Truly though, this is my first time writing anyhting so, comments are much appreciated and the more honeest you are the better.

Thank you to FizzyColaSugarHigh and Bo Jang, for thier reviews. Much Appreciated!

Chapter 2: The Meeting

I remember the sound of my teacher screaming, of an engine spluttering, then darkness and water.

All I could think of as I waded through the darkness was how long I was going live, and why God had it been our plane?

And still no answer came, so I swam on, and forever, until I felt a hand tug my arm, and another pull me up toward light, and I thought, God had finally come, and I would get my answers. But all I saw was blue eyes and dark red hair...

"Hey! Hey, wake up!"

I felt rough sand under my back, the grains and stones digging into my thighs and arms, and a rough hand, hitting my face.

"Get up! I didn't waste my time saving you, now come on and get up!" the deep voice carried on, and I became conscious of my eyes and the sticky dryness of my mouth. I struggled to lift my arm to shade the light, until a large head filled my vision and I could only see black hair and too bright blue eyes.

"You think he'll be all right?" the deep voice came again.

"Yeah, lift him over under those trees and into the shade." The black head moved and I was blinded once again by the sun.

'Wa-wa-ter..." My only thought was of getting some water in me as soon as possible.

"Yeah, but you gotta sit up so I can check to make sure your not bleeding."

I nodded slowly, the sand scraping my neck, "Your gonna have to open your eyes to see, ya know."

Right, I thought. Sight might help in reorientating myself. I tried to slowly open my eyes, and about half way I blurred on a dark shape and as I focused, red hair and blue eyes hovering to close to my own face.

"Names Jack Merridew, nice to meet cha'." He smiled shining white teeth, and I thought he looked like a wolf. I felt noxious trying to clear my head and reclaim my grounding.

"I think I am going to be sick..." His smile faltered and he sat back and I felt myself shrinking under him and I saw him sway, and then I figured out in wasn't him moving it was me, I sat up too fast and knelt over, on my hands and knees I heaved until I thought my heart would come up next.

'Yeah, nice to meet you too." He said with a hint of laughter in his rough voice,

"Names Ralph" I managed to splutter, "and this isn't funny" I sat back and when I moved to look up he sat down beside me and held a water jug to me. "I don't have much left, I was lucky that I tied it to my belt as it is."

"What happened?" I asked but after I said it I knew the answer, we were stranded and the plane had…

"Our plane crashed," Jack interrupted my thoughts, "we landed in the water, and all of us, or those I saw, I wasn't really looking around, you know, were screaming for help, then I saw land and I just took off. Then I saw you, sinking down, and well, you know the rest." Well, no I actually couldn't remember very much at all...

"How many?"

"How many..? Oh! You mean how many of us? I don't really know, I just swam to shore and pulled you along, and that other boy was beside me , everyone went different ways, it was dark you know, me and the other boy just woke up as it is, not long before you. I dragged you up, and collapsed right over there, he pointed to a large drag mark that I guessed w was from my body.

"Have you seen anyone yet?"

"Just a few, I was going to go off to look though now that you are alright, right?"

I wanted to say no, I wanted him to stay, but I had no reason to, as I could see well and my head had finally stopped spinning. So I just nodded, and he got up, saying he would be back, dusted off and walked away. I watched him leave wanting to go with him.

I don't know how long I sat there in my own thoughts...

"Excuse me?" a voice called from the other side, a large boy was walking towards me, rubbing his glasses furiously on his dirty shirt.
"That wont do any good" I said, staring at him.

"What? Oh yes, but they are so dirty I cant see!" he squinted at me trying to see my outstretched hand, "Here" I said "I'll do it" He handed them over and I cleaned them off with my still wet shirt and dried them with my tie that was loosely hanging on my neck. "There" I said and stood up to put them back on his face, he blinked twice before smiling and sticking out his hand in greeting.

"Thank you…?"

"Ralph." I answered returning the shake.

"Nice to meet you" his round cheeks made his eyes shrink when he smiled, and his chin wobbled when he spoke.

"You alright?"

And I found I was staring at his chin, he had a cut and every time he spoke it jiggled the scratch and bled a little more.

"Your bleeding." I whispered shocked by the sight of it and him not noticing it.

"Oh no!" he held his chin with one hand and fled to the rocky area on the beach.

"Wait!" I yelled after him, not wanting to be alone again, I followed him to the rocks and saw him bend and look at himself in a clear pool of water.

