands shakily submerged into the coconut. He watched as the water swished around the sides, causing the dried liquid on the sides to break off and float on the tinted water.
"Ralph…When do we get me specks back?" Piggy's face continued to observe the flakes in the water.
Ralph stretched his arms, throwing them in the air. Ralph puffed out his checks then gave a sharp, quick whistle.
"Where heading up there now Piggy" Ralph replied.
Piggy nodded his head. Ralph noticed that soft sounds of dripping had started. Ralph looked up towards the skin. A confused look crossed his face. The sky wasn't dark so there couldn't be raining. Ralph looked at Piggy. The dripping was coming from the coconut.
Ralph walked over to Piggy. A tear rolled down Piggy's face and fell into the coconut, causing the dripping sound.
"You okay?" Ralph cautiously asked Piggy.
Piggy wiped his nose on his sleeve, looking up at Ralph.
"What's going to happen to us Ralph, everyone's becoming so violent?" Piggy blubbered.
Ralph shrugged. "Listen Piggy, I don't know what's going to happen but what we can do is keep that fire going", Ralph paused "That fire is our only hope of being found!"
Ralph looked over his should as laughter erupted from behind him. Samneric had entered the campsite. They waved at Ralph and came over. There excited cries where mixed with Piggy's questions.
Ralph put up his hand. The Twins hastily shut their mouths. Ralph sighed.
"Samneric what's the matter?" Ralph asked.
Samneric together pointed at the mountain where Jack's tribe resided. Ralph squinted then saw it. Piggy's glasses were reflecting off the sun causing it to flash. Piggy poked at Ralph.
"Ralph what's going on?" Piggy whined.
Ralph clenched his mouth shut. Jack was using the glasses for some stupid reason. Ralph turned around to the others; he would not allow Jack to continue this nonsense. Ralph stated up the hill towards Jack's tribe. Ralph turned around and looked back.
"Aren't you coming?" Ralph asked irritably.
The boys nodded and started after Ralph running to catch up.
A low chanting was starting to be heard. Ralph clenched his jaw as he remembered those haunting words.
"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"
Ralph hated those words, the words that caused Simon's death, the words that practically make you insane, and the words that little children now chanted.
Samneric pulled back some thick brush allowing Ralph and Piggy to get through. Ralph looked up as he heard someone yell.
"Come quick intruders" Some child yelled out.
Instantly, old friends in painted masks crowed around the Castle Rock's lookout area. Among them was the red haired boy. Ralph stepped forward as did Jack.
"Have you finally come to your senses?" Jack said
Ralph stared at Jack. He couldn't see Jack clearly anymore. Everyone seemed more like savages than British school children. Jack crossed his arms waiting for a reply.
"I'm not the one who lost their senses!" Ralph spoke calmly.
Jack was taken aback. He was thankful that Ralph couldn't see it is his face. Jack smiled. A thought crept into Jacks mind. The idea of making Ralph suffer suddenly became a great example to show everyone how great a leader he was. Jack walked closer to Ralph.
"So Ralph…how's your fire holding up?" Jack smirked.
Ralph had enough. Jack was acting like a child. Ralph straightened his back. He was taller than Jack and stronger; if push came to shove he would be able to hold his own.
"Give back Piggy's specs" Ralph demanded, holding out his hand.
Managing a concentrating appearance, Jack stuck out his lip and began to tap it with his finger.
"Um, I don't know Ralph, I mean you couldn't even protect them." Jack said in a mocking tone.
Ralph shook with anger. He clenched his fists.
"Wha'da mean!" Ralph bellowed, "You're the ones who trashed our huts and ambushed us in the night!"
Jack grinned. He reached inside his pocket and withdrew Piggy's specks. Jack taunting dangled the specks in front of his face. Then pocketed them once more.
Piggy stumbled forward, past Ralph half waddling towards Jack.
"Give'm back Jack" Piggy rasped.
Jack glared at Piggy. He hated Piggy; Piggy was the main reason why Ralph stopped being his friend. Jack turned his head toward the tower like structure of his rock Castle. Roger stood behind three large boulders, ready to release one at Jacks orders.
Jack pushed Piggy away from him.
