Of Love And Lords
Disclaimer: I own no characters or the plot of which William Golding created. Though I do own Emma Sinclair and her family, not really though…technically.
Summary: A girl's uncle offers to take her flying as a present for her fifteenth birthday. Though her uncle would be on the job, and would be transporting an umpteen amount of boys to their destination, nothing could shatter Emma's dream of finally being able to fly. During the flight, the plane encounters a horrible tropical storm, sending the fiery plane, crashing down into the ocean. Emma Sinclair awakes on the sandy beach, only to be surprised at having two boys confusedly starring at her. And so the battles of love and lords begin.
Chapter Two: Out Of Honesty or Intimidation
Emma sensed Ralph coming after her. He gently placed his hand on her bare shoulder. If it wasn't cold why had she begun to shiver so suddenly? Her eyes began to mist as it finally sank in. She would never again see her handsome and care-free Uncle Charles…the only reminder of her Mother in the World. Emma turned around only to find Ralph's arms wide, open, and welcoming. He squeezed her tightly as she rested her chin on his shoulder. That's when they heard yelling from beyond the tallest trees in the woods. The scream, recognizably from a littlun resonated around them. Emma whipped around and ran towards the direction of the voice. She would not let another innocent life be taken.
"Emma wait! You'll get lost!" Ralph yelled after her, his voice fading as she ran deeper into the forest. Light began to grow dim, the trees and bushes began to grow thicker. Emma continued on perilously until she felt her dress snag onto a cluster of thorny and berried branches. Emma decided that she had no time to pick at every thorn in order to salvage her dress, so instead she ripped it clean off around her mid-thighs. Emma glanced down at the white shoes her mother had given her. She grew sick starring at all the dirt and mud covering them, yet she went on.
"Mummy!" Emma heard. She was getting closer.
Emma reached a type of fork. The paths; probably made by wild animals both looks dangerous in her opinion. She had no idea which to go about so she thought it best to yell.
"Can you hear me! My name is Emma, and I won't hurt you! Please call out if you hear me!" Emma was surprised at her own voice and how rather brave it sounded.
Silence.
She tried once more.
"Hello littlun! Come to my voice! I will help you find your Mummy!" she screamed. Birds in surrounding trees flew away at the sound of her voice.
"Mummy!" cried out the Littlun.
Emma ran through the left fork where she was certain the voice came from. After at least a minute, at the end of the path, she saw a little boy of five with a mulberry coloured birthmark around his face lying unconscious on the grassy forest floor. Many eyes from among the bushes could be seen watching. Emma picked up a rock a foot or so away from her and held it up; making sure every single pair of eyes saw that she had a weapon. One by one, each pair disappeared into the leaves and branches.
Emma ran towards the small boy, seeing only her brother Michael as she looked upon him for injuries. She picked him up carefully, making sure no wild animals were to follow behind them.
Emma reached the end of the left fork and continued straight on as she had before. Strange, her footsteps hadn't echoed before. Emma halted. She rose her left foot, putting it in front of the other, but not setting it on the ground. Two other distinguished footsteps could be heard. She looked upon the spot where her dress was torn. No pale yellow fabric could be seen weaved among the thorns of the bush. She saw a shadow move past from the corner of her eye.
"If it's you Ralph-or you Piggy, trying to play a trick on me, it's not bloody funny!" she yelled into the abyss.
"You smell good." The person breathed on her neck, placing a hand on her waist.
Emma dropped the littlun suddenly and stumbled to turn around abruptly. There standing was the foul red-headed boy from the 'incident' on the plane. She narrowed her green eyes at him as he smirked. Emma's eyes traveled to the Boys forehead on which Emma's torn dress piece was wrapped around.
"For my injuries…something sweet to heal them." He said, eyeing her profusely.
"You sick boy. Didn't your Mother ever teach you how to treat a lady?" Emma said fiercely.
"No…but my Father did." He said, eyeing her body freely again.
Emma felt disgusted, and guilty for dropping the littlun onto the forest floor. He lay there silently, thumb in mouth. She crouched down slowly to pick him up and then retreated from the rather disturbed red-head. Her eyes shot up as she saw Ralph closing in on them.
