The Secret Life of Bees by: Sue Monk Kidd

Reviewed by: Rachel Chatfield

The book The Secret Life of Bees, is set in the deep South at the beginning of the Civil Right Act in 1964. I have never been in the deep south, but the author, Sue Monk Kidd, description made me feel as if I was with all the different characters though their many different journeys to self discovery. This book is told though the eyes of the main character and protagonist, Lily, a 14-year-old white girl who lives in South Carolina.
There are many different characters in this book who have very different sides to them. Lily lives in her house on a peach farm with mean, stubborn father T. Ray and her "stand in mother" Rosaleen. Rosaleen is an African-American nanny and housekeeper who works for T. Ray and Lily who is very headstrong and very brave. She has worked for T. Ray and Lily ever since Lily was a little girl, and was the closest thing to a mother for her.

The most important characters in this book, in my opinion are the Boatwirght sisters; may, June and August, they live in the "Pink House" and run a honey business call The Black Madonna Honey. Lily meets the sisters when she run away from home with Rosaleen, to learn more about her mother who was killed when she was very young. Lily and Rosaleen end up staying with three sister and when staying with them, she learns more then she could have ever hoped for. Because the Boatwright sister are African-American, trouble started happening in the town. Lily soon gets caught up with the Boatwright sister and their world, but has she stayed too long? Will he dark past, ruin her chance for a bright future? To find out, you must read The Secret Life of Bees.

There are many different themes when it comes to The Secret Life of Bees. I think that the main theme is love. Lily has always been searching for love and approval, and it take the Boatwright sisters to show her what being loved is Another big theme in the book is race, and that it should not matter. One of the biggest reason why LIly left her home with Rosaleen was because of the many people in her town that were racist against Rosaleen. The Boatwright sisters, in the book prove to Lily and everyone that they are non less or better then any white person.

I thought that this was an okay book, overall I would give it a 3 out of 5. It was slow at the beginning, and it never seemed to really get going. There were some part of the book that were really good, but others seemed slow an not needed. I also think that the ending could have been better, and a little longer. One thing that I really liked about this book was the was it was written. The way Sue Monk Kidd described the different settings, and smell made you really feel like you were right there with Lily and the different characters seeing what they saw, and smelling what they smelled.

I would recommend this book to girls only because it sometimes deal with girl things, and I think that they would enjoy this book better then boys would. I also would recommend this book to girls ages 13 and up, because it has some harsh language and problems. But I think that many girls would enjoy this book, it has many good themes and lessons.

Lord of the Flies

Chapter 13: Home

Ralph stood on the boat, the ocean misted his face. He finally saw the island of his homeland. Most of the other boys where down in the boat. Ralph and a few littluns were the only boys on the deck. Finally more and more boys came up to the deck to watch the land in the distance getting bigger and bigger. Ralph turned to see Jack and Roger on the other side of the boat whispering something as they stared at Ralph. Samneric came up behind Ralph, saying nothing only staring at the thing they wanted more than anything. Home. Now everyone was on deck looking at the island, most only big naval shirts on. Ralph stared at into the sea, looking at the one thing that was once so familiar to him, but was now a long lost memory. 

Jack stayed below the deck with the rest of the boys. They all wore navy shirts that were three times to big. His was the only blue one, everyone else's was grey. He had fought with Roger for it. Then everyone would know that he was in charge, he was not like everyone else, for he had a blue shirt. Suddenly the room had less kids in it and he saw that almost everyone had gone up to the deck. So he followed. When he reached the deck, the crisp cold sea made him wish he stayed below. He slowly made his way across the deck to Roger and his fellow choir boys, then he saw Ralph. He thought about what had happened on that island, what happened to Piggy most of all.

"I wonder if he will tell everyone, what I did but I didn't do anything! It wasn't me who killed Piggy, well not really. It was Roger! Roger was the one who had the rock fall and hit him. Yes, I told him to put the rock there, but I never told him to drop it on Piggy!" he thought as he turned toward Roger 

"Hey do you think he'll tell about, you know, what happened?" Jack whispered to Roger. 

