In "Lord of the Flies" What does Simon mean when he says, “What I mean is…; maybe it’s only us…: We could be sort of…?”

Simon relates one of the main themes of the book. While the boys argue and speculate over the beast, Simon comments that whatever beast is on the island lies inside themselves: the beast is the darkness within the boys.

Maybe," he said hesitantly, "maybe there is a beast."

"What I mean is.....maybe it's only us."

This metaphor is, of course, is too figurative for the boys to understand.