Chapter 1

'It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit… and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done.' Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)

"You probably need stitches, my Auntie had to get stitches last summer when she cut her hand." Piggy spoke, inspecting the deep wound on my cheek

My only response was to absentmindedly nod, I had my thoughts on other things. Last night… it was like a nightmare, but sadly, I would never be waking up from it. The truth in this matter, no matter how horrendous it is, can't be changed. Simon was dead, I was badly injured, and everything was falling apart. Ralph was as silent as death, ripping apart abandoned shirts to make make-shift bandages, not making eye contact with me.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked, my voice hoarse from all the screaming I had done when Simon and I had been attacked

Piggy shook his head, "It looks better now that it has stopped bleeding, washing it in salt water should have killed off the germs so it might not get infected."

Feeling something wrapping around my right forearm, I turned to see Ralph bandaging it. Giving him the best smile I could muster up, I thanked him, wanting to see him smile back. He didn't. Instead I saw tears pricking in his eyes, and overflowing onto his cheeks, their presence showing Ralph's true feelings.

"What's wrong?" Piggy asked before I could, sounding shocked

Ralph didn't answer him, just continued to let those salty rivers run freely down his face, his eyes bloodshot and glassy.

Reaching over, I wiped his face with the sleeve of my blouse, drying his tears the way my mother used to do when my brother or I cried. The three of us sat in stony silence for what felt like hours before Ralph finally answered Piggy.

"We're murderers that what's wrong!"

Shaking my head I tried to come up with a convincing argument against what he had just said, "No, none of you are murderers… i-it was an accident, you wouldn't hurt Simon or I on purpose!

Piggy had gone utterly pale, his breath quickening.

"Piggy calm down, your asthma will act up if your not careful." I sounded like my mother when she would remind my brother to not run on his bad leg

Ralph was still crying, Piggy could have a asthma attack at any minute, and my physical health was lacking… things couldn't have been much worse.

Simon smiled at me, "You and Ralph will make it back alright."

Even thinking of Simon made me feel empty inside, his words haunting me like some kind of vengeful spirit.

"Ralph, please, stop crying." I whispered, my eyes burning from the tears that were forming

Piggy clutched the conch in his hands," We still have to conch Ralph, and Sam n' Eric."

"That not the point, last night we became exactly what Jack and the rest of his lot are." Ralph almost shouted, his eyes full of confusion and guilt

Piggy looked to me, telling me with his eyes that he needed me to agree with him even though I believe he himself didn't fully see his words as true.

"Ralph we need to keep moving forward, what happened last night was awful, I know, but it would be an insult to Simon's memory if we just sit here and do nothing." I spoke, getting to my feet, arms crossed across my chest

If I had to be the on to take control, I would. Ralph needed something to pull him back together and Piggy and I need him to be the leader we saw in him when we voted for him to be chief. Peering up at me, Ralph sniffled, his azure eyes wide. I've never been the type to make motivational speeches but some hidden voice inside me had decided to speak up.

"We can't just give up, that's the cowards way. Getting rescued is the most important thing, it may not be to everyone else's, but it is to us. So we're going to get up, brush ourselves off, and do what we planned to do from the start, go home!"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, glaring at Jack, angry at him for what he had just said

He just shrugged, "I meant that we're not going to get rescued, do you need me to spell it out for you?"

Piggy got to his feet, taking my hand in his, "Robin's right Ralph, we need to get rescued."

Staring up at both of us, Ralph's eyes became lighter, more like they were when we first met. Reaching down, I offered him my hand, grinning down at him, "We can do this together Ralph, things we be alright if we keep on trying."

Smiling up at me, Ralph took my hand and got to his feet, "Thank you, both of you."

There we were, standing on the beach, hand in hand, completely unaware of what that night would bring.