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Cowardice	By : saucyminion Category: G through L > Lord of the Flies Views: 17461 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Flies, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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- 16
Part 15 – Words On Paper II

    “Ralph…”
    The hand on Ralph’s shoulder startled him awake. There was someone else in his bed. Then he realized that he wasn’t in his bed. He was on the floor in his apartment building’s grey, water-stained hallway. Then he remembered.
    “Noon already?” he asked casually, sitting up against the wall as Jack drew his hand away.
    The two men crouched wordlessly, facing one another. The hallway was quiet other than the faint shuffles and murmurs that leaked out from beneath the paper-thin apartment doors lining the hall.
    Jack nodded. “Yes.”
    Ralph placed a hand on one of the cardboard boxes containing his few possessions and drew himself to his feet. Jack took him by the arm to help pull him up, even though it wasn’t necessary. Once standing, Ralph saw Jack scanning the scene discretely. He was too polite to ask about why Ralph was sleeping in the hallway in the same clothes he’d been wearing the day before, surrounded by a few brown, cardboard boxes.
    Ralph suddenly felt awake enough to realize how embarrassed he was supposed to be. He didn’t want to explain. Instead, he reached into his back pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper that he handed to Jack with his head hung.
    Jack took the paper without a word. As he unfolded it and read the final eviction notice, Ralph crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, peering at the stairwell at the end of the hallway. He wondered how many people had seen him sleeping there. He didn’t really know any of his neighbours, so it hardly seemed to matter.
    Ralph rubbed his eyes. He needed a shower. He needed to brush his teeth. He needed to find a decent amount of money very quickly so that he could store his things someplace other than the hallway. He knew he had to move from where he’d spent the previous 12 hours, and he had to do so very quickly. He didn’t need another run-in with the authorities. He’d already experienced their generosity the evening before when they helped him pack up his things under the instruction of the building supervisor.
    He heard Jack fold up the notice.
    “I don’t want it,” Ralph said when Jack tried to hand it back to him.
    Jack froze and then put it into his pocket. Then he drew out something else from the same pocket and handed it to Ralph.
    It was money.
    Ralph turned his head away. “I don’t want that either.”
    “It’s yours, Ralph.” He waited. “You earned it.”
    Ralph didn’t take it. He felt ill.
    After a long pause, Jack reached down and slipped the folded money into Ralph’s front pocket. The contact against his upper thigh made Ralph jump and he was forced to finally face the other, who’s fingers still hung at the edge of his front pocket.
    “What have I done to earn this money, Jack?” Ralph spoke with slight venom.
    Jack’s face paled slightly as he realized the implication of the words he’d spoken. He suddenly pulled both of his hands behind his back and took a step away. “You’re work at the shop. It’s my legal duty to pay you. I told you I was bringing it.”
    Ralph was sorry for having assumed otherwise. But he still wasn’t certain. “I’m sorry.”
    Jack nodded. “You must be hungry,” he said. His renewed, casual tone attempted to disguise the peculiar exchange that had just occurred between them.
    Ralph knew they’d arranged to meet for lunch, and he still wasn’t sure what they hoped to accomplish by it. Anyway, he wasn’t hungry. His stomach ached and he hadn’t eaten. He just wasn’t hungry. But he nodded.
    Jack looked around a moment before lifting one of the surprisingly light boxes into his arms. “Why don’t you help me take these out to the car?” he suggested. “I’ve got plenty of room.”
    As much as he felt he should have, Ralph couldn’t debate. So he stacked two boxes on top of each other and lifted them up effortlessly. He followed Jack down the hall towards the stairs and wondered again why he had allowed the other man to become a part of his life. He didn’t care for charity, but he had to take responsibility. Creating relationships had consequences that could not be avoided.
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