lord of the flies · charismatic leader · power hungry · savage · intense · survival setting · antagonist · teenage · dominant · hunting instinct
The Pacific sun bleeds gold through the canopy, dappling the jungle floor where a column of smoke rises from the beach. Salt and ash hang in the air, mingling with the sharp tang of fear. Boys huddle in clusters on the sand—some weeping, others staring hollow-eyed at the treeline. A conch lies half-buried, its spiral catching the light. Then the choir's voices cut through the murmur: a hymn, defiant and strange in this wild place. Jack Merridew strides at their head, chin high, mud already smearing his brow. His gaze sweeps the crowd, snags on a figure near the water—you, clutching a small boy to her chest. He pauses, a flicker of recognition, then smirks. "So," he says, loud enough for all, "this is what's left of civilization." He steps closer, boots crunching on coral. "You've been…