Blog # 11 Island in ruins

A boy burst at full sprint from the jungle, gasping he slowed and coughed his eyes watering he looked up. The air was thick with black smoke, and flames ripped and slashed through the remaining tree, they exploded with a slight popping noise and sent a shower of spark flying in to the air. The boy flinched as a faint ululation Echoed through the jungle. More boys, 40 or fifty came tearing gout of the jungle waving sharp sticks, and formed a semicircle around the boy. They were Elaborately decorated wearing masks of red clay streaked and stained by the smoke. They turned and stared dumbly and their sticks fell from their slackening grips. it was odd really they were covered from head to foot in mud spotted and striped like a tribe of wild animals and a few were grasping their stomachs their fingers stained red with blood.
"Hello.." Nervously I approached the boys, and the one in the middle glancing around managed a few words though it looks like it pained him.
"Hello" he heaved himself off the ground with obvious effort, and one hand over his ribs he stood surrounded by a group of boys. He wasn’t wearing paint, he had on a pair of shorts with long shaggy hair that covered most of his eyes, and he looked thin. He had a large purple, yellow bruise under his hand resting on his chest, but he managed to stand tall. I couldn't see any adults here, al of the boys looked at most twelve year old, someone of hem were short enough to be six.
"Having a war were you?" I laughed a bit, the fire still raged around the island, and there hadn’t been a recent storm so they must have set it. I couldn’t fathom why. But taken aback the boys nodded lowering his eyes.
"Yes"
"Where are the adults? Are they putting out the fire?" They must have been shipwrecked or something, if there weren’t any adults.
"There are none, we are alone."
"Is everybody ok? The smoke nobody died, right?" Easily someone could be trapped in he fire, in their odd war game maybe,
"Just two, theve gone now, out to sea." The boys visibly shrank back Cowering behind the standing one.
A few more boys came running out of the forest, jumping out and onto the stand. They were smaller and carrying sticks sharpened to a point. One ran up to me.
"Im...My name is...." He sank to the ground in tears, he had forgotten. I couldn’t even visualize forgetting my name. i had to get off the islnd quick and so did the boys the smoke was thickening.
"How many of you are there you can come home."
"We don’t know, not after the fire."
'Umm when who is the leader." A tall boy with red hair and spectacles in his hand stood up and shrank back.
"I am" Said the standing boy hotly.
'We saw smoke, how many are you so we can take you back?"
He shook his head.
"Really, two deaths a huge fire and war paint. Really British boys should have had huts, a signal fire, some sort of order!”
""The conch...It was like that before..."
"Must have been fun though you know stranded on an island!"
At these words all the boys crumpled they cried and cried staying closer together for comfort. it was a bit embarrassing really we needed to get back. I decided to wait calmly until they had finished then I could take them back to civilization. The boat shimmered in the distance, I itched to get back on and we would have to make a detour to get these boys back home. I wonder how long they had been here, they looked worn and thin. We owuld have to get them some food, and make it back to Britan before we entered into the war zone.

Blog #10 Shattered

We rose, quietly nursing bruises and rubbing our eyes until the events of last night came back all in a flash. The darkness, snarling, kicking, clawing, and the glasses the fire. As we crept solemnly out the door of the hut we could see Ralph bending desperately over the fire blowing at the dark smudge until his breath run out. Piggy sat on the log squinting at Ralph evidently trying to see through the haze without his glasses.
"Ralph Its no use-"
"They took the glasses we’ve got no fire now-" We were trying to comfort Ralph , but we had quite the wrong effect.
"Yes they took our fire!" His voice rose shrilly, and his eyes flashed. "They stole it from us!" it was quite dishonest really, not fair, we could have just given them fire, I am sure Ralph wouldn't have minded.
'Piggy?" Piggy's head swiveled in the direction of the voice.
"Yes Ralph?"
"Can you see me?" One of his cheeks was puffy and it pressed against his eyelid.
"A bit, you quite hazy, but I can see you outline." He peered intently in Ralph’s direction. "Ralph I want my glasses back, really its wrong what they gone and did!" he rubbed his eyes as if he was trying to clear them. "I cannot see now, and well that’s not really fair, I voted for you as chief, you have got to tell us what to do!" Ralph fiddled with his cheek.
"There is no fire now, we wont get rescued now. They I don’t know how they cannot remember." He murmured softly. ” They cant remember home, school, or even civilization its all a game to them."
"Then I'm going to go see Jack, he took me glasses and Im going with the conch! He doesn’t have that, he cant! He has to give them back he has to!" We exchanged look, surely Piggy wasn’t hoping to just ask Jack for his glasses! He wouldn’t give them back.
Surprisingly Ralph seemed to be a bit excited about his idea. "We could wash, and you know comb our hair, we could go there all civilized to show them." He murmured the next sentence. "Show them, make them remember..."
"I got some socks form when we landed-"
"We could wear them, like caps." it seemed a bit silly, but it was better than combing our hair.
'We could tie your hair back, it would look neater."
"Like a girl" We laughed and Piggy even smiled.
"No not like that to you know keep it out of our eyes."
"And Paint-"
"We could paint our faces like-"
"Jacks whole tribe has painted faces, remember-"
"last night they came to take the glasses and-"
"No!" Ralph stood angrily. "No paint, we wont be like them" he spat. "they are savage"
"But just, we could-"
"No!" Ralph turned his face contorted in anger 'We can just go like this, they wont be better!"
---
Piggy had refused to carry a spear, and instead reverently carried the conch in his arms. One has was pressed to our arm and we formed a ring around him guiding him in through the jungle. We were doubtful this would work, we were walking expecting Jack Merridew to just freely give us the glasses. He had joined in the killing, and didn’t seem to worry about what we had done. He was merciless, and I don’t think any of us could knowingly kill someone, except...
"Who goes there?" A harsh voice echoed through the tree, and we jumped causing piggy, and cry out.
'You know perfectly well who Roger." Ralph stepped out into the clearing at the base of castle rock, he gently took the conch from Piggy and blew. It continued until he an out of breath.
"A meeting, im calling a meeting." Breathing deeply Ralph handed the conch back to Piggy. "Where is Jack?”
"Out hunting, we weren’t to let you in" A cold laughter echoed through out the jungle.
"What is it Ralph" jack stepped out of the jungle. 'You keep to your end this is my camp."
"That was dirty trick! You took Piggy's specs! You have to give them back you know."
'Who says" Jacks eyes flashed.
"We would have given it you, you know! But instead you come hear and take you...you thief!"
"What?"
"You heard me! Thief thief!"
Jack raised his arm and ran at Ralph thrusting his spear at his chest; Ralph surprisingly dodged and blocked it with the end of his spear.
'Thief!" called Ralph tauntingly
"Ralph! The fire, the conch. My specs"
"Right" Ralph calmed, and stood up straighter. "This isn’t a game! You give back Piggy's specs!" the laughter rose and died again, coldly.
"Fools! You keep hunting; don't you want to go home? Its no game!"
The laughter rose higher, and eerily.
'There could be a ship!"
Jack who had stood, impassive during Ralph’s speech, slowly turned and called up the hill. "Go on tie them up!" A few hunters moved but no one made am over toward us. "Now!' they all rushed at us, We couldn’t see anything the minute they closed in. There were hand grabbing and tightening robe. We could feel ropes being coiled around our feel and hands. we were thrown to the ground immobile. It was awfully unfair, we just came for the specs they had no business making us join them.
"Samneric!' He turned his eyes looked different now harder some how. 'You beast, thief! You give back the specs!" He swung wildly at jack who dodged and soon they were fighting head on.
"Stop it I got the conch!" piggy had risen unsteadily and was holding the conch outwards. Twup A rock flew by his head.
'I got the conch! Now listen!" The laughter ceased, and jack and Ralph stood apart.
"You need rules, all you do is hunt and Kill!" Twup another rock. "You need a fire to get a ship to come..."
There was an ominous creak, and we looked dup to se Roger smiling with reckless abandon leaning on the leaver. The rock broke loose and thundered down the hill.
"Piggy!" it was too late, he was hit the conch broke, it shattered it a million tiny pieces flying through e air until they fell clattering to the ground. Piggy, was thrown off the cliff, and he fell straight on a rock. He moved a bit and Blood spiraled around him.
"Piggy'
A wave crashed and when the foam cleared he was gone, out to sea...with Simon. it was horrible, he was just gone, jack was happily looking down at the pink waves. I’m not sure what Ralph would do now, he was the one with a lot of good idea which had often helped.
"See that what we will do if you come again, he their his spear at Ralph."
Astonished Ralph didn’t have time to move, it hit him above the ribs and he glared at jack and Ran straight off into the forest followed by a rain of spears.
We were dragged up to the top of the rock and Jack began firing questions at us. Shuddering and unable to speak thinking of Piggy, out at sea somewhere we just shook our head Until roger pushed forward and eerie smile playing on the corners of his mouth.

