Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Flies only my OC
A/N: This scene is actually really important in the book. It's the major break in their fall from society. Therefore most of the main part of this chapter was copy and pasted, and only changed for the OC.
Raine44345: I'm glad you like it so far, but unfortunately I'm trying to stay as close to the book as possible, there's just romance and probably some lemons. I'm trying to keep it lighter since she here but it seems it may get darker. Just a warning.
PosinedAngel: Thank you!! I'm glad you like my writing and I am trying to finish so I hope you enjoy the rest.
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Days turned to weeks, and a routine was formed. Simon and Ralph constantly worked to make sure the shelters stayed up, while Piggy and Laura stayed with the littluns'.
Laura had accepted her mother role and she began giving them reading and math lessons in the sand. She created a game out of it; they had to do a math problem, read or spell a word in the sand correctly before the waves washed it away. The littluns' got a kick out of it and even did it on their own.
She would end up punishing them for things a mother would scold her children for, taking care of them when they ate the wrong berries and became sick to their stomachs, and comfort them when they were fearful and alone. Percival seemed the most homesick, and one day hid in a small cave for two days crying, only letting her in to comfort him. Night time was the worst, the fear of the 'beastie' made them sleep in groups for comfort. The shelters Simon and Ralph had succeeded in making were their safe haven, and Laura's voice would lull them to sleep.
Not everything was terrible, despite the fear and anxiety, they played and enjoyed the freedom they seemed to have. After they finished working and the littluns' would run off to create intricate sand castles in the sand, while Laura and Ralph would walk to their cove to spend time with each other, telling each other every thought and fear.
There wasn't anything to hide. Isolation and separation from society had created emptiness in them that only harsh honesty towards each other seemed to cure. Their conversations sometimes were dark and angry, but they were always honest and together they comforted and eased each other's dark thoughts. They would use one another as an anchor for civilization, and sanity.
They grew closer to each other every day. Embracing each other for comfort, sweet pecks on each other's lips and cheek, grew more intimate, yet they never gave in, sticking to the rules and morals of society. He was courting her, and they planned to do it properly.
But in the back of her mind she knew. They longer they stayed on this island, the less society would affect their actions, and one day it would crack, and what she feared most would come true; that she too would lose her innocence, and give in. She prayed that the day the rules and boundaries society created would die never came, and it seemed her prays were continually answered. Until that is, the day the fire died.
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Laura laughed happily as she walked back to the beach with Ralph. Their hands tightly entwined, swinging lightly between each other. She blushed as Ralph leaned down and kissed her on her lips. His eyes bright and calm, seemed to twinkle teasingly at her. She giggled again, and looked out towards the water. That's when she saw it, a ship! On the horizon!
"Ralph! Look!" she cried out loud pointing to the ship. Suddenly she could hear Simon calling in the distance as the rushed towards the beach, "Ralph! Laura! Look a ship! We're saved!" Laura laughed gaily as Simon hugged her, and Piggy stood next to him look out on the horizon.
"I can't see no smoke," said Piggy incredulously. "I can't see no smoke, Ralph! Where is it?" "Ralph…where's the ship?" Piggy asked again. He and Simon stood by next to Maurice. Laura pointed to a small dot of smoke that uncoiled in the air, beneath it was a dot; the ship.
"They'll see our smoke."
Piggy was looking in the right direction now. "It don't look much." Laura nodded and Piggy turned round and peered up at the mountain.
Laura continued to watch the ship, anxiously, she barely felt Ralph pull her in his arms and hold her tightly. Simon stood by them, all were silent.
"I know I can't see very much," said Piggy suddenly, "but have we got any smoke?"
Laura ignored him silently watching the ship with Ralph. "The smoke on the mountain." She faintly heard Piggy say. All Laura could feel was relief of being saved, and intoxication by the surreal moment until she heard Simon cried out as though he had hurt himself.
"Ralph! Ralph!"
The anguish in his voice twisted Ralph on the sand and let her go.
"You tell me," said Piggy anxiously. "Is there a signal?"
