After Before and After

Phase 4: Chapter 56

January 22, 1993. 3:49 PM.

In actuality, Ralph Langley and Jack Merridew didn't spend more than a few seconds looking at one another before Ralph's tape started to play. To the former, it felt much longer, like he could freeze time simply because he wasn't ready for what was going to happen next. In actuality, Jack's lawyer gave the blond boy his throat clearing signal to turn back around almost immediately after he looked at Ralph. Jack didn't want to look at Ralph at all knowing that this moment must've been eating him alive. But Jack was a masochist if nothing else, and he couldn't stop himself from inflicting the pain of seeing Ralph in pain. And in spite of how he felt about Ralph and his pain, Jack held a neutral expression on his face before turning back around at Brett's command.

"Can you describe the incident surrounding Simon Bennett's death for the record?" Reginald Schmidt, the male Flag State agent's muffled voice came through the cassette player.

"It was really dark outside" a younger Ralph answered.

Hearing his voice as it was two years ago haunted Jack a little. He forgot what Ralph used to sound like, failing to notice the subtle way time and puberty was starting to change that.

"We were all gathered around a fire Jack made on the beachfront to roast a dead pig for food" Ralph's voice continued on the cassette player. "Simon told me he wasn't coming, but he didn't tell me why. Later in the night, Simon came running down the beachfront. He was holding a glowstick, and nobody knew it was him. Some of the other boys got scared because they thought he was a monster. It was really dark. So they took the sticks they used to hunt the pigs and they just went after him without thinking. They didn't know it was Simon."

"Simon had a glowstick? Where on the island would he have found a glowstick?" Agent Coleman asked.

"He didn't find it on the island. It was mine. I had it in my jacket pocket when we crashed. I was surprised it still worked, but it did. I don't know how Simon got it though. It had been a while since I last saw it before that night" Ralph answered.

"Okay. So you all saw the glowstick in the dark, and were afraid it was a monster of some kind, correct?"

"I didn't think it was a monster. I don't believe in monsters, I never have. Most of the others did though. They were scared of it, and had been for awhile. Someone apparently encountered it in a cave somewhere in the forest."

"Was this before or after Simon's death?"

"Before."

"So if you didn't think Simon was a monster, what was your role in what happened that night?"

"I was there, I saw it happen, that's all. I don't remember what I was thinking, it happened so fast. I couldn't think or move or anything... not until it was over, until it was too late" Ralph explained. And even muffled on an old cassette tape, Jack could clearly hear the sadness in young Ralph's voice. He was still freshly grieving Simon's death. He was processing it in civilization for the first time, as was Jack.

"Do you remember the names of the other boys who were involved in Simon's death? Even if you don't remember them all, you can give me any names you can remember."

Well, this is the moment Jack told himself in anticipation of younger Ralph's response.

"No, I don't remember."

Jack didn't know why he was surprised that Ralph didn't implicate him, or at the very least Roger and some of the others. But he was surprised. Deep down, he'd been wondering if Ralph really was lying when he said he didn't sell Jack out. Ralph was so angry back then. He just witnessed Simon's and then Piggy's deaths. He hated Jack. The blond had been secretly wondering if Ralph only told him he kept his name out of it because he believed Jack would never hear the tape.