Sister’s Gone Wild: Stranded (Closed)

This is for myself & Homerun2611



Victoria “Tori” Sanders
21 years old
College Student: Studying how best to have the most fun!
Five foot eight inches, 140-145 pounds, C Cup breasts, Athletic build.
Blond – Green eyes, Freckled.
Tattoo on inner low left hip of a pitchfork with a devil tail. Covered by bikini/swim suit bottoms easily.

Hobbies: Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, Cheer Leader, Volley Ball, Hiking, Bicycling, Yoga, Aerobics, and gymnastics. Shopping, movies, dancing/clubbing and random road trips. Being Single!

Back ground:

Tori was an accident, plain and simple. Her parents had only wanted one child and they got their perfect one first. That would be her brother, Thomas. He was eight years older than her and ‘the most perfect child ever born’. It’s nauseating how perfect he was and is. He excelled at everything he ever set his mind to do or whatever their parents wanted him to do. And she, well she was the rebel from day one. She never slept on schedule, she never ate what they wanted her to, she didn’t dress right, or speak right. If she were told to walk, she ran. If she were told no, she threw a fit until they gave in anyway, just to shut her up! She learned quickly how to manipulate to get her way and get things from her parents, since love wasn’t something they had time to give to her. Sure, they were well off and she had pretty things, but growing up all she wanted was to be told they were proud of her too. That they loved her for who she is, not scold her for not being what they wanted her to be. If she wanted attention, she had to fight for it and fighting she did well.

Her mother wasn’t a woman who wanted children exactly. She did her duty with providing her spouse with an heir, Thomas. So, when Tori came along, there was no interest there what so ever. Her father wasn’t nearly so bad, but he was brow beat by their mother, controlled so completely that he had to sneak around her to do nice things for Tori. To which her mother would make him pay for later with the nagging. “You’re going to spoil her, Jon!”

Her father is Jonathan Thomas Sanders, Senator. Yeah, that one. Of New York. Her mother is Amanda Lorraine Solmerston - Sanders of Georgia. Yeah, southern belle of some ridiculously old plantation and family name.. blah blah blah! Uptight nag is a better name for her! Of course whenever she says something like that Thomas gets all butt hurt over mommy dearest being insulted. Ass kisser. Tori is named after her grandmother, Victoria, who has an equally long ridiculous pretentious name, and rarely ever recalled exactly what that is.. To which also makes mother angry. Dad will do anything for her, Mom on the other hand will not. Granted, if it doesn’t embarrass the family name. They wanted her to go to this finishing school for Ladies, and private schooling when Dad took up office, all of which she adamantly denied, fought and rebelled against. Thomas went along, probably just to make their lives easier. Boring. Quiet.. Uninvolved! They wanted perfect little adults, not children. Thomas complied, she could not.

Current Situation: Cancun Jail. – Spring Break 2018

Wasted. Completely and utterly, wasted! There is no memory of what happened after, oh say about three O’clock this afternoon. Just, a hazy blur of wild times, loud music, and so much fucking alcohol! Brett and Janice had talked me into going to Cancun for spring break instead of home to hell. Chartered a flight and off we went! No one wanted to be home in that mausoleum they called a home, can’t even recall the last time Thomas came home. Well, Christmas with his new girlfriend. The girl was so uptight, she could press pennies with her ass cheeks! Really! Stick some copper between her uptight ass and say something un-lady-like. Watch! Her eyes bug out like a fucking pug’s do and I swear to god, they are going to pop out one of these days! WHAT does Thomas see in her!? Think her name is Karmen, with a K, not a C. Twit.. Just a dense, dumb as a door knob, twit. And of course, mother approves of Karmen with a K, as Karmen is also one of those Georgia southern belle freaks. We could go on and on about Karmen.. Katherine.. What ever the fuck her name is! But let’s not and say we did, okay? Moving on!

“Miss. Sanders, we’re keeping you here until your family arrives..” ushered into a cell but thankfully one to myself and no risk of a dyke trying to get into my pants. Though, it might be fun if she isn’t as old as my mom. A bubble of laughter echoes in the cinderblock cell, and to the cool bench I lie down, pressing my cheek and trying to cool off. I should be cold, wearing a tiny little flora bikini and flip-flops but I feel hot from head to toe. Not sure why, and I heard someone mention drugs, but that wasn’t about me! I don’t DO drugs. Sure, I drink a little. I smoked a bowl a couple of weeks back with the guys after a game, but drugs? Pppphhhhshaw! Not THIS girl!