Laura looked back at the dispersing smoke in the horizon, then up at the mountain.
"Ralph…please! Is there a signal?"
She went to touch his arm, but Ralph started to run, splashing through the shallow end of the bathing pool, across the hot, white sand and under the palms. Laura and the others followed, they fought against the growth that had covered the scar on the island from the crash, 'so much' she thought desperately, 'we must have been here for such a long time'.
She could hear Piggy shouting behind her."Ralph! Please! Ralph!"
By the time Ralph had reached the landward end of the scar , Laura could hear him swearing angrily. Her fear grew, as she watched as he rushed toward the mountain, branches and thorns tearing his skin, blood and sweat covering him. Just where the steep ascent of the mountain began, he stopped. She and Maurice were only a few yards behind him.
"Piggy's specs!" Ralph shouted towards her. "If the fire's all out, we'll need them!" He stopped shouting and all she heard was his cry. "Oh God, oh God!"
Simon reached her, caught his breath he took her arm and together they went to Ralph. Despair gripped at her as she watched Ralph cry out in anger.
She looked around tears forming in her eyes. The fire was dead. They saw that straight away; saw what they had really known down on the beach when the smoke of home had beckoned. The fire was out, smokeless and dead; Jack and the other's were gone. A pile of unused fuel lay ready.
She watched Ralph turn to the sea and the empty horizon. Ralph ran stumbling along the rocks and screamed at the ship. "Come back! Come back!"He ran backwards and forwards along the cliff, his face always to the sea, and his voice rose insanely."Come back! Come back!"
Laura ran to him grabbing his arm pulling his head down so she could see his eyes. The desperation, and distress shone through his anger. She could feel hot tears on her cheeks as she rested her forehead against his. "Their gone love." She choked out, Ralph gripped onto her and cried out in agony.
They both turned toward Simon and Maurice as the heard them arrive. She watched Simon turn away, smearing the water from his cheeks.
Ralph's anger grew " They left the fucking fire out" he growled. He stepped away from her, and Laura watched as he clenched his fist and went very red. The intentness of his gaze, the bitterness of his voice, made her weary."There they are."
She could see Jack and his group appear, near the water's edge. They lifted sticks in the air together whenever they came to an easy patch. They were chanting, something to do with the bundle that the errant twins carried so carefully.
Laura glanced at Simon whose eyes reflected her fear she felt, Ralph said nothing more, but waited until Jack group came to them. She noticed they were chanting, though she still couldn't hear what they were saying.
Behind Jack walked the twins, carrying a great stake on their shoulders. The gutted carcass of a pig swung from the stake, swinging heavily as the twins toiled over the uneven ground. The pig's head hung down with gaping neck and seemed to search for something on the ground. Suddenly she could hear the words of their chant. Bile rose to her throat and she stepped closer to Ralph, grabbing for his hand.
"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood."
Once they had reached the steepest part of the mountain, the chant had died away. Piggy snickered and Simon shushed him quickly. Laura could finally see their faces, their painted faces, cover in clay like natives.
Jack reached the top first and hailed Ralph excitedly, with lifted spear."Look! We've killed a pig! We stole up on them…we got in a circle…"
Voices broke in from the hunters."We got in a circle…""We crept up…""The pig squealed…"
The twins stood with the pig swinging between them, dropping black globs of blood on the rock. They seemed to share one wide, ecstatic grin. Laura pressed her face against Ralph's back to hide the view, he gripped her arm.
Jack had too many things to tell Ralph at once. Instead, he danced a step or two, then remembered his dignity and stood still, grinning and laughed.
Ralph spoke."You let the fire go out." Laura raised her head and looked at Jack.
" We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We had a smashing time. The twins got knocked over…"
"We hit the pig…"
"…I fell on top…"
"I cut the pig's throat," said Jack, proudly, and yet twitched as he said it.
"Can I borrow yours, Ralph, to make a nick in the hilt?"The boys chattered and danced. The twins continued to grin.
