Note: Please excuse any mistakes and typos. This is written extremely rushed, because I really don't know how long my 'creativeness' will last...Thank you to all reviewers!!! I love you :D
8 Distant
The heat of day had passed, turning into a golden glowing afternoon. One of the two hunting parties had returned, with a particularly fat pig and triumphant howling. After everyone had admired the dead animal, they were now resting near were Ralph sat, in the shadow of the waving palm branches, tired from hunt but looking forward to the evening.
Jack was nowhere to be seen, and Ralph wasn't keen on finding him either. He didn't know what to do or feel, and so he just stayed where he was and watched the others without really being interested. Time went by slowly and more and more of the islanders came to the yet unlit fire, expectant and cheery.
Finally the second hunting party arrived, with Jack marching at the top, and next to him Roger, behind them Sam, carrying a sow that was even bigger than the other pig. They came out of the forest, and Jack marched straight towards the staple of wood, not even turning his head. Everyone rushed together, intent on seeing the wonderful prey.
Jack climbed the wood, and around it stood Roger, Samneric and Maurice, the tallest boys of the island. He rose the hand in which he carried a bloody spear and everyone fell silent at once. He looked around and when he was sure they all paid attention, he began to speak loudly. Even Ralph could clearly understand his words.
"Today is a great day!"
Everyone cheered. When the cries died down he continued.
"We have hunted good meat!"
Again, voices were risen to an excited clamour. Ralph got the distinct impression that everything was following a firmly set frame, some kind of ritual speech.
"Today is a great day! We have come together to celebrate!"
Again a pause for applause.
"Let us celebrate! Let's light the fire!"
"The fire!"
"Yes, yes! The fire!"
"Light the fire!"
"Jack!"
"The chief! ..."
Jack jumped off the wood and gave a small object to Roger, who knelt down and a few moments later smoke was rising and the first flames licked at the dried wood. Deafening cheers and delightful screams rose, and many of the children started bouncing and dancing around the fire. The older ones were not as enthusiastic for they knew well that staying cool would make them seem even more remote and admirable.
Jack turned around and with his hunters following him, he walked a bit away from the fire and sat on a boulder near by, Samneric settled by his feet, Roger stood behind him, the other choir boys around them.
Ralph was amazed. Everything was so... it was now clear to him. Even he, an uneducated boy, could see it. They were like a real court, Jack and his followers, like a king and his favourites. And everyone respected them, for whatever reason they had: possibly fear, maybe admiration, most surely out of habit.
Not all of them were choir boys or biguns. There were some littluns, too, now nearly the age Jack and Ralph had been when they first arrived on the island. Most of them were joking and laughing as well as the others. Only Roger, remote and furtive as ever stayed away from all play and Jack remained still on his throne, a stony expression plastered on his face like the mask he used to wear.
When the fire had burned down enough for the meat to be prepared, the twins lifted one of the pigs and Robert and Maurice the other one under another wave of cheering. When they were done, Samneric suddenly walked over to where Ralph was sitting.
"Why don't you come and sit with us?" they asked, a bit timidly.
"Sure," Ralph said, and followed them, even though his palms were sweaty and his feet were weak with every step that brought him closer to the fire. The twins guided him to where the hunters sat, and he seated himself among them on the still warm sand. Shortly his eyes met Jack's, but the Chief looked away, so Ralph let it be.
He instantly caught the attention of the other boys and they came closer. Maintaining the respectful distance, they settled around them, whispering and talking loudly. When everyone but the one's who were responsible for the food was close, one of the smallest boys, maybe ten years old, cried:"Let's tell a story!"
Over the following noise, Jack spoke for the first time after his speech.
"Good idea. Someone tell a story."
Ralph tried to get a closer look at the boy. He resembled Henry a little bit, but that wasn't for sure.
"A story!"
"The story of the beast!"
"No!" many screamed.
"The story of the big storm!"
Over the steadily growing clamour a deeper and louder voice was suddenly heard.
"Let us tell the story of the hunt," it said.
For a second everyone fell eerily silent, then the noise rose again when every last of the boys agreed.
"The story of the hunt!" they exclaimed with glee and excitement.
A big argument as to who should tell this story ensued. Roger, who had been the one the make the suggestion, obviously wouldn't tell it. Suddenly another boy, a littlun of maybe twelve years, appeared next to Ralph.
"Let him tell the story!" he screamed with a high-pitched voice. A lot of heads turned to see who was meant and soon a choir of voices shouted:
"Ralph! Ralph! Let Ralph tell the story!"
Ralph was frozen to his place. The fire, the voices, everything told him : Run! Yet his body was rigid and his eyes could only stare widely at the mass of boys. His helpless looks darted towards Jack who looked surprisingly helpless himself. He didn't seem to know what to do, and when he noticed Ralph's fearful look, he just bit his lip. Behind him, Roger smirked.
"Ralph! Ralph!"
The world around Ralph started to swirl and blur into one big noise. He felt like falling and clutched the sand to prevent himself from crashing to the ground. In the same moment, Jack suddenly jumped to his feet and called with his strongest voice: "The meat is ready! Let's eat first."
And when Ralph slowly came back to himself, he was sitting alone in the sand, while the crowd was chattering around the fire, trying to get as much of the east as possible. Jack was among them, easily visible for he was the tallest among the boys.
Ralph got to his feet. His legs felt weak and he knew he wouldn't make it to Jack's hut, but he also knew he couldn't stay, or this would be his end. And so he stumbled through the warm and soft sand, hurrying to get out of sight, and into the dark of the woods. When he was sure nobody would see him any more, he leaned against a tall tree, embracing the cool wood and desperately seeking for halt, so he wouldn't just faint where he stood.
"Ralph," a voice said behind him.
TBC
