Lord of the Flies: Journal #7

By: Simone Federici

Chapter: Shadows and Tall Trees

Perspective: Simon

The Hunt for the Beastie

The day continued as the hunt for the beastie was on hold. After the long hike up the mountain, our brake stop took place at a ledge with lots of rocks that were being pushed and rolled of the ledge and down the flat rocks. The air smelled fresh, clean and crisp and the scent around us was pure nature. The trees and other plants swayed in the light wind while the birds chirped and the creepers scurried around the dense forest floor. All around me I could see pink tables of granite, strange growths of coral polyp and weed. I noticed my skin was very dirty and full of brine. The younger boys were perfectly entertained by the rolling rocks that stumbled down the cliff and splashed into the water that sent water drops all the way up the ledge.

After a while of resting all the boys and I started talking about the fact that the day was passing and that we weren’t going to be able to keep going after a while because the sky would be pitch black. We decided that we had the option of staying here overnight and continuing our journal for the beastie tomorrow morning, or go back the huts and the clearing where we would be able to begin the journey from home, but get a much earlier start so we would have enough time to make it there and back before dark. The boys decided that it wasn’t worth it to go all the way home and then back up the mountain and throw a whole day worth of hiking away. The only conflict was that someone would have to go back to the huts where Piggy was watching the littluns, and tell him that we were staying overnight so he wouldn’t be worried.

I immediately agreed to travel down the mountain to tell Piggy hoping that my decision had been made sagely. Even though the boys and I knew it was a dangerous trip, I volunteered anyway. My journal back the huts where are camp was set up was going to take me a long time, because I had to walk across the whole entire island. Traveling alone wasn’t exactly the scary part, it was just frightening to be out the open with no real help if I were to get hurt or lost. I switched off walking and running toward the dense forest full of creepers. The forest was the exact opposite of moors because there was not a clearing that I knew of hardly anywhere, considering that my sight was affected by the darkness of the sky. My body was in pain, but I hadn’t realized that it was because I had cuts and scrapes all over my body because of the thorns, vines and sharp sticks. I tripped a couple of times, but it became a necessity because it happened so much. I continued my journey with a dun expression and for some reason I felt bravado walking across the island by myself. After a while I got tired and was barely able to keep my eyes open, but I tried real hard, not knowing what was going to happen as I walked the treacherous distance across what was pretty much considered out island.