"Oh, its not that bad..." He sounded relieved and breathless from his short run, " its only a small cut, you shouldn't scare someone with Asthma you know, I could die." He stated in a obvious tone

"Ass what?"

"Not Ass, ASTH-MA, " the large boy said staring at me like I was a moron

"Sucks to your ASSma, I don't know what that is!" I wondered why I got angry and maybe if it was what made him so fat.

"It dosnt make me fat, if that's what your thinking." A slight tinge of anger in his voice made me look up in shock, only to see him staring at something in the water.

"Look! Look! See that? It's a conch!" I though the fat boy used to many words I didn't know.

"A what?"

"A conch, a shell, my Gramma had one, it makes a really loud noise when you blow into it he said as he lifted it up and out of the water. He started to wipe it on his shirt and I reached out to touch it,

"You know, I don't know your name yet," he looked up and I took the conch from his hands.

"I didn't tell you yet, that's why. I don't like my name so I wasn't going to tell you."

He watched as I examined the shell in my hands.

"Well," I said matter of factly, "I have to call you something now don't I? What did you friends call you?"

"I don't know, but kids at my school if there are any here, called me a name, but if I tell you, you cant tell anyone else, alright?" He looked scared and I didn't understand.

"Do you promise?"

I wondered what the big deal was, a name was just a name, he should be thankful his parents didn't name him Ralph.

"Alright"

I agreed and he looked steadily at me a moment or two before replying,

"Piggy."

I couldn't help it, after the crash and the other boy with the deep voice sounding so serious about our situation, I could feel the laughter rising and then spilling out of my mouth, loudly.

I tried to cover my mouth but it only succeeded in making me laugh harder, and I wasn't surprised when he grabbed the conch from my lap and stalked away.

"Wait!" I laughed "Im sorry!" I sobered as I jogged to catch up with him.

"That's why I don't tell anyone!" he yelled, chin shaking and glasses flashing in the sun, and all to suddenly I was reminded of the plane and fire. Our situation came back to me and my smile fell.

"Your right, I apologize it wasn't nice of me at all."

He looked away, but I knew he wanted to be my friend and when he looked back he held out the conch to me. "If you blow into it make s a loud noise and I'm sure others will come, we're going to need help, and I want to know how many of us are here.

I was surprised he had changed moods so suddenly, wondering if it was what Assmar did to him.

"I don't know how to blow into it!" I said, and part of me didn't want to now how many were alive, because If I knew how many were alive I would now how many died...

"Just blow!" he said and pointed to a small hole in the shell. "Ralph, if you blow from your belly and use lots of air it will work!" He gestured to his round belly, tensing it and relaxing as he exhaled.

I thought he sounded (and looked) like a lunatic, blowing from my belly, how did you do that?

"Alright I'll try"

The first two blows made little sound, and the third one only got a small shallow noise.

"Harder." He said and pointed to his belly. "From your stomach!"

"Im trying!" and angrily I blew and was shocked to hear the loud resonating sound that echoed out of it.

"See!" Piggy yelled "See! I told you it would work! Do it again!"

Encouraged and happy it had worked I kept blowing, and blowing until I saw people coming, boys of many ages all running and limping towards us!

"Do it more!" one yelled

"Get everyone to come!' another called

I blew harder and louder each time, my enthusiasm and happiness gaining with every new boy who arrived.

But I was waiting for Jack to come.

I stopped finally out of breath and sat beside Piggy, wondering where Jack was.

"Do you think they will all come?" I asked trying to regain control of my breath

"yes, of course." a voice said

I saw the black haired boy who had been with Jack that morning and I watched as he walked up to me and sat at my feet.

"Im Simon." He said quietly "...they will come because they heard you blow, I don't think there are many more of us though..."

"I'm Ralph." I nodded back and he smiled and relaxed in the sand, he was odd, very serious and his eyes were to bright for his complexion.

"Look! There's more coming!" a group of dark cloaks and dark hats came closer to us and we all waited to see who they were.
"Hullo." I said and stood up and held out my hand.

"Forgotten me already, must hit your head harder then I thought." The leader lifted off his cap and I saw it was Jack from that morning, and I felt glad he was back.

"No, I hadn't forgotten, what are you guys wearing?"

Were from a choir school, these are the Altos," he pointed to his left, where a few smaller boys stood, "and theses are the Bass" He pointed to the other side with a few larger boys.

Most of the boys nodded, and others said polite hello's.

"Well..." Jack spoke looking at me intently, and smiled "What did you call us here for?"

to be continued...