Chapter Text
Ralph is frozen as he looks down at Piggy's dead body. Samneric are speechless as they realize what just happened, even the tribe is silent, which is a big contrast to how they just were.
Jack lets out a low breath, then speaks, "tie them up." Then, before Ralph could look away, he was dragged away by a boy and tied up with Samneric. Samneric are shaking with fear, and Ralph is still trying to process what just happened.
"Ralph!" Sam started speaking, "What do we do?" Eric joined in, "Jack is ruthless! What if he decides to cook us like pigs?!" Ralph looked at the twins and opened his mouth, but he had nothing to say.
Jack began issuing orders to the rest of the tribe, and Roger approached the three boys who were tied up. "Looks like you don't have your precious conch anymore. What will you do now? Wasn't that conch the only thing that gave you authority on this island? Now that it's gone, you're nothing but a pest to be squashed." Roger laughed and walked away to talk with Maurice.
After a few minutes, Jack approached the three boys. Ralph looked up at Jack, wondering what he was planning to do with them. Jack then pointed his spear at Samneric. "I'll give you two choices, either join my tribe and follow my orders, or be thrown off the cliff and meet the same fate as Piggy. What will it be?" Samneric were terrified, they looked at Ralph as if expecting him to tell them what to do, but Ralph didn't even look like he was in the right state of mind right now.
Jack poked Eric with his spear, "Well? Are you going to make a choice, or will I have to choose which one I like better?" Jack smirked.
Sam spoke loudly, "We'll join you, chief!" Eric added, "We'll follow all of your orders, chief!" Samneric had agreed out of fear and turned back to look at Ralph, who was now looking at them like they had just betrayed him. Ralph knew that Samneric didn't want to join Jack, but it still stung.
Maurice untied Samneric but left Ralph restrained. Jack gave Samneric orders, and they quickly went off to complete their task. Jack then instructed Maurice and Roger to help the other members hunt, and soon Jack and Ralph were the only ones left on Castle Rock.
Jack looks down at Ralph, and Ralph looks away, not wanting to make eye contact. "You know, it wasn't the boulder that killed Piggy. Piggy lost his footing and fell to his own death."
"Well, Piggy wouldn't have fallen if it weren't for the boulder!" Ralph was angry that Jack was trying to act like Piggy's death wasn't the fault of Roger. "Roger launched that boulder at Piggy with zero hesitation. What did he think would happen if someone got hit with a boulder? He obviously knew that Piggy would get hurt even if he didn't think Piggy would die, so he did it on purpose!"
Jack rolled his eyes. He knew that Ralph was right, but he would never admit it. "Whatever, you can't change what already happened, so arguing won't get you anywhere." Ralph stayed silent and looked at the ground.
After a few moments, Ralph finally spoke. "So, what do you want from me? You gave Samneric a choice, but you didn't give me one, so that means that you have something planned for me. What is it?" Ralph looked at Jack, their eyes were locked onto each others and it stayed like that for a few seconds.
"Ralph," Jack's voice sounded strangely calm. Ralph just kept his eyes on Jack, waiting for what he was going to say. "I'm chief of this island now, so you have to listen to me or die." Jack walked closer to Ralph, "You want to know what I have planned for you? Let's just say it's a privilege that only you will get." Jack crouched down to be eye level with Ralph.
Ralph backed up when Jack got closer, he was starting to sweat. He knew that Jack was a savage now, Jack didn't have mercy or any sort of sympathy toward anyone. All that Ralph could do was wait and see what Jack would do to him.
A few hours later. Ralph was still tied up, and the sun was starting to set. A group of boys, including Roger and Maurice, came back with a big pig.
"Chief!" Roger called out to Jack, "Look what we caught! This definitely has to be the biggest pig on the island!"
Jack walked up to the boys. "I guess it's big, but the one that I caught last night was definitely bigger!" Jack handed Piggy's broken glasses to Maurice. "Go start a fire to cook the pig. I have something that I need to take care of first," Jack smirked and looked at Ralph, who then looked at him with caution and worry.
