Disclaimer: Lord of the Flies does not belong to me at all, it belongs to the wonderful William Golding. I repeat, not mine at all.
The salty ocean breeze ruffled her long scraggly hair, and she leaned back against the trunk of the palm tree, the green grass that sprung up around it was tall, and created a sort of little secret patch for her. Though through the foliage she could see the waves of the ocean pound against the shore and resisted the urge to jump in and go swimming. It was still cloudy out and she hadn't seen the sun in days, and yet it hadn't rained in the past days either. Gently she pressed her finger to her cheek and pulled at the peeling skin with distaste, then got to her feet. Taking a deep breath she'd pull the corner of her lips up into a smile. However her mouth did not want to cooperate and the look upon her face fell. Amelia couldn't accept this. Try again.
She didn't want the others to see her without a grin on her face. Nobody seemed to be happy anymore, and she couldn't allow that no matter what she truly felt inside. If everyone was in despair there would simply be no hope left and nothing to wait for. So she took it upon herself to be as cheerful and kind as possible, it seemed as if that was the only thing she was capable of doing lately. Think happy thoughts, your head injury is getting better, that's good, right?
Amelia was once not an observant kind of person, just saying whatever crossed her mind and not paying any attention to how others reacted. Lately though, she noticed small things she may not have picked up on before. Especially how Ralph chose his words carefully and conveyed a soft tone around her, and how the twins would always glance nervously at one another before speaking with her. Giselle, who occasionally insulted her didn't even do that anymore, and strangely enough she missed that the most. It was as if they thought she was so fragile she would break by just words and therefore they spoke very little to her. I can't cry anymore because I don't have anyone to cry to. I had Simon once...but he's gone now.
Maybe he'll be back, he said that he will! I'll just keep waiting and hoping and everything will be alright soon. This was able to bring a real smile to her face.
It was then she saw down the beach, a human silhouette slumped against a tree. Maybe Simon did come back. Knowing somewhere in the back of her mind that this was completely impossible, she began to make her way down the beach to the figure. When she finally approached it, she saw that it was not an it, but a she. Amelia thought for a moment, that it could have been one of Jack or Maria's hunters. After all it was only last night that they had attacked the camp and stole from them. That was why everyone was so distressed now, Piggy with no glasses and the small group had no fire. Amelia was pretty sure Giselle wasn't there during the attack, however she had a hunted look in her eye and was always jumpy. I wonder why she's like that. Maybe it's best I just don't ask...
But there was something different about this girl. Jack and Maria's tribe had painted faces, and she didn't. Her skin appeared to be red and irritated, not in the sunburn sense but as if she had been scrubbing something off her skin violently. Amelia was about to offer a greeting, however the other girl looked up at her and stared miserably. Taken aback by how familiar she looked, Amelia gaped slightly before finally saying something.
"Hello."
"My Iris is dead..." The girl sighed softly.
Unsure of what she meant by that, Amelia replied, "I-I'm sorry about your flower."
"So am I. But I suppose I should be sort of glad about it as well." Amelia couldn't help but note that her voice was so dry and monotone.
Now interested, she inquired, "Why is that?" Amelia sat down, cross-legged in the sand.
"Well, now I'm free. Maybe they are out there looking to murder me and impale my head on a stick for the beast, like they were going to a pig, or that girl Giselle. But I don't even think I care." Giggling, the girl stared up at the gray sky.
"Wait. Giselle? What were they going to do to her?" Amelia wanted to know why her friend had acting so strange this morning, maybe it had something to do with this... It was only natural to ask questions. Or maybe she's talking about a different Giselle. Yes, because that sounds plausible, said a sarcastic voice to her, one that sounded suspiciously similar to Giselle herself.
"That miserable, insufferable bloody bitch sent us to go stab her, do her in." There was no emotion in her voice as she continued on explaining. "It's just as much her fault as mine. I should have said no. No! See, was that so hard? I don't think so. If I had just refused, then who would still be alive? Iris. That's who. But she's dead because of...of..." The girl was ranting now, but so calmly it was unsettling.
"You lost your flower...Maybe she'll come back someday." Amelia said hopefully.
"No, she's dead and she isn't coming back. That's ridiculous."
"Simon said he might come back. Maybe she'll do the same."
"Simon...Simon, that name is familiar to me. Isn't he dead, too? Don't you know when things die, they don't come back? It just doesn't work that way."
"He's not dead!" She protested defensively. "He's...he's just gone. Gone isn't the same as dead, I don't think."
"It might as well be."
"Perhaps we could see them again someday." It was her job, her only purpose now to be hopeful and Amelia refused to let this girl's attitude destroy that.
