JACK THE KING (Lord of the Flies reimagined)

Part 13 - DEAD BODIES

Jenny and Sam got to work on their raft, collecting fallen tree trunks and branches to build it. It took them a few days, they kept it hidden in the forest scared that Dani or one of the others might see what they were doing and try to talk them out if it  

Finally, when they were ready to go Jenny was scared and had doubts

''Sam we could drown or be eaten by sea monsters'' she said ''this is so dangerous, I don't think we should do it''

''You don't have to come if you don't want to'' Sam said ''but I'm going no matter, whether it's with you or on my own I have to get off this island, I can't stand it here knowing that Eric drowned here. Even if I die it will still be worth the risk, either way, I'll escape from here and that's all I care about''

''I can't let you go on your own'' Jenny said firmly ''we'll go together as we agreed. You're right whether we die or find help, either way, we'll be escaping this prison''

Jenny went to find Dani to say goodbye, although Dani didn't know it

''Sis I want you to know that I love you very very much and always remember it'' she told her and hugged her

''I love you too, what brought all this on?''

''I just wanted to let you know that's all''

Jenny tried hard not to cry, she didn't want Dani to get suspicious, especially after she had talked about suicide before

''Is everything alright Jen?'' a concerned Dani asked her ''you would tell me if something was on your mind wouldn't you?''

''Yes, of course, everything is fine'' Jenny said, forcing a smile ''I just needed to let you know I love you that's all''

With a heavy heart, Jenny left her sister and went to meet Sam where they had pulled the raft down to a quiet spot on the beach

''Are you ready to go?'' Sam asked

''Yes ready''

Just as they were about to pull the raft into the ocean their hearts sank, there was Ralph walking toward them. They were sure he would stop them from going

''What on earth do you two think you're doing?'' he said incredulously

''Look please don't stop us'' Sam pleaded '' I have to go, I can't stay here anymore. Every time I look at the beach I am reminded of Eric drowning''

''I have to go too'' Jenny said ''Jack and his tribe scare the hell out of me''

Ralph looked troubled, very troubled ''Don't you think I want to get off this island too?'' he said ''It started off ok but when Jack set up his own tribe everything fell apart and now I'm too tired and too weak to do anything about it. I dream about leaving every night but this isn't the way to do it'' 

''Well I'd rather die trying than die here and believe me if I stay here any longer I will die here'' Sam said

''So will I'' Ralph said sadly and stared out to sea for a moment ''I can't stay here any longer either, ok I'm coming with you, there is room for three is there?''

Sam and Jenny looked stunned   

A few hours passed and storm clouds gathered overhead, it became dark and overcast, and windy. Dani, Simon, and the littluns took shelter in the huts but they were scared. In the last storm, they had, the huts had blown to pieces and terrifying huge waves had crashed into the beach driving everyone into the forest for safety

There were no such concerns for Jack's tribe, their camp was set up deeper into the forest away from the shore they also had a cave to take shelter in. In any case, the waves on their side of the island were not as huge  

Torrential rain began to pound down on them and Dani wondered where Ralph, Jenny, and Sam could be. Simon stated he hadn't seen them for hours

Thankfully the storm was short, passing over in 20 minutes and returning the island to clear blue skies and glorious sunshine. But the storm had caused some damage to the huts like it did last time

Dani and Simon got to work clearing up the debris

''I do hope the others took shelter somewhere safe'' an increasingly worried Dani said 

Then Simon spotted a soaking-wet Ralph sprinting up the beach towards them. When he arrived, out of breath, he flopped down on the ground and lie there gasping for air for several minutes

Dani and Simon stared at him in confusion and concern

''Ralph, what the hell happened to you?'' Dani said finally when Ralph had recovered enough to talk

''I took a raft out on the sea, tried to escape from the island...but when the storm came the waves tore the raft to pieces, I had to swim back to shore, luckily I am such a strong swimmer''

''Ralph are you crazy?'' Dani scolded him ''What got into you? Taking a raft out on the ocean was complete insanity, do you have a death wish or what?''

''I just wanted to escape from here'' Ralph said tearfully, knowing how pathetic he had become

''Well you're incredibly lucky to be alive''

Ralph took hold of Dani's hand and looked at her with fear and sadness in his eyes ''I am but Sam and Jenny might not be. You see they went out on the raft with me and I don't know if they made it back to shore''

Dani just stared at him in stunned silence for a while, like she was taking time to process what he was telling her

''Let me get this straight, in case I misunderstood something'' she said finally ''you took my sister out on a raft, and now she could be dead?''

''Well it was her and Sam who had the idea and made the raft ''Ralph said rather lamely ''I just caught them when they were about to go out and instead of stopping them as I should have I went with them because I am an idiot''

Dani nodded her head and spoke surprisingly calmly, probably due to shock '' I see and you don't know if they survived?''

''No, the waves were so fierce and the raft fell apart. well, I saw them go under the water. The thing is you had to be a very strong swimmer like I am to swim through that, they won't have been as strong as I am''

Dani nodded her head again ''Yes that's right Ralph, I don't know about Sam but Jenny was never a very strong swimmer, so the chances of them surviving are quite slim would you say?''

''Yes. I mean maybe they did but I don't know. But they really wanted to go, they were adamant about it, I didn't feel I had the right to stop them really''

''In fact, you decided the more the merrier right?''

''Yes, I share their desire to escape from here. You understand don't you?'' 

Dani suddenly grabbed Ralph's balls and squeezed them hard, Ralph howled in agony and Dani pulled him up close to her

''If my sister is dead I'll never forgive you'' she said, calmly but coldly ''because you could have and should have stopped them but, instead, you jumped on board with them''  

The sea gives back what it takes so they say. That was certainly true when the bodies of Sam and Jenny were found washed up on the shore a few hours later and Dani gave out the most agonizing scream at the death of her sister.