Roger just stood, staring at the ocean. He then turned away and went back down into the boat. Jack took his place and looked out to sea.  

The ship landed in port, Ralph looked at the vast amount of people there, and they were all in a line. 

"Everyone, listen up! Now I want everyone to stand in a single file line, if anyone goes running off to their parent, they will be trouble. Now as you can see the parents are also in a line, so they will come up and call your name. We will then get you, sign you out and you shall be free to go with your parent," the officer spoke kinder this time. 

Ralph stood in the beginning of the line, wanting to see everyone's parents. The first couple of people were the parents of some littluns. Finally a women stepped up, she look oddly familiar to Ralph. 

"Hullo, I am looking for my nephew Theodore," she spoke with such kindness and calmness, as if this was a day to day thing. 

"Theodore," yelled another officer "Is there a Theodore?"

 No answer. Most of the boys were to busy talking to one another to pay any attention to him.

 "Sorry, do you call this boy by any other name?" asked to officer to the women. 

"Well, the only other name he has ever been call is Piggy," she answered. 

The room grew silent. 

"Piggy, is there a Piggy any where?" Asked the officer again. 

No one spoke a word, most boys stared at the floor, a few even looked at the women, but no one said a word. 

"Sorry, he must be in the bathroom, wait here and we will call him a little later," said the officer. 

The women's face turned white as she slowly made her way to the side. Ralph turned to find Jack and Roger, they were standing against a wall looking at the floor.  

In about an hour most of the boys had gone, only Roger, Jack, Ralph, Samneric and a few littluns were still there. Finally it was down to Ralph and Jack alone on the ship, but their were three sets of parents in the line. 

"Jack Merridew," said the next man in line.

 Jack ran to the front and greeted his parents. Ralph watched him as Jack softly cried as he hugged his mom. Ralph turned, that should have been Piggy, Ralph thought. 

"Ralph!" the officer called. 

He turned around to see his mother, that by the looks had been crying. Ralph ran to his mother and father, faster then he had ever ran before. He then stopped, when he saw the two people behind his parents. He suddenly felt his heart beat faster, he then knew what name they would call out, what person they were hopping to get back into their homes. The sweet misunderstood boy that had been murder by the fear and excitement of the dance. Ralph suddenly felt like he had been beaten, knowing that he had something to do with their sweet innocence boys death. He then turned to look at Piggy's Auntie, who was weeping by the water. He walked slowly to his parents think about the frightful news that they were to be given. 

LOTF #8

Chapter 11 and 12-The glasses

Piggy's Journal 

I awoke the next morning unable to see if it was night or day. I found my way out of my hut to a blurry beach. I felt across the sand to finally find the log by the bathing pool, and Ralph. I couldn't see without my glasses, but I always could make out the figure of Ralph. Next to him were Samneric, for what I could hear, they were trying to make a fire, I could also hear that it wasn't going so well. Ralph then sat down next to me, cursing about the fire. "Maybe you should call a meeting?" I suggested. "For only us?"I nodded my head in agreement. I have heard the sound of the shell many different times before, yet today it sounded different. It didn't as much sound different it just felt different. Soon Samneric come to the logs, so did a few littluns. Ralph stood up and announced that today we will be going over to Jack's tribe to get my specs back, Ralph then stands up leading me a hand. I grab the conch next to him holding tightly onto my talisman while I follow Eric into the forest.  When we finally got too Castle Rock, we were stopped by a guard, yet I could tell that it was just Maurice. I then head a nice coming from the forest, an all to familiar noise. " Kill the beast, cut her throat, spill her blood." Suddenly it stopped. "Leave my camp, go back to where you came from," I knew that voice, Jack. "Return Piggy's specs," yelled Ralph  Eric lead me down to a log, where then I heard more screams and threats. The conch was still in my head, when I finally noticed I was shaking. I could hear Ralph and Jack truculently fighting. I finally yelled up to Ralph. I stood up, and let everyone see the conch. "You see what has happened," I yelled at everyone   "Do you see what has happen to us, we have become savages, " I stopped to catch my breathe. "Ralph is trying to keep us civilized, while all Jack wants to do is hunt. Which would you rather have rules and recuse or hunting and madness," I stopped to hear a noise coming from behind me, I turned my head and suddenly blackness. 

