Burnin' Up

LOTF
Chapter 12
"Cry of the Hunters"
Perspective:Ralph

The whole island and everyone on it was insane. But then again, without this insanity we may not have been rescued.
It all began when Sam and Eric informed me that Jack and the rest of the Savages were going to scour the island and hunt me down, if they found me they were to give a ululation, like and Indian. They were saying that Roger had "sharpened a stick at both ends," which is exactly what Roger did to the pig in the meadow. If he found me, he actually wanted to kill me, cut off my head, and put it on a stick.
I must admit that I had an ulterior motive for visiting Sam and Eric. I wanted to make sure that they hadn't joined Jack's tribe by choice. That they hadn't betrayed me. I wanted to know that they were forced to join Jack's savages, but hopefully not hurt too badly. When I last left them, they had been tied up. They later told me that Roger had tortured them and forced them to join. I saw that they were the ones guarding Castle Rock so I had to go talk to them. I crept up the cliffs and called out their names softly. They looked around and I said it was me and then they told me I couldn't be here. They then proceeded to tell me Jack and Roger's plan to kill me, and in turn I told them where I would be hiding, and told them to keep the others away from it. Then we heard someone coming, and we quickly figured out it was Jack. Eric quickly shoved a piece of meat my way and said that we wouldn't be able to talk again, and that I needed to leave. That night, I hid in the thicket, where I had told Sam and Eric where I would be hiding.
The next morning, I awoke to a far-away ululation, and I discovered that the manhunt had already begun. I remained where I was until I heard the voices of Roger, Jack, Sam and Eric. "Are you sure this is where he said he'd be?" Roger threatened Sam and Eric, "If it's not, you know what we'll do to you." Roger and Jack were threatening them to reveal my hiding place. And they said"Yes. We're sure." And Jack revealed his plans to smoke me out. He was lighting the whole forest afire, and I knew I wouldn't survive in a thicket that was on fire, so I had to run. I ran past a littl'un hunter, into the forest, and away from everyone else. They were all looking for me, so I hid in a bush that wasn't on fire. Then, I heard their voices again. Someone was bending down to look in the brush. I turned around and I locked eyes with Roger. Knowing I had been found, I ran for my life. I ran towards the beach, towards where the old tribe used to be. I ran and ran until I reached sand. I ran towards the ocean but I fell. When I looked up, I saw, drill covered legs, so I knew it wasn't one of us. He was clean, and on his arms were epaulettes. It was a naval officer, who had seen our fire and had come to save us. Poor Percival was so shocked that he couldn't even remember his own name! I took responsibility for the events on the island, because I was the true elected leader. He seemed so ashamed of us because we were boys, British biys, and we should have behaved ourselves better. I just broke down andwept, partially because I was so relieved that I no longer had to fear for my life, that I was going home, and partially because I was so horrified that Piggy and Simon were dead because of all of our actions. But I guess it is something that will be on my conscience for the rest of my life.