"There were lashings of blood," said Jack, laughing manically causing her to shutter, "you should have seen it! "We'll go hunting every day…"
Ralph spoke again, hoarsely. He had not moved, and thankfully never let go of her."You let the fire go out." Laura noticed the uneasy shift Jack made she watched him.
He looked at the twins and then back at Ralph."We had to have them in the hunt," he said, "or there wouldn't have been enough for a ring." His faced flush with guilt, "The fire's only been out an hour or two. We can light up again.." He stopped and looked at them when he realized the mourning silence of all five of them. Laura noticed he the mad look creep back into his eyes. He spread his arms wide. You should have seen the blood!" The hunters were more silent now, but at this they buzzed again.
Ralph's voice shook with anger, and authority.
"There was a ship."
Jack, ducked away from them. He laid a hand on the pig and drew his knife. Laura's held her breath as Ralph brought his arm down, fist clenched, and his voice shook.
"There was a ship. Out there. You said you'd keep the fire going and you let it out!" He took a step toward Jack, who turned and faced him. "They might have seen us. We might have gone home!"
Piggy seemed to gain courage a he suddenly moved away from her "You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home…" he growled. Ralph pushed Piggy to one side.
"I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can't even build huts! Then you go off hunting and let out the fire!"
He turned away, silent for a moment his eyes catching hers emotions laid out that only she could see. His voice rose out in as he growled out each word.
"There… was… a ship."
One of the smaller hunters began whimper. Through his last words the truth had been acknowledge and the gravity of the situation was understood by everybody. Jack went very red as he hacked and pulled at the pig.
"The job was too much. We needed everyone."
This time Laura stepped up, "You could have had everyone when the shelters were finished. But you had to hunt!"
"We needed meat."Jack stood up as he said this, the bloodied knife in his hand.
Ralph let go of her hand and Laura felt Simon pull her to the side as the two boys faced each other. Tension filled the area. She watched Jack transfer the knife to his left hand and smudged blood over his forehead as he pushed down the plastered hair.
Piggy began again."You didn't ought to have let that fire out. You said you'd keep the smoke going…"This from Piggy, and the wails of agreement from some of the hunters seemed to drive Jack to violence.
The mad look returned to Jack's eyes. She watched his take a step, and swung his fist into Piggy's stomach. Piggy sat down with a grunt. Jack stood over him. His voice was vicious with humiliation."You would, would you? Fatty!"
Ralph made a step forward and Jack smacked Piggy's head. Piggy's glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror "My specs!"He went crouching and feeling over the rocks but Simon, who got there first, found them for him. "One side's broken." He informed him. Piggy grabbed them and put the glasses back.
He turned towards Jack."I got to have them specs. Now I only got one eye. Jus' you wait!"Jack made a move toward Piggy who scrambled away till a great rock lay between them. He thrust his head over the top and glared at Jack through his one flashing glass.
"Now I only got one eye. Just you wait!"Jack mimicked the whine and scramble."Jus' you wait! yah!" The hunters began to laugh. Jack's laughter rose to hysteria just like when he had insulted her. Laura watched Ralph's lips twitch, he looked at the ground after catching her glare towards him for even thinking about laughing. She furiously marched to Jack."That was a dirty trick!" she shouted.
Jack broke out of his manic laughter and stood facing Laura and Ralph. His words came in a shout."All right, all right!"He looked at Piggy, at the hunters, at Ralph and Laura."I'm sorry. About the fire, I mean. There. I…"He drew himself up."…I apologize."
Clearly the hunters were of the opinion that Jack had done the decent thing, had put himself in the right by his generous apology and Ralph, obscurely, in the wrong. They waited for an appropriately decent answer.
Laura continued to glare at Jack. The fire was dead, the ship was gone. Could they not see? Pride flowed through her as Ralph refused to give in and repeated her words."That was a dirty trick."
They were all silent on the mountain-top while something flashed through Jack's eyes and passed away.
"All right. Light the fire." Ralph muttered. With some positive action before them, a little of the tension died. Ralph said no more, did nothing, stood looking down at the ashes round his feet wrapped his arm around her. She watched silently. Jack was loud and active. He gave orders, sang, whistled, threw remarks at the silent Ralph…remarks that did not need an answer, so Ralph couldn't snub him. No one, not even Jack, would ask them to move and in the end they had to build the fire three yards away and in a place not really as convenient.
