All I Can Say Is Thank You

I’m by myself, I have absolutely no companion and I’m bleeding like crazy –Jack has stabbed me on the ribs and I’m trapped here in the bushes with nowhere to go. I feel like crying, but again, I can’t let The Lord of the Flies win. I will try to defeat him, for Piggy and Simon, and for civilization and humanity –I simply can’t let the evil devil win this game. I have pain everywhere and I’m hungry, the smell of the roasting pig tempts me but I’m no savage; remember that! Anyway, I’ll have to survive alone now. I find a little hideout in the forest and my eyes perceive something that makes me throw up. It’s a head’s pig on a stick –must have been one of Jack’s art works. It seems alive and it’s honestly the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. It looks like he knows all the answers but won’t tell. I get rid of it by taking the spear out of it; whatever it was it’s gone. I make my way to Castle Rock and I’m able to talk to Samneric. They give me food, yet won’t accompany me. They say Jack and Roger want to kill me, but why? I run; run for my life and fall asleep in the thicket. I’m alone.

I wake up to the sound of a fire? A fire! They have lit the island on fire so I have no way out. Smart one Jack; you will have no way out either. They’re looking for me, I can feel them very close and they are approaching, threatening Sam or Eric to say where I’m hiding. They’ve got me, they know where I am, I try to hide but the fire is spreading and they’re after me. I run for my life and realize for the last time how they are not boys, the beast dominates them all -The Lord of The Flies. I listen to their screaming, they wanna kill me once and for all. Maybe it is my time too; at least, I’ll be safe in Heaven. As soon as I’m about to give up, I fall to the ground and there’s a man looking down at me: a naval officer. He must be thinking the same thing as me, how the hell did this happen? I look at the island around me that has been my home for many months and is now burning; The Lord of the Flies within it.

We are safe. I am safe, we have finally been rescued, and I’m glad to be on my way back home. I’ve learned so many things from this experience, beginning with the fact that we all have a beast inside of us. I just can’t be mad at anyone. Jack was the worst on this island but by lighting it on fire he saved my life. I will have to thank him rather than to hate him. Surprisingly I will also have to thank The Lord of the Flies, for teaching me what lives within humanity. 

- Ralph

Goodbye, Piggy

We will head up to Castle Rock and ask for Piggy’s glasses like the civilized kids we are and have always been. It sort of scares me because I know Jack is more powerful than we are. He’s got his hunters and the beast on his side; they could defeat us with their eyes closed but I’m determined to give it a try. I’m still the chief! And I want to give Piggy back his sight. We will take the conch with us –to show them that we still have order and give them an impression of authority; we will show them what they have become and that it is incorrect. I guess this is when all I’ve been taught throughout my childhood comes in handy; I will try to make them remember what we were when we first arrived in this island…

Hunters greet us with weapons once we arrive at Castle Rock. They are not the boys I met the first day we were being evacuated; The Lord of The Flies has stolen their identities and souls. I’m scared –not so much for me but for my dear friend Piggy; he’s vulnerable without his specs, he can’t see a thing. Jack appears and I can’t hold my anger in. Violent Jack strikes again and starts a brawl and we begin fighting with the spears. I feel him defeating me –I know we’re not here to fight but I can’t let him win. Suddenly, he asks his hunters to tie Samneric, and they are gone, they are part of his group now.

I can hear Piggy screaming, he’s got the conch in his hands, unable to see what’s happening. I know I have to help him –get his glasses back- but I have to continue fighting. I look up from the vicious brawl and spot Roger on the cliff ready to release a huge boulder, which balances itself on the edge. I see it falling through the air and hit Piggy. The conch breaks into pieces (goodbye order & authority) and Piggy falls to the floor; dead. First Simon, now Piggy; the conch, the signal fire, and everything in between, everything is gone. I will never forgive you Jack. I will never forgive you hunters. And I will absolutely never forgive you stupid beast. I will win this for you Piggy, I promise. 

- Ralph 

Civilization Is Gone

I killed him –we murdered Simon. Jack knew it was him! That’s why he ordered the attack; he never liked Simon after he stayed in my tribe. Guilt and sadness are eating me whole, I can’t believe I killed him. Piggy says it was an accident, but I know the truth; I know what I did. I regret every little thing that I did last night at that stupid feast. The overwhelming savagery took hold of me, I was the beast’s prisoner, but I could’ve fought harder to set myself free and save my friend. Now, Simon’s gone and it’s my entire fault. I will never forgive myself, where did my civilization go? My manners, my morals, my instincts were all gone; the beast took it all and left me with only cruelty, barbarism, and savagery. I don’t even deserve to be rescued. Maybe Piggy’s right though, maybe we didn’t participate in the murder, we were outside the circle. Gosh, I don’t know. I don’t know what to think, I just hope Simon can forgive me because I know I won’t be able to forgive myself. I’m a killer.

Everyone is gone now. I’m only left with a couple of littleuns, Samneric, and Piggy. It’s actually all I can have and I appreciate their company. For a moment, I forget the importance of the signal fire; but you know what? It’s not really important anymore; it doesn’t really matter. I just wanna go home.