"Why are you so damn positive? Can't you see? ...Look, look around you, there's death everywhere. I'm free of those painted savages, free to what? Sit here and rot on this island? The dead are lucky."
Eager to deny this unfortunate truth, she replied. "I don't see any death." Do I see any luck either?
After a period of silence, the girl leaning against the tree finally spoke again. "You know what I think?"
Amelia was afraid of the answer she'd get, but she prompted anyway. "What?"
"I think you're lying."
"I don't have to admit anything to you!"
"You're right...you don't have to admit anything. But maybe you should admit it to yourself."
"What's your name, by the way?" Amelia asked, ignoring her last sentence.
"Ellen. And stop changing the subject."
Amelia sighed. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"
"Yes, I guess we do."
"Give me my glasses I'll say-you've got to!"
"Piggy, stop a minute!" Ralph protested.
"I've got the conch. I'm going to that Jack Merridew an' tell em', I am."
"You'll get hurt."
"What can he do more than he already has?"
Giselle wrapped her fingers around the conch and her eye twitched once more. "Piggy is right, about the things they've done. But they're murderers! I should know." She narrowed her eyes.
"Are you scared of them?" Eric questioned cautiously.
"N-no. I'm not!" She did not sound as confident as she usually did, and they looked at her. They doubt me. For once she was at a lost for words.
Piggy took the conch again. "Let me carry the conch, Ralph. I'll show them the one thing they haven't got."
"He'll be painted,"
"And if he gets waxy-"
"We've had it."
Ralph scowled at Sam. "They took that girl from you didn't they? Isn't she your friend, don't you want to get her back?"
"Her name is Erzsébet, and..." Eric mumbled.
"I'm sure she's fine." Sam reasoned.
"Oh sure, she's with a bunch of vicious savage murderers and you say that she's fine!" Giselle sputtered, and then took the conch again. "Look. They're all insane, don't you know? You've seen them. They'll go and kill us in cold blood and laugh about it later. But if you're really going to try..." Giselle took a shaky breath. "Then I'll come too. I won't abandon any of you."
Piggy flushed with pride when Giselle handed the conch back to him. "Let me know when we're going."
Amelia watched the rise and fall of the girl's chest. Ellen had gone on a babbling tirade, most of which Amelia couldn't comprehend and then Ellen promptly fell asleep right in the middle of her own garbled speech. With no littluns around to occupy herself with, she took it upon herself to take care of this girl. She had even climbed a tree to get the best of fruit and now had it laid out on a large, waxy leaf, just waiting for her to wake up. Though it did not take long for Amelia to loose interest and she got up and parting the grass, began to trot down towards the ocean. The waves washed up on the sand and hit her feet, and she felt the urge to go swimming again and ignored it.
"Hey."
Jumping with surprise, she whirled around expecting to see Ellen and instead found herself face to face with Giselle. Though it was more force of habit than genuine elation she beamed at the other girl. "Hello!" It did not sound enthusiastic as she intended it to be. "What do you need?"
"Just making sure that you're alright."
"How nice of you! ...But why wouldn't I be alright?"
Giselle's dark eyes narrowed. "Because you never know when someone will jump out of nowhere and try to kill you, that's why."
And she sounded so serious about this fact Amelia couldn't keep but be a bit disturbed. "Don't talk like that!" Ellen tried to make Giselle go away...
"I'm right though!" She insisted.
"I believe you?" Amelia mumbled, making it come out more like a question than a statement.
"Do you?"
"I-I guess..."
"Promise me you'll be careful out here, alone."
"I will."
"We're going up to the Castle Rock soon, so take care of yourself."
"I will." With that, Amelia flung herself into Giselle's arms. "Don't go away."
"Don't worry...I won't."
With that the dark-haired girl broke out of the hug and ran down the beach. Amelia had nothing else to do but return to Ellen, feeling a lot more uneasy than she had before.
They were in formation, a small group armed with spears picking their way down the beach. Ralph was at the head and Giselle not far behind, both carrying their spears over their shoulders. The twins were jumpy and worried, weakly gripping their own spears. Nobody spoke, and at the very end of the line was Piggy, carefully cradling the conch within his arms.
Soon they passed the place where the savage tribe had preformed their deadly dance, it now looked desolate and abandoned, remnants of a cooking fire now put out by relentless rain, and charred spears were scattered about the ground. She was scared just as much as the twins were but she refused to show it. Even if they try to kill us, we can be brave, can't we? I know we can.
They made it to the land bridge and Ralph began to assemble them. "I'll go first, you two stay behind, keep your spears at the ready..." He pointed until they were arranged the way he wanted and then they began to walk.
