captured // lord of the flies

chapter three

ralph sat on the floor of his cell, waiting for a guard to approach to give him supper, and a change of clothes.

it was a thursday night, and ralph was more than antsy for saturday.

he rehearsed the plan over and over in his head, praying to god that it would work.

'run to the back, defile my body, play dead. run to the back, defile my body, play dead. run to the back, defile my body, play dead. come on ralph.'

"26! come on boy, screw on your head, and take your shit!"

ralph jumped at the woman's sharp voice. he had been rather spaced out since the conversation with paige, jack, and simon yesterday.

"i'm sorry." he sighed, and crawled over to the front of his cell. he reached through the bars and grabbed a navy jumper, and a bag of dried mangos.

ralph slid out of the grey jumper he was given last week, and handed it to the woman in front of the dark chamber.

each thursday night they are given a change of clothes. it wasn't always like that, but as the inmates grew older, puberty took over. the guards didn't want to deal with the stench any longer, so they enforced some personal hygiene. most of them were happy about that.

"you showering tonight?" the woman asked in her monotone voice. "i already took two this week." he replied. the boys are allowed two showers a week, the girls are only allowed one.

"get in your bed." she mumbled, and strolled away with ralph's dirty laundry.

ralph walked to the front of his cell, and sighed.

he listened for the door to close, so he knew he was safe.

"...alex?" he whispered.

he watched as her weakened body sat up in her bed.

her cheeks were hollowed, and the circles around her eyes stood out compared to her pale complexion.

"we're gonna help you. i know they hurt you here, worse than us-"

"ralph. please, don't try to help me." she said weakly.
"i have to. i can't keep seeing you in so much pain, knowing i can do something about it." ralph said, and for some reason, felt tears cloud up his eyes.

'why am i so concerned for this girl?' he asked himself.

"there's nothing you can do. just let it-" her quiet voice was interrupted by the large metal door swinging open.

ralph gasped and ran quietly over to his bed. he pulled the blanket over his body, and listened carefully to whatever was happening around him.

as much as he desired to see what was going on, he would get in trouble for being awake.

"put her in the other ones old cell." the thick voiced echoed through ralph's ear.

'could they be talking about alex? i haven't heard them open her cell...' he thought to himself.

"you will stay here, 28. get in your bed, and stay there." the voice growled.

a loud latch clasped that caused ralph to jump. fear scratched at his stomach as he begged the lord no one noticed he's awake.

luckily, they didn't, and the metal door shut, leaving the boys, paige noel, and alex alone, and possibly and whoever '28' was.