I watched as Ralph ran through the forest, up tot he mountain. I heard him talking out loud to himself cessation. "What has happen, what have we become?" he asked himself. He went to up and saw the pigs head on a stick. Something I have never seen before. Ralph then knocks the skull down taking the stick as a spear. I wondered what he would do this thing. They were so many of them, and only 1 of him. It was night time when he got back to Castle Rock. I saw the Samneric were now the guards. Ralph then started talking to them, about what was going to happen next. I heard Samneric tell Ralph that they were going to hunt him, and he needed to go hind somewhere. They said that they were going to line up in a cordon so that they would find Ralph. Finally Ralph hid, I heard him say that he was going to hide in a thicket next to the rock.  

Next morning Ralph woke and hid himself in the thicket. It was a while before Jack and his hunters were on the move. I then saw Roger tie up Samneric, hitting and beating them with spears. They were asking him where Ralph was, over and over again Eric yelled "We don't know" Until finally Sam screamed "In the thicket," Roger stopped beating them. "Are you sure," asked Jack. Samneric nodded their heads. Jack then whispered something to Roger, as he dashed down to their camp site. Along came the huge group of people all carrying spears. Some of the boys then tied to get into the thicket, but it was to thick. Then Jack came down with some fire, bent down and slowly and calmly threw it into the thicket. The suddenly Ralph jumped up and ran. Ran threw the forest, faster then I have ever seen before. The hunters ran too, yelling ululation to each other. Ralph then stood still thinking of something to do. He looked up at the trees, and the different brush. Suddenly the ululations grew closer to him and so did the smell of smoke. Jack had set the forest on fire and they were right behind him, throwing spears at him. He then ran to the beach, to see a Navy officer, he then asked a few questions to Ralph. The rest of the hunters showed up on the beach to see the officer too. I felt a pit in my gut as I saw this. If only I thought, if only I didn't make Ralph and Samneric go, I would be on that ship, going home.   

LOTF #7

Chapter 9-10: The dance

Ralph's Journal 

I was standing on the beach watching the tide go in and out. I saw Piggy slowly come out of the forest tangled in the creepers. "Is there anyone left?" I asked quietly. "Well, there are some littuns...." Piggy started "They don't count, are there any bigguns?" I said. "Well, there is Samneric, they are getting firewood," said Piggy Puzzled. They're all with Jack, I thought to myself as I stood up, brushing away the sand. I knew they were having a big feast over there, eating meat and having fun. I haven't have any meat in what seemed ages. "Maybe we should go, just to see what is going on, " said Piggy consciences of my feelings toward Jack.  "Maybe we should...," I started "Just to see what is going on, and make sure that nothing horrible happens to anyone," I said while turning toward Piggy. Samneric were coming out the forest, holding firewood. They dropped the wood down on the beach, and walked slowly towards us. They were both walking on the same foot, I then noticed that thy really did everything together. I turned back out to sea, wishing that somehow I had a brother like that. I told Samneric that we were going to the feast. 

We arrived at Jack's tribe at sun down. Jack was sitting on a high log, so then he could look down on everyone else. The bigguns and some littuns were running about. Many had pieces of pig, along with a cocoanut shell. Few of the people had stopped to see Piggy and I walk in. Soon more and more people noticed us, until everyone had stopped and looked at us. No one talked, other then Jack to Roger. He whispered something illumination into his ear, and then looked confused at us. I looked form him to the pig roasting above the fire. "Get them some pig," Jack order. Some I had a piece bigger than anyone's in my hand. I began eating, not much eating as just swallowing, not even stopping to chew. I then sat down on the log, and everyone returned to the state their were when I had first arrived. Then sun disappeared and the full moon came out, and the dancing began. Around the fire everyone started to chant and dance. "Kill the pig, slit her throat, spill her blood. "  Piggy and I watched from the outside of the circle, caught up in this magic like dance. I soon found myself in the circle with them, chanting and dancing to the beat. I was first to caught up in the dance to see the beast come out of the forest crawling on his hands and knee. The littuns screamed in terror as they ran, the beast was now in the centre in our circle. Then Jack and the others jumped on this creature. I was too running to the thing biting, clawing, and hitting until it fell over the edge where the boys jumped on it, until it was dead. I stayed on the top on the mountain looking down at the scene. Soon the bigs ran off into the forest for the night. As soon as everyone was gone, I walked down to the beast to see what it looked like. In the glow of the moonlight, I then saw that it was Simon. The breathe was knocked out of my as I tripped along the beach, yet I didn't seem to get far. I kept looking back to the corpulent body that laid there. I finally may it back to our beach, where Piggy, Samneric and some littuns were asleep. I went into the hut alone, thought racing threw my head. "Murder," I whispered to myself.  