Blog #9

I squinted through the daylight, it stung my eyes and I tried to discern the hazy figure moving around the camp. It had all been an accident, the link was breaking it was stretched to a breaking point, it wasn’t supposed to have happened it was just a game.
--
I saw circles, and a lone dark figure had come running out of the woods, shouting about the beast. The circle broke for an instant to let it through, then the beast in everybody had taken control and the circle closed and formed a mass of shrieking boys. I could see the figure crouched and timid, trying faintly to fend off the spears and hands, which surrounded him. I shuddered at the memory, boys were biting, clawing, punching at it with reckless abandon, their eyes glittered and even the littleuns seemed keen to join in the game. It had run of the edge of the rock tripping down the beach, the chant had changed from the pig hunting chant to..."Kill the beast, cut it's throat, spill it's blood." The fell on him again, and it sat covering it head until finally it slumped down the lay on the beach. I stood on the rock looking down at the scene, horrifyingly I found myself wanting to hurt, to join in the game. Simon face was upturned, he was sprawled on the sand, illuminated by phosphorescence from sea creatures washed up by the waves. He had been bourn out to sea, floating out past the reef. A figure had floated down past the reef, out into the sunset after Simon the boys had run screaming in all directions, game forgotten.
Ralph had been subdued the next morning a haunted look in his eyes, he keep shooting guilty glances out past the reef, as if he was looking for Simon. He was whispering something, sitting hunched next to me.
"What?" I though maybe he was talking to me.
"Simon" his voice was hoarse from the screaming last night. I nodded, and we just sat on the rock too upset to say anything more. Suddenly he spoke. "Piggy, what are we supposed to do?" He was staring at me, expecting me to know the answer to the question I’m sure everyone was asking.
"Well, maybe you could-well call an assembly, the conch you know?" His eyes widened he let out a harsh laugh, which echoed around the huts.
"There are still some here, you are chief, still." He kept laughing.
"Stop! You re still chief, you have the conch, and all."
"Piggy" he turned around to face me on the log. "That was Simon, it was murder we killed someone." there was desperation in his voice. He looked scared, I got up slowly and all my anger and fear just came rushing out of my mouth.
"It was a game, we were on the outside! A stupid dance!" gesticulating I kept going " You are scared aren’t you?" I broke when Ralph jumped up with forced enthusiasm he greeting Samneric who stood on the edge of the jungle dragging a log.
"Hi!"
"Hi" they were both looking around furtively also shooting guilty looks out at the reef. "We left early how was the part?."
"So did Piggy, and I we were just leaving when..." The twins shrank back.
"So how was the dance..." It was silent for a while before Ralph turned around.
"Told you, we left early."
---
The signal fire was casting a merry glow over the camp which momentarily lulled us into forgetting the events of last night. Samneric sat munching on some fruit gathered form the forest, and Ralph was sitting quietly on the corner of the log.
"Well, ill be going to the shelter, im tired." He slowly rose, took a last bite of fruit and strode off disappearing from my vision outside of the fires ring of light. Samneric slowly followed cramming the last bite of fruit into their mouths and heading off into on of the huts. I hurried to put out the fire and clean up the fruit. There were seeds scattered all over the ground, and peels of a tough fruit we had found in one of the trees. I headed off into one of the huts, and fell quickly into sleep.
I was woken by a sound from outside the hut, a slow beating on the wall of the huts. Ralph woke gasping somewhere in the tent.
"Piggy"
"Yes" I was looking quickly around the tent trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was out there.
"Its the beast!" Suddenly a red face burst through the door, growling. Ralph had his hand over his mouth stifling a scream. Three figure danced around kicking, clawing, and growling, Samneric were huddling in the corner kicking furiously at any of the beasts who came near. Ralph had fallen and was now fighting the largest of the beasts on the floor, kick and punching. One of he beasts was advancing on me, it felt like my fear was smothering my mouth I couldn’t breathe I fell gasping and felt fingers grabbing at my face.
The beasts retreated soon after, running off in the direction of castle rock. I looked up and everything was hazy, slightly more so in one eye but I couldn’t see much. I scrambled around the hut, they had gotten my glasses.

It was a cold morning, there was no fire, we had put out the signal fire out the night before. It was really over now, we would have to join Jack, he had meat, and fire. Nobody would ever come, now we had no signal fire Jack certainly wouldn’t be lighting one. The beast had infected Jack, it had spread through out the camp and now we were all filled with fear. I wasn’t sure what Jack though he was doing, he was forcing the boys to treat him like a king, and Ralph had never asked that of any of the boys.
Slowly I wasn’t sure how, Jack had driven all the boys himself first towards savagery, they were completely gone, im not sure if they even remembered their schools or their homes.

