forever and always, merridew ~ lord of the flies (1990)

tension in paradise

that night i woke up muffled sounds coming from outside our shelter. piggy then shook me awake telling me to wake up. he seemed really distressed and so i sat up and shook ralph awake. just then we felt spears hitting into the shelter and loud voices screaming and shouting outside.

"go on, get the knife, get the knife!" i heard one voice say louder than the rest. i instantly knew it was jack. i wanted to tell him to leave us alone but too much was happening in that moment and i felt that i didn't get the chance. the knife then was found and they took it out
"bring that back you have no right, get back here what the hell do you think you're doing!" ralph cries out but they simply ignore him and run off again.

i hear piggy whimper "piggy what's wrong?" i look over to him and notice his glasses were off and he was holding them "they broke my glasses" i rub his back softly and try to comfort him. he then slowly falls back asleep again leaving me and ralph awake. he gives me a look which says 'this has got to stop' before laying down and trying to sleep again.

the next day, the rest of us that were still at the camp were scattered around the beach. me, ralph and piggy were around the fire trying to cook some fruit for breakfast. we then heard loud chanting and shouting coming from the trees and bushes ahead and out came jack and his tribe. ralph and i rolled our eyes as they approached.

"what do you want?" ralph asked them.

jack glared at him and smirked at me
"we killed a pig today"

i couldn't believe that he had said that. i honestly didn't think that they would end up killing a pig but i guess i was really wrong.

"there's going to be a feast, you can all come eat with us if you want to, especially you princess" jack looks me up and down and i blush but keep my feelings to the side "back off jack" ralph says, clearly pissed at his comment.

jack whispers to a couple of the boys behind him to say something " the chief has spoken" i hold in a laugh and ralph shakes his head "get out of here, all of you"

"see ya tonight girls" as they made their way off back to their camp i ran up to jack, who was behind the rest of them, and pulled him over to the side.

"i knew you wouldn't be able to resist me" he smiles and pulls me in for a peck on the lips. i pulled away quickly and he looked confused.

"god jack this has to stop" i look up into his eyes, which i greatly miss seeing all the time. he took my hands in his and stepped closer towards me "what do you mean riley?" that was the first time in ages since he has addressed me as riley, that way i knew he was serious and was willing to listen to me.

"everything. i hate this rivalry that you and ralph have between each other. i just can't see why we can't all just get along and be one camp. it would just make everything so much better" a tear fell from my eyes as i spoke and jack was quick to take his hand up to my cheek and brush it away.

"listen, you know ralph and i don't get along and this is probably better for all of us instead of everyone fighting all the time. and riley, you know how much i want you to come and join my camp right?" jack stares at me waiting for my response "of course i do, but i would  just feel so guilty leaving ralph and the others, you know their my friends too jack"

he nods his head and looks down. he removes his hands from mine and i know i've upset him "jack, look i'm sorry it's just-"

"no don't" he stops me "just come tonight, please"

"i will" i say back to him, he quickly kisses my cheek and he turns and walks away. my heart aches as i know how much it would mean to him if i left and came to join him and the others. i just know myself that i would feel terrible if i left and i'm way too close with ralph and piggy to let them go so soon.

later that night we made the decision to go to jacks camp. we traveled up to castle rock and knew that we found the right place because we could see a huge fire and all the boys dancing and singing around it.

we came closer and sat down on some free logs that were there.

the boys from jacks camp glared at us so hard that if looks could kill we would all be dead. i noticed jack sitting beside roger, both intensely looking at me. i wondered why and broke the eye contact. jack spoke up "luke take them some meat. i promised i'd get meat didnt i ralph? i want you to tell the little 'uns that i made you a promise and i kept it, say it!" jacks tone scared me slightly and i moved in closer to ralph

"you kept you're promise but not the fire watch. you think one meal is worth not getting rescued, we've gotta be one group again" ralph says sternly "yeah jack we do" i add on.

"i agree, you can join my camp and have all the meat you want" jacks tone is one of disgust as he talks to us. it makes me think if he is still the same boy that i fell for.

"we don't want you're meat" ralph stands up and squares up to jack.

"oh yeah? then why'd you come" " we came to try talk some sense to you" ralph replies "you don't have the conch" one of the other boys says "the conch is in our camp where it belongs" piggy exclaims putting on his best brave face.

"what's the matter tits? were you afraid to bring it with you" "the conch dosent count anymore"

"stop that! noboys interested in you and your conch. take you're fat friend and shove off, youve had all the meat you can eat, come on hunters!" jack exclaims gathering all his hunters up

my head was then running around in circles. i knew i couldn't let this happen. i stood up on the log piggy whispering to me "what are you doing?" i then put my fingers to my lips and whistle loudly to get everyone's attention.

all the boys stopped their little game they were playing to look at me, i take a deep breath and start talking " look i don't know much about army cadets alright, but i'm pretty sure that if your captains were here right now and they saw all this shit going on then all of you would be kicked straight out of training"

they looked down in shame and guilt at what i was saying "as much as you don't want to hear it, we're all a family, and we're all each other has got right now so to hear all of you fighting with each other right now" i take a pause "it's just a lot of childish behaviour" i step down off the log and turn to walk away before saying

"you're putting you're roles of being cadets at shame"

i started to walk off along the beach until i saw a bright green light coming from the trees. as i walked closer to it i realised it was simon and a huge smile grew on my face.

little did i know the horrible monstrosities that would happen next...

𝟷𝟹𝟷𝟼 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜

𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜. 𝚘𝚖𝚐 𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒'𝚖 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢. 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚊 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒'𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚞𝚙 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗. 🫶🏻