I awoke the net morning with last night's images in my head. I found Piggy sitting in the bathing pool, cleaning him glasses. I walked next to him and sat next to him, staring out to the ocean where the phosphorescence sun warmed me. "Simon...." I started. I felt deeply ashamed of what I had a part of, the dance was so purged, and the kill was so exciting that I didn't yet know what happened to me. "It was an accident, he shouldn't have come out of the forest like that. It was the lighting and the thunder and the rain, and that bloody, barmy dance," said Piggy, turning towards me. "It was no accident, it was murder, murder I tell you," I said turning away from him. "Look whatever it was....you need to get over it," said Piggy. Then Samneric came over to join us. For the most part I stayed quiet, talking only when asked. For the rest of the day I stayed by the beach only helping with the fire. We then started talking about the fire, and what we should do with it. Night came especially fast today. I headed  back slowly to the huts with Piggy and Samneric, slowing drifting off to sleep, awaiting the nightmares that would come tonight. I woke up from the sound of howling and shrieking. I could see that Piggy was also awake. Soon there were voices everywhere, I started to think that they were a beast, and hopped that it would go to the littuns.  The hut then suddenly collapsed onto of us, and I then saw the dark figures everywhere. I then found one, and gave it a good beating, until it raised its knee in between my legs. Finally the camp started to quiet down. I found Piggy and Samneric and asked if they were okay. They all started talking about what had happened. "They stole my specs!" shouted Piggy. I then knew it was Jack.   

LOTF #6

Chapter 6-The better Chief 

Jack's Journal

When Ralph, Roger and I got back onto the beach their were an uproar of questions, mostly for Ralph. I sat down on the rough bench thinking, Ralph shouldn't get all the attention, I was the person who first saw say it, I went up alone. Ralph then sat next to me while dumb ole Piggy kept asking the same stupid question. "So you guys really did see the beast?" while the answer reminded the same "Yes Piggy, " said Ralph annoyed. Ralph and I then started a discussion about the beastie. I saw that I think that me and my hunters should just go up and kill it, then Ralph said somethings that showed he was a jerk. "Boys with sticks" I knew it, he didn't believe in my hunters, yet he wasn't a hunter, he doesn't know anything. He is just a coward that was to scared to go up to the mountain to see the beastie. I then knew what I needed to do.

I grabbed the conch sitting next to Ralph and blew a loud low sound, nothing like Ralph did. Slowly the kids started to come and sit on the logs. Ralph then grabbed the conch and started talking. I then grabbed it back, and explain slowly to him, that I was the one who called the conch, so I should be the one to speak. I waited until everyone was dead quiet. I started my speech by telling everyone that We did indeed see the beast, and that Ralph was a coward. As I said this everyone started to whisper a bit, and Ralph mouth was opened as wide as could be. I talked more about how he stood down while Roger and I walked up the mountain to see the monster, and indeed we saw it. Again more talk. I then said something that made everyone whisper and talk. "Ralph also thinks my hunters are just boys with sticks." My hunters then glared at Ralph. "Ralph's not a hunter or a prefect, so I think its absurd for him to say anything bad about my hunters," I added. "So I don't think that he is a good chief, I think that we should have a vote for a new chief."  Ralph then stepped in, breaking his own rule. "Just wait a minute, I never said any of that, and I did go up to the mountain and see the beast, and I then went running down the mountain, and so did you so..." I then cut him off. "I got the conch," I said calmly, Ralph then sat back down. "So who thinks that Ralph shouldn't be the chief." I thought that everyone would raise their hands, yet only my hunters did. Simon and Samneric didn't raise their hands, and they are my hunters. "who thinks I should be the chief?" Even fewer hands were raised. Suddenly I thought back to the days in England, how each choir member stood in two demure rows, everyone looking focused at me. I then went back into the meeting. I stood up and announced that I was going to make my own tribe and anyone who wanted to join could. I walked into the forest, Roger and my other hunters slowly followed me too. 