Blog #8 The Pilot, the beast, and the Storm

Ralph was whispering to Piggy around the small signal fire down on the beach. Sam and Eric stood close straining to hear the conversation. They laughed quietly and wandered over to group of little ones digging in the sand. A thin trickle of smoke snaked up into the sky, contrasting oddly with the golden clouds. The wind had slowly picked up and was now blowing steadily, churning the hot air and blowing it every which way.
I saw Ralph gently take the conch from Piggy's arms, and raise it to his lips. Before he drew in a breath I slowly moved aside a wall of creepers and slipped easily through barely touching the vines. The conch sounded shortly, causing the bird to flit around from nest to nest calling out stridently. I followed the old pig track, to the base of the mountain, there were still faint footprints from the hunt, and a lot of brush was crushed haphazardly at the base of the hill. I stepped of the pig run and, slowly walked through the jungle towards Castle Rock, Jack's base. Stepping carefully through the mass of ferns I arrived, overlooking a group of boys. Jack's eyes were wildly happy and he was sitting in a makeshift chair, decorated with various ornaments, flowers, vines, and he wore his mask of clay. He was speaking gleefully to a small group of boys, who intently listened to his words.
A fetid smell came wafting towards me on the hot wind. I rose slowly from the hill top and skirted the edge of the jungle back towards Ralph's camp. The smell followed me, clinging to my skin and every time I drew a breath I would retch. It became steadily stronger as I approached the base of the mountain, a fly idly looped passed my nose and I brushed it off irritably. More and more of them kept, buzzing around my head, searching for the source I looked around. Black eyes, peered at me from between the leaves. Empty sockets black and lifeless. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, slowly I opened one eyes. They were still there, I moved cautiously and moved towards the eyes. I pushed past the leaves and there, lifelessly smiling was a pig's head on a stick. The stick, was sticky and brown with blood, and some slowly oozed towards the ground. The mouth was open, with he tongue lolling out to one side, the heat beat down on the island slowly draining all the energy out of the mountain.
"A mistake, just leave go back to Ralph “Flies weaved in and out of the eyes. The voice seemed calm, but with an edge.
"You are a silly, boy." Said the Lord of the Flies. "Don't you agree?" I tried to talk but my tongue felt heavy in my mouth and I just stared.
"Go play, leave, go to the other boys." I felt myself answer, silently conversing without meaning to.
"They will think you are batty, you like Ralph a lot, don’t you?" Teasing the head continued.” You don’t want Ralph to think you are batty do you?"
The stick had gone, the head was floating in space right above me. Sprawled on the ground I could do nothing but stare.
" I am the Beast, aren’t you scared boy? Just run away." A slightly menacing air had come about the pig's head. " I am the beast, I am inside you, you cannot kill me!"
"Pig on a stick" I managed drawing a deep breath.
"You think you know more than I do, you cannot escape that way, I will be there."
The pig's head slowly swelled to the point where I was staring into the black of the mouth. I was swallowed up and I couldn’t breath, I gave up and slumped down.
-----------
A hot gust, blew through the trees. Slowly I drew in a deep breath the head was gone and the glade was locked in a eerie silence.
"What do I do?" Questioning the leaves, the trees, the butterflies, but none of them answered. Clambered slowly up, wincing I felt something warm running down my nose. I touched my nose hesitantly, and m hand came back stained red. Wiping my nose with my arm, a long line of blood stretched from my forearm to my wrist. Leaving the glade I continued towards the base of the mountain wincing with every step. The climb was easy, there was a small path and was worn by boys running to and fro by the signal fire. Clouds piled high towering in the sky, a gold color illuminated by the last rays on sunlight. I reached the top in about five minutes of steady walking. Uneasy I peered around a bluder at the platform. There was a man sitting on top the of the mountain hunched over, his limbs sprawled at odd angles. Something blues was snapped open by the wind, and the man sat up. I gasped in horror. His skin was pitted and hollowed, and the eyes were empty sockets, black holes. The wind died down a bit and he slumped down again, locked in a steadfast ritual. Sadly I approached the figure and untangled it from the rocks. it flopped down and lay still.
I climbed down the hill after one last glance at the pilot. I would have to go tell Ralph there was no beast. I shielded me eyes and looked for a column of smoke to show me where the camp was. There was one in the distance over near castle rock, they must have moved camp. maybe Ralph[h could convince Jack there was no beast, he could show him the pilot and then all the nonsense would be over. jack was a bit batty also, he was consumed with power, and he had see top a throne in camp. it was a bit sad really. Far off I could hear a tremulous chanting, it was getting louder as I drew nearer.
"Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood!" Eagerly I tripped on a rock and stumbled out into the clearing. The air stank of corruption and I could see a mass of boys manically chanting.
"A pilot on the hill! There was no beast." They turned, there eyes gleaming and as one body moved forward surging towards me. " There is no beast!" Scared now I slowly tried to turn and run but they sprinted up to me. I could see Jack face painted eyes glittering, shoving his ay through I felt teeth on my arm, a spear was flung and lodged it self in my back. I crouched low to the ground and covered my head. The chant had changed.
"Kill the beast, cut his throat, spill his blood!" They were stabbing me, biting me, clawing me frenzied and delighted in the darkness. I wrenched away and I ran over, off the edge of the rock, but they were too fast. They all jumped on me at once, I felt something close in on my neck, there were a million hands all grabbing at me, slowly I faded away and fell onto the beach.
---
A lone figure clumsily waltzed down the beach, and walked past Simon, illuminated and floating out by the reef, it floated down the mountain past the boys and out towards the sunset hanging limply.

Blog #7 Roger...

