The Beginning of It All
"Hey, brat! What do you think you're doing using our water fountain?" a bully with a face like a monkey asked, rudely shoving the little boy out of the way.
The boy got up and dusted himself off. He winced as he realized that his palms were skinned.
"Yeah, we don't want any," here a goon stopped to think of a suitable insult and then continued, "savages dirtying it."
"I'm not a savage!" the boy shouted.
"Well…your hair color only proves that you are," the goon said lamely.
The boy, who had red hair, attempted to scowl. It looked more like a pout. "I'm British! My mum's British, my father's British; I'm British!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah whatever, just stay away from this water fountain!" the bully retorted. They left, giving the redhead a shove for good measure.
Another little kid who had been watching the exchange approached slowly, glancing at the retreating backs of the bullies cautiously. "Are you alright?" he asked, extending a hand to help up the other.
"Yeah," he said. "They'll get it. Wait until my parents find out."
They both shared a grin, still holding hands.
"My name's Ralph," said the blonde.
"My name's Jack," said the redhead.
They shook hands and went off to play.
…………….
Jack and Ralph were playing in a sandbox. They were both engrossed in the building of a sand castle. Well, Ralph was interested in the sand castle. Jack was more preoccupied with digging the moat in straight lines.
"Imagine if we were shipwrecked on a desert island?" Ralph asked. He smiled and started laughing at the thought of all the freedom. "There'd be no parents to tell us when to stop playing!"
"We could be chiefs and no one would bully us, 'cause then they would be thrown in the dungeon," said Jack with a faraway look in his eyes. Both looked back at the water fountain. "Especially the dumb ones," he added.
A tower on the castle gave way, covering a completely straight line of the moat.
"Not again," moaned Ralph.
"Now I have to do it again!" Jack shouted in exasperation. "Can't you build that right!"
Ralph shouted back, "I'd stay if you were actually helping me, rather than worrying over a silly moat!"
"The moat's more important! It helps protect the castle! There are crocodiles in it!"
"So? If there's no castle what's the moat going to protect!"
The boys glared at each other.
"How old are you?" Jack suddenly asked.
"Three and two months," Ralph stated proudly.
"Hah! I'm four and a half. That means that the moat is more important," Jack declared with a note of finality.
"No! The castle is, and I bet you just said that to win!"
"I did not!"
Both moved to opposite sides of the box.
"Fine, we'll make our own castles, and see which is better!" Jack said calmly belying the anger in his eyes.
"Fine!"
At the end of the day, when their parents' called, they were both furious with each other. They each told their parents about the "horrible, mean, snotty kid" and complained throughout dinner. Both sets of parents wholeheartedly agreed with their son, only complaining about their son's behavior where he couldn't hear it.
The next day, both boys woke up. One went to the park after church. The other joined the school choir. They never saw each other again until one fateful day, and by then the matter was forgotten by everyone.
………………..
"We'd better all have names," said Ralph, "so I'm Ralph."
"We got most names," said Piggy. "Got 'em just now."
"Kids' names," said Merridew. "Why should I be Jack? I'm Merridew.
Ralph turned to him quickly. This was the voice of one….
A/N: I don't know how this is. I've never written Lord of the Flies fan fiction before. Um, yeah, and if anyone has suggestions for a better title, can you review or tell me? Thanks. Hope you enjoyed it.