So Ralph had asserted his chieftainship and could not have chosen a better way according to Laura. Against this weapon, so indefinable and so effective, Jack was powerless and raged without knowing why. Pride continued to grow within her. By the time the pile was built, they were on different sides of a high barrier.
When they had dealt with the fire another crisis arose. Jack had no means of lighting it. Laura practically grinned as she watched the surprised look on Jacks face as Ralph went to Piggy and took the glasses from him. "I'll bring 'em back."
"I'll come too."Piggy stood behind him, islanded in a sea of meaningless color, while Ralph knelt and focused the glossy spot. Instantly the fire was alight, Piggy held out his hands and grabbed the glasses back.
Before these fantastically attractive flowers of violet and red and yellow, unkindness melted away. They became a circle teens around a campfire and even Laura and Ralph were half-drawn in. Soon some of the boys were rushing down the slope for more wood while Jack hacked the pig.
They tried holding the whole carcass on a stake over the fire, but the stake burnt more quickly than the pig roasted. In the end they skewered bits of meat on branches and held them in the flames: and even then almost as much boy was roasted as meat. Ralph's dribbled.
Laura accepted her meat quietly she knew Ralph wanted them to refuse meat, but with everyone's routine diet, the smell was to overwhelming and delicious to refuse. She watched as he reluctantly accepted a piece of half-raw meat and gnawed it like a wolf.
Piggy spoke, also dribbling."Aren't I having none?"
"You didn't hunt."Jack said in disgust
"No more did Ralph," said Piggy wetly, "nor Simon." He amplified."There isn't more than a ha'porth of meat in a crab."
Ralph stirred uneasily. Simon, sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it. The twins giggled and Simon lowered his face in shame. Then Jack leapt to his feet, slashed off a great hunk of meat, and flung it down at Simon's feet.
"Eat! Damn you!"He glared at Simon."Take it!"
He spun on his heel, center of a bewildered circle of boys."I got you meat!" Most of the boys looked at him with respect. Slowly the silence on the mountain-top deepened till the click of the fire and the soft hiss of roasting meat could be heard clearly. Ralph stood among the ashes of the signal fire, his hands full of meat, saying nothing. Laura rose from her spot and walked towards him cautiously.
Then at last Maurice broke the silence. He changed the subject to the only one that could bring the majority of them together."Where did you find the pig?"
Roger pointed down the unfriendly side."They were there—by the sea."Jack, recovering could not bear to have his story told. He broke in quickly."We spread round. I crept, on hands and knees. The spears fell out because they hadn't barbs on. The pig ran away and made an awful noise…"
"It turned back and ran into the circle, bleeding…"
All the boys were talking at once, relieved and excited.
"We closed in…"
"The first blow had paralyzed its hind quarters, so then the circle could close in and beat and beat…"
"I cut the pig's throat…"
The twins, still sharing their identical grin, jumped up and ran round each other. Then the rest joined in, making pig-dying noises and shouting.
"One for his nob!"
"Give him a four penny one!" Then Maurice pretended to be the pig and ran squealing into the center, and the hunters, circling still, pretended to beat him. As they danced, they sang.
"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in."
Laura watched them, Ralph seemed envious and resentful. She touched his shoulder, he turned and looked at her slightly relaxing. "Let's go Ralph" she said quietly. He nodded but stood still.
Not till they flagged and the chant died away, did he speak."I'm calling an assembly."One by one, they halted, and stood watching him."With the conch. I'm calling a meeting even if we have to go on into the dark. Down on the platform. When I blow it. Now." He turned away and walked off, down the mountain, Laura following silently.
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A/N: So last chapter I realized that I used my first curse word ( wiggles eyebrows) I think that kind of shows the descent their morals are going. So I am warning you now, from this chapter on expect, violence, foul language, sex and death(obviously this is LoF). Enjoy!