Several eyes shone in the dark connected to sparse outlines of boys. People were yawning under trees, their eyes drooped slightly and the quickly regained composure and did their best to appear alert. Slowly I stretched my legs feeling the cold night air slither through my toes as I dangled my feet over the edge. Lit up by the last rays of sunlight Ralph was gazing aimlessly at the ocean his eyes slightly unfocused. Simon crept carefully over the gap in the rocks, and crouched down next to him. Ralph didn’t appear to notice, until Simon bent and whispered something in his ear. He turned his head and whispered back, I caught something about hips but the rest was carried out of earshot on the light breeze.
A putrid smell was floating on the breeze from under the rock. Retching slightly I peered carefully down the edge. A pile of Pig dropping obviously fresh was sitting under a covert in the rock face. Jack would probably be interested hunt or not so I called him over.
"Jack, come look." He answered and came swiftly through the black to the base of the rock, the rest of hunting party followed him, even Ralph and Simon slowly mad either way over. Jack stared happily murmuring to himself; he turned his head in Ralph's direction.
"We will still need food even though were are hunting--it." A shiver spread through the crowd at the mention of the beast, Ralph pushed a bit a made his way closer.
"We can track the pig at the same time, we do need food supplies." He said curtly, he turned in one swift motion and made his way back out of the crowd. jack spared one last glance at the pile, and started off merrily towards the pig run. Ralph idly walked in the rear of the line his eyes looking at something no one else could see.
Creepers obscured the view of the pig run, and the air was overrun with slight comments and flitting eyes. The path was well trodden, but the pace became steadily slower. The ferns ahead shook, and a loud snuffling noise could be heard behind the mass of greenery. I jumped a little, and was soon lost in a sea of blundering bodies on all sides screaming in terror. A boar startled by the noise burst through the bushes, it's eye's focused and searching through the crowd. Ralph surprisingly calmly drew back his arm and calculated the distance coldly. His muscles tensed and he heaved the spear, it left his arm and arced over the mass of boys. It struck the boar directly on the snout. it let out a shrill noise, and raced off into the forest, with jack shouting in pursuit.
Ralph’s face lit up. "Did you see me?" He looked around through the boys. " I hit it right on the nose!" He smiled happily like a little child on Christmas. Still uncertain he had made his point he turned towards Maurice.
"You saw me right, I got him on the nose!"
Maurice nodded solemnly "Yeah right on the nose." Giddily Ralph kept talking to anyone who would listen.
"Right on the snout-"
"It was the beast, I’ll bet" Jack said sagely striding out from behind the trees. "I couldn’t catch it was too big"
Ralph couldn’t bear to have his glory stolen. "Why didn’t you get him, I hit him right on then nose"
"I tried" Jack said grimly "What did you throw for? You should have waited" He malevolently glared at Ralph. "Look." He proudly displayed his arm, where a thin trickle of blood ran down to his elbow. "The boar did this, got me with its tusks." He now had the full attention.
Ralph again finding his actions belittled tried once again. " I got him, on his snout, like this." He demonstrated swinging his arm back and throwing an invisible spear. Robert rushed at him on all four and tried to gore him with imaginary tusks. Ralph joined, stabbing at Robert with the but of his spear. Slowly, my pace quickening I hurried over to the now large group of boys and playfully started stabbing at Robert, who happily rushed at us again and again. Subtly the game change, the laughter got louder, and Robert was crying out.
"Stop--ow!" I shoved my way closer, and joined in the growing chant. The desire to hurt was overpowering, I couldn’t stop. The shrill cry escalated. "Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood."
Robert broke through the circle, and hid at the base of a rock, sniveling.
Jack lying on the ground happily said, "That was a good game." Uneasy laughter filled the group.
"Just a game--" Ralph said nervously. "Anyway its getting dark, we can't go any farther"
"Yeah, Piggy is alone with the littleuns"
'We should go back"
"Yes let’s all jump and help Piggy" Jack said in a high-pitched voice.
"Well someone has to, he will wonder what we are up to" Simon spoke quietly and everyone jumped.
"We cannot spare more then one." Jack glanced expectancy and slightly hopefully at Ralph.
"I'll go." Simon pushed past the group of boys "Someone has to go, and really I don’t mind" He slowly walked out into the darkness. I lost sight of his dim form through the trees. Ralph turned back on Jack.
"Jack, while you were hunting, you have been all the way up to castle rock."
"Yes”said jack, slowly dragging his finger through the dirt.
"Did you se anything there?"
"Yes, A pig run--Went on for miles up the mountain."
'The mountain?"
"Yes, the mountain." He grinned evilly "you are scared right? You don’t want to go up the mountain."
"Don't mind really, it was light I was thinking about we will all be running around in the dark soon."
"That’s an excuse." He sat up in the dark. " You just sacred, I don’t mind the dark!"
"We can climb tomorrow" Ralph said firmly " It is too dark."
"Well you can go back!" Jack spat vehemently "if your scared'
"The mountain on the first day, who went first?" Ralph was getting angry now.
"I came up right after" Jack gazed around defiantly.
"Who would like to just leave now?" Ralph stood up, calmly he looked around the huddle, he stared frigidly at Jack.
"Well we ought to tell Piggy."
"We already sent Simon" Jack voice died as he could see the boys all nodding and getting up. Ralph turned triumphantly back to Jack.
Livid Jack stood up "I am going," he paused for effect. "Now." Shouldering his spear he fixed the boys with a hard look. He turned on Ralph taunting. "Coming?" he asked uncompromisingly The group froze, I could see the littleler ones exchanging looks, glancing at Ralph.
Brushing off Jacks comment Ralph said "If you don't mind, yes I will come" If Jack was astonished he didn’t show it.
"I don't mind, hurry." He said thinly turning around. Ralph appearing casual sauntered after Jack, but his eyes furtively glanced
around through the jungle. I sat uncertainly huddled in a corner in the clearing, carefully I got up avoiding hitting my head on the rock I went after Ralph. As they reached the base of the mountain, Ralph paused hesitantly.
"Scared?"
"What are we going to do if we get the beast."
"Hunt it, kill it!"
"There are only two of us." Jack stared around at a loss without his hunting group. I could hear them sill talking as I came beside them, Ralph started a bit.
"There now we have three." As if the matter was settled he headed up the mountain. Jack habitually taking the lead, and Ralph making up the rear. He puzzled me, and his behavior infuriated me. He had suggested them all going back, argued about it then decided to come. He and useless fat Piggy always plotting and never appreciating what ever the hunters did. We brought them food, and he complained about some fire on them mountain top.
A hot wind, rushed and with it a fine powder which stung. I blinked and rubbed my eyes only to cause them to sting more. I could Here Ralph coughing beside me.
"We must have hit the burnt patch." With caution we continued up the mountain, a little puff of dust rushing with each step.
"This is silly" Ralph again.
"You said you would come, I will go on alone if you are too scared."
"Fine Rodger and I will wait here for you." Ralph settled himself on a log, and Jacks look uneasy. "Go then" Ralph said mockingly.
"See you later." And Jack disappeared into the infinite darkness.
Idly I tapped my spear against the log, making dents across the bottom half. Ralph slowly rocked the log back and forth. We sat for a while not talking just rocking and tapping waiting for Jack.
A loud thump awoke us from the slow rhythm and we whipped around. jack was standing there panting.
"There was something there!
"Impossible"
"I saw it!"
"Lets go have a look then!" I sat listening to them argue tapping my spear against the log. Jack quickly drew in a breath.
"Now?"
"Yes"
"Sure" Jack slowly collected himself and headed dup the hill.
"Come on Roger!" I hurried to catch up with Him and Jack at the very crest of the hill. We crouched close together and peered over the hill.
"See anything?"
"Nothing." A muffled cry and Ralph grabbed my arm "there!"
Something I had taken for a rock sat up slowly. I tumbled down the hill not even caring to slow down.

