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."
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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.