Forgiveness
a Lord of the Flies story
by Hermione Eveningfall
The ship slowly drifted away, and the group of boys stood watching as the island shrunk into the distance. Most of them, naked and covered from head to toe in colorful warpaint, were silent as the ocean breeze tousseled their hair. One boy, however, stood apart from the rest. He leaned on the cold metal rail, gazing ahead with his pale blue eyes.
The crown of leaves still sat atop his head, though he did not appear proud of what status it gave him. Jack Merridew straightened up, holding his strong hands before him, noticing that they were still stained with dirt and dried blood. What had they become? What had the island done to them? Kill the beast! Slit its throat! Smash him in! His hunter's chant still rang in his ears...so loudly in fact that he had to check over his shoulder to make sure no one was actually standing behind him. He turned back towards the ocean just as the ship's captain approached, placing a firm hand on his arm.
"Argh!" Jack yelped, startled. The captain chuckled, once Jack regained control of himself, and folded his arms.
"It's going to be a good two day journey," he began, "And I think it's about time you washed off that mess and got into clean clothing, eh?"
Jack swallowed, unable to keep his elder's gaze for very long. "Yes sir." He watched as the other officers began leading the rest of the boys below decks, and he slowly shuffled after them. Weeks ago, the prospect of being prim and proper again was very appealing...to don clean clothing and to settle down to a good meal and a soft bed was a dream. Now, the though tof slacks, high collared shirts and ties seemed too much, too stuffy.
As he descended the last step on the narrow staircase which led to the cabins, he heard a rather loud sneeze and a small fit of coughing. "Eh-Chhhhsh! Huh-shhhhuh!" He stared as Ralph came around the bend, his face white as a ghost. He took one look at Jack and pushed past him, sniffling and rubbing his nose with the back of his wrist. He walked through one of the doors and shut it, which Jack figured was the cabin he'd been given. Ralph, after a good couple of moments of crying when the captain first appeared to them, had fainted dead away, and the crew carried him aboard and brought him immediately below. It amazed Jack that Ralph had not passed out prior to that morning, but the boy really did have more going for him than he appeared to have.
"All right, on you go," a sailor encouraged, and brought Jack towards the washroom. "There is a bar of soap in the tub there and a wash cloth. We do not have much hot water, so try not to take too long, mate. There are still ten others after you."
Nodding, Jack stepped into the shower, turning the knob and allowed the luke-warm water to wash over him. He could hear the chatter of the other boys as he scrubbed hard at the paint, watching as it dripped into the drain. When he got as much of the paint off as he could, he stepped out of the shower and put on the medium- sized sailor's suit which hung over the sink. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he felt like a complete stranger again. Sighing, he pushed open the door, running headfirst into Roger, who turned around, showing off his own uniform.
"What do you think, Jack? Could I bum as an officer?"
Jack snorted, rolling his eyes. The fact that Roger could be so calm and collected over what had occurred in the past couple of weeks stunned him. His black eyes showed no signs of remorse about the acts he commited, which included smashing Piggy with a boulder and joining in the murder of helpless Simon. Roger seemed to notice Jack's change in attitude, and raised an eyebrow. "What is eating you?" he asked.
Jack looked down at his feet for a moment and then shook his head. "Nothing," he lied. "Nothing, I'm fine. Listen, I think...I think I'm going to take a bit of a nap since I am quite exhausted. Go on deck and I will see you at supper?"
Roger shrugged, grabbing the rail and climbing back up the steps through the trapdoor. When he was gone, Jack walked towards the door he'd seen Ralph go through, and knocked on it.
"Who is it?" a tired voice croaked from inside, and Jack hesitated for a moment.
"Jack."
Silence filled the air, until Ralph muttered "Shove off!"
"Ralph, I...I'm so sorry about what happened," Jack proceeded, finally allowing the tears to come that he'd kept bottled up inside. "I'm so sorry about everything..."
There was the sound of shuffling from inside and the knob turned at last, the door pushing open a creak. Ralph peeped out, his head resting against the door frame. "It took a good scrubbing to come to your senses?" He growled, before his face crumpled, and he turned his head away. "Uhhh-shhhhh! Etshhhhh!"
"Bless you," Jack told him. "Are you sick? You didn't look so good earlier."
Ralph sighed. "Just a cold's all. And the captain said I need to rest, so if you'll excuse me..." he started to close the door, but Jack held it open.
"Ralph, you don't understand. When I saw the ship pull up to the beach, after the chanting stopped...when we stood there staring as the captain come towards us with that horrified look in his eyes, I realized just how truly awful we'd become. I don't know what it was that brought me back to Earth, but as I stood in the shower watching the warpaint drip off, it was as though my identity as chief were washing away with it."
Ralph sniffled, coughing again, and pulled the door open a bit wider. He gave Jack a hard look up and down, wetting his chapped lips. "I have something for you," Jack added with a nod, and nodded towards the hall. "I'll be right back."
Ralph sat down on the edge of his cot, fingering the crisp linens. When Jack returned, he lifted his head and watched closely. The choir master presented him with the pair of broken specs, that once belonged to Piggy. Ralph accepted them, his eyes tearing slightly as he touched the rugged glass carefully.
"Sort of...to remember him by. You need them more than I do." Jack smiled. "I know it is going to take more than specs to convince you to forgive me," he added, "Though I do hope you'll consider it. Ralph, I have never been more sorry or ashamed of myself in my life." He scuffed the toe of his shoe against the wooden floor, and then rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment. "Well then, I'll be going. Feel better, then." He turned and left the room, leaving Ralph in stunned silence, still holding the old pair of glasses.
"Wait!" Ralph hopped up, watching as Jack stopped in mid stride, and smiled himself for the first time in days when Jack turned to him. "Thank you."
Jack nodded...he knew, with those two words, all was forgiven.
The characters do not belong to me-they belong to Sir William Golding, and I am only borrowing them purely for my own enjoyment. XD Weekly Hatch 17: Two characters who hate each other find their hearts softened when one comes down with a cold and needs comfort/care.