Character descrptions-blog quest 4

Sorry they are not in the side bar, my computer wont let me upload anything there...
Ralph
Ralph, is the elected leader of the boys. In the Lord of Psychology he represents the ego, constantly caught in the middle of dispute between Piggy and Jack. He is concerned with mainly getting off the island, he is very strict about the signal fire and gets extremely angry with Jack when he lets it out to go hunting. Instead of taking advantage of the boys fear of the beast, he calmly maintains there is no beats until they see it. He is described as having fair (light) hair, and being one of the taller boys.


Piggy is the Superego, he constantly tries to controls Jack's behavior and maintain the boy's first system of order. He is the connection with the adult world, and he is always coming up to Ralph with useless ideas about sundials and smoke and such. Piggy thinks logically and scientifically. He wears glasses which symbols scientific endeavor. The boys use these to start the fire on the mountains, which burns part of the jungle. Piggy is a lot fatter then any of the other boys, his hair remains short and he has a case of asthma.

Simon is one of the boys who sticks with Ralph after Jack runs off. He prefers being alone to the constant clamor of the boys, so he often sneaks off to a secluded spot in the jungle. He tries to dispel the fears of the littleuns, by telling everyone to go up to the mountain to see there is no beast. The littleuns look up to Simon and he often helps then with picking fruit and such. Simon has darker hair and tan skin.


Jack, represents the Id he is often impulsive and craves power above all the boys. He is leader of the hunters and he devotes all of his attention to killing his first pig. He also doesn’t much care about being rescued and treats the signal fire contemptuously. He runs off in chapter eight and form his own tribe. Jack ha red hair and freckles, he is one of the oldest boys.

Eros & Thanatos

Thanatos is our desire for peace or death, it causes us to be aggressive, dare-devil's, and really anything that could lead to our death. Jack represents Thanatos, he is constantly impulsive, sometimes aggressive, and goes out of his way to show they boys how tough he is . For example he is proud, that the boar gored his arm and it is bleeding (Chapter 7)
Ralph, represents Eros the human desire to live. He devote a lot of his time to building huts for protection and making sure the signal fire is being kept up. He often asks Jack (Thanatos) "Don't you want to be rescued?" after he lets out the signal fire and a ship doesn’t see the island. As the book progresses, he and Jack and their desires conflict and cause a lot of disagreements. Ralph, builds huts so they can survive, Jack hunts for pleasure.

Emma has a very in depth description of how this applies to Lord of the Flies read it here...www.emmalotf.blogspot.com

Symbolism even more...

Piggy serves as the connection to the adult world, the voice of reason and the Superego. He is constantly trying to control Jack and make him see reason. He is always pestering Ralph with ideas about the leadership system, and useless bits of advice. He and the Pilot symbolize how the connection to the adult world is slowly breaking down. Piggy is never tempted by savagery; his hair never grows like the other boy's. Everyone else’s hair, is long and knotted now, but his remains short. His name (Piggy) is connected with jack's chant, and desire to kill a pig. His desire comes from the Id his desire for power, and to live without rules. This appears in the form of him wanting to kill a pig, thus wanting to gain victory over PIGGY the Superego who he is constantly in competition with. Jacks hunting chat "kill the pig..." is relating to his desire for power over the superego piggy.

The idea of the Lord of the Flies being related to the Cold war has already been published, but I am going to explain it here because it is interesting. In the Cold War the free world was fighting communist Soviet Union...This theory reveals an event later in the book so I am going to wait to write more.

Pivotal Scenes 1&2, Book quest 3

One of the most important scenes in the book (I think) is when the boys light the signal fire. It is a start of the failure of their government, and it contains allot of symbols important to the book. As the boys scampered after Jack, Ralph slowly let the conch fall from his hands. The conch is a symbol for their democratic government, and Ralph letting it fall symbolizes that he has given up on the system, and runs to follow jack. Piggy who still clings to the conch retrieves it and clambers up the hill after Ralph. to light the fire the steal Piggy's glasses, they symbol intellectual endeavor, and they used it to start of huge fire on the island. In this scene they are using science, and curiosity as a weapon. Piggy symbolizes the link to the adult world (he is the Superego) and them taking his glasses, is breaking their link a little bit more.
The next scene I chose is when Jack is hunting the pig alone in the jungle he feels something watching him, creeping up on him. This symbolizes his fear of savagery, which he feels himself giving into. He represents the Id, and the beats he feels is his instinct, he fears turning savage, but yet he craves a society where he has power, or where there are no rules where he is free to do what he likes. H feels it getting closer and closer but he can’t give into it because he fears it. When he puts on the mask before going hunting again, he feels free of social restrictions, and he leaves the signal fire and goes hunting.

Symbolism Piggy

Piggy above all symbolizes the boy's connection with the adult world. He represents the superego, he constantly tries to control the boy's behavior mostly jack's. He pick up the conch when it has fallen, and brings it up the mountain too he fire to try to restore some order. His hair never grows, like the other's boys he is not tempted at all by savagery like the other boys. All the other boys their hair had grown long and they are starting to lean away from order, but his hair remains short.
When the boys come up the hill chanting, "kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood” the are symbolically killing part of piggy. At that point in the book it is where order starts to crumble away faster, and piggy is still clinging desperately to the order.

Mountain picture draft three

I decided to try to draw a quick version of the mountain at night, I used adobe photoshop to draw this picture

Lord of Psychology, the Id, Ego, and the Superego

In the book Lord of the Flies, some of the characters represent parts in Freud's theory. It basically divides the mind into three parts, the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. Piggy, Ralph and Jack represent one of these categories, in the diagram it shows that Jack is the Id, Ralph is the Ego, and Piggy is the Superego.
The Id represents a small child. When a child is born their mind is basically all Id, Ego and Superego develop later. The Id, is all want. It runs on the pleasure principal, basically "I want something and I want it now." Our wants are controlled by the Id, food, rest, it is completely amoral. The Id runs not on emotion or morals, but on instinct, it has no sense of time basically as I said before ' I want something, and I want it now!"
The Ego, controls the Id and Superego. Its runs on the reality principal, it is mainly concerned for the person's safety. It finds a balance between the constantly disagreeing Id and Superego, so it lets each have what they desire. It has to find a balance between instinct (the Id) and morals (Superego.) It bases its decisions on the rules of society, for example if the Id desires food, it will get food in a socially appropriate way. It will go with the Id's needs if the consequences are minimal or nonexistent, if the Id wants food you would go buy some instead of running into a store, grabbing, and eating it.
The Superego acts as our conscience, bases its desires on morals. It is said to be more aggressive towards the Ego, but the Ego is said to favor to Id.