"Emma," Ralph said with a sigh of relief. "Thank God you're safe. I followed after you, but I couldn't see where you had gone off to." He stopped to breath, glancing at the boy standing behind Emma. Ralph stood up straight to his full height and extended his right hand. "I'm Ralph." He said, holding his hand in mid-air.
"Jack." said the other boy, also standing at his full height; Emma noticed that it was about three inches taller than Ralph; his hand stayed put.
Ralph dropped his hand, and instead chose to take the littlun from Emma's tiring arms.
"You're very brave, you know, for finding him and all." spoke Ralph shyly.
Emma simply smiled sincerely at Ralph, glad to have the weight of the littlun in someone else's hands.
They walked on silently. A few mumbles emerging from the littlun in his sleep. They saw the entrance of the forest not too far ahead. All of a sudden, though, they heard the deep sound of a horn of some type, which was not quite a horn. They quickened their pace as they exited the forest, only to see boys of all ages pouring out onto the beach. Sand rose into the air as everyone circled the fat boy who Emma knew to be as Piggy. He was holding a large pink shell in his right hand. Emma shielded her eyes from the sun as she waited for the fat boy to speak.
"Quiet down you lot!" said Piggy, huffing, and pushing his large and magnifying glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
Boys of all ages huddled around piggy and dropped to the sandy floor. The murmurs continued on for a few seconds and then everything went silent. Emma seated herself awkwardly beside Ralph; she tried to sit as far from Jack as she could.
Piggy continued. "This here is the Conch," he gestured to the large pink pearly shell grasped in his hand. "Whoever has the Conch has the floor. They are speaking, and no one is to interrupt."
"Who are you to tell us anything fat ass?" yelled out an anonymous boy from the crowd.
"Now, if you would kindly stop, we could solve this issue by choosing a leader," Piggy took two deep breaths and resumed. "I nominate-" Piggy breathed. "Ralph."
"Who's Ralph?" somebody asked from the sea of bodies.
"I second that!" said Emma anxiously, standing up and pointing at Ralph.
Ralph combed his fingers through his golden hair and looked at her with pleading eyes.
"I think the oldest should be leader!" said a boy with brown hair.
"Alright, everyone state your age and name, I'll start. My name is-" started Piggy.
"His name is Piggy! Like a pig! Oink-oink!" said a boy of at least 10 or 11.
"I suppose you can call me Piggy…I don't like it much; and I'm fourteen." he concluded.
"I'm Jack Merridew, and I'm sixteen." said Jack, hoping he looked impressive with the large group of boys behind him, known as his choir. He introduced each one with their age.
"I'm Ralph, and I'm fifteen." said Ralph loudly, with no choir needed in order to boost his already brimming confidence.
Emma noticed Piggy writing everyone's name and age down in the sands with a small stick.
"My name is Emily Wend-Ellyn Sincliar, but you can call me Emma. I'm fifteen years old today…" said Emma quietly.
Every boy on the island was looking at her during that moment. She was the only female for miles and miles. No mothers, sisters, or favourite aunties; just her. Their gazes burned holes through her body. She cast her eyes down-ward in an attempt to ignore the looks she received.
"Mm-hmm…" said Piggy ending the awkward silence and scratching down every word in her name.
"I'm Simon, and I'm thirteen." said the boy whom Emma had sat beside on the plane. He shook his dark hair out of his eyes and looked to his feet.
"Roger; fifteen, almost sixteen." said a boy with brown hair and smoldering blue eyes. He turned to Emma, winking at her.
Emma then realized the danger she may be in. There were at least a handful of full-grown boys on the Island. They were all capable of cruel things. On the other hand, these boys were British, and they were gentlemen; all except for Jack, that is. They would never dare stoop to such a low level, now would they? Would they?
"Johnny…twelve." Spoke a skinny boy with curly brown hair.
"Maurice...twelve."
"Sam-" said one twin.
"-And Eric…" said the other.
"Twelve." They spoke in unison.
"P-percival Wemys M-madison…four." said a small and sad sounding littlun from somewhere in the large group.