"Are we near the sea? I think I can hear it. Am I safe?" Piggy asked.
"We're on a cliff, but you're safe." Giselle reassured him.
"You keep right close to me." Ralph instructed him.
A voice called up to them from above. "Halt! Who goes there?" Giselle looked up and could see Roger's shock of dark hair covering his face.
"You know who we are, stop being silly!"
A new head, this one with much longer hair and feminine painted features spoke, calling to the twins. "Mindketten rendben! Olyan boldog vagyok!" Erzsébet.
Relieved their girl was safe the twins looked up at her, smiling. "Ezzy! You're okay!" They chorused. Suddenly Roger took a fistful of her long hair and yanked her down out of sight, and the last thing Giselle heard of her was a pained whimper before more voices echoed throughout Castle Rock.
"I'm calling an assembly!" Ralph shouted, and he brought his lips to the conch and blew.
Roger tried to shout over it. "You mind out-see?"
"Don't leave me Ralph!" Piggy begged, and Giselle looked at him despairingly.
"Kneel and wait until we come back!" Ralph instructed him.
They advanced forward toward the wall of painted savages, and Roger tossed stones at the feet of the twins, aiming to miss. Giselle shouted at him and pointed her own spear. "You stop that!"
Roger ignored her, and when Sam barely kept his footing Giselle could hear another angry voice and soon after the sound of slapping. "Ne csináld ezt! Roger, hagyd abba kérlek!"
Giselle, gently gripping Ralph's broad shoulder to steady herself she asked. "Where's Maria and Jack?"
"They're out hunting and said not to let anybody in."
"We're here about the fire, and the specs." Ralph informed them.
From behind them, a voice spoke. "What do you want?" Samneric scrambled closer to Ralph and Giselle and Piggy wailed from the background, begging them not to leave him.
Jack and Maria stood, fierce and painted. The once vibrant flowers upon her head were now gray and wilted, no longer as impressive looking but the fierce expression on her face made up for it. At the sight of her, Giselle couldn't help but shout. "Coward!"
Maria snarled. "Who's a coward? You all stay to your end! Quit trying to ruin everything!"
"You pinched Piggy's specks!" Ralph shouted, nearly breathless now. "You've got to give them back."
Jack stood tall next to Maria, wisps of tangled red hair in his eyes. "Who says?"
"I say, and you voted me for chief! Didn't you hear the conch? Playing dirty tricks like that, if you had asked for some fire we would have given you it! You came like bloody thieves and stole Piggy's glasses, like a thief!"
"Say that again!"
"Thief! Thief!" The two of them ran at one another, spears clashing and Giselle stumbled backwards towards Piggy. Maria, wide eyed with excitement watched the battle.
"Get him, Jack!" She jeered.
Something inside of Giselle flared. "Of course you'd say that, you git! Can't ever do anything for yourself, can you?"
Behind her, Ralph and Jack's spears clanged against one another, and Maria no longer slumped drew up to her full height.
"That's right!" Giselle went on, yowling over Ralph and Jack's fighting. (Come on, no you come on, see what you get!) "Don't think I didn't know who sent those two bloody bitches to kill me! You're just a coward!"
"Don't forget what we came for, the specs and fire!" Piggy urged her, holding on to her ankle for support. He then clung to the ground. Ralph relaxed, though kept a wary eye on Jack.
"Listen, we've come to say this. First, you've got to give Piggy's specs back, he can't see without them. You aren't playing-" The painted savages laughed and Ralph paused for a moment, trying to see through Jack's mask. Maria hung in the background, green eyes anticipating something. "And the fire, I'll say it again though I've been saying it ever since we dropped in."
Taking a deep breath and collecting his thoughts, Ralph went on. "Your only hope is keeping a signal fire as long as there is light to see, then a ship would notice and come rescue us and we'd go home. But without the smoke we'd have to wait until we're old." They giggled again.
Giselle growled. "Listen to him, gits."
"You painted fools, don't you understand? Sam, Eric, Giselle, Piggy and I, just the five of us can't keep the fire going! You just play hunting and that is a cooking fire! Not a signal fire!"
Jack addressed Samneric, pointing. "You two, get back." They were confused, and Piggy unsteadily got to his feet, clinging to Giselle. Then he said, "Grab them, and tie them up."
Two voices descended from above while the savages advanced upon Samneric, tearing the spears from them.
"Hagyd őket békén!"
"Shut up you!"
Giselle pressed herself as far as she could against the jagged rock wall, clinging for life. Not far from her, Maria was doing the same, green eyes glinting still. As if waiting for the right time to do something horrible.
