Creative writing †The Meeting Essay

They were coming to get him, creeping through the undergrowth towards him. As they drew near he jumped up to run on, but tripped. He had been spotted. The savages drew in, their spears all pointing at him, moving around him as he stared up at them, chanting ‘Kill the pig. Cut his throat. Spill his blood.’ As the chanting got louder, and the spears nearer, he screamed. He woke up breathing heavily, covered in sweat, his hair adhering to his forehead. A nightmare. The same nightmare it always was. He was back on the island again. Except this time the officer hadn’t saved him, the savages had killed him. Ralph sat up haltingly and went to fetch a glass of water. He checked his watch, six forty-five in the morning. No point going back to bed now, his appointment was at seven thirty. He knew why the dream had come back this time. Today he was going to meet Jack Merridew for the first time in fifteen years. As they stood outside the door the psychiatrist quickly briefed Ralph before he entered. â€Å"Remember everything we’ve talked about. This is for you to sort out what happened. To sort out, if you can, why it happened. Let the anger out. Don’t let him intimidate you into not saying anything.† Ralph entered the room alone. Jack was already there silhouetted against the window. He turned and surveyed Ralph as he entered, holding out his hand in greeting. Ralph was tall and thin with fair hair. Jack was bigger and looked stronger, with brown hair and dark eyes. They shook hands confidently, and then Ralph stepped back and was opening his mouth to speak when Jack began. â€Å"We both know why we’re here, don’t we. You want answers and I’m to give them to you. So here you are. When we arrived on that island, I believed that I would be leader, that I would lead everyone, just as I had led the choir. Then you blew the conch, everyone was already there when we arrived and you were in control. I liked the look of you but I hated that you had found the conch, that you were always making the sensible suggestions. When you gave me the responsibility of looking after the fire and hunting I thought I’d show everyone that I could be just as powerful as you. Then I let the fire out. You and Piggy hated me for that. You lost your respect for me. So I had to gain it in another way, the beast. But the beast separated us even more. I then knew that there was no way I’d ever earn your respect so I tried to earn the respect of everyone else to show you that I could lead a tribe. I started my tribe and persuaded others to join me. Then to show you that we could live without you we invited you to our feast. Then the incident with Simon happened. You didn’t come back after that. I was in control, you and Piggy were on the other side of the island and we didn’t mention you. We had rocks ready in case you ever came, but we didn’t expect you to come. I thought that if you did you would be impressed with the idea of protection. But then you came. You came with the conch and tried to call a meeting, and I heard you talking to my tribe. Then Roger set off the rock that killed Piggy. That’s when I knew that you had to die. You confused everyone because you used to be their leader and they still respected you. So I organised the hunt. Anyone who wouldn’t hunt you would be hunted themselves. We hunted you all the way to the lagoon, I know that we would have killed you if that officer weren’t there. But luckily for you he was. I’m sorry we killed your friends but they had to die.† Throughout his speech Jack had stared out of the window, a dazed look in his eye, using his hands to emphasise what he was saying. But during that last sentence fire had returned to his eyes. He turned and Ralph was filled with a sudden terror. This was Jack as he remembered him, dark and murderous. â€Å"They had to die Ralph, and you had to die. You escaped then but finally you have returned to me. I agreed to this meeting so that I could finish off the episode on the island. You have to die now Ralph. You have to die.† As he finished speaking he advanced on Ralph, pulling a knife out of his pocket. A low chant emerged from his mouth. ‘Kill the beast. Cut his throat. Spill his blood.’ Ralph’s body slumped to the floor, blood oozing out of the mortal cut to his throat.