Little did I know that Brett had slid his stash into my bag at the club when he saw the police coming in. I was so out of it and Janice had snuck off to the bathroom, had yet to even return when Brett left me at the table. Someone had slipped me something, maybe even Brett as the night had worn on and the amps were cranked through the fucking roof! The place was packed, bodies so tight together than I could feel so many hard cocks through out the five hours of dancing and drinking, pressing to my ass that I was more than in the mood to fuck. Until that last drink and then the room kind of blurred off into some weird altered state of reality for me. Cops found the drugs and took me in, mostly speaking in a language I didn’t understand, and God help me, I couldn’t see a damned thing clearly to save my soul! I smiled though and gave them my name. They called my Father but got his assistant who then pulled my father from an important dinner to whisper about his wild daughter being busted down in Cancun.

This led to a chain of events that interrupted Thomas’ week off of work, with our father asking him to discretely go to Cancun and pick up his sister. Me. A small private plane was waiting, would take him down and us back home in less than twelve hours, in time for Thomas to get home for his planned dinner with Katherine, with a K. All under the radar, all safe and hopefully publicity free! Dad couldn’t talk details over the phone, but he would make contact from home later with Thomas and explain more. If it wasn’t urgent and important, of course Dad wouldn’t have asked. Thomas of course can’t say no, not after hearing how strained Dad’s voice is on the phone and the hush-hush manner in which it is being not-spoken of over insecure lines.. THAT is bad.

One fucking AM in the morning, Thomas lands and is picked up by the chief of Police at the small air strip. The Pilot is out and hands the chief over a rather hefty black bag of something to which is put into the trunk before Thomas is taken to the jail. At the side door, they open when the car lights swing past it and two officers are holding Tori up between them. One flip-flop is missing, and she is passed out cold. They help load her into the back seat and strap her in as Thomas is shown to the other side and handed the small beach bag Tori had been carrying with her, minus the pills and opioids. They say nothing, as they aren’t technically here and neither is Tori. Her arrest sheet is handed over to Thomas and they are then taken to Tori’s small rental room to grab her things already coincidently packed and waiting. It is clear they all want her off their beach and home, a not too subtle “don’t let her come back here” is said at the air strip as the chief hands the pilot Tori’s luggage, beach bag and then helps Thomas get her unconscious form into the small single engine plane.

“Have a safe trip home, Mr. Smith..” The chief says in a cold, dry tone before he steps back and waits for the plane to leave.

Hour and a Half out – Open Ocean

Thomas had her bag out, working in limited space and bumpy ride to try and get her into a pair of sweats. He had managed to throw a sweater on over her head and get her arms in, once he noticed how badly she was shivering. The pants were another matter entirely, and rather difficult to do too, especially every few minutes the damned plane was shaking violently. The fasten seat belts icon lit up, not like they didn’t know to be strapped in to begin with. Tori managed to wake up at all the damned jostling about, grabbed for a yellow bundle of something rubber to put under her head and flopped over side ways into Thomas’ lap. The words “pull” danced before her groggy eyes, but it made a nice, hard temporary pillow.

“I’m gonna be sick..” moaned out in utter agony, her stomach was poised to toss contents all over the fucking place. She managed to lift up enough so that Thomas could tug on her sweats before she passed out again. Thankfully so, at least she wasn’t up-chucking her stomach contents in the rollercoaster ride. After a good ten minutes of wrestling with her limp body, Thomas had her dressed and strapped back in to the seat beside him. She had a life raft under her head for a pillow and a beach towel as a blanket, and slumped over in Thomas’ lap, softly snoring away. Wasn’t even a half hour later that she was awake again, wondering where she was, how she got there and why she was in her brother’s lap? “Thomas?”

“Who else would it be, Victoria?”

God, I hate it when he calls me that! Head is pounding fiercely, and she cannot help but ask, “Where’s Karmen?” Not like this small plane would hold all three of them but she had expected to see his leech there too, just so she could be smug and hateful towards Tori.

“Katherine.” He corrected loudly, trying to be heard over the noise and clearly annoyed with his sister. Not that she cared, hung over and this flight left much to be desired as it kept plunging and lifting, rocking and trying to correct! What the fuck did this pilot fly them into!?

“I don’t feel so good, Tommy..” Came out in a groan as she rests to his shoulder, her loud voice near puncturing his ear drum.

