LOTF - Chapter Twelve

Lord of the Flies
Chapter 12 – Cry of the Hunters
“The End of Painted Faces”
Perspective: Ralph

The water dances and sparkles beneath my as I hang over the head of the naval officer’s ship. I cannot recall the last time I felt so at ease, though the other boys seem more shocked than relaxed, and some of them even seem disappointed. Whenever I pass by one of them, I feel their eyes boring holes in my back and it makes my heart speed up. I feel anxious being three feet away from someone who wanted to kill me.
At night I dream about the island. Once again I find myself hiding in the dense thicket by Castle Rock. A boulder crashes through the bushes from above, sending twigs and leaves flying everywhere. I cough as thick smoke burns my throat and I shove my way through the bushes. I catch a glimpse of painted faces as I sprint towards the shady trees and keep on running, branches whipping and scraping my arms and legs. My heart pumps and I feel like it is in my throat, choking me. I can even feel the piece of meat Sam gave me churn in my stomach. I hear an ululation close behind and the image of Roger with a spear pointed at both ends infiltrates my mind and find myself looking into his black eyes, blackness that spread until it blinds me and I see Piggy and Simon, mangled and dead.
I wake up in cold, hard sweat and check my surrounding to make sure that I am not on the dreadful island. I am so thankful for the naval officer I had knocked into, right as the group of savages came out of the island with spears gripped tight in their hands and prepared to run me through. I know he was disappointed, though. I saw the astonishment in his eyes when I told him about Simon and Piggy. I told him that I was the leader, and the first impression that he had about me was that I let two people die. I will never let myself forget about Piggy and Simon, the smartest and kindest people I knew.
Both Piggy and Simon died while we were on this island, and even after Sam and Eric were tortured to join Jack’s tribe they still risked themselves to warn me. This island was the most horrible thing I could wish upon anybody, and I hope that it will cease into nonexistence so that no one will ever have to live through the same thing that Piggy, Simon, Sam, Eric, and I did.