"Fat pig, your nothing but a fat pig!" Jack hissed
"Make'm stop Ralph" Blubbered Piggy.
Jack turned back around toward Piggy. Piggy held the familiar white conch. Piggy held to it with dear life as he saw Jack eyeing it.
"You can't have it Jack, you can't have it!" Piggy Wailed.
"Why'd I want that stupid conch?" Jack said.
Roger glared at the boys below, why'd he have to stay behind. Roger wanted to be down there, where Jack was. In Rogers's frustration he threw back his arm causing the balanced boulder, he was standing next to, to tip. Roger stared in horror as the boulder crushed down the rock mountain.
Roger put his hand to his mouth to call out a warning. He stopped. Piggy was in the path of the boulder, perhaps Roger didn't need to call out, and maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. A malicious smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh no Piggy… watch out." Roger whispered to himself, enjoying this satisfying moment.
Ralph stared wide eyed at the incoming boulder. Ralph followed the path it was on and chocked. His throat became dry, and he started to rasp. Ralph couldn't get the words out.
"Piggy, Watch Out!" Ralph screamed
Piggy's pudgy face turned toward Ralph his eyes shinned with fear as he tried to move out of the way, but he was frozen with fear.
Everything seemed in slow motion to Ralph. The boulder hit Piggy, whose arms went around the boulder as if he was hugging it. Ralph could see the air blast out of Piggy. He saw blood too come out of Piggy's mouth.
Piggy made no sound as he was knocked over the steep cliff. The boulder followed after him.
If Ralph had looked over the cliff he would have seen Piggy holding on to a dead tree growing out of the side of the cliff. He would have seen Piggy reaching with all his might upward, hoping someone would help him.
Piggy's fingers burned, silvers had inched their way into his skin. Piggy whimpered, he couldn't speak, something was wrong with his voice. He tried to give a shout but it came out as a horse cough. Tears spilled down his face, mixing with his blood streaked mouth.
Piggy started breathing hard; he couldn't hang on any longer. In his head he pleaded Ralph to look down, to see him, and pull him up. Piggy looked down. Terror gripped his heart.
Knife-like rocks stuck out of the ocean, with sand inching around each and every one of them.
If Piggy fell his pain would be continues then death would come. Piggy squeezed his eyes shut. Why did it have to end like this? Please some, Piggy thought, help me.
Piggy strained his ears. He heard Ralph yelling at Jack. Piggy smiled. No one was going to see him. Hanging here was going to do nothing but prolong the inevitable. He released his grip. His hand still reached for the branch and he gazed at it longingly. He couldn't reverse what he had done, but he wished he had. He would never see those sunsets in Britain that he woke up to see every day, he would never again eat one of his aunties jelly filled muffins, and he would never see Ralph, his friend again.
Piggy gagged as the sharp rock sliced through his back and out through his chest, he saw his bright blood spill into the sea, and he heard his own heartbeat slowly fading away.
But it was odd. Piggy felt no pain or remembered pain. His body slid down an inch on the pointed rock, he groaned. But it was just a reflex it didn't really hurt. Piggy closed his eyes. The ocean started to envelop him. He saw it fill into his body. He breathed it in.
He was dead, but he still saw everything happening around him, even though his eyes were shut. So this is death, thought Piggy. He was glad that he couldn't remember pain…what was...what was the word for what he used to feel. He couldn't remember. Slowly he started fading away, he wasn't a name anymore, he was just him.
Somehow Ralph had managed to escape. Ralph had thought the twins were behind him but they had been captured. How could Jack of done that. Tears rolled down Ralphs face. He turned his head in the direction he had come.
"I will not be beaten" Ralph whispered to himself.
Darkness was approaching faster now. Ralph gazed up the rock castle. He could see Samneric looking out at the sea talking to one another. He quietly ran their way.
"Sam, Eric it's me Ralph" Ralph hissed toward them
Their heads darted back and forth then up and down trying to find where Ralph was. Ralph crawled toward them; he would get them away from this place.
"Ralph what are you doing if Jack where to see you…" Sam made a cutting motion through his throat.
Ralph tried to pull them away but they retreated.
"Sorry Ralph but we can't leave, if they were to find out then we would be done in"
Ralph hated Jack, he was becoming something worse than there nightmares.
