My beautiful lovelies, how patient you have been. That makes you such great people. So so so so sorry it took me so long to write. I couldn't write in Chemistry anymore because we actually got a teacher. And SO MUCH CHOIR. I don't think this chapter is very long, but I've already started on the next chapter, so please read and review and I'll be sure to incorporate your idea. Pinky promise. I love you guys so much!

Disclaimer: Even after all this time, I STILL don't own Lord of the Flies. What's up with that?

Note: Just read and review so I can make this story the best I can. For your sake...

Chapter 4

"AVY. AVY. AVY, WAKE UP!"

I jerk myself up to the sitting position. Looking around, I'm in a hut made of sticks and leaves. Beside me, Beth is sleeping. I look up and Gracie is standing in the entrance-way of the hut.

"Avy, can I have breakfast?" she whispers.

"Sure. Now you whisper. What do you want?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

"Some fruit?"

"Sure." I stand up and brush off my back. I exit the hut and walk with her to the tree closest to us. We both look up at the fruit, a couple meters above our heads. I look over at her.

"Gracie, I think we're too short." I said, laughing. She giggles.

"Can you climb trees Avy?" she asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can." I answer. I grab onto the trunk of the tree and pull myself up. I heave myself onto a branch and secure my legs around it. I send down enough fruit for us girls and for about ten of the littluns. As I watch Gracie take half of the fruit to the boys, I feel my leg start to slip. I scream as I try to grab for something to hang onto. I close my eyes, remembering the gnarly roots that plagued the ground below. Suddenly, I land on something soft. Or rather IN something. I slowly open my eyes and find I am face to face with Roger.

"T-thank you." I stutter. He nods and sets me on my feet.

"So where did you come from?" I ask, regaining my balance. But as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared. I frown to myself and gather up the rest of the fruit. I walk towards the beach and hand the rest of the boys fruit, carrying the remainder to the tent where Beth and Gracie are. In between bites of my food, I try to answer Gracie's many rescue questions.

"Gracie, I don't know when! I just know we will." I say as calmly as I can. Just then, Ralph pops his head in our hut.

"Hey girls. How we doing?" he asks.

"Gracie and I are fine. Beth, not so much."

"You should've told me, I would've wrapped her up." he offers.

"That wasn't the problem. I already wrapped her up. I-"

"Wait a minute." He interrupts. "You already wrapped her? Are you on some kind of hallucinogenic drug? Are you Native American now?" I giggle as I look at her unwrapped shoulder. I was just letting the wound breathe for the night.

"Okay, yeah you are. But wait, if you have hallucinogenic drugs, can I have some?" he says, kissing me.

"I don't do drugs."

"Yeah, sure." He laughs.

"So did I tell you that they voted ME chief last night?" As we are talking and laughing, Jack pops in.

"I need to call a meeting, but I don't have that...oh what was it? That blasted trumpet-y thing. Where'd you put it?" he asks as Ralph sighs.

"In my hut. Second zipper on my pack. I'll be to the meeting momentarily. I have to...see to Beth's wounds." he mumbles. Jack snorts.

"Yeah, right after you finish "seeing" to Avy's. Must have gotten real scraped up on her lips last night. She gonna be okay? Sure hope so Doc." Jack scowls, leaving the hut. Ralph sighs.

"Hey Gracie, can you watch Beth? I should probably go to that meeting. Give her some water in a couple minutes, then let her sleep. She needs it." I ask. Gracie nods and I follow Ralph out of the hut. We hear the conch sound and hurry toward it, not wanting to be too late to Jack's meeting.

"My fellow mates, I have been told that no one else but me thinks that we are on a peninsula on the west coast of Ireland. So with that, I propose that of few of us go on a search." As Jack says that, most of the littluns start to murmur amongst themselves. Jack clears his throat.

"You must be thirteen or older. And be taller than five feet five." He says, glancing toward me. I nod.

"Jack? Could I ask a favor? Could you at least take Ralph, he's chief after all. And could you take your hunting knife? Please?" I ask, looking him in the eyes. He nods and turns to his gang of choir boys behind him.

"Roger. Maurice. With me." With that, the four boys disappear into the creepers.

After I check on a small group of littluns playing in the shallow water, I return to a half empty tent.

"Where's Beth?" I ask Gracie. She shrugs.

"I think she said she was going to the loo. Didn't you see her out there?" she said. I frown and rush out of the tent, frantically looking around for my friend. I didn't see her anywhere.

"Beth? Beth?! Bethany!"

"Over-" She couldn't finish as I heard her empty her already empty stomach. I rush in the direction of the retching. I turn away as she throws up the three or so sips of water she drank.

"Avy...I'm sick. Really sick. I did this eight times last." she says weakly.

"How did you get sick? You haven't eaten anything! And you've only drunken a thing of water since we got here!"

Beth shook her head.

"I don't know. I haven't eaten or drunk...except that meat. I ate a piece of meat last night. Jack told me he cooked mine specially for me." When she told me that, my vision was blocked by large amounts of red. My blood boiled. Did he fucking make her sick? She coughs one more time before standing up and shuddering.

"Cold, Beth?" She nods and I go to hug her. The moment I touch her arm, I feel that her skin is burning.

"Bloody hell Beth! You're burning up! How in hell are you cold?" She shrugs, still shivering. I sigh sympathetically and look at her shivering body. What I see horrifies me.