We found a little place to sleep and place our tribe. "There are going to be some rules now, we are going to go hunt everyday, another thing the word Ralph is now a taboo." I said "Now lets go hunting!" I yelled everyone cheered and grabbed their spears. We walked up to the mountain, and saw a heard of pigs. I then saw a pig mother pig, feeding her piglets. I signed to everyone that this is the one that we were going to get. "One two three!" I yelled and everyone  ran and throw their spears at the pig. Some people go their spear in the pig, as it ran off. It was a pig chase, we followed her for about 25 minutes, until we finally jumped on her. Everyone was stabbing her until I then found her throat and finally killed her. Everyone jumped off the pig and cheered, I stood there and paunched her. The head lay on the ground. I picked it up and pushed it onto my stick. "We will leave this up on the mountain top for the beast, we will now leave half of our food for the beast, so then it will not hurt or even hunt us. 

We got back to our camp everyone was tried, the pig was on the shoulders of Roger and I. We laid it down softly, and looked at our prize. "How are we going to make the fire?" asked Roger. We all looked at each other, thinking of different ways to start the fire. "We will simply take the fire from the mountain. We will dress ourselves up and steal some fire, then we can even get some other biguns." I said. That night we covered ourselves in paint and walked to the fire. We all looked like demoniac figures. We knew we would scare the littleuns. Roger then walked up first with a tree branch in hand. He then simply ran up to the fire light the branch and ran away. Then it was my turn. I slowly walked up to the mountain. Ralph and Piggy were there glaring at us. "We have killed a pig, and we are gong to have it tonight, if anyone wants to come they can. And if they want to join our tribe, we might just let you join." 

LOTF #5

Chapter 5 &6: The Beastie

Simon's Journal 

I woke up with Sam and Eric yelling in my ear. Something about a beastie, just hearing that awoke me right away. A beastie, I thought, so I was right. Sam and Eric were yelling at us, telling us about this beastie, how it almost got them. As they spoke the rest of us were quiet, dun. Ralph then called a meeting, were we all sat down as Ralph spoke about this monster. Jack then spoke "Well then we must find it and kill it!" he spoke bravado. "Well, we should eat first," Ralph said. We hunters sat in a circle, slowly eating fruit around us. No one spoke, different thoughts raced thought our head about what this creature could be. Ralph then stood up, announced that it was time to go. Jack was the first person to stand up and lead the way talking to Ralph the whole way the other side of the rocks. The rest of us didn't really know where we were headed, non of us have ever been on this side of the island. Ralph and Jack stood on the edge of the cliff looking all around. Then Ralph said that he was going to Clim along the edge to see what is next, and the no one should come along. Knowing that he was serious and that if anyone came he would turn waxy, I sat along the rocks. The rest of the hunters sat down too, wondering about the monster. "Well, I don't care what he says, I going to see what behind these rocks," Shouted Jack mutinously. And then he was off, we were alone. We all started talking about the beastie ad what it looked like. "If anything it is just a leviathan," said Roger calmly. "No, Sam and Eric said it was chasing them, so it must be something evil, " Maurice. "Look at the rocks over there," I said pointing at the huge pile of rocks about to fall over the cliff. I walked towards the rocks and softly pushed the top rock over the ledge. A few boys ran over to watch the rock fall into ocean, making a huge colossal splash that lightly misted us. For a second we all stood with pride over into the water. Soon all the hunters were over pushing every rock into the water seeing who can make the splash. Until Ralph and Jack appeared out of no where, glaring at us until Ralph broke the silence . "What are you doing, we are on a hunt and we are throwing rocks over the cliff!" We stood slice, until Jack lead us out into the forest.  We sat eating the fruit off the trees. I sat alone daydreaming about getting off the island. I also was thinking about the dream I had last night, how Ralph got into the ship while most of us were to late. I somehow new that he was going to be okay, yet I wasn't so sure about the rest of us. I walked up to Ralph who was starting at the horizon. "You're going to be okay." I said. His head turned slowly until our eyes met. He started at me with confusion "You're going to be fine." I repeted. His eyes went from mine, back onto the horizon. I walked back to the tree with the fruit grabbed another piece and sat back down. We sat around the tree for a good time. Until Jack stood up and started walking on. We all then followed him to see what was going on. I then knew, a pig hunt. Hundreds of pigs were running everywhere, as the hunters were following them. I stood behind, still daydreaming. Until I hear Ralph yelling. "Did you see, I hit one, I hit one, " Then Jack started yelling back at him, asking why he didn't grab it. We then moved on. Then Ralph said "Well we can't leave Piggy alone with the littleuns, someone needs to go back and tell him that we will be late." I then walked up out of the crowd and told them I wouldn't mind going back, and ran off. I ran off into the forest, alone. It toke me a while to finally get to the beach, where I sat alone in the hut, thinking about the day. Slowly falling asleep.   