Jack dragged Ralph over to a secluded area not very far from Castle Rock. "What do you want from me?" Ralph had a stern expression on his face, but it was obvious that he was just hiding how anxious he was.
Jack laughed, "You look like a littlun trembling in fear. What? Are you scared that I'm going to eat you?"
"I wouldn't put it past you, after all, it's your fault that Simon and Piggy are dead."
Jack froze. He looked at Ralph with a dark expression. "Shut up, I don't want to hear another word about either of those cowards."
Ralph stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke. "So what do you want? Are you going to kill me?"
Jack let out a sigh of annoyance. "I might just do that if you don't learn how to shut up for once." Jack sat down in front of Ralph. Ralph was surprised by how quickly Jack's mood changed, but he still had his guard up. "Now that I'm the only chief on this island, I've decided to change some of the rules that you put in place. Think of it as starting a new civilization."
Ralph rolled his eyes. " You say civilization, but nothing about you or your tribe is civilized, you're all just a bunch of savages. Also, you act like people even followed those rules to begin with."
Jack continued speaking. "Since you're no longer chief, that means that my tribe and I can now have the whole island. We'll probably force the littluns to join us too, although it's not like they will be of any help, but it's better than having little boys run around all defiant."
"Wow, you're actually thinking logically for once. I didn't think you could." Ralph smirked. He knew just how to get under Jack's skin.
Jack was clearly annoyed but kept talking. "Since I'm chief of the island now, people will actually listen to my rules. We'll keep the bath and laboratory the same, and I'll have the littluns do jobs like fill coconuts with water and pick fruit that they can reach. My hunters and I will keep hunting and will provide meat for everyone to eat."
"What about Samneric? They aren't part of your hunters." Ralph was very curious about what Jack planned to do with Samneric.
"Well, Samneric aren't very helpful, so I'll probably just put them on watch, to look out if the beast decides to come back." Jack's words sent a chill up Ralph's spine. Ralph remembers seeing the beast float out to sea while Simon's body got washed away. The beast could come back at any time and do who knows what to them.
Ralph stayed quiet, then looked back at Jack. "What about me?" That was the question that Ralph had been wondering about the most, and he wanted to hear the answer.
Jack smirked. "Of course, you didn't think that I would forget about you, did you?" Jack put an arm around Ralph's shoulders.
Ralph felt his heart skip a beat, he couldn't tell if it was out of fear or something else entirely. Ralph just looked at Jack, waiting for the answer.
Jack pretended to think for a moment, then spoke. "It's not like you are much help, and you'll probably just get in the way. Maybe I should cut your head off and put you on a stick as a trophy." Ralph's eyes widened in fear, and he immediately tensed up. Jack burst out laughing. "Calm down, it was only a joke... or was it?"
"Shut up!" Ralph was annoyed now.
Jack finished laughing, then continued. "There's a role for everyone on this island except you. I can't just let you run off to do jobs, knowing you, you would probably start a revolution against me. So, I've decided!" Jack smirked, "I'll keep you at my side as a dog!"
Ralph froze. Did he hear Jack right? "Dog?"
"Yes, dog!" Jack looked proud. "Dogs are very loyal to their owners. Since no role fits you, I've decided to make one."
Ralph felt humiliated. Jack was treating him as some pet that had to obey his every command. "I'm not going to be some pet, Jack!"
"You act like you have a choice. Do you want the same fate as the pigs that I hunt?" Jack had that annoying smirk on his face that Ralph hated. "Since you're now my dog, you have to do everything that I say. For example, if I say sit, you sit. If I say speak, you speak. Most importantly, if I tell you to shut your mouth, then you shut it. You'll be at my every beck and call. If anything, you should be glad that I'm giving you such a special position, right next to my side."
Ralph was angry, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Ralph calmed himself, then spoke. "But does it have to be a dog? Can't you call it something else? I don't want the others making fun of me or treating me like some pet."
"Then what should I call it? You want to be my wife?"
Ralph's face turned red. "What?! Why would you say that?!"