We don’t light the signal fire tonight, that’s why my head’s plagued with nightmares; the heat of the fire used to confort us at night. Everything that used to give me hope is gone: Simon, the signal fire, and the boys’ determination…

Jack’s tribe has just attacked us. They hurt us badly and I have no idea why; we don’t want to fight. Fighting is just another victory for the beast and we can’t make it easy for him to rule our human kingdom and our morals. I can’t lose more civilization than I already have. We soon find out why they came to attack: they stole Piggy’s glasses and at the same time our ability to make fire. What will Piggy do without his eyes?

-Ralph  

Losing Control

Unbelievable. They have made Jack their king. Its almost ridiculous the way they praise him, but I think it is because they are scared of him. Each and every one of them know what Jack Meridew is capable of doing and they are scared of the possibility that they might be his next prey; just like Piggy has been, and the pigs. It’s shocking, the way they are dancing and chanting around the blazing fire; they are complete savages by now and the fact that they thirst for blood and lust for meat is horrifying. It makes me feel they could even kill a human being. They are lost under that paint on their faces, it’s as if the mask has a life of its own. He’s taken my power, Jack; he has stolen it for good. I feel defeated, but glad because I haven’t lost control of myself…

The next part is very hazy in my head: wild, painted faces and bodies dance and chant faster, faster, indulging me into a crazy frenzy of savage nature. I’m stuck inside their ritual circle, my head spins, and my thoughts are taken over by the beast, the savagery in all of us. I soon realize there’s no real physical beast; Simon was right: the beast lives inside all of us. But the hunters don’t know that, they believe in a beast when in reality, the beasts are themselves. I’m losing myself for the second time on this island and I can’t seem to stop. I’m celebrating like the rest, “Leave me alone you stupid beast!” I tell myself but it’s stuck inside me. I bet Piggy hasn’t lost himself, he’s strong, more than me; his specs give him the wisdom to stay civilized, even now that they are broken. “Kill the beast. Cut his throat. Spill his blood” We watch the beast crawl out of the forest into our circle. I hear Jack’s orders: to kill it. "Kill the beast." I stand next to Piggy once again once I realize that the hunters are having at it. I can’t kill anything, not even a beast. Wait, that’s not the beast! It’s Simon!!! They just killed Simon. I just killed Simon.

-Ralph 

Why Do Things Break Up?

This island only causes problems and is ruining my perfect rescue plan. As you already know, the terrifying beast is on the mountain where we had the signal fire; every one is too afraid to go up there and we can’t keep the signal fire going –I believe hope is now gone for good. If you don’t think that is a problem, what about this: Jack told all the boys that I don’t have the right to be chief; I knew his behavior would bring something like this –he wants to take over now. The good thing in this nightmare is that none of the boys agree with him, but Jack decides that he’s not part of the group anymore and leaves to the jungle. He’ll come back, I know it; he won’t be able to survive alone. Piggy and I have to make a fire on the beach; we won’t dare go up the mountain and maintain the usual one since the beast is up there. But where the hell are the other boys? They left. I can’t believe it. They left with Jack –Roger, Maurice, Bill, Robert – they all left. And Simon. SIMON? Wow. He must be wandering around; I don’t think he would betray me that way.

Why do things break up as they do? I simply don’t get it. Humanity, civilization, order, morals, everything is breaking up in this island, and in this world –everything is coming to an end, thanks to that war.

I soon locate the savages, they come towards the beach and invite us to a feast they have tonight. Samneric wanna go, and even though I say I don’t, I kinda do; I’m hungry for meat. But we have to stay guarding the fire, because, because, oh yeah! Because we need to get rescued. Right, getting rescued.   

-Ralph 

I'll Get Back, If We Kill It

We’ve been hunting and don’t find anything; maybe cause there isn’t anything?! I don’t even know if that is a question or a statement. I don’t even know what to think about this beast. I’m hungry, I want to cut my hair and take a decent bath like I did back in England. The bad thing is that I’ve become used to the conditions of filthiness; it’s like if it were normal. I find myself missing England, my precious home, more than ever now that I’m watching the vast ocean that extends miles and miles away; it’s like if I was daydreaming about my memories. I hope Granny and Mother are all right, and Father, and that the war is coming to an end. Somehow, Simon notices my nostalgia and comforts me “You’ll get back all right… You’ll get back to where you came from.” I know maybe it’s not true but I do feel better, Simon has his ways – he seems to have a special connection with everything and every one. But for some reason he only says that I’ll get back all right; not him or the rest of them; who knows?

I’ll get back to where I came from.      

Something amazing happens, maybe I shouldn’t have done it but I felt so happy and proud: I hit the snout of the boar we are attacking with my spear. I suddenly feel like I can do something good, something that Jack finds good; maybe hunting isn’t so bad after all –or is it? I do feel kind of guilty later when we attack Robert as if he were the pig. I have to confess that I did behave a little savage and wild, but only a little! I kind of understand Jack now, it sort of gets into you, the whole idea of hunting.

It’s getting dark now, we better go up the mountain and look for that beast… HOLY SHIT!!! THE BEAST! The beast is there on the tree. I find myself terrified by this specter that sits like a giant ape, and run along with the rest towards the littleuns and Piggy. We’ve seen the beast; it does exist.  

-Ralph