“Thomas, Victoria!” He hated when she called him Tommy, not sure why it bothered him so much and WHY he couldn’t call her Tori! The entire family had a stick up their butts over EVERYTHING to do with enjoying life. No nick Names, no silliness, no FUN. Always be you best, look your best, behave like Jacky Kennedy.. Fuck sake! Thomas is 29 years old! And he acts like a god damned relic from the 40’s! “And you’re wasted, what did you expect?” He shouts over the noise, jostling so hard that his long arms reached out to brace to roof and side of the small plane.

Whatever she was going to say was lost the second the plane was struck by lightening and went dark, to suddenly start plummeting from the black sky. Her stomach dropped, head bouncing off the side of the plane effectively cut off her startled scream and knocked her out.

“May day! May Day! Echo Charlie One Four Six..” The pilot was hailing anyone with ears on, fighting to keep the plane out of a nose dive, trying to restart the engine, only managing to pull up just enough to possibly land level. Couldn’t see a damned thing in the rolling ocean waters and flashes of brief light. No land in sight, no answer on the radio. Plane began to roll to one side but took a nose dive into the high waves of the storm. Crushing the nose, ripping off the left wing and door before it came flat and began to slowly sink.. She hit something hard, and thankfully, she went out yet again.

“Victoria! Wake up!” Shaking, and cold, wet! What? Why the hell is she wet?
“Look at me!” Commanding tone, almost desperate with fear, fingers tapping at her cheek. But she didn’t want to wake up! She wanted to sleep! A loud pop sound came and hiss, her seat belt yanked off and she was suddenly inhaling salt water! “Come on, Tori, open your eyes!” Cheeks mashed in strong fingers, those blue eyes came open and found Thomas’ peering right back. “We got to swim to the raft, I need you to try damn it, I can’t haul you out on my own..” more likely he didn’t want her to sleep or lose consciousness..

“Okay, Tommy..” Lapping her wet lips, she tried to nod but God did it hurt! She could taste blood in her mouth, feel the throb in her forehead but couldn’t see a damned thing! She wasn’t a hell of a lot of help but she tried to swim. Disoriented, hurting, cold and hung over it was a fucking miracle she managed to swim after Thomas as he lept from the craft to the water and swam after the raft rope. Clinging to the side of the sinking plane, she turn to the interior of the plane and the slumped pilot. “Thomas? The pilot?” Turning to go back in, she was grabbed from behind by a strong arm and hauled the opposite way. “The pilot…” Swallowing more water, she coughed and fought to breathe as water shot down the wrong pipe! He managed to get her ass into the raft, to lie on the bottom, hacking and coughing up before she passed back out. The pilot was dead, died on impact but she couldn’t see the man’s expression and blood to know that.

Thomas

Thomas Sanders
29 years old
5th Year Cardiothoracic Surgical Resident at Vanderbilt, recently accepted into Cardiothoracic Fellowship at Stanford…That’s Right, He Is Damned Accomplished
Six foot, 175 pounds
Brown Hair- Hazel/Green eyes, Roman Warrior
Lean Muscular Body - works out 5 days per week, sculpted abs, diet to die for, very self disciplined

Hobbies: a Triathlete, Snow and Water Skier, Lacrosse and Rugby Player. Loves reading and ball room or club dancing, but no time, a wine Somalia in training

Seriously involved with Katherine Jamison, of the Nashville Jamison’s, a DAR mother, the King and Queen of Nashville old money, high society.

I am Thomas Sanders and I am perfect. Just ask anyone, Victoria, Mother, Father, every child, prep school, university and medical student I went to school with, maybe even Kate…just please, please, don’t ask me…I know the truth. There were so many days I hated being Thomas Sanders, none more so than today. I had told Candy last night that I was going to ask Katherine to marry me this Sunday in our family’s gazebo. Her parents and siblings were coming up from Nashville to my family’s residence in Westchester for the event and celebratory dinner.

The whole idea that I was “asking” was a joke, that decision had been long understood, and my life had sailed on accordingly. In fairness Katherine, “Kate”, had been the secret to my success in medical school and hence my acceptance into the Stanford Fellowship. Yes, I worked my ass off, forgoing almost all aspects of a normal social life to study with her, but she had helped me master every class. Naturally brilliant and incredibly organized, she filled in all the gaps and taught me the memorization skills to succeed, hell, finish number 2 in our class, to her.

