Ralph stared silently out of the porthole in his cabin. He felt his stomach painfully twisting in knots. Even though the island was now too far away to see, he could still clearly picture the trees alight with flame.
How long had he been there? How many months? He took a lock of his golden hair in his fingers, half expecting to feel the roughness of twigs and leaves entangled in it, but no. Not any longer. He'd been cleaned up nicely, as well as Jack's savage tribe.
Jack…he hadn't wanted his clay mask washed away. Ralph had heard him screaming and crying as the officers had pinned him down. He hardly heard anything from him now. He was either locked up in his room or staring blankly out on the deck and wouldn't talk to anyone who asked him questions.
Ralph figured he didn't want to remember anything civilized. Ralph knew that Jack had wanted to stay on that island. He knew that he would have burned down with it if he could.
Ralph jumped at the sound of his cabin door being opened. "Piggy?" he guessed wildly.
"Piggy is dead, Ralph. Remember?" Eric whispered. The twins walked cautiously into Ralph's cabin and sat on a small bench watching him.
"How's Jack?" Ralph asked, shocked at how whispery his voice sounded. Samneric glanced at each other. "He's…" Eric's voice trailed off anxiously. "He's not himself." Sam finished.
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Ralph asked darkly, narrowing his eyes. Sam sighed. "We're not so…"
"-so sure."
Ralph urged them to continue.
"He doesn't talk…"
"-and he moves from the deck to his cabin like a…"
"-like a ghost!"
Ralph nodded, only just understanding. "And…?" He was interrupted by a shout of pain. Ralph jumped. "What was…"
Samneric shrugged. "I don't-"
"-Me neither."
As if knowing where – and who – the yell came from, Ralph flew from his cramped cabin and hammered on the door across the hall.
"Jack? Jack, let me in!" There was a soft grunt of frustration and the door clicked open. Jack stood there, pale and frail looking. Ralph noticed how childish he looked without his evil war paint.
That's when Ralph realized – that's all Jack was. A child. A child gone mad from the island. "Did you..." Ralph wondered how he could put this. "Was that you screaming?"
Jack narrowed his bright blue eyes evilly but said nothing. Ralph waited for an answer, watching Jack's eyes slowly focus again on Ralph's stern face.
"Was that you screaming?" Ralph repeated worriedly. Jack opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but instead a low groan erupted on his lips. It was as if he'd forgotten how to speak.
Ralph didn't repeat himself again. He opened his mouth, but Jack growled quietly and slammed the door shut in his face. For a long time Ralph stood outside the door, listening for something. Listening and waiting. It was maybe an hour before an officer met him in the hall.
"We'll be docking soon," the officer said carefully, as if he thought Ralph would lunge at him with sticks. Ralph nodded dumbly, not moving his eyes from Jack's door. The officer eased away, sliding around Ralph's immobile form.
There was the creak of a hinge, and Ralph wheeled around to see who had come out of their room. The passage was empty – but there it was again. A soft, rusty squeal. Ralph scrunched up his face. He didn't understand. When he heard it the third time it was slightly louder.
He leaned forward to see farther down the corridor and as he did so he heard it again, coming from behind Jack's door. It was then that Ralph realized what it was - the gentle sobbing of Jack Merridew.
How long had he been there? How many months? He took a lock of his golden hair in his fingers, half expecting to feel the roughness of twigs and leaves entangled in it, but no. Not any longer. He'd been cleaned up nicely, as well as Jack's savage tribe.
Jack…he hadn't wanted his clay mask washed away. Ralph had heard him screaming and crying as the officers had pinned him down. He hardly heard anything from him now. He was either locked up in his room or staring blankly out on the deck and wouldn't talk to anyone who asked him questions.
Ralph figured he didn't want to remember anything civilized. Ralph knew that Jack had wanted to stay on that island. He knew that he would have burned down with it if he could.
Ralph jumped at the sound of his cabin door being opened. "Piggy?" he guessed wildly.
"Piggy is dead, Ralph. Remember?" Eric whispered. The twins walked cautiously into Ralph's cabin and sat on a small bench watching him.
"How's Jack?" Ralph asked, shocked at how whispery his voice sounded. Samneric glanced at each other. "He's…" Eric's voice trailed off anxiously. "He's not himself." Sam finished.
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Ralph asked darkly, narrowing his eyes. Sam sighed. "We're not so…"
"-so sure."
Ralph urged them to continue.
"He doesn't talk…"
"-and he moves from the deck to his cabin like a…"
"-like a ghost!"
Ralph nodded, only just understanding. "And…?" He was interrupted by a shout of pain. Ralph jumped. "What was…"
Samneric shrugged. "I don't-"
"-Me neither."
As if knowing where – and who – the yell came from, Ralph flew from his cramped cabin and hammered on the door across the hall.
"Jack? Jack, let me in!" There was a soft grunt of frustration and the door clicked open. Jack stood there, pale and frail looking. Ralph noticed how childish he looked without his evil war paint.
That's when Ralph realized – that's all Jack was. A child. A child gone mad from the island. "Did you..." Ralph wondered how he could put this. "Was that you screaming?"
Jack narrowed his bright blue eyes evilly but said nothing. Ralph waited for an answer, watching Jack's eyes slowly focus again on Ralph's stern face.
"Was that you screaming?" Ralph repeated worriedly. Jack opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but instead a low groan erupted on his lips. It was as if he'd forgotten how to speak.
Ralph didn't repeat himself again. He opened his mouth, but Jack growled quietly and slammed the door shut in his face. For a long time Ralph stood outside the door, listening for something. Listening and waiting. It was maybe an hour before an officer met him in the hall.
"We'll be docking soon," the officer said carefully, as if he thought Ralph would lunge at him with sticks. Ralph nodded dumbly, not moving his eyes from Jack's door. The officer eased away, sliding around Ralph's immobile form.
There was the creak of a hinge, and Ralph wheeled around to see who had come out of their room. The passage was empty – but there it was again. A soft, rusty squeal. Ralph scrunched up his face. He didn't understand. When he heard it the third time it was slightly louder.
He leaned forward to see farther down the corridor and as he did so he heard it again, coming from behind Jack's door. It was then that Ralph realized what it was - the gentle sobbing of Jack Merridew.