The Lady and the Flies

Chapter 15

Hey lovelies! I'm back with another chapter!! Hope you enjoy it!! :):)

Xoxo

NeverlandsDreamer
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Right now I'm in a state of mind
I'd like to be in, like, all the time
Ain't got no tears left to cry

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An acrid veil seemed to sheathe itself amidst Clare's mind. Her thoughts were poisoned with precariously cynical thoughts; all at once, she was doubting not only the strength of the tribe, but the strength of Ralph as well. As bright and confident as the boy seemed, Jack's absence left a raw void within everyone, Clare included. Not even the brave and confident Ralph could keep the tribe bound together.

Clare wandered down the beach, subtly slipping away from the clearing before the arguments rose once more. Dusk set upon the gruesome grey of the island, tainting the golden sand with a shadowed overcast. The waves curdled and spewed heavy, thick foam onto the shore, recoiling at the breath of the wind. Trees swayed and noises played hide and seek beneath the undergrowth of the forest, concealing the dark matter that lay within. Such a dark scene suited such a dark day, Clare thought carelessly. It was strange.

Jack hadn't come back for her

Not that she cared anyways. She had Simon and Ralph. She didn't love him anymore. Did she? His comment from earlier made her mind fill with the empty promises of hope.

Roger hadn't come back to get her either

Still, her stomach lurched as she came dangerously close to the edge of the forest. Unconsciously, the girl had begun to wring her hands, fiddling her fingers till it looked almost spastic. She wandered closer to the green edge, watching in scrutiny. All the beasts that lurked in there...All the things that went on in there...

"Clare!"

Startled, Clare hurriedly glanced back over her shoulder, relieved to see the warm faces of Maurice and Bill. Both boys still wore warpaint and carried dull spears, but smiled at her nevertheless. She returned their kind gesture and waved back, tucking a stubborn piece of hair behind her ear as she moved towards them.

"Where're you off to?" she asked, eyeing the way each boy held the small quantity of their possessions with protective shame. Maurice took a quick glance at his blonde friend, frowning nervously. Bill was quick to stumble upon his words.

"Well we- we...We're on the team -"

"-were on the rugby team," Maurice corrected quietly, clutching his tattered things close. "Now we're hunters."

Bill nodded. "Right. Hunters."

The low tone of Bill's voice detonated something foul within Clare. She turned her head slightly and stared at both the boys, trying fruitlessly to see beneath the paint.

"What does that mean?" she asked, inching closer. Her voice dropped, now almost a whisper, and the boys followed her quieting resonance.

"I've known Jack since I was little," Maurice muttered, shrugging helplessly. "He used to visit my house in Oxford with me in the summer."

"We've always followed Jack." Bill's blue eyes softened, but his jaw seemed to grow hard. There was something cold and detached about his expression. "And Ralph...well..."

"We don't know him like Jack." Maurice had stepped forward for his friend now in an almost desperate attempt to justify their sudden choice. "He's a good chief, but not for us. He's a good chief for...for..."