Alternate Ending to the Lord of the Flies

Smoke grew thick as the fire spread, engulfing everything in sight. Cries of birds, animals, and boys alike echoed through the depths of the jungle. Humidity from the sun and flames grew causing distant illusion to some of the boys.

Ralph ran through the bushes, creepers and trees. Not minding about the minor hurts and pains or the cuts on his feet he passed over rocks and the hard ground. His eyes burned with the smoke from the raging inferno.

He stopped immediately once a burning tree came to his path. He turned and ducked under a fallen tree and crawled through the foliage. He kept his speed up as best he could. His heart pounded in his chest with fear, anguish and determination. Two emotions fought inside of him as he ran. Was he to give up? Everything was already out of control. Should he just stop and face death as it seemed to be..? Then the thought of Piggy and Simon came to his mind, and brought a wrenching feeling in his chest. They were the only ones who had any sense on this bloody island! But they died. Ralph wouldn't be surprised if he met the same fate… He wondered how he could continue on, or when he should he even try.

The dominant people are the one who rule this island, if you're not strong then you'll be no better than the pigs that the hunters ate. Ralph ducked under a low branch. An idle thought of how long would he be able to keep this up, crossed his mind. He had no one and wouldn't dare put the twins in danger again. He couldn't bring anyone else down because of his mistakes.

He jumped over a log and went down hill, losing his balance and tumbling a bit but quickly getting to his feet. He used his spear as walking stick, his ankle hurting from the fall. His feet caused a little splash in the small stream which ran into the river. He splashed through it before coming to dead stop. Taking a couple steps back, he saw a figure shift out from the looming palms.

Ralph felt fear blended with his anger like dark clouds colliding against each other into a swirl of hurricanes and storms. The Beast… Simon was right. Remembering the faint words that seemed to have been said so long ago, he heard from the nature boy. All those times when they, including himself have believed that he was batty…

"Jack." Ralph said. His jaw clenched and looked at the former leader of the choir boys who was now an aggressive hunter in this foreign land. This hell. His dirty hands tightened its hold on the spear. One on one. He'd beaten Jack before. He do it again.

Jack watched him. Sharp blue eyes glinted like a pair of blades. The eyes of a true predator, scrutinizing his prey with hunger in those depths. He could almost feel the heart beat of the chief. The fair haired boy. A slow sadistic smile appeared on his face.

"Well, how you do you like things now, Ralph? Look where you're at with your stupid rules," Jack said coolly. Ralph met his gaze.

"I know where I am… Why don't you open your eyes Jack?" Ralph gestured around them. "You call this a good island!? This good island of yours is up in flames! What this is is hell! The littluns talked about the beast. They were right. There is a beast." Ralph's eyes narrowed. "And I'm looking at him right now…" Jack's body tensed, as he approaching his prey in smooth motion. Sleek like a feline. "Simon was right. The only beast here was us."

A flicker of emotion showed through his face but then vanished as soon as it had come. Jack had never meant to hurt Simon… But Simon just got himself in that mess. It was his own fault. He should've known better than to scare them like that.

"And then Pig-"

"Fatty was just a useless lot," Jack snapped. He took another step forward, as Ralph took an automatic step back, keeping the distance from his former friend.

"Look at yourself, Jack. Savages," Ralph said with distaste. Jack kept his smile.

"You're not going to run anymore leader? This is an island. I know this as much as I know my own hand." Ralph shook his head, standing his ground. Both get back into their stances they knew so well from the other practice they'd been having recently. Like two wolves, body tense, eyes focus on the other, continuing this small dance of death.

Ralph was the one who made the first shot, lunging at Jack with all he had despite his exhaustion. He hit jack with the butt of the spear. Jack countered that shot, striking Ralph with his own spear. They continued to fight, like two dominant wolves, trying to get the other pinned… or killed. Teeth were almost bared and spears were thrown at each other. Slicing skins drawing drops of blood. The clacking noise when the spears hit each other was heard. Soon the spears tossed aside, and they were rolling on the ground throwing their fists at each others face. Ralph grabbed a handful of the red hair and pulled back and force him down and off of him. He lunge at Jack. He threw severe punches as blood trickled from his hand.

Jack grabbed his throat and instantly have them rolled over. Ralph underneath him and have Ralph's head hit the smooth stones of the bottom of the river, knocking Ralph out of his concentration, making pay more attention to sparks of pain that erupted in his mind.

Water rushed passed them, soaking Jack's fair hair, carrying away the crimson blood, taking it down river. The sound of small tapping blood dripped off of Jack and landed on Ralph's face.

Ralph's eyes locked with Jack's. Emotions of annoyance, hatred and dispute reflected from them, but then faded. When exhaustion took its final shot at him, as things started to become fuzzy. Adrenaline left the youth's body as he peered up at the predator. His eyes fell shut and his voice became laced with tiredness.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Kill me already."

There was no response. Sounds of the fire crackling not far away blended in with the gentle trickling of water that passed and swept the blood, sweat, and grime from his body along with the harsh unison of the two boys.

With the painful seconds drawing and the annoyance of curiosity eating the back of his mind, he opened his eyes and looked at the wiry savage. The blood took some of the dirt from his face and trickled down onto Ralph's face. Ralph closed his eyes to avoid the small splash when the drop of blood touched right below his right eye. Looking back up at Jack, his vision was dulled with the creeping of darkness around the corner of his eyes. The blood loss was affecting him.

"What are you waiting for! Kill me!" Ralph barked, to his amazement and utter disbelief… and even fear. He saw the same smile on Jack's face, that same taunting smile that was on the pearly white skull of that pig that brought a chill down his spine drain the blood from his face. His vision got darker, as if the sun was setting. He forced his vision to focus… Or at least his hearing. The last words he heard brought fear into the pit of his stomach.

"…I have better use for you, than killing you," Jack's sneering voice whispered. Pale eyes looked at Jack one final moment before the blanket of ebony took his vision. The last thing he saw was the same chilling smile that was on the Lord of the Flies…