"They do what I want them to, see?"
Waiting for Ralph to do something, they all watched. His temper exploded and he charged at Jack. "You're a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody theif!" They swung at one another, this time with the fury of fists, hitting one another viciously.
"Let me speak!" The savages began to boo and Giselle helped him to his feet, unsure of what else to say.
"I've got the conch! I deserve the right to speak! I have the conch I tell you!"
Since they were curious at what he had to say, there was silence. Except for one sound. Zup...
Zup, zup!
Someone, Roger, was throwing stones from above, one hand on the lever. Giselle, eager to avoid the flurry of stones stepped away from Piggy. Her back was to Maria and the rest of the savages.
"I've got this to say-you're acting like a crowd of kids. Which is better, to be civil and sensible like Ralph or a pack of savages like you all!"
A clamor from above.
"Állj! Vigyázz!"
"Which is better, rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?" Everyone was yelling, but Giselle was more focused on what was going on above. The two up there, Roger and Erzsébet were scrabbling.
"Zup!"
There was a leaning noise, and with all his might Roger leaned against the lever. The sound of something great, something large, was tumbling down the cliff.
"Piggy! Watch out!" She shouted to him, the great rock came tumbling down but her warning was not quick enough, the rock bounded and wiped Piggy clear into the sea. He fell forty feet and landed right upon the rock in the sea, red gushing from his head. It was only a mere moment before his whole body slid into the ocean and was swallowed up. Her lips parted in disbelief, trying to say something but words couldn't form on her lips. Oh my God, Piggy.
The silence now was true, shocked silence. They all stared into the ocean, wide-eyed.
That was when Maria pounced with a shriek. Giselle felt her slam into her, gripping and ripping at her hair. She tumbled around with equal ferocity, but Maria had the element of surprise and she found herself dangling off the cliff, Maria pinning her. I'll die like Piggy!
Giselle screamed. "Ralph! Help me!" Nobody dare moved towards her, it would have been too risky, too dangerous. Everyone was frozen to their spots, too afraid to assist either of them. They were too close to the edge.
"Call me a coward again why don't you?! You think I can't take care of things myself, do you? Think all I can do is send others to do what I need done? I'll show you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you." Maria screeched, snarling, pushing her closer to the edge. "I'll kill you!"
"Murderer! You're a murderer!" Her limbs were pinned, but she still struggled vainly, the fear of impending death kept her strong, the will to live raged through her veins. Her head dangled off the cliff, long dark hair cascading down. The violent churning of the ocean filled her ears, it was all she could hear.
From the top of the cliff, Erzsébet peeked out.
"Zup!"
Another well aimed stone, though nowhere as big as the boulder, hurtled towards them. It struck Maria square between the shoulders, and stunned she turned around from the distraction, releasing her grip on Giselle's wrists. Giselle saw her chance and bringing her fist up, her fear of death gave her strength and she punched Maria right in the nose, the crunch of bone following.
Maria screamed in pain and cupped her heavily bleeding face, and Giselle latched on to her hair this time, and grinned as the flowers were crushed between her fingers. The dried petals blew away with the wind and just like that there was no longer a crown atop her head You're no chieftess anymore.
With a show of desperate strength, Giselle kicked her and Maria slipped right off the edge of the cliff and down below into the ocean. Scrambling up to her feet, Giselle panted and watched as she drowned. They could not hear what she was shouting, the ocean was roaring too loud and eventually the waves overtook her. Feeling triumph she screamed down to her, "You deserve it, you bloody-" Her voice cracked. What did I just do? What did I just do?
When she turned around she saw Jack's face, the mask was unable to hide his shock and disbelief. It contorted to rage and he hurled his spear at her, it struck her in the arm and tore off skin and flesh. The savages began to advance, and she took one look at Ralph and they both ran, scrambling to avoid the shower of spears that were raining down upon them.
Curled against the rock, Erzsébet drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She stared at her hands, the hands that had just thrown a stone and killed a girl. You could only save one, but the tribe will be after her and the fair-haired boy now. Three lives will be gone and it'll be your fault.
Roger, who had just finished tossing a spear below, turned to stare at her with his gray eyes. He didn't look angry, but pleased. I'm a killer...like him. In a realization of anguish, she thought, Maybe we really should be together. Samneric won't want anything to do with me no-Samneric! They are here.
"Back to the fort, back to the fort!" She heard shouting, and Roger reached for her but she evaded his grasp and scrambled down the cliff. Awkwardly she fell on the last few steps and scraped her knees on the hard ground but she got up and kept running. Erzsébet found them tied up to the rock and they stared wide-eyed at her.