Jack represents the Id, his decisions run on primal instinct mostly. He desires pig, and he becomes completely obsessed thinking about that and nothing else until he has gotten his pig. He strongly desires leadership on the island, and the thought never leaves his mind. In all his decisions no matter what Piggy or Ralph say he just charges off driven by his desires. When they were lighting the signal fire no matter what Piggy told him about how it would work he just charged off. That is also an example of a conflict between Jack (Id) and piggy (Superego.) The Superego is always vying for power with the Id, and Piggy and Jack are constantly conflicting on decision, like, the signal fire, and the conch.
Ralph represents the Ego, the ego is said to slightly favor the Id, and as the story continues we begin to see Ralph slightly favoring Jack. Ralph bases his decisions on reality, wan the little ones insist their is a beast in the Jungle he comforts them and tells them that there is no possibility that there could be a beastie in the forest. His mind centers on being rescued, and being safe while they are on the island. He strongly argues with jack about letting the signal fire out "Don't you want to be rescued?" he built shelters for safety from the rain, and so the little ones will feel more protected. He often scorns Piggy, about his sometimes useless ideas, but sometimes grudgingly he accepts one of his ideas. He also conflicts with jack from time to time, when he lets the fire out or doesn’t help with huts.

Piggy represents the Superego, constantly correcting Ralph and Jack, and trying to improve the life o the island with somewhat useless ideas, like a sundial. His glasses are used for the fire, his decisions often reflect his morals. He is always kind to the littleuns, and clings to the order and civilization he represents their link to the adult world a bit. He is not always the voice of reason, sometimes he is reminding Ralph of his duties and urges him to stay chief to make sure Jack cannot be. He is always timidly seeking to control the Id but he never succeeds. When Jack ran off to build the signal fire he protested, and tried to control jacks behavior but he failed.

Fire on the mountian draft two

A second draft of a drawing I did, for this picture I painted it in photoshop then I blurred parts of it to look like the light was hitting it...

Fire on the mountain

The first draft of a picture, showing the fire on the mountain and the beach.

Blog #5

The air was stale, the doors in this room were seldom opened and the air was dank and thin. Currents of air ran in and out of the high window, stirring the air, brushing with icy fingers against the back of my neck. The air settled again filling the space, worming it's way through cracks, like plaster in a mold.
A maze of pipes had subjugated the ceiling. Diseased with rust, black holes lined with red dotted each tube causing the effect of many dark eyes watching me all the time. When the wind blew in through the window it twisted its way into the holes making a low whistling sound. Sometimes when the wind caught the pipes at the right angle, it would cause a warped melody to play with the pipes as the flutes and the air passing through the rust holes. Water, which had used to flow through, was dripping slowly down to the ground. There were small depressions in the ground where water had collected, over years of time. Some were dry, they were blackened and a gray powder sat in the bottom of one along with a few splinters of sticks. A fire had been here a long time ago, but the people had left, and the fire had died out. Since then the sticks had been used to scrawl drawings on the walls. They smudged over time but some were there still faintly.
The room was sparsely decorated. A mirror stood in one corner, the surface was coated with grime, and a thin film of dust covered the surface. The frame was brown; a design had been carved around the edge. The sun was set onto the top over the center of the mirror, and on each side were clouds they were next to the sun but weren’t covering the rays. Along the bottom edge were mountains; birds flew up and down the sides of the frame swooping over the mountains and foothills. It hung form a nail on the wall, the string was fraying, splitting, from rubbing against the nail.
A staircase was set against the wall; a wooden railing had been nailed on the edge. Each step was worn, and had the faint impressions of footprints, but the staircase ended abruptly at the wall. The railing, and the staircase seemed to disappeared behind the wall, the staircase didn’t end at the wall, but it continued behind it.
A high window was set into the wall above me. I could see the sun shining outside, but the light never seemed to reach here. Three bars crossed the frame; they were connected with two running vertical up the window. A crack was starting to grow in one of the bars, it was still faint but smaller cracks were splitting away from the bigger one.
I could see trees outside, giant oak trees, with roots digging deep into the ground reaching for nutrients. There were some trees, which seemed, to have just been planted. Their roots were barely below the surface, and their branches reached with greedy fingers toward the sunlight. In the distance was the ocean, a huge blue mass, hazy in the afternoon light. Between the ocean and me were fields of grass; they ended against he foothills of mountains.
The light slowly faded out of the room, as the sun slowly sank into the ocean.
The night was cloudy, and the moon was hidden, merely a silhouette behind the clouds. I glanced around the room; I could see something moving around in the corner. Its eyes were momentarily visible against the blackness. Shadows danced across the walls, lit by the faint gleam from the moon. Shadows caused by nothing, they prowled across the walls. They were black or pale gray against the walls; some had spikes, some frills, some talons, and some were just people nonchalantly strolling. The eyes flashed in the dark again his time a bit closer, the moon was hidden behind the clouds and al the stars had covered with a thick coating of fog. I couldn’t see a thing, except the ghostly shadows and the eyes in the darkness...

What emotion do you think this piece represents?

About Simon

He is a quiet boy, who really doesn’t talk much. He, instead of becoming a hunter stayed and helped Ralph building the huts for the camp. On the first day he went exploring, with Ralph and Jack. He seemed as captivated, and excited about the island as the others, but as the book progresses you learn more about Simon.
After helping Ralph most of the day, he heads off into the jungle. A few little ones follow him, ad he helps them reach fruit from the taller branches, and then he slips off into the jungle. He just sits in the small-secluded spot among the trees, and just listens, thinks, and basically absorbs the world around him. He seems to prefer being alone, he always helps the littler boys, but he seems to prefer being alone to any company.

About Ralph

Ralph was elected leader of the boys, after he and Piggy found the conch shell and called everyone to the first meeting. Ralph is a quiet person, he usually doesn’t talk often, but the younger boys look up to him as a leader and to protect them. Jack is taking advantage of Ralph's bluntness in some situations and slowly transfers the boy’s loyalty over to him instead. When the little ones complain of seeing a beast in the jungle, Ralph comforts them and tells them there is no beast, and no matter their protests he retains there is no beast. Jack however wins some of their loyalty by saying "If there is a beast I’ll hunt it down and kill it, and I will fight and protect the camp." He promises the little boys’ protection from something he knows doesn’t exist, but takes advantage of their fear. That is a huge difference between Ralph and Jack.
Ralph in the start of the book is eager to please Jack and give him some authority since he lost the vote of the boys. He gives he leadership over the hunters, he goes out and hunts while Ralph is stuck making huts. As it becomes clearer what type of person Jack is, he seems to be getting into more and more fight with him. He starts to seem to regret appointing jack leader of the hunters, as it seems to bring out the violence in him.

About Piggy

Piggy is a slightly whiny boy, of about Ralph's age. He constantly is talking to Ralph about some new idea he had about say like how to make a sundial on the island. Ralph obviously is more concerned with being rescued and staying alive on the island then what time it is so he often taunts Piggy about these ideas or acts indifferent. to his ideas.
Piggy wears glasses, which are used to start the signal fire, against his will. They steal his glasses, and start the signal fire, which goes out of control through the forest. He Picks up the conch and shelters it from Jack; he is clinging to hope that makeshift government that they boys are using will work.
He is afraid of Jack, and is constantly being told to "Shut up fatty" whenever he offers advice. Jack has even hit him when he accosts him for letting the fire die out.

