Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Flies. If I did, I wouldn't be writing a fic about it....

Claimer: Only my original character

Rating: I'll keep it mature, just in case

Author's Note: It's been a really long time, I know, and I apologize. For all those who have waited patiently and are on alerts for this story, THANK YOU soooo much. Unfortunately, this is the last and final chapter for this story. I can finally say it is completed (YAY!). I hope you all like the ending as much as I do. I used a lot of what William Golding had already, but just played it up a little. I know it's short, but I couldn't seem to drag it on any longer. It seemed fit for closure. Anyways, all of you who patiently waited, thanks again and please, everyone, read and review. I would love to hear your feedback. R&R everyone and most of all, enjoy!!!

~Chapter 13: Storytelling~

The morning was still and silent except for a peculiar smell that lingered in the air. It fed off the oxygen of the fresh air and made it hard to breathe. It was the smell of smoke that awakened Kyra as she slept next to Jack in the cave of Castle Rock.

Sitting up, she roused Jack who stirred sleepily. "Jack, get up…it smells like smoke," she coaxed, rolling him over a little.

He blinked a couple of times before stretching and rubbing his eyes. That was when the smell of smoke hit his nostrils too. His eyebrows creased and he left the cave in search of the source. Maurice had woken to and was walking about trying to determine the cause.

Then, a littlun ran from the forest yelling something about a fire. Another littlun behind him screamed, saying the fire was burning everything. Jack climbed to the "tower" of Castle Rock and scanned the horizon where he saw swirls of white smoke rising from the trees. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the island and a massive orange fireball rose into the sky above the trees. The smoke was black and thick.

Kyra along with all the boys witnessed the blast as Jack rushed down to meet them.

"We have to get to the beach! And fast!" Jack yelled at everyone. They geared into action, grabbing their spears and running for their lives.

Jack took Kyra's hand in his and the pair sprinted for the beach. But a sudden thought struck her as she remembered Piggy, Simon and Ralph who didn't even know what was happening. Grinding herself to a halt, she pulled free of Jack.

"Ralph, Piggy and Simon, I have to warn them!" she shouted at Jack over the roar of the flames. He looked confused.

"We'll meet them on the beach…at camp!" he told her and he made to grab her hand again.

She shook her head violently. "They're not there! They moved some place else…somewhere safer." She turned and headed in the opposite direction and Jack hesitated a moment before agreeing to go with her.

"Maurice, make sure everyone gets to the beach!" he yelled over at his friend. Maurice gave him the thumbs up and continued to run. Jack quickly followed Kyra until they came to the hideout where the three friends were, all holding different expressions at seeing Kyra with Jack.

Ralph seemed shocked to say the least while Simon looked extremely pleased and Piggy remained uncertain.

"You guys have to follow us," Kyra explained rapidly. "There's a fire and we got to get to the beach!" She tugged on Ralph's shirt but he remained motionless.

"How do we know you haven't gone to his side?" Ralph asked, not caring whether there was really a fire or not.

"RALPH!" Kyra scolded. "Simon, you believe me right. You have to get out of here. Everything is going to burn in the fire's path and if we don't get to the beach, that means us!"

Without a second thought, Simon joined Kyra and Jack and Piggy immediately followed, afraid of the fire and not wanting to be left alone. Finally, after the smell of smoke reached their noses did Ralph realize his best friend wouldn't betray him. He obliged and the five dashed through the forest at break neck speed, Piggy breathing hard.

By this time, they had lost the others and didn't know if Maurice had arrived on the beach. Breaking through the forest, they were surprised at what they found. Some littluns were scattered around, crying and sitting in the sand. And what surprised them more was the massive Navy Vessel that had climbed ashore, a Navy Officer in full uniform standing in front of his ship.

Just as the Officer opened his mouth to speak, Maurice and the few others hurled out of the forest as another explosion went up. The Officer took in the appearance of those around him. One girl and about 12 boys, most of whom were shirtless, save for three, with clay painted on their faces and sharpened sticks in their hands.

"We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something?" he asked them, looking for some reason at Ralph.

"Yes," was all Ralph could say. And then he added a moment later, "Three have already been killed."

The Navy Officer was speechless until one of the littluns, Percival, came up to him and opened his mouth to tell the Officer his name.

"I'm…I'm…," no other words escaped little Percival's lips and he sat down sobbing. Kyra stared at him. Had he forgotten who he was?