"You-don't be scared...I-I'll help you out of those." As soon as she had her hands on the rope, something latched on to her hair and jerked her to the ground. Soon she found a knife at her throat and squealed. The redheaded chief had a harrowing yet vicious look on his face. You caused his mate's death, now he's going to slaughter you.
The twins protested faintly.
"You let her go-"
"Let me go-"
"And me!"
Jack, one foot still pinning her, got up and whirled around to face them. "What did you say? What'd you mean by it, coming here with spears and not joining my tribe, huh?" He jabbed Sam in the ribs.
Having finally made his way down the cliff, Roger joined them. Jack, faced with so many that he wanted to denounce, snarled at Roger. "Why didn't you stay on watch? Why'd you let her-"
"Let her go." Roger replied gravely.
"But she-" Jack paused to jab Sam again and he yelled.
"That's not the way." Roger protested, and advanced upon them. Knocking Jack with his shoulder, it was enough to dislodge his hold on her and Erzsébet scurried over and slumped by Samneric. (Both were so dirty and scuffed up she couldn't tell who was who anymore.) Roger came to them, wielding nothing but a spear and a terrifying, nameless authority.
The redheaded chief had left, and now the three of them cowered before Roger who paced back and forth as if deciding what to do with them. Suddenly he turned and pulled her towards him. Erzsébet wouldn't dare move. "You two will join, understand?" As if to make it official he took the pointed end of the spear and grazed it against one of the twin's faces.
"And you-" She felt the pressure of his hand on her shoulder, and soon found herself forced to her knees.
"V-vhat?"
He didn't answer with words, and instead brought the spear down upon her head as hard as he could, and the burst of pain that came made her emit a short cry. The twins just stared, unsure of what to say. Why don't they at least speak? He wants something out of them and he has to use me to get it. Tears pricked at her eyes, either from the realization or the pain itself she was unsure. Taking a fistful of her hair he yanked her to the floor, and straddling her, turned back to the twins. "Don't think I haven't forgotten what one of you did, whichever one of you-" He whipped them both with the spear and they yelled out.
"What are you talking about-" Sam asked.
Eric didn't say anything.
"She is mine, you aren't allowed to touch her, understand?" He snarled.
Sam continued to protest out of true confusion. "We don't know what you're talking about. Tell him, Eric."
Eric did not respond and instead stared ahead at the tree, as if focusing on something to stare at while having his revelation. Now you see, why I was sorry...Now we're all going to be sorry.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Roger, who roughly placed his lips upon her own. She tried to struggle against him but he had her pinned too tightly, and he bit down on the soft flesh of her lips, hard. The skin broke and the crimson liquid spilled out.
"Stop it!" Eric pleaded.
Roger pulled away from her and Erzsébet instantly brought her fingers to her lips.
"Then join."
The two of them did not want to betray Ralph, but it looked as if they had no choice now. They shared a look.
"F-fine. Leave her alone-"
"Please!"
"And let us go."
He muttered something that sounded like 'too easy.' Erzsébet unsteadily climbed to her feet, and Roger knocked her right back down again, holding the spear to her throat. Sputtering a cough, she blinked.
"What are you-"
"We said that-"
"We'd join, come on!"
"You are still in need of punishment." Roger replied simply, gray eyes flashing.
Breath hitched in her throat, she blinked when he rested his cold hand upon her thigh. What is this...?
"Either of you look away and I'll tear your eyes out, understand?" He said it with such seriousness they had no choice to believe him and nodded vigorously.
His hand began to inch up further and further, and when he leaned down to kiss her again she screamed.
That chapter was seriously action-packed compared to the others. Maria is dead, yay! I never intended to kill her though, it just turned out like that. Also, torture/highly sexual things were implied at the end, see? In case you are completely oblivious and did not realize/see it. I always wondered what it would be like if Roger used psychological torture on the twins, by physically torturing someone else. And so that scene was born. Once again I feel like a jerk. Also, look up the lyrics to "Girl With One Eye" by Florence and the Machine(Love them so much.3 Actually, that song was like, a cover from another band but I really like this version better...) because it reminds me so much of that situation. Even though Roger didn't cut any eyes out...(Yet. XD)
Translations:
"Mindketten rendben! Olyan boldog vagyok!"-You're both okay, I'm so happy!
"Ne csináld ezt! Roger, hagyd abba kérlek!"-Don't do that, Roger, please stop!
"Hagyd őket békén!"-Leave them alone!
"Állj! Vigyázz!"-Stop, be careful.