“Almost all” was where Candy came in. There was one source of passion in my life, one woman who I craved to be with, who could make me hard with a single whisper or look. She had taken me places, made me feel things I had never dreamed possible and most of them had happened in her 320 square foot studio, more specifically her 35 square foot bed. Candy was a barmaid at a country bar in Nashville. I loved country music, and it was my escape from the claws and watchful eyes of Kate. Candy and I had talked for nearly 6 months, Tuesdays and Sunday nights, before she invited my up to her apartment at closing time, the next two years had been two nights of absolute habeneros, margaritas, and adrenaline per week, sometimes more if Kate was out of town, coupled with 5 nights of vanilla.

I had learned from my father, more about that later, that a man needed to be married to a woman who could further his career and be the asset on his arm that he needed. That woman, in this instance Kate, did not have to be the passion or love of your life. For me, that passion that reason to live was Candy, but as I described to her what was going to be happening and how I had arranged to keep her in a gorgeous condo in Palo Alto overlooking the Pacific, how I would stop by every chance I could, how she was my everything, she had slid my cock out of her mouth and slapped me, “You mean everything except what you want in a wife or are willing to introduce to your precious family”. I was thrown out the door 30 seconds later, standing naked in her hall with my clothes in my hand. In retrospect, I guess I was lucky she hadn’t bit it off, but I was crushed.

I was licking my wounds, about to head to the tavern around the corner, when I got my father’s call. “Thomas, we have a problem. Your sister is in a jail in Cancun. Drug charges and you need to go and handle it. I have leased a plane in one of my supporters names, pack a quick bag, this needs to be handled tonight”. And just like that, I was off to try to fix thing for Victoria…clean up another mess. I don’t know what happened to Victoria, or Tory. Actually I still wanted my little Vic or Vicky, I had been thrilled when she was born. And for the first 4-5 years she was the only thing that brought any laughter into our ‘too formal’ home. Mother never liked Vicky, she was probably too cute. She instead drove a wedge between my sister and I. She resented me for being perfect, and I resented her for being a free spirit. Well it looked like she had messed up again. I hated how she acted out, being a slut. She was someone I had wanted to protect and now just disgusted me. She was beautiful, sexy but she showed no value for herself…and I couldn’t stand seeing that, not to my sister…not to the girl who used to hug me while sitting on my lap…nope, I did not like thinking about what she had decided to turn into.

The weather was a little rough, but we landed fine. I had $500,000 of cash with me, and as Mr. Smith, we did a quick handshake deal, and I left with her record in tact and a promise not to return. The whole thing was seedy. She looked like a girl on one of those exploitation shows. Fuck, Victoria, you have to be better than this…value yourself more than this. I thought about Candy for a minute, had I made her feel like this. I pushed that from my mind. I went up to her hotel, they had her packed up. God only knows how much trouble she had already created here. I grabbed a set of sweatpants and a t-shirt to cover her up. Jesus, she is a beautiful girl, doing her best to be a two bit whore. It just made me sad.

From wheels down, I had her out of jail, checked out and back on the plane in less than 2 hours. It was 3 AM, but there was no reason to stay. I looked up and asked the pilot about the weather, but he seemed confident, and we taxied out to the small landing strip and took off. We had been in the air less than 30 minutes when it was clear the pilot was either an idiot or a cowboy, but he had grossly underestimated the severity of the weather. As she waivers in and out of consciousness, she ticks me off with every statement, finally I hear what I had long expected, “I don’t feel so good, Tommy..”. Great, just fucking great. Candidly, I didn’t feel great either, this plane was a bucking bronco, and the ride was lasting way too long. “Thomas, Victoria!”, not even sure why I corrected her. I had actually liked when she used to call me Tommy, but that was when she was sweet and innocent, my little sis, not the 21-year-old whore who didn’t respect me enough to use my name. I knew she hated her proper name, she hated anything proper. Well Fuck Her. She took the life raft and used it for a pillow. I assumed I would soon be showered in her last 10 hours of alcohol and food consumption. He hoped she had eaten something. I was just about to put my arm around her, why I didn’t know, try to comfort her, it was cold as hell in the plane. CRACK, the lightning hit, and the party was over. “May day! May Day! Echo Charlie One Four Six..” The idiot was concerned now, we shouldn’t be in the air, well we wouldn’t be much longer. I whispered my goodbyes, first to Candy, and then grabbed Tory. She had hit her head, and she was out. I knew the plane could glide and the pilot actually did a hell of a job, but the crash was still rough. I was shocked to still be alive, even from the back seat it was clear he was dead.

