LOTF: Before and After

Phase 2: Chapter 5

There was a horrible storm that hit the island about three weeks after Jack had separated his hunters from the rest of the boys in Ralph's camp. On the other side of the explored part of the island, Ralph's camp barely survived the night. Trees were falling down everywhere and the boys were kept up trying to save their heads. The following morning, there was a ton of damage to the camp and the boys struggled to find fruit. Eventually, Piggy found some hanging from a fallen tree, and Ralph and the others gathered round to eat.

Of course, Jack's primary concern was hunting. He and his tribe set out that same morning in search of the next pig. By this point, they'd already killed two; the one they'd brought to Ralph three weeks ago and another a week back. Jack thought that perhaps the storm had knocked a couple of them out, which would make for a boringly easy hunt.

The hunt wasn't so boring for Larry, who'd wandered off from the others. He came across what looked to be a cave, and made the bold decision to check out what was inside despite the fact that there wasn't anyone else around. He ventured hesitantly inside, and the enclosed darkness made it difficult for him to determine what, if anything, was inside. All of a sudden, the boy felt something grab at his legs. He started screaming at the top of his lungs as something bigger than he was tried to grab hold of him. Larry fought whatever it was off with his hunting stick, stabbing it into the creature and abandoning it there as he ran back out for dear life.

Larry spread the word of what he encountered among the other hunters. It wasn't long before it got back to Jack, who was raging with anger at the stupid and childish accusation.

"What's this dumb shit I hear about a monster?" Jack demanded when he caught up with Larry. "We're gonna have to send you back to kindergarten" he threatened in reference to Ralph's camp.

"I'm serious" Larry insisted, a look of horror stuck on his face as he rocked back and fourth on the ground back at Jack's camp.

"Okay, what kind of monster? Did it have fur and big fangs? Or long slimy tentacles?" he mocked the younger boy.

"It growled, and it came out at me" Larry panted fearfully through his words. "and it's mouth, it was wet."

"Maybe it was a bear" Maurice thought aloud.

"Sounds more like a reptile" Roger insisted.

"Sounds more like bullshit" Jack scoffed in disbelief.

Whether or not Jack believed it was bullshit, he took the bait anyway and ventured down to the cave Larry had described. The other hunters followed behind him, but refused to get anywhere near the thing. Roger was the only one on Jack's tail as he made it to the entry of the cave. Everyone else bolted back towards camp as Jack and Roger peered inside the cave. The first, slightest sound of movement sent Roger running back down. Jack only lasted a second or two longer before he followed down behind his best friend.

"We heard it alright" Jack admitted when he and Roger reunited with the others. "It's in there."

Jack still had enough humanity left in him to inform Ralph's fire watch team about the alleged monster when they met up with them on top of the hill.

"It's just over the big ridge behind our camp, just thought you oughta know" Jack told Ralph's fire watch team. "Thanks for the fire" Jack added as he and Roger made their way back down the hill.

"No one wants to be alone up there anymore, Ralph" Sheraton explained to Ralph back down at the camp when he was supposed to be on fire watch a few days later. "There's something loose on this island."

The supposed monster in the cave quickly became the talk of the island, within both camps. Boys continued to argue about whether or not it was real. Ralph thought that Jack and Roger were making it up to scare Ralph's group into joining Jack's tribe. For a couple of them, it worked.