LOTF #4

Chapter 5: The meeting 

Piggy's Journal

As Ralph announced that their was going to be a meeting, hundreds of thoughts bounced in my head. I knew he was going to talk about the fire, and the hunters, but something else too. I knew that something was troubling him, other then just the fire. We all sat in slince waiting for the blow of the conch. After what seemed like an hour, we hear the call. Simon was the first to stand up and start walking, then everyone else. I sat their for a little while longer though. I then made my way down the mountain, tripping every few steps. I finally got down to the beach, every last log was full with the biguns on the right, and the littleuns on the left. I didn't go into the circle. Showing that I did want to listen, but I wasn't so happy about the meeting. The meeting then started. Ralph started talking about a lot of topics, mostly about the rules that we have made. It was true what he said, we promised a lot of things that have been yet to be done. I then moved into the circle, holding out my hands for the conch, Ralph just shook his head no. he needed to talk the whole meeting. "Its ludicrous, what is happening to us." Ralph said sternly. I looked around the circle everyones eyes glued on Ralph, so far everyone listened no one said anything jeeringly, It was a real meeting. Then Ralph started discursive about the fear, fear of the beastie of other people, and even ourselves. This got the littleuns talking. Then a little boy stood up holding his hand out for the conch, which was then given to him. I felt a little hurt knowing that Ralph would rather give this little boy the conch then me. The boy started talk about the beastie. Again with this subject, we biguns know that their was no beastie on this island. Yet he did say something that shocked us all. That the creature came out of the water. All together we each turned our head to look at the deep blue water, I then noticed how dark it was. As if someone just turned off all the lights. Then Jack yells "If there is a beastie, me and my hunters will just find it and kill" Knowing that Jack broke the rules, Ralph then stood up yelling at Jack. Jack started yelling about how they were to many rules. Ralph yelled back about how he and his hunters never did anything for the camp. Jack then started getting tempestuously. He then stormed off with his hunters, and the rest of our group leaving just me Ralph and Simon. As they were leaving they started chanting something, and as they went further away it died down into just a murmur. "Ralph, blow the conch, they'll come back" I said as we were left standing alone. He then said that he didn't want to. If the call was to be ignored, then everything that we have worked for will be gone. He then told Simon and I something that shocked me most of all, that he wanted to give up his leadership role to Jack. "But then nothing will get done, they will all hunting and everything else will be left undone, we would be here for the rest of our lives"  I said. "We need guidances" said Simon. Ralph then said that we should all just go to sleep, but the echoes of the littleuns lamentation would keep me up thought the night.  