I had to get Victoria out, save us both, amazingly we had a chance but time was scarce, this plane was going to sink fast, “Victoria! Wake up…Look at me!” I got her seatbelt off, and yanked the rip cord on the life raft, “Come on, Tori, open your eyes…We got to swim to the raft, I need you to try damn it, I can’t haul you out on my own..” I got her to and into the raft, and I quickly swam back, I was able to grab our bags, and a small sack of provisions the pilot had stashed, including a six pack of water. I knew water might be the key to survival. By the time I got into the raft with our minimalist things, I was exhausted. She was growling, but I realized she might be concussed. I would check on her throughout th night, but we both needed to rest. The waves we strong, but not so bad we would capsize. I pulled her close, held her in my arms and hoped to keep her safe…I don’t know when I fell off to sleep, but when I awoke the sun was beating down..I squinted my eyes hoping to see something…I saw water, and more water…and nothing else…

Tori

We should’ve been some where in the Gulf, floating aimlessly but easily seen with the traffic that comes through between Cuba, Mexico and Florida. But they weren’t in the Gulf, nor were they in the Caribbean, instead they were floating about some where close to the Bahama’s, Caicos islands and the Atlantic. The idiot pilot had some how screwed up their direction during the storm and completely missed he should have been going North, by North East. Not directly East. And pushing south in the wind gusts. Granted none of this information would do anyone any good, not now.

The first day floating, I never woke up but longer than a moment or two before the sway, head injury and alcohol poisoning had me out all over again. I wouldn’t recall retching over the side of the raft until all I had left in me was air, and yet still, dry heaved again and again. Wouldn’t recall Thomas trying to get water down my throat, or that he held me close to keep me warm and make me respond to his questions whenever he played the good doctor and woke me for a check up. Didn’t wake for a full twenty-six hours after we hit the water, not fully awake until now. It took a few moment to realize I was not on the beach with water gently lapping in my ears. I wasn’t safely in my hotel room and there was some hard body holding me close!?

Mind and body froze, going cold all over, yet sweating with fear. What happened? Who was he? WHY was he touching me? Hands grope self before eyes follow lead, to find clothing and covered completely, in clothes I don't recall putting on! A sob comes, shut off by my hand pressing to my mouth to try and silence the sound! What if I wake him!? Scooting as far away as the limited space allowed and nearly toppling over backwards into the ocean, rocks the raft and stirs the man, before two hands grab for me.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" shrieks out, blindly striking out with fists to fend the guy off of me and all I can hear screaming in my head is, 'NOT AGAIN!' I hit him and hit him again and again, and kick out! No way he was going to touch me!

"Vic!?" He knows my name!? Oh God, what happened!? I feel sick and light headed and panicked even more so. "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" Shouts out as he shouts out over my words, "Victoria! Stop it!" Grabbed, his face shoved into mine and oh how I want to claw his eyes out! …. "T-Thomas?" I can't see his full face but the voice.. The eyes! It's Thomas?!


“T-Thomas!?” How did we get here! Where the fuck is here!? I reach out and grab for him, panic still trying to choke me silent. Wait! Is this a dream? It has to be, right? HOW did Thomas get here? Odd I would dream about my brother here with me, but thing about dreams, they’re totally out of your control.. So I was told. Therapists are very helpful, sometimes. What would she say about this dream though? Middle of the.. some where! With my brother and…. What the fuck would this represent exactly? Eyes slam shut! “okay! Okay! Breathe, Tori.. “ Inhaling deeply, holding.. counting. One. Two. Three. Four. Five… Tears start to fall, afraid, ashamed.. What must be think of me?


The rushing water and ringing fills my ears and I can feel his arms lock around me tightly. Lifting my eyes to his mouth, he speaks but I can't hear him past the rushing in my ears and head? Tears streak down my face, this is a dream! This has to be a dream! HAS TO! Just has to be.. I can't die like this! We can't die like this! Weakened and feeling it, whatever he had to say was quickly lost to the ringing and I must have passed out again because I don't recall much else until the sun begins to burn the shit out of my eyelids.

Day two...

