The End of a True, Wise Friend

Er, hello. This is Ralph. Piggy-- oh. He never did want to be called that, did he? I wonder what his name really was. Well, he won't be writing anymore. I'm afraid-- he's dead. You see, we went to Jack's fort to get his specs back. But then it all went wrong. Jack wouldn't give them back, and then one of the rocks fell from the top of the hill and knocked him into the sea. I don't think it was too painful, like Simon, but-- he didn't deserve it. The conch is gone, too. Got shattered to bits when Piggy fell. I suppose it makes sense-- he did love that conch, didn't he? I think he said his auntie had one. Or someone. He was always looking after it. Even at the end, when I blew it and hardly anyone came-- he still believed in it. Its power. He'd always yell out that somebody had it, and the rest of us had better stuff it! Oh. He believed in me, too, I suppose. I'd forget things, like something had just turned off in my head, but he was always there to remind me. I remember the last time he did that-- I think I snapped at him. Oh.
     Then it was just me. Samneric had gone over to Jack's side, and then they started hunting me, across the island. They set it on fire just to find me. I remember Piggy losing it when we first made fire on the mountaintop. It spread, and he was so mad! I suppose it's ironic that fire did save us, just like Piggy always said it would, and that Jack started it, when Jack never cared about it.
     We've been rescued, see-- a naval officer appeared on the beach. I suppose Piggy was right in the end. About counting the children. He wanted a headcount the moment we arrived. The officer wanted to know too. Maybe he was smarter than we ever gave him credit for. Then the officer asked who was in charge, and I said I was. There was a bit there, at the end, when I didn't think I was. I thought Jack had won. I was being hunted. I thought I was finished. But Piggy knew I was chief. He believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. So I said I was in charge-- because that's what Piggy would have wanted.
     I'm finishing his blog-- and I know I should because it seems so right for it to be finished at last. He was always typing on this thing in his spare time. I think I'll publish it if I can-- it's what he'd have wanted.
     But we've been rescued. We're free. Piggy always wanted to be rescued. Well, now he is, I suppose. He left the island before we did. I'm grateful to him, though-- without him we never would have lasted as long as we did. He was cross some times, and helpful others. He didn't deserve to die, though. No one ever does. I've read his entries now, and I'm sorry. For everything. And if he really did think of me, right at the end, as a friend, I'd be proud to call him one too.