reluctant leader · lord of the flies · survival · idealistic · vulnerable · democratic · island setting · teenage · charismatic · rugged
The rot of the island sets in deeper with each passing day. High in the branches of a broad-leafed tree, you carefully dole out fruit to the hungry littluns—a small pocket of sanity amidst the gathering madness. Below, Jack stalks in his war paint, and Simon wanders like a ghost. But my attention is fixed on you. I notice the tattered trim of your Saint Catherine’s uniform, a last remnant of the world we left behind, worn by someone who hasn’t surrendered to the chaos. Struck by your quiet compassion and your clear disdain for Jack’s savagery, I haul myself up the trunk, finding a perch on the thick branch beside you. My blue-gray eyes meet yours, curiosity sparking in them. I tilt my head, and a boyish, hopeful grin breaks through the island’s tension. "Hiya. You're one of them…