The Change in Ralph

So they knew.

Ralph picked up his stick and prepared for battle. But what could they do? It would take them a week to break a path through the thicket; and anyone who wormed his way in would be helpless. He felt the point of his spear and grinned without amusement. Whoever tried that would be stuck, squealing like a pig.

Then Ralph heard the tribe talking quietly. He strained to hear their plans.

"Let's drop a boulder on him…" whispered Roger.

"Shush you silly fool, he'll hear us!" said the voice of nobody else than the chief, Jack.

Ralph heard footsteps of the tribe moving forwards, along with the struggling groans of Samneric. Their going to kill me…none of this would have happened if they all just listened to me. If they all worked together and forgot about those stupid pigs for once, Simon and Piggy wouldn't have died. Thought Ralph, but now, there is nothing I can do but hide, what would Piggy have done? He's not here to mention some of his rational ideas. I'm running out of time, I've got to get out of here...With that Ralph quietly shimmied out of the back gap of the place in which he was hiding.

As soon as he was out, he walked a few metres and looked around; the tribe was nowhere to be seen. He could only hear them. Ralph assumed that they were up on Castle Rock holding a meeting of some sort to figure out how to plan his death. Ralph ran as fast as he could, into the forest and then stopped to catch his breath. He looked over his shoulder to see the boys running around, in no apparent formation. They were trying to be silent.

It seemed hopeless to Ralph, all the biguns against one me. Jack's tribe was gaining on them. Each member of Jack's savage tribe carried a sharpened spear, or a heavy rock. Ralph's head was spinning; the immense heat was making him weak. He needed water. He thought of giving up, stop running, and surrender. He doubted that they would get rescued if Jack was leader, since a fire seemed impossible and on the least of Jack's plans. He couldn't think straight. He ran into a clearing and thought of concealing himself in a small bush. Nobody would think to look there. It was out in the open. He hoped that the tribe wouldn't think he was stupid enough to hide close to a clearing.

Suddenly, he was scared. He heard the sounds of boys rushing about and of birds flying everywhere. They where here, close by. Soon they would be in the clearing, thought Ralph. Why do they want to kill me? What have I done to them? Their crazy, really crazy, and I will become crazy too if I don't get out of here soon. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of voices.

"He isn't here chief" said Bill who was holding a lighted stick in order to see in the dark.

"That's okay," spoke the confident voice of Jack who came up behind him. "We'll find him soon enough, and then…

"BOOM" shouted Roger and the boys laughed.

Ralph waited for them to pass and then stood up and stepped into the clearing. He went back the way Jack's tribe had come. He knew the tribe outnumbered them and there was nothing he could do to fight back or stop them. So he had to do something else. He ran back towards castle rock and saw that someone had dropped the stick that had fire on it and it caught onto some plants. The fire was catching the plants quite fast. That way was blocked for Ralph unless he wanted to get burned.

Beside it was what made Ralph gasp. They were hurt. Really hurt. The bodies of Sam and Eric were on the sand. It was very sad. Ralph bent down to touch them. Sam's heart was beating.

"Sam?" Ralph whispered.

"Ralph. Where's Eric? I need to tell…" and with that his face fell away and Ralph stood up.

This is horrible. Them too? Things couldn't get worse.

Then he heard a horn of a…well he did not know for sure but he smiled for one second. It sounds like a ship! I've got to find it! We're going to be rescued. For a moment he felt like rejoicing with Samneric, Piggy and the little ones and telling Simon that he would get back alright. But their not here, they've left me and it's all their fault. I hate them! All of them! They've left me alone to face all this. An anger rose inside him that he didn't know he had.

Suddenly he didn't care that there were others on this island. He ran through the bushes beside the crackling fire and looked along the beach for a sign of the boat or ship. He didn't see it at first, but there beside the fallen logs was the most beautiful thing he every saw in a long time. It was small but amazing. In red and black at the side of the ship were the words: Rescue Squad. He ran up to the ship as a man in black boots and a black cap got out.

"Hello. Are you stranded?" Spoke the man.

"Arnold, what kind of question is that?" said a second man with a green cap.

"Yes, I've been here for a long time. I really want to go home. There isn't anyone else on this island. There were two other's but they died. I really want to go now!" Ralph exclaimed before anyone else spoke. He didn't even think about what he was saying.

"Well then, let's get going." said Arnold.

"You must be hungry, boy! Let's get you something to eat" said green cap.

Ralph took one last look at the island on which so many things had happened. He didn't feel a bit of regret for not mentioning the others; after all they wanted to kill him. I don't care what happens to them, may they die here or get rescued in another 50 years.