Ralph then cleared his throat and spoke up. "I'm boss here…chief I mean…." But the words died on his lips as he saw the expression in the Officers' eyes.

Disappointment very clear in his voice, he addressed all of them. "I should have thought that a pack of British boys would have been able to put up a better show than that."

And then glancing at Kyra, the only girl, who wore an expression that clearly said 'do-I-look-like-a-boy-to-you' said, "And I wonder how you all treated the only woman that seems to be stuck on this island with you?"

A strange look crossed between Jack, Maurice and Kyra and she swallowed hard.

"We didn't know about the fire. It was set accidentally…," she trailed off, knowing that still wasn't a valid excuse. The children should have been watched over.

"It must have been an adventure…like Coral Island…," the Officer said, trying to be helpful.

And then, Kyra witnessed was she never thought she would see. Everyone- every boy on the beach- was crying in some way. Kyra's tears silently slid down her cheeks as they all remembered the events of their stay on the island, and how with the return of civilization to them, they had dropped all that they were and had become the people they had once been.

Ralph was crying the hardest. Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. Piggy had been his life line, his support. It had been Piggy who had changed the most on the island- no longer shy and quiet, but now bold and outspoken. Piggy was the wise one. Piggy was the true friend, the loyal one of them all.

So with nothing to say, the Officer quickly got them aboard the Vessel and put it into gear. Within minutes, they were traveling away from the island, the place that had been their home for what seemed like so long.

"What day is it?" Kyra asked the Officer.

"July 21, 1942. Why?"

Kyra thought a moment and the others watched her. "I remember asking the captain of our ship what day it was…he said June 15…."

"So we've been stranded for just over a month then," Ralph finished for her. They nodded as two other Officers brought out some platters with food.

"You should all eat and then get cleaned up. It's going to be a long trip." The Officer that had rescued them said.

They did, for once, as they were told. The littluns had washed up and were now eating as one by one they took a shower and then ate together. Finally, thoroughly exhausted, the littluns were ushered off to bed by Kyra and Piggy who returned 10 minutes later to deck.

And then, as Kyra, Jack, Piggy, Simon, Ralph, Samneric and Maurice sat on deck, they began to tell their stories to the three Officers.

From their flight on the small plane to the transfer to the boat to when it sank and their arrival on the island. From the first pig dance to the talks of the Beast to the snake bite to when the hunters turned savages. From the separation of tribes to the raid on the camp to Simon and Piggy's near death and to Kyra's stay at Castle Rock. All the way to the death of Roger and the fire on the island. They talked all night, each taking turns, explaining what happened.

Though the Officers found out about Roger's death, Kyra never fully said what had happened. The Officer, however, didn't need telling twice and could see the motives for her attempting to kill him. It was this story that opened up Ralph's eyes and even Simon began to understand. Piggy, though unsure, had put the pieces together. Samneric had long since left to bed, too tired to hear what happened after the raid on Ralph's camp.

Eventually, darkness settled in and Kyra and the others looked out to the black ocean. It reminded all of them of the black waters the day their ship had sunk.

"You should all get some rest. It's been a long trip for all of you," the Officer in command told them.

But they were too flustered and awake and their minds were streaming with the events of past few days. Together, almost in perfect unison, Simon, Piggy and Ralph, and Maurice, Jack and Kyra headed for the stern of the Vessel where they looked out into the still darkness. Nothing moved through the sky, not even a breath of air. There was no wind, it was still tonight. And though they could see nothing through the vast clear darkness that was around them, they all stared in one direction.

The thin silhouette of an island now so far away stared back at them. They could see it perfectly as if they were arriving on it now. The fire seemed to have stopped or they were just too far to see the flames. But the black vines of smoke mingled with the black sky and the black ocean and everything fell into that black haunted world.

And slowly, one by one, they each headed off to bed, until only Jack and Kyra remained, staring off into the distance.

Kyra took one last look at the island as its shadow finally faded away, gone from their lives.

Then, Jack slipped his hand into hers, kissing it gently, and she let him lead her to their rooms below deck.

The once savage Beast was finally free.

Fin.

A/N: Yay, my first ever completed fic. I guess I'll have to pay attention to my other ones now ^^. Please R&R guys, and thanks again. I hope you enjoyed the ending and the whole fic. Thnaks to *everyone* who reviewed, you kept me writing---and sorry about the wait. ~ArqanesQueen~