Jack burst out laughing. "Your reaction is priceless! Wife, it is then!"
"Absolutely not! That's worse than being called a dog!" Ralph's face heated up more, he looked like a tomato.
"Your job is easy, Ralph, you'll just have to sit next to me and look pretty while I rule over the island. Honestly, you should be thanking me for being so generous." Jack untied Ralph and pulled him onto his feet, then led him back to Castle Rock.
It was now nighttime, and the pig was roasting on the fire. When Jack got back, Roger and Maurice went up to him.
"Chief!" Maurice called out. "The pig is almost done cooking."
Roger then spoke up. "I can't wait to feast. While we are eating, we can even show you how we killed the pig!"
Roger and Maurice then looked at Ralph, who was next to Jack. Roger smirked. "The old chief doesn't look so cocky anymore, looks like Jack knocked that ego of yours right out." Roger was reaching out towards Ralph, but his hand was smacked away by Jack. Roger and Maurice looked surprised by this, even Ralph was confused.
Jack spoke. "Don't touch what's mine, you should know better, Roger."
Roger was confused but obeyed the chief. "Oh yeah, my bad."
The pig was done cooking, and Maurice called everyone over to the fire.
Everyone was gathered around the fire, eating and chatting. Jack was sitting in his chief spot and had Ralph right next to him. Jack handed Ralph a piece of meat, and Ralph started eating.
While Jack was talking with some other hunters, Samneric came over to Ralph. "Ralph!" Sam called out. "Are you okay?" Then Eric spoke. "Jack didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Uh, no, I'm not hurt." Ralph looked relieved to see Samneric.
Eric spoke again. "What happened to you?" Sam then took over. "What did Jack decide to do with you?"
Suddenly, Ralph felt a hand on his shoulder. "What are you guys talking about?" Jack asked with his smug tone.
Maurice then spoke. "I bet they are talking about how scared they are!" Roger and Maurice laughed.
Ralph rolled his eyes. "I don't have to tell you anything."
Jack tightened his grip on Ralph's shoulder. "If I ask you something, then you respond honestly, you're my wife."
Roger and Maurice stopped laughing. Samnerice looked scared but also confused. Ralph turned red. How could Jack humiliate him like this?
"As my wife, you have to do what I say. I can't have you acting all defiant. Do you want to be demoted to dog?" Jack smirked.
"What? How come you get a wife?" Roger asked. "That's not fair, I should get a wife too!"
"Nope, I'm chief, so only I get a wife." Jack wrapped an arm around Ralph and pulled him closer.
Ralph looked at Jack, and he felt his face heat up a little.`
Roger then pulled Sam towards him. "What if I make Sam my wife?" Sam looked horrified.
"No, Sam's job is to be on lookout, not to be a wife," Jack said confidently.
Sam went back to Eric and held onto him tightly, afraid of being pulled away by Roger again.
Maurice spoke. "So Ralph's job is to be your wife? What does he do?"
Ralph felt like he did absolutely nothing. "Yeah, what am I supposed to do?" He looked at Jack.
Jack spoke. "I already told you, you stay by my side and do everything I say."
"But isn't that just like what Roger and Maurice do? How am I any different?" Ralph looked so done with Jack.
Jack spoke like the difference was obvious. "Roger and Maurice are my hunters, you are my wife. So that means that I get to do anything I want with you."
"But you already do anything you want with everyone in this tribe." Ralph wondered what was going through Jack's head.
"It's different!" Jack looked annoyed and pulled Ralph closer.
Later that night. Most of the tribe was asleep, Jack and Ralph were the only ones who were awake. Jack grabbed Ralph's hand and took him over to a spot to sleep. Jack pushed Ralph down and lay next to him. "Tomorrow I will go hunting, you should come with me? It will be more exciting than just sitting here all day."
Ralph looked at Jack. "Sure, will I get to participate in catching food?" Ralph got a bit excited thinking about it.
"You're not really hunter material, but maybe I'll let you go for a smaller pig," Jack said, trying to mock him.
"Hey, a pig is still a pig." Ralph closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.