𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 10

***

Jack awoke that morning, his arms still protectively holding a sleeping Tiffany. Although her soft blue eyes were closed, her face was puffy from the crying that evening.

Percy was dead.

It rang through Jack's ears like alarm bells, slowly getting nearer and nearer but they would be no way to escape once they finally reached him: he was trapped.

***
TIFFANYS POV:

My eyes were heavy and they stung, but my heart hurt more as it felt like I had been repeatedly kicked in the stomach. Percy was dead.

I looked up to see Jack wide awake and staring down at me, his blonde locks flipping in-front of his tanned face. He rubbed his hand along my arms in an attempt to comfort me but it only caused me to begin to once again weep violently into his chest.

My weeping continued for what felt like days, once I started the tears couldn't stop. I wasn't even sure if Percy was the only reason I was crying; everything was finally collapsing around us and we were next.
***

3rd person

"Tiff,it's gonna be okay sweetheart." Jack cupped her face and kissed her before holding her tightly again as she sat emotionless, there were no tears left to cry today. Instead, she rested her head in the crook of Jack's neck, sighing. They stayed like that for what felt like days.

"Jack, hunting? Let's go!" Rodger walked in, not seeming to care at the fact someone was dead and everyone was mourning that fact.

"Rodger I'm busy, hunting isn't happening right now."

"Why?"

Jack opened his mouth but no words came out, he looked at the boy who was stood, head titled a little and completely emotionless.

"Rodger, Percy is dead.." Jack shuddered as he spoke the fact, looking at Tiff who had bowed her head now, her brown locks falling across her face so her emotions could no longer be seen.

"I know, I was there."

Jack was struggling to understand Rodger, a child was dead..

Yet he had no emotion, it was almost as if that switch inside of him was turned off: he wasn't wired up correctly.

Jack sat back down next to Tiffany as Rodger impatiently walked away.

***
The day was spent in mourning, nobody went to the edge of the beach where they assumed Percy's body still lay; unless it had now been swept away by the harsh waves. Nobody spoke that day in the camp, other than a few nods in each other's direction; it was unbearable. So when Tiffany finally showed her face with a newfound stamina, she decided she would deal with it.

~

The sound of the conch caused everyone to come running over, not as perky as usual although Rodger still seemed to be his regular eerie-self.

"Tiffany, why are you blowing the conch? what's the matter?" Ralph's voice was hoarse, his eyes as puffy as Tiffany's as were many others; it was clear Percy would be dearly missed.

"I think we should host a kind of memorial service tonight, on top of the hill where the firewatch is, Percy liked watching the fire with me some nights."

No one spoke, although a few grumbles and nods were passed around the group as Ralph nodded approvingly, "then that's settled, if you'd excuse me.." Ralph tiredly walked away, back to his hut to probably go feel more sorrowful alone.

***

JACKS POV:

I sat down on a tree trunk down by the beach, yet it was in the shade surrounded by palm trees. I couldn't help but smile softly as I watched Tiff tickling the littluns and chasing them. Her smile was fake, to me that was obvious but to them it was just a normal day; they were completely unaware that their bestfriend had been killed in a complete accident.

Wait, was it an accident?

How did he even die?

Before I could even ponder these thoughts I noticed Rodger approaching, his expression was somewhat joyous. "Hey bud." "Hey Rog."
I nodded in his direction before turning back to face what Tiff was up to, making sure no harm came to her as it had done to Percy; she was currently building sandcastles with them.

"Have you seen Samneric?" Rodger snapped me out of the trance she had enticed me in.

"What? Oh, no sorry."

"Where the hell are they, I've searched this island for them."

"Probably mourning the death of their friend." I rolled my eyes, I understand the fact Rodger shut off that part of himself were his brain used emotion after the incident, but he knew exactly what was happening and yet he didn't even bat an eye.

"Why do you need to see them do urgently?"

"I'm not telling you shit, your tell your bitch."

I'm not sure wether it was the fact the called her a bitch or the current grief I was dealing with that caused me to grab him by his hair and throw him against a tree, but I did it nevertheless.

"WHAT THE FUCK MAN."

"She's not a bitch Rodger, mind your tone around me."

He trudged away once I let go of my tight grip around his throat, probably to go find the twins again. Why was he so interested?

It was then that I saw the beautiful brown hair blowing in the breeze as she was walking towards two figures.

Samneric.

***

TIFFS POV:

"Are you guys alright?" I noticed the two twins whispering together as they stared out at sea, their usual cheeky grins hidden by a mask of darkness; she understood they were grieving but something was off.

"Sam? Eric?"

Simultaneously, they both looked up at me snd blinked as they snapped out of their trance. "Are you guys alright?"

"Tiff, can we trust you not to tell a secret?" Sam whispered in a hushed voice.

"I told you not to!!" Eric whined.

"Shut up Eric, we need to!" Sam shoved his brother hard into the sand as he stood up and walked away, leaving me shook at how harshly he spoke to his brother.

"What's the matter sam?"

"It's Percy, his death wasn't an accident."

.....