There Is No Beast!

I bring the shiny conch to my lips again and blow on it hard for the second time that day. The boys gather around the platform while I'm sitting on a fallen trunk waiting for their attention. I explain myself and tell them what we've seen: we're in an island with no houses, no smoke, no footprints, no boats, no people; we are in an uninhabited island. They all stare in astonishment and not to my surprise, Jack butts in saying that we need an army for hunting -hunting pigs. It seems that's the only thing he cares about even though he missed the opportunity to kill one when we went exploring. I pretend like I care but I guess we could live off of fruit, no need to kill living things. "There aren't any grownups. We shall have to look after ourselves," I tell the boys. We need rules in order to stay free of chaos. The first rule I make is that the person who has the conch has the right to speak and not be interrupted except by me. Piggy seems to like this rule; he takes the conch and states his point: no one knows where we are so we might stay here a long time. This is true, but this is a good island; we'll have fun, there's no need to be desperate.
I am happy about my new rules when a little boy with a mulberry-colored birthmark takes my excitement away. He comes to the platform with this pathetic story that there is a "beastie", a snake thing that appears only at dark. Just when everything seemed to be in order, this boy has to come inventing fearful stories. I'm sure he only wants attention, all of the littleuns miss their families. Maybe it was just a dream or the creepers that he mistaked for a snake. I know there in no such thing as a beastie or a snake; there's nothing to be afraid of. Jack says they'll hunt it if there is one, but the thing is that there is not a beast in this island, so what's the point on saying they will hunt it down? I hope this whole beastie thing hasn't scared the boys. Now that I think about it, I am a little bit scared and I know Jack is too, even though he hides it pretty well. It's okay though, we'll be safe. We can have fun and Jack's hunters will killl the beast if there is one. But it's okay, there is no beast!  

- Ralph