"Fine then, but why did you think Jack is going to kill me?" Ralph asked.
The twins looked at one another. Leaning closer and covering their mouths they said.
"You see Ralph, tomorrow Jack said that whoever found you and cut off your head would be reworded greatly"
Ralph glared at them.
"You are joining them tomorrow in this hunt, aren't you" He hissed
The twins cowered in fear.
"Yes but we would never, we couldn't"
The twins fell silent greatly embarrassed by what they were going to do the next day. Ralph glared at them both. Now he was the only sane one left on the damned island. Ralph cursed under his breath, then silently rushed off into the fading light.
Ralph crept through the night, tomorrow they were going to hunt him like a beast, he would need someplace to hide.
An idea crossed Ralph. Maybe he wouldn't need to hide. Ralph hastily ran down to the ocean, he would need to start right away.
Ralph yawned tiredly. Before he had escaped he had grabbed the broken conch that had been crushed by the boulder. He stashed all the weapons that he thought would be of use on a hill that curved upward making a hiding place that would act as his shield.
Ralph peered outward. He heard yelling and screaming going in every direction. Ralph looked up toward the rock castle. A mighty fire plastered that side of the island. He smelled a faint odor of burning flesh.
Would he live to see tomorrow, or would he die here and never again see any one he loved. Ralph tightened his grip on his stick. He had tied various parts of the sticks top with sharp conch parts. It posed as a dangerous weapon if Ralph decided to jab it at someone. It would cut them to pieces.
Ralph turned his head over his shoulder as he heard crunching sand. Someone was approaching him from behind. Ralph couldn't have that it would make it impossible to fend off the attacker.
Silently Ralph inched off the hill, his safe zone, and quickly dashed around the side. He would surprise the attacker.
Ralph would kill him; make him regret ever doing what they did. Ralph jumped from behind the corner of the cliff like hill, jabbing his staff at the on comer, over and over again. Ralph heard the cries and moans, but he couldn't look he was too scared to see himself do what he was doing.
When Ralph did look down he saw the familiar face of Maurice. Anger spilled over his face. Why did he have to do it? Ralph shook his head. No. he was protecting himself. Parts of the shell still were lodged into Maurice's body, to thick to pull out.
Ralphs neck prickled. Before he could turn around the air was knocked out of him. Jack rubbed his hand; it was hurting for the punch he had given Ralph in the neck.
"Hey Ralph" Jack said casually.
Ralph rubbed away the sweat dripping from his forehead. The blazing sun seemed to get even hotter at that moment. Flies danced around their faces, trying to land.
Jack leaned back and chucked an arrow at Ralph. Ralph was to slow; the arrow pierced his stomach barely missing an artery.
Ralph moaned with pain. His hands clutched the arrow that stuck out of him.
Jack pulled back his arm then threw it forward punching Ralph in the face. Ralph hunched up, pulling his arms closer to his body in a defense position. He blocked several of Jacks punches but became too tired.
Another boy joined in to with the fight. He kicked at Ralph from behind. Almost half the kids came helping Jack with his dirty work. But Ralph wouldn't die, so they continued.
Then Jack stopped them, holding up his arrow. He came closer to Ralph then with all his might plunged the arrow right at Ralph. Ralph gagged; the arrow was blocking his airway. He screamed out with pain. Another arrow had been thrown at him, this time going right through his eye.
Bloody tears rolled down Ralphs face.
"Please stop" Ralph croaked out.
Ralph was white now; all the blood in his body lay in a puddle around him. Ralph fell, head first into the red pool.
Ralph screamed. He was breathing hard as his mother patted him on the back.
"It's alright honey, everything's alright, it was just a bad dream" His mother said trying to comfort him.
Ralph stared up at his mother.
"But…but it seemed so real." He whispered.
Something felt heavy in Ralphs hand, he glanced down. Ralph stared at it.
"What the!" Ralph whispered.
In his hand he held broken specks. His mother took them away.
"Now where on earth did you get these, they look so broken."
Ralph shook his head, smiling.
"There a friend of mines" Ralph said.
"Oh… well remember to give them back" His mother said.
Ralph nodded then gazed at the stars shining through his open window. He smiled.
"I won't forget" Ralph whispered to himself.