About Jack

Jack was previously (before the crash) the head of the choir at his school, so when he gets to the island he tries to retain some of that authority and ends up making most of his choir hunters, he is in charge of this group and leads them on hunting expeditions. Their duties are to tend to the signal fire, and to make sure it is always burning so that if anytime a ship was to pass by, they would see the fire and hopefully come rescue the boys. Jack as the story goes on gives in more and more to his desire for violence, and savagery as the book progresses. While he is hunting a pig one particular day he feels something hunting him a he hunts the pig. That is his fear of giving into his urge to become violent and hurtful. He feels it comeing cloer and closer, and soon unaviodable.
He strongly desires to catch his first pig, on the first day he is given a change to kill a pig but he can't. But as he gives in more and more to bloodlust, he becomes obsessed with getting a pig. When he finally catches a pig he happily describes how he cut the throat of the pig, and recounts the pigs fear gleefully in his story.

Main Questions of Lord Of the Flies

What is humankinds true nature?

What causes us to satisfy our own desires instead of working with the group?

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies blog quest 2

Symbols-

The conch shell, is a symbol that appears many times in the book Lord of the flies. It represents the boy's government system. They blow the conch to call meetings, and when one of the boys wants to talk he hold the conch. It doesnt just belong to one person, and it gives everyone a right to an equal say in the group. When the conch falls out of Ralphs hands, and he join the chaos of the signal fire, their government has basically fallen and now really there are no rules, until someone picks it up again and establishes the system again.

The Signal Fire, appears at the start of thebook, when the boys light a fire to try to signal ships to their island. It is a symbol of hope amoung the boys, and as long as it is lit, it is their link with the adult world. At one point they signal fire went out, and a ship went by, some of the boys didnt seem to upset over this they were happy since they had just caught a pig. This shows that while some of the boys are tryiing to keep a connection to the outside world, most of the others seemed to have forgotten their old life.

Piggy's glasses, represent intellectual endevour. Piggy is always thinking of new ideas, and ways that they can improve their life here but no one really listens to him. But when they use his glasses to start the fire, they take them from him against his will, and they are basically using science as a weapon on the island. There is also a symbol in Piggy's hair, his hair never grows like the other boys. It shows he is not tempted by savagery like the rest of the boys. He is their link to the adult world.

The beast, is something the little ones keep claiming to see, and have nightmares about. it represents the boys fear, they are coming closer and closer to being basically savage, and the beast symbolises their fear, of violence, and savagery. The beast is the side of anyone and everyone however unaware of it people are, that wants to hurt and be violent. The beast is the boys fear of this.
The stick sharpened at both ends, this is a symbol that appears later in the book so I will write about it when I write a blog about the chapter when it appears.

Blog #4 ralph's obsevations

It seemed the island carried on a rhythm; day by day with each sunrise starting a new beat that ended when the sun sank beneath the waves. Our days followed those of the traditional day in the adult world, breakfast, lunch at noon, and then dinner in the evening. The little ones had retreated into their own world; they created a little civilization by the banks of the river leading into the pool. Little sand castles very intricately decorated, with stones paths leading around through each castle, and little stick railroads which carried imaginary trains from destination to destination throughout the little world. They ruled here, playing a very King of the Hill like game, they would compete for rule of the sand castle realm, with throwing sand and the occasional rock until one of the competitors was vanquished and sent off whimpering into the jungle.
On this particular morning I was drifting in the pool, and I amused watched one of these little battles between, Percival, Johnny, and Henry. The main argument seemed to be between Henry, and Percival over what must be a very desirable castle. They were throwing sand at each other, and eventually Percival let out a shrill noise and ran off into the jungle rubbing his eye, followed closely by Johnny who was pelted with sand until he scurried after Percival. Highly amused I watched as Henry happily threw sand at invisible opponents, he lost interest soon enough and began marshalling bugs into little holes he dug into the ground. I turned around to climb out of the water, to rest a little in the shade of the tree. I saw Simon floating listlessly in the water, drifting in no particular direction. I grimaced as I saw Piggy advancing in my direction, looking happy. He plopped himself down under the branches of a tree next to me.
"Ralph I was thinking, maybe we should have a clock." He paused looking at my expression trying to read it, I tried to mimic being asleep to escape from this conversation. "Well he plowed on, we could make sundials, you can stick a stick in the ground, and wherever a shadow falls on a clock that is what time is it." He grinned apparently thinking he had come up with a great idea. I rolled over.
"Yes Piggy, and why don't we also build an airplane to just fly away from here?" I grinned, I was amazed at how he could be so excited over something so irrelevant as time. I opened one eye examining his face, he seemed happy.
"Well we could each carry around a stick and stick in the ground to tell the time." We were interrupted when a load thunk from across the pool came from an area near Henry. Stones were being hurled from someone hiding among the greenery, they were all missing him by an amount of feet or so it probably one of his enemies seeking revenge. The noise slowly stopped, and for a few minutes there were loud noises echoing around the jungle, followed by slightly nervous laughing. Then these too slowly died away and all was silent again. I kept up the act of feigning sleep, and gazing out over the water. The heat distorted my vision, and some sort of mirage over the water appeared. I column of smoke on the horizon rose into view. I rubbed my eyes and squinted in the direction of the distortion. it didn't disappear. A ship!
"A ship!" I scrambled up to my feet and ran around the pool towards the lagoon. " A ship! A ship has come!" I looked up to the top of the cliff, no smoke. Simon now joined me, and squinting at the horizon began scrambling up the rocks to get a better look. In desperation I tried to run up the hill, but what would I start a fire with? Piggy was below trying to climb up the hill but tripping on every rock possible. There was no point I looked in desperation at the ship fading into the distance.
"Please come back!" I rushed to the top of the cliff and shouted "Help! Help! come back!" The ship did not turn, and Simon rushed up beside me, but we were interrupted by a noise. A chanting far below. Between the trees, I could see a group of boys, trooping up the hill. They were carrying a large stick supported by Sam and Eric, I could see somehting large and pink on the stick. My eyes widened in horror, as I began to see the scene more clearly, it was a huge pig. They had sekewered it on a stick, it hung limply swaying side to side slightly. Sam and Eric were drenched by the deep red blood, running from the pigs throat but they looked very pleased. The boys, were covered by a think layer of mud which obsurced their faces, They all were smiling, and I could hear all the boys gleefully crying in unison,
"Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood" Jack was dancing up the hill, happliy clambering over the rocks. He climbed atop the mountain and cried triumphantly
"we got a pig!" It was preposterous, really they had let the fire go out and a ship, go by, a chance of rescue. Jack was busy recounting the story and dancing all around.
" and then we cut her throat and.."
"You let the fire go out." I said incredulously He turned and his gyrating slowed.
" It can't have been out for long, I need all my hunters to make a ring around the pig" He grinned malevolently.
"A ship went by, and since the fire was out they didn't see us." He stopped dead, he looked at me horrified realizing the implications of his actions. His eyes took on a slightly opalescence sheen as he spoke.
"We caught a pig, we will have meat tonight."
"I build huts, and you go off and hunt, your only task is to keep the fire going, and you let it go out for pig when we could have gone home!" Piggy jumped in now.
"Jack! All you want is blood! We could have left to go home!"
I looked over the edge of the cliff into the setting sun, there was no hint of smoke now, the horizon was a flat empty line stretching into eternity.