"Radley Cunningham…five and a quarter." spoke the littlun with the mark on his face, whom Emma had rescued.
Looks like he woke up. Thought Emma happily.
"What's that on your face?" asked a pesky littlun from Jack's choir.
"Birthmark." Spoke Radley with Nonchalance.
"How'd you get it?" another asked.
"Born with it." he answered, in the same tune.
"Henry…seven." spoke; who Emma presumed was the oldest littlun, a boy with coarse black hair.
"Alright, now for our chief. The three oldest here Jack, Roger, and Ralph."
"Emma's fifteen, she's the same age as Ralph, so she should be the fourth oldest." said Radley, glancing around at everyone in the group.
Emma shook her head at Radley in protest, but all he did was return a smile.
"You actually expect a woman to be chief? All women are good for is cooking, cleaning, and-" said Roger, being cut off by Jack.
"Now don't say anything these littluns won't understand." he erupted in laughter.
At Jack's comment, all the boys burst with laughter and began to whisper among themselves.
Emma grew angry and embarrassed at this point. If she had a chance to be chief, she'd surely take it, even if she preferred it was Ralph.
Piggy took a deep breath and blew into the Conch.
Silence.
"How about," Piggy breathed. "If you all say why you should be chief, and then we'll all decide."
Jack stood up abruptly.
"I should be chief because I have had experience in this matter. I am wiser, stronger, and smarter then the rest of these fools. I will bring to you wild boars each night for our dinner! Each day we will have a feast! I will do you proud as leader, so make the correct choice." said Jack, his eyes ablaze.
Roger stood up after him.
"After hearing such a magnificent reason as to why Jack should be leader, I find myself inadequate in the means of my traits and skills compared to his. I withdraw." Spoke Roger clearly, as his hardened eyes scanned the audience.
Ralph stood up, and stood up straight.
"I don't have a choir to impress you, as Jack does. Nor do I have age, strength, or intelligence more-so than Jack does. I do have, however; courage, loyalty, optimism, ambition, and ingenuity. With these traits, and the others I have beneath this handsome face-"
All littluns and older boys alike giggled. Emma's face simply turned a tinge redder.
"I will help to make this place appropriate for inhabitance. I will insure there is food and water each night, along with warmth. I do not know if Jack appeals to you more, if he does, I will accept my defeat."
With the end of his speech, Ralph plopped to the ground and crossed his legs.
Emma knew what she had to do. She stood up and brushed the dust off what was left of her dress. She cleared her throat nervously, and spoke.
"As time goes on, you may find a mother, a sister, or-in me. I will take care of you when you are sick, as long as you do the same for me. I will clean for you, as long as you do as well. I will cook for you, as long as I don't always have to. This is what I can do…and these 'traits' are not the one's needed in that of a leader. The one who in them has: courage, loyalty, optimism, ambition, and ingenuity will surely have my vote for the role of chief, and should have yours. I hereby withdraw."
Emma sat down in a hurry, resting her head on her knees. Silence washed over those around her. At least she knew she got them thinking.
"If the remaining candidates could step aside for a moment, we'll decide upon who is leader." said Piggy, his glasses nearly sliding off the edge of his nose without notice.
Ralph and Jack stood up and walked over to the beginning of the woods. As they stood, Jack had flashed Ralph an envious look. Ralph, although was too busy smiling at a knowing Emma.
Silently, everyone went over to Piggy and voted for who they liked best, out of honesty, or intimidation.
After about five minutes, everyone had chosen. Ralph and Jack came back to the group and Piggy read out the results from his writings in the sand.
"Ralph wins by a tally of 23-21!" yelled out Piggy gleefully.
Ralph smiled and nodded his head as everyone around him gave him a hearty slap on the back. Emma ran to him and gave him a tight squeeze; happy things had turned out as she hoped they would've. While congratulating Ralph though, Emma was unaware of the two older boys watching her every movement.
A/N: Thank-you so much to all my reviewers! I will try to fix up any mistakes. Just to clear things up, yes in my story it is a storm that takes the plane down. I didn't like the militaristic path which the book followed, and decided to spice things up a bit! Please read, review, and enjoy!
-MochaAddict69