Ralph wakes up rubbing his eyes, but it's not light outside, It's still night. He looks out the slightly cracked window. The walls aren't closed, they're still opened. Ralph jumps up and runs up the stairs to Jack's room.
"Jack!" he shouts. Jack comes running from his room with a bewildered look on his face.
"What?" he asks wiping drool off his cheek.
"The walls... They didn't close."
The look on Jack's face goes from "Waking up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water." to "Touching an electric fence." in about two seconds. He runs into his room and grabs the conch. Standing at the top of the stairs, he blows the horn. Everyone who was sleeping jumps up from their slumber with a groggy, half asleep look.
"I have woken you for an emergency," He says when all of the boys gather around. "The walls have not closed tonight, who knows if any grevers are going to show up or not. So as a precaution, everyone is to get a weapon from the armory, and meet me at the slammer in ten minutes."
Ralph runs to the armory in the basement and grabs a spear with a dull grey point. Running to the slammer as fast as he can. But when he gets halfway there he hears:
"Help! Someone!" In a blood curtling scream. He looks over and sees Sam or Eric getting dragged away by a griever, kicking and screaming. The horrible grey skin of the beast, glowing with orange lights in its body. Bill comes running from the house with a bow and arrow.
"Don't just stand there!" He says to Ralph with the most angry look Ralph has ever seen. But Ralph can't move his legs, they feel like they turned to solid lead. Bill pulls the bowstring to his cheek and lets the arrow fly into the beast, but it just breaks when it hits the metal needles. Ralph gets his courage and runs and stabs the beast in. It whines like something caught in an engine. He looks over at Sam or Eric who is bleeding from a needle prick in his shoulder.
"I gotta get him outta here!" Bill shouts as he pulls the boy from the beast's grip and starts towards the slammer. The monster seems to be stunned by Ralph's spear in its flesh. Ralph turns away, leaving his spear in the beast. And takes off running towards the slammer, the safe, sturdy slammer.
He jumps inside the hole with everyone else and shuts the door. Another Grever jumps against the gate and starts that whining engine sound that is hard on one's ears. Piggy whom is sitting right next to Ralph, pulls out his bow and arrow, and sends one flying into its body.
"It's not gonna hold! The door!" Jack shouts, his voice cracking in panic. Ralph looks at the lock, its cracking under the weight of the griever above them. What do I do? Ralph didn't expect any response to his thoughts. But he got one.
Who is this? a voice says in his head.
What do you mean? Who is this? This is my head. Ralph thinks, getting a headache. But no response. The griever starts that terrible sound. Not a thought going through his head, Ralph opens the door, he jumps into the griever, pushing it away from the door.
"What in the bloody'el!?" Ralph hears Maurice shout. Ralph keeps pushing with all his strength. He slips and falls on the ground, the griever almost jumping on him. Ralph runs for the homestead, gripping his bloody arm.
"Come on! You dumb ugly beast!" Ralph shouts, running into the house. He sees the griever following him into the den. Running up the stairs, Ralph grabs a lit lantern and throws it on the griever. The whole den explodes into a fireplace, reeking of smells of burnt diesel. Ralph runs and jumps out the second floor window.
He lands on his feet, sending a jolt through his knees, making him fall to the ground. He looks and sees another griever crawling up a wall. With someone in its grasp, screaming. Ralph buries his face in his hands, wanting to cry.
What type of forsaken place is this? He thinks to himself.
Remember. WICKED is good. A girl's voice says in his head. Ralph punches the ground hard. Nothing in this place makes sense to him.
WHY AM I HERE!
No response.
"Figures…" He gets up off the ground and starts back towards the slammer, knuckles pounding. He sees the sun start to rise over the west wall, turning the sky to a light grey.