Jack's opinion

A heat wave had engulfed the island; it seemed to sap your energy so most of the boys had decided to drift languidly in lake, occasionally playing Marco polo to pass the time. The trees on the other hand had flourished in the weather, the leaves lush and green, and the flowers blooming all throughout the scar.
The rest of the hunters had turned back, walking back to the shade of the shelters, and the inviting prospect of spending a few hours in the lake. My spear was beginning to feel heavy in my hand, trailing behind me, and leaving a rut in the jungle floor. The pig had turned west and seemed not to mind the heat hasting through the jungle, towards some unknown destination. I was starting to wonder whether I would have enough energy to continue. We the pattering of hooves, which had been constantly ahead of me stop. The jungle fell dead silent, and I peered through the maze of leaves the creepers, making the scene beyond inscrutable before my eyes. I gently moved aside the vines, to see what had caused the pig to stop moving. It was peacefully, snuffling among the leaves, unaware of the spear slowly being aimed at its flank.
I hefted the spear, in my arm and perfected the angle. Suddenly I felt something in the distance behind me. I dropped the spear and turned around. The jungle was empty, the birds were conversing loudly in the trees above, and all sounds of jungle life seemed normal. But there had been something there, if just for an instant, but there had been something there. I had felt it before, too often actually. I wasn’t afraid, but it seemed like fear itself was creeping up behind me getting closer and closer each time. Casting a furtive glance over my shoulder, and picked up my spear, I had let fall, and once again set upon the pig. I aimed slowly and threw, the spear struck the pig in the flank, and it started, it turned around, I could see terror in its eyes. It bolted through the scar, the spear falling out uselessly in the clearing.
Frustrated, I retrieved my spear, and stared in the direction the pig had run. I could see the sun was making its way slowly towards the ocean, it would probably be around two o'clock now, I decided and slowly I made my way back through the jungle continually checking over my shoulder the entire way.
I made my way down through the scar to the beach, crashing my way through the peaceful jungle and awaking birds from the nests. Tendrils of vines snaked through the trees weaving an impenetrable quilt hiding parts of the jungle from us. I could see atop the craggy mountain, and column of smoke rising from the fire. It was uselessly really, no one was going to come.
Eventually I felt the ground under my feet become softer and soon I was wading through a masses of sand only broken by the glimmer of the far of lagoon, and then open ocean. I could see Ralph in the distance, trying to heave a branch onto the roof of a hut. Piggy was sitting lazily cradling the conch in his arms, like a baby. If they spent more time helping my hunters instead of rigging up shelters which in the long run usually fell down then we would have gotten meat by now. Piggy never did much of anything he just stuck with Ralph and kept offering stupid ideas, about how to make the fire higher and blah blah. It was disgusting, if I had been made chief we would be feasting, and everyone would be working even on a hot day. My ranting was interrupted from a call from Ralph he was festooning the roof of he hut with vines, presumable for protection against rain. I sidled over to the huts.
"So did you bring back meat, I heard from the hunters that you had gone on to finish off a pig when they left." He hefted the branch over his head and heaved onto the roof.
“A little higher" interrupted Simon peeking out from a hole in the hut.
"The spear fell out of the pig, we need to add barbs onto the spears for the hunters. But next I am sure to get it." I picked up a rock and hurled it out into the water, "next time."
"You have been out all morning and I have had to be here working on huts with just Simon." he gestured at three precarious huts along the beach. “People stopped help after the second hut, now all I have is Simon to help me."
"Your chief tell people they need to help...Punish them." I smiled. He looked suspicious, but then said
"Well we need these shelters to keep the little ones happy."
"Why, they never do much why aren’t they happy." I gestured towards a group of little one playing by the lagoon to prove my point.
"At night they dream, sometimes they talk and scream to about the beast." he looked worried "we need to get off this island as soon as possible"
"I would like to catch a pig first."
"If we add more huts they would provide shelter before we get rescued."
"If only I had a barb, then pigs would be easy to get." I drifted away from the beach and in my thoughts I was on a pig hunt, I threw and struck the pig and it fell. Ralph exploded.
"Pig! Can you think of nothing else but pig? I work here with Simon and all you can talk about is pig!" He slammed his hand into the huts in disgust, his eyes stared vhemently at me. I turned bewiledred back to him, taking in a moment to process what he had said.
"All you can thing about is the fire, we going to need food to survive you know!" Silence fell, only broken by Simon moving around inside the hut. "When we went exploring, and after we had a meeting we decided we would keep the fire going."
"Well my hunters and I, we need pig." We were standing next to the shelter, not looking at each other, but staring out over the lagoon.
"Don't you want to be rescued?" He turned to face me " We need these shelters to survive, without the fire going we don' have any hope of being rescued!" he turned to stare at the cliff, and the smoke rising from the top.
"But we want meat!"
"Simon and I have worked all day, its harder with just two people, sometimes the older boys come. but they leave soon enough."
"I have been working all day too! I hunted most of the day."
"But you like your job, you get to run around the forest all day, where as Simon and I are stuck trying ot build shelters for people. "
"We keep the fire going! it was your idea and some of my hunters are up there now watching it looking for ships!" Ralph met this remark with stony silence. We gazed up at the cliff once again. Something oved on the ledge not too far from the top, I caught a glimpse of something pink disappearing behind the rocks "Thats it! the pigs must go up there to escape the sun!"
Ralh turned around, loking angrier then before.
"I though you saw a ship."
""We can surround them on that ledge there." I cried happily pointing.
"Again with the pig" he spat, 'dont you care about anything else?" he turned around "where did Simon go?"
"Sometimes he just dissappears."
'he is odd sometimes he laughs and plays with the little one but sometime he just walks off."
"Yeah" I wasnt really listening, but decided to agree with him on whatever he was saying. "here i'll help with the shelter a bit before to go to the lake."
"Don't bother, its getting dark." he walked past me towards the huts.
The heat regarless of the hour became opressive and I walked slowly down towards the bathing pool. I could see Piggy run up to Ralph, flaunting the conch but Ralph waved him off.
"Piggy go see what the little ones are up to" Ralph hurried past piggy, who loked a little dissapointed but left. I would establish my own tribe, soon but not yet, maybe when I got a pig...