A Storm of Memories

Story

Dark masses of clouds hovered over a little cottage in Dartmoor, over by a wall where wild ponies once stampeded across the field. No human eyes or ears were out in this weather, especially since it was nighttime and storms such as these were easy to get lost in. There were however, eyes and ears inside, belonging to a fair haired boy of twelve years.

Ralph sat in his bed, unable to sleep and listening to the thunder outside and watching the occasional flashes of lightning. He was frightened, too frightened to scream. The room was in near darkness and even with the curtains shut, it would never shield away the lightning at its brightest. A loud explosion of thunder sent him hiding under the covers, never to sleep, never to have any nightmares....but memories. Terrible memories of a storm like this not too long ago.

It happened when he joined Jack Merridew and his crew in their "bloody dance" as Piggy had called it. He had a sharp spear in his hands,chanting along with his fellow hunters, ready to go to war with the evil, horrible, monstrous beast that had been hunting them for only who knows how long. Mother Nature was at her worst that night, sending down a house pour of rain, mixed with thunder and lightning, just like the weather of the current night he was in. If he could have the power to turn back time, he could have saved Simon or tried to convinced the crazed hunters otherwise, but it was not meant to be. You cannot change the past, nor can you improve it. This was what he thought. His thoughts went to Piggy, who he also lost on that island. If he had still been alive, he could have learned his real name and they would have been better friends.

The tears threatened to leak. The pain coursed through his brainwaves.

Finally, he belted out a terrible scream. He clutched the blankets tighter and his fingers threatened to tear into the fabric or even strip his pajama top off of his body. His father, the navy commander, came running in, distressed.

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"No, just bad memories."

Ralph was silent before asking.

"Daddy, can I sleep with you?"

A loving father he was, Daddy smiled.

"Of course you can."

Happy for the moment, Ralph went into his parent's bedroom and snuggled in the same spot filled by his mother when she and Daddy were still together. The fair haired boy hugged his father very tightly and in spite of the vengeful weather, he was glad that a silver lining came out of his: He was warm and safe in the loving arms of his father.