forever and always, merridew ~ lord of the flies (1990)

the island

i emerged out from the water, coughing at the sudden change of scene. it took me a few seconds to realise what had happened and then the panic hit me. i frantically looked around for the other boys, my eyes catching a few of them bobbing up and down in the water.

"someone help me please!"
"i can't swim"
"where is everyone else?"

frantic cries from the boys all around me made my heart pound. our plane had just crashed in the middle of the ocean, there were no adults and no way to contact anyone for help. what were we gonna do?
i didn't have time to think because i was immediately being pulled up by someone into what looked like a life raft. my eyes darted around the several boys all with terrified looks on their faces. i felt bad for the little ones, they must have been so scared.

"it's lucky we caught you, the tides getting high" the older boy with the dark hair said to me.

no one said anything the rest of the trip.

we floated on this raft for what seemed like hours but soon we approached a beautiful island. it had long palm trees that swayed in the breeze and an amazing beach stretching right to the end of the island. a couple of the older ones got out of the raft to help push it closer to the island. as soon as it hit, everyone got out and walked onto the beach. we spent a while taking in our surroundings and listening to the many different sounds that emerged from the trees.

the older boy with dark hair, whose name i now know is ralph, told everyone to get some rest on the beach. he had went to take something out of the raft and came back to sit on the beach. it was a long object, but when he bent it a fluorescent green light appeared from it. "what is that?" a little one asked. "it's a glow stick" ralph replied. "how does it work?" the little one asked again. "from some kind of chemical" i told him, giving him a small smile which he returned.

just then we hear what seems to be a birds call, but it sounds very foreign to us. "do you think anyone else is here sir?" another little one asks ralph, his face lacing with fear. that's when a familiar voice speaks up "it's just an island, there's nothing here".merridew. i sigh in annoyance.

"i'm thirsty"
"i'm hungry"
"what if there's no water?"

"we're all thirsty and we're all hungry. we should just try and get some sleep, and tomorrow we'll figure out what we're gonna do" ralph says to everyone and they all obey.

some of the boys took off their jackets to lie on, i however didn't have one so i just lay down on the sand.
i felt a someone coming near to me and then a voice say "here" it was merridews voice. i looked up and he was offering me his jacket. "cant have a pretty girl like you getting cold out here" he flirts. i just roll my eyes at him again but gratefully accept the jacket "thanks merridew". "hey, i uh never caught you're name" he asks, those eyes burning into my skull again.

"it's riley. riley taylor"

he smirks and then stands up again and says "goodnight taylor" before walking off.

i'm left in a daze as i watch him walk away. i put his jacket down on the sand, then slowly lay my head down , inhaling the scent of his expensive cologne. it calms me down a bit and so i just relax. leaving myself to fall into a deep sleep.

•••

the morning sun shines in my eyes waking me up. i open them and the sight in front of me is just picturesque. the ocean looks amazing here, the light hitting off of it perfectly. i turn my head to look around and all i see are the peaceful faces of the boys sleeping. my eyes however catch simon looking at an unconscious body on the sand. i get up and walk over to him, happy to see that he's ok.