LOTF #3

Chapter 3-4: No one listens. 

Ralph's Journal 

Today Simon and I started the day by figuring out how to build the shelter on the beach. It started out great, everyone was helping, but little by little the amount of people helping dropped. And more people were in the ocean splashing around. Even the older kids were playing tag in the water.  In the end it was only Simon and I working, and we only got a couple huts done. Then I started to notice that the hunting group was down in the water, instead of looking for pigs or even helping us. Finally Jack came down covered in dirt. Simon and I hardly noticed him, we were to rapt in our work. I then turned to see there was no pig, nothing but dirt and mud. "Well, I am off to take a bath" susurration Jack as he saw our last hut fall down. "So you didn't caught anything again, so why don't you help Simon and I made the huts?" I said turning my attention towards Jack. "We need hunters for meat" said Jack. "Well, there are you hunters', I pointed to them in the water 'In the water, not hunting as they should be "Well I sent them off to bathe, so that I could hunt alone" yelled Jack. So I stated yelling at Jack telling him that we need to build the shelter, and all he kept saying was "We want meat, I need to kill" We stood there just starting at each other for a while. Until we both noticed that Simon was gone too. It now shows that everyone is to lazy to do anything here. 

Then next couple of days we got most of the hits up, and still nothing from the hunting group.  I spent the next day in the water relaxing to the blatant splashing of the littleuns. I was watching Maurice doing dives. I then notice swarthiness of skin, and think of how long we have been here. I think about it until Piggy comes up talking about how we should make some kind of sundial, I wasn't really paying attention. I was more focused on the small little thing on the horizon. As it grew bigger I realized that it was a ship. "What are you looking at Ralph" cried Piggy. "A ship, a ship" I yelled. Everyone turned towards the horizon. Finally Piggy saw the ship to. I looked up to the mountain to make sure the fire and smoke was going. "No smoke" I said. Everyone then looked up to the mountain. I dashed toward the mountain. Maurice and Simon followed as Piggy slowly treaded up the mountain. I made it up to the top seeing the dead fire and the ship gone too. Simon and Maurice slowly came up, shocked to see the fire was brunt out. "They left, " I susurration. Piggy was the last to come up gasping for breathe.  I stood there for a while starting at the horizon, wishing hopping that somehow I got up there faster. Suddenly I hear something down on the beach. A group of boys chanting something. As they cam closer I could hear that they were saying Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood. They come walking up the mountain, every boy of the choir. Samneric were walking with something hanging off their shoulders. As they came up the island I could see it was a pig. Jack raced up the mountain to find us, chanting the most, out of all the boys. He came up to the top of the mountain, yelling about how he caught the pig. I stood there starting, furious at Jack. "You let the fire go out." I said. Jack and the boys didn't notice. The last of the boys were up on the top of the mountain, along with the dead pig. Samneric stood swinging the dead creature, different gouts of all colors dripped from the pig. "You let the fire go out" I yelled at Jack. "Oh sorry, we can just make a new one, where is Piggy and his specks. You see Ralph we need everyone to get the pig. Oh you should have seen it, blood everywhere," said Jack. "There was a ship, a ship I tell you, and if you haven't have you boys out hunting we could have been rescued." I yelled at Jack and the other boys of the choir. "you shouldn't have let it go out..." started Piggy "Oh you shut up fatty!" yelled Jack, smacking his glasses off his face. Simon picked them up, noticing that they were broken. "That was a dirty trick!" I yelled to Jack. He looked at me as I started him down. "I'm...…i'm" Jack started. "I'm sorry, bout the fire" "Light it back up again." I said as I trotted down the beach. 

We roasted the pig that night, although the boys were as cooked at the pig. Thoughts raced in my head. I was in deep thought until Jack handed me a piece of the meat. I wanted to resist, by the smell was to powerful. I grabbed it, eating fasted then anyone. Simon then Maurice was then handed a piece. I was to dirtracted by the thoughts in my head. I stood up and declared a meeting told them that when I blew the conch the meeting the will start. I walked slowly down the mountain, not looking back. 

