Chapter 8 Journal Entry (Ralph)

Chapter 8: Two Tribes

The trumpet like sound of the conch roared in my ears as Jack blew into it. The boys of all sizes ran to were they heard the sound coming from and sat down to hear what this unexpected meeting was about. Jack beckoned for me to stand by his side and so I walked across the grass to where he stood, surrounded by the crowd of young boys.
“What are you doing Jack?” I asked, loud enough for all to hear.
“I have called a meeting!” Jack stood confidently beside me like the strong prefect he is.
I decided I should listen to what he could possibly want this time and quieted.
“Hmm, I-,” Jack paused and pointed at me with a now demoniac face. “He is a coward. All he cares for is getting off this island rather than surviving on it! He doesn’t want us to get meat and, and he called us hunters useless!” There was a gasp from the hunters.
“I didn’t!” I yelled.
“And when we went to hunt the beast he stayed behind, the coward,” The littluns were now frightened and some were crying.
“That’s a lie. I went with you too, me and Roger and you. We all went in the cave and I ran, so did both of you.”
Jack flushed. “He gives us all of these ridiculous taboos but we never get anything done. So I think that he should no longer be chief.”

I gasped. I had no idea that I had hurt him this badly that he would no longer want me to be chief. My face paled.
“I was voted chief and I will stay chief!” I said defensively.
“Then let’s have another vote. When we voted first no one knew what you would like and now they do so I say we have another vote. Raise you’re hand if you no longer want Ralph as chief.” He raised his hand high in the air and waited. Everyone’s face turned to the ground in shame. No hands went up.

I smiled hugely until seeing that Jack had slowly lowered his hand and began to cry. Tears were streaming down his face as he was walking away.
“I will make my own tribe. It will be a tribe where we will actually do things to survive on this island.” He began to run through the trees then stopped when I yelled his name.
He turned around “No!” he yelled, and left.

Hours later Piggy and I sat together with our new friendship. I whined on and on about Jack leaving and how it was my fault and Piggy kept trying to reassure me.
“I have an idea. We can take the fire from the mountain and bring it down to the beach so that we don’t have to walk as far every day to cook and get warm.”
“Bring the fire down here?” I asked, confused. “Hmm, that sounds like a good idea, Piggy.”

He tried to smile but while being demure. At night we brought the fire down to the beach and left the fire on the mountain just a pile of ashes and small flames. The new fire danced in the wind while Piggy and I sat around it on fire duty. We spoke some more of the new tribe and Jack when all of the sudden Jack and two dark figures ran onto the beach towards the fire. Jack and the figures took the fire onto their torches and left us with what we had on the mountain.

“We have caught a pig. I paunched it and it needs to be cooked,” Jack said loudly. By then most of the boys in my tribe had gathered around to see what had happened.
“You may join us if you like, for the feast I mean,” Jack announced to the whole group.
I shook my head at him and when he saw no one was going to join his lovely feast he left with his hunters behind him.
“Meat,” the littluns moaned.
“Yes, meat,” the biguns echoed.
“I know that everyone wants meat but we must survive on our own. Jack has left us and it was for the better. We can find our own meat,” I tried to say confidently.
“There is something that is worrying me more, Ralph. Where is Simon?” Piggy asked.
I looked around with the small light of the fire. “I don’t know,” I said, worriedly.