Chapter Text
Ralph shoots up, head pounding, and breathing heavily; his eyes are blurry and burning, so he shuts them tight. His vermilion tinted lids cover his eyes. The heat washes over him and he feels as though he's taken a shower. His throat feels rough, he coughs violently, his whole system shaking, gagging. He allows spit to flow in his mouth, swallowing some as it comes.
*crunch*
He whips around at the sound. He finally forces his eyes open and squints, only to realize: it’s way too green and sandy to be in his bed. He still has his school sweater on so he slides it off, revealing the damp grey shirt underneath.
He tries to rub his eyes, but of course there’s sand there. Where is he? How did he get here? Why is he here? So many questions flood his head. He stands slowly, sweater in one hand, still squinting and trying to take it all in. He looks up; the view is actually quite nice all things considered. Huge,vibrant jungle trees surround him, huge rocks and patches of the bright sun shining through leaves, practically blinding him. The rustling and the songs of birds in the trees can be heard. Not too far ahead there's a beach. He starts walking, legs a little weak, but he pays no mind. This place is fascinating; he needs to explore. A sharp pain flashes through his head. He grabs his head and shuts his eyes once more.
Oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling. Screams. The floor vanishing beneath him.
What the hell was that? Hold on. Screams? Ralph trails through the forest, pushing branches filled with seas of green, stepping over broken trunks. He follows the sounds of the yellow and red birds crying out in the open sky. He puts his hand over his eyes like a canopy. The headache dulls. He hears someone humming, leading him to the shore. Ralph sees a boy, sitting and mumbling songs on a log, drawing circles in the sand. "Hello?"
The boy looks up suddenly, he's fat, with buzzed dirty blonde hair, and he has big, thick, round glasses. Ralph snorts to himself a little.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. What's your name and how did you get here?" He asks, trying to see if this boy would know more than him.
"I honestly couldn't care what you called me. As long as it's not the nickname they gave me back in my old school" He says that part quieter, in an almost mumbled manner.
"Specs shall we call you?" The boy just looks at him like that name isn't any better. "What was the nickname huh?"
"I shouldn't have mentioned that. I'm not telling you, you'll laugh." He continues scribbling in the sand.
"I would never."
"What's your name? And maybe I'll say."
"Ralph."
The boy pauses before saying in a hushed tone, he mutters, "Piggy."
Before he can stop himself, Ralph snorts and smirks a bit. He knows it's mean but c'mon, he couldn't fathom the nickname. "What?"
"You'd better not tell anyone. Promise me!" He says sharply.
Ralph cannot help himself and he shrieks in laughter. Holding his mouth before he just lets it happen; holding his stomach and hurling over.
Piggy looks on in exasperation as Ralph continues his laughing fit.
"Piggy! Piggy!" Ralph says in between breaths.
"Ralph, please." Piggy clasped his hands in apprehension. "I said I didn't want-"
"Piggy!" He practically jumped up and down.
"Yeah well, it's not like I already didn't know this would happen." He sighs, turns back, and continues his drawing in the sand.
Ralph's fit has already settled and he comes around the log to sit next to Piggy.
"You didn't answer my question."
"We was coming down in the plane don'cha remember? You must've been out badly."
"Maybe the pilot dropped us off. He just couldn't land here: not enough space. We were attacked. He'll come back for us all right." Ralph says like it's an optimistic suggestion. How are they ever gonna figure this out?
Piggy shook his head,"When we was coming down, i looked out one of the windows and saw the other part of the plane. There were flames. Anyway, the objective is to find someone with some kind of authority. We need to find a way home. Where's the man with the megaphone" Piggy says.
Ralph shook his head, "This is an island, or at least I think it's an island, there's a reef out in the water. Perhaps there are no adults anywhere.
Piggy looks startled."That's exactly the problem. Adults know what to do! Don'cha wanna get home?"
"For heaven's sake Piggy, we're on an island! Lets have some fun at least. People pay loads for this kind of holiday."
"This isn't a holiday." Piggy says apprehensively.
Before Piggy could elaborate on that matter, Ralph has already begun kicking his shoes and socks off and taking off his shirt over his head as he runs towards the ocean.
He dives in head first, the warm ocean water consuming him, way better than the sticky sweat and sand from the island. He rises from the water, beaming, motioning Piggy to join him.
"Can't—my asthma—i'm not allowed!"
"Sucks to your ass-mar!" Ralph shouts back.
Piggy thinks for a second then stands, hesitant as he starts to remove the necessary clothing. Folding it neatly on the log.
He walks towards the water, lowering himself further. He joins Ralph where he is in and submerges his body before speaking.
"All the other kids, some of them must've gotten out. They must've"
Ralph is splayed out in the water on his back, eyes shut, enjoying the warm water; he hums in agreement to Piggy's—whatever he’s saying, trying not to seem too obviously uninterested.
"Aren't there any adults at all?" Piggy went on.
Ralph opened one eye to look at Piggy and replied solemnly, "I don't think so."
Piggy suddenly jumps and grabs his foot. "Ow! Dammit." He looks downward, peering into the water to see whats pricked his foot. There in the sand is a coral thorn sticking from the sand.
"Hey Ralph, come get a look at this."
Ralph comes up from his starfish position and stands next to Piggy, peering into the water. "Ooh, what if it's a cool shell?" Ralph dives under the water and starts to shovel through the sand. He comes back up with a large rough conch, smooth and rosy pink on the inside, tan and bumpy on the outside.
"Woah, i've never seen'a shell like this before."
"It's called a conch, lemme see it."
Ralph, unyielding, puts the conch to his ear. "Wow, I can really hear the ocean."
"That's not even a real thing.” Piggy says, trying to reach for the conch.
"Just a littlun aren't cha." Ralph teases as he forks over the shell.
Piggy decides to ignore it. "Perhaps we could use this to rally up other kids."
"Sure."
They come out of the water, Ralph shaking his head like a dog. "Agh, don't do that!” Piggy says as droplets rain on his face and into his eyes and mouth. Ralph pays no mind and grabs the shell from his hands.
"How'd you figure we use this to gather the others?"
"By blowing into it. I saw something similar at someone's house back at home. The guy just blew into it and it made a loud noise, like a horn."
"Alright go for it." Ralph replies handing the conch over.
"Can't, remember? My asthma. Just break the tip off and blow. With spit." He looks at Ralph like he should've known this by now.
Ralph sighs and walks towards a rock and chips off the sharp, rough tip off the conch. He licks his lips, careful to keep some spit in his mouth and he takes a deep breath and blows.
A deep, resounding, horn-like sound comes from the conch. A pause.
Nothing.
"Do it again." Piggy insists.
Ralph takes a deeper breath and blows into it again. Nothing again, till—
Rustles come from the distance, behind the trees, and both boys whip around to see 2 small boys and another boy around their age.
Ralph huffs, amused. "Goddammit Piggy you're a genius."
"Please don't call me that." Piggy cringes, but Ralph is already walking towards the boys, preparing to blow the conch once again.