Stranded

Chapter 25 ~ Cassie

It is in the late stages of twilight when Hannah and Ralph finally come out of the forest. There is no one else with them. I can tell that something's happened from Hannah's expression and the wounds on Ralph, as can everyone else. We all meet them at the gate.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Sam and Eric were captured and Piggy.... Piggy's dead," Hannah mutters. There are mutterings and gasps at this news. I, somehow, am able to pull myself together.
"Ralph, I am so sorry, come," I say. He follows me to a small hut. Alexia brings him some of the dried meat which he digs into immediately.
Once he is finished he looks at me and finally speaks.
"Why did you...."
"We figured after what they did to Simon, there wasn't any reasoning with them," I say. "We've been preparing for war, and thought that you might want to join."
"We need to get.... to...." Ralph starts, but keeps dropping off. I take a guess at what he's getting at.
"The signal fire is still going."
"How?"
"We've been keeping it up," I say. "No one has bothered to look I guess."
"But what about the beast?"
"There is no beast."
"Yes there is, I saw it."
"It was a dead man. He had a parachute on that caused it to look like he was moving."
"Really?"
"Yes, Simon was going to tell you, but...."
"Right.... We need to get Samneric."
"We can't do a straight up rescue, I'm sorry Ralph, but there's way too much risk involved. We have to wait to capture some of them and weaken their numbers first, I don't want anyone else to get killed."
"We have to help them."
"Don't worry, you're not the only person who wants to rescue someone," I say. Despite all that Rachel has done, most everyone wants to get her away from the Savages. With Jack incharge, and from what he has done.... Well, no one wants her there.