LOTF #2

Chapter 2: The Mountain Fire.

Jack's Journal

I don't think that Ralph really has want it takes to be the leader of us. We had another meeting and I had to keep reminding him of what he needed to tell everyone. I was the only person who suggested a good idea. The idea of making the fire on the mountain. The only person that thought that it wasn't the best idea was that Piggy. Oh he makes me so mad! He is they most annoying person in our group. All he cares about is making his stupid shelter. So when I said that we should build the fire, of course he was the only to oppose the idea. He is so errant!

My fellow people of the meeting and I walked down the beach to find a huge pile of wood. Most of it was so rotten that when it was moved it crumpled into a thousand little pieces. We did find some great pieces of wood though. We then simply carried the wood up to the highest point on the mountain. We made a giant pile of wood for everyone to see. The only problem was that no one knew how to light it. Everyone throw out suggests but then good ole piggy came up the mountain, shouting at us. Then the idea came, use his glasses to light the fire. I toke the glasses from his and started the fire. All that dumb little piggy was saying "You pinch my specks" Of course no one listened to him. The fire awaked the sky as it soared up over of head. We all ran around capering in our success, everyone was in true ebullience. It quickly died down though, along with the fire. I told everyone to go get green branches, but everyone was to distracted by little piggy. He was yelling at everyone, telling us how silly it was to make this fire, that we should have made the shelter. Ralph and I simply told him that this was the right thing to do. Then lifts his voice in recrimination, telling us how HE has the conch so no on else should say anything. He then tells us how horrible leaders we are. Me a horrible leader, please.

LOTF #1

Chapter 1: The Island 

Simon's Journal

The trail never seemed to end as we trotted up the Mountain. Jack lead the way looking determined to find whatever he was looking for. As we were about half way up the mountain, a trumpet-like sound filled the air. We all stopped in confusion. What could that be? We all asked in our heads. "It's a plane," yelled James. "No, a monster." whispered Roger. "Well whatever it is, we are going to find it." said Jack. He started down the mountain, while Roger slowly followed him. the rest of us stood still. We all slowly followed Jack, I was the last to follow. 

The sound of the trumpet blared twice more before we reach the beach full of children. We all noticed that the trumpet sound, was really just a big shell. Jack ordered us into our lines, as he talked to the boy with the shell, the heat cam over me. I have never felt anything like it. I started filling dizzy, as if someone was spinning me a million times a minutes. It didn't help that we all had our black choir cloaks with the hambone frill up to our necks. I then suddenly fainted onto James. I awake over on a log shaded up tree fronds, sitting next to me was twins, with hair of tow. I looked around the beach to see a forest, full of efflorescence flowers. I then heard the other boys talking about a vote for the leader of our bunch. It was between Jack and the boy with the shell, Ralph. "Who wants Jack for leader?" My fellow choir members and I all raised our hands in unison. When asked if we wanted Ralph for our leader, everyone else raised their hands. When they saw how many more people voted for Ralph them all snigger's, they knew they have won. Sadly Jack lost, which now means that he will be taking his anger out on us. Ralph then told us that three of us should go around this island, make sure that it was an island. He chose Jack as his second person, and looked around at the faces of the other boys for his third. Every boy looked back up at Ralph with hope, wanting so badly to be his third and finally choice. Then he made his call, me. I stood up slowly, taking in the fact that I was going with them. To look around the island not knowing what lays ahead. 

We started up the me mountain that we did before, but this time we made it to the top. There we stood up high, looking at every direction, water on every side of the island. We stood there for a good minutes, just taking in everything that we were seeing. Then we see the rock. A rock about the size of a small car. Ralph then looks at Jack then me, with a small smile. We all knew what he was thinking, and we were to think that. "1 2 3 go!" yelled Ralph. We pushed and pushed again. It toke one more push to finally get the rock rolling down the hill. It rolled and it didn't stop for anything. It landed on the bottom of the mountain with a thud. We stood there with pride of what we did. I finally felt like I belonged with the crowd, up to that mountain. I was always the shy one that no one every talked to. Now I felt like with these people I could belong, and no one could take that from me.