A hoarse groan comes, the infernal rocking motion is just not soothing at all and who the hell left a light on? Brett! Had to be, he kept plying me with alcohol even after I said no about a million times and Janice seemed disinterested in anything we had wanted to do. She was looking for something, or someone. Wasn't sure but obviously I fell asleep outside.. "Great.." croaked out of dry throat, arm thrown over both eyes to try and block the rays. I need to get up, I have GOT TO pee! Limbs and head feel like they weight hundreds of pounds and the damned migraine is of epic proportions!

It is then I realize my hand was on a man, wrapped at his waist and tucked under his shirt. Fear swamps me, causing me to jerk away and scoot! Get back! Mind shouts as wide eyes snap to face, taking a moment as I scan for escape routes and back before I realize, it IS Thomas! Breasts heave with the panic, the fear that swamped me. Shame rising swiftly, I have to stamp it out before he finds out! "s-sorry!" stammers out, wiping hands over face to give precious moments to calm, to clear my head, find that center!

Where are we? How did we get here!? Thoughts that rambled out of mouth before I could censor them, bombarding Thomas with my panic and questions all at once!

Thomas

Water!?!? How ironic that as far as I can see there is water, to be technical bajillions of gallons of fucking water, and my biggest fear, at least today, is that we die of dehydration. Sun, cruel, incessant sun, beats down on us relentlessly. If I close my eyes, all I see are orange eyelids, it is almost impossible to escape, but I try. I throw one of my sister’s better dresses from her bag, over the top of our heads, it is a nice, white sun dress, which makes me laugh. The sun dress if very Sound of Music, and my Tori, is certainly no fucking Sister Maria. Not unless Julie Andrews is about to run over the hill, lift up her dress and let the sheep herder fuck her in the ass while bent over one of the less industrious sheep to tilt her ass up for deeper penetration.

Sorry, back to the water. I had seconds to look in that plane and the fact I was able to identify, not one, but two twelve-packs of 16 oz bottled waters was a miracle. The only good thing that has happened in the last 24 hours. I look at it, I am a Doctor, and I know we need a minimum of 32 ounces per day per person for survival. That means at most we have 6 days per person, but as I occasionally have to let go of Victoria to watch her throw up treasured water to fix her body, I take our best case down to 5 days, perhaps 4. Jesus, what did she do to herself. I am not sure she is even conscious as she does it, actually for the most part I am convinced she isn’t. I hold her silky blond hair back and watch my sister look like she is trying to die. Maybe she was, I wonder, is she self destructive or just completely irresponsible. In an odd way I envy her, her sense of freedom. My mind goes to Candy, my…it is no longer my, Candy. She had that freedom, that passion, how it drew me in, how I wanted to live in her world, how I never could.

The first 24 hours are tough, I drink two bottles I force three down Tory, we have to replace what she is losing. I hold her as she shakes, and we survive. We are just in the first few hours of our second day afloat and we…float. We fall asleep, she is on top of me, and I hold her, I need to rest to and I need to stop her from somehow stumbling out of the boat during one of her wretchings. I find deep sleep, when I feel her, and then I hear her. She slides out of my arms, where is she, damn, I thought the vomiting was over, we need the water. I shake my self awake, and she is staring at me, terrified, yet she looks through me, "DON'T TOUCH ME! …NOT AGAIN!” What is she saying, she isn’t talking to me, she is not there, but she is reliving something, what is it? Whatever it is, is terrible. And I feel pity, try to comfort, shake her out of her nightmare, but she will have none of it, I persevere and somehow I break through, “T-Thomas!?” “Yes Tory, it’s Tommy” she doesn’t hear me, she is still not all the way back, but she dives into me, grabs me and hugs me. My heart does break a little, she has been wounded, now is not the time, but she is suddenly 6, falling off her bicycle, and I am her big brother scooping her into my arms, taking the fear and hurt away. I know it won’t last, as much as I want her to be, she is not that innocent trusting little girl, but for a moment it is nice and once again, she cuddles in and falls asleep in my arms.

I have tried to slow my water, I know I am playing with fire, but I have no idea how many days we have, and I am the man, and an accomplished sailer and sea captain myself. I know the ways of the sea, woman and children first! The sun beats down and I drift off, now it is my hallucinating, and I am back in New York. I am with Candy, my love, my only true lover is in my arms. It feels so nice with her, and I feel her breathing on my chest. I feel my arousal grow, and my hand trickle down her back. Light tickles, I will love her awake, I will be ready, and I know my girl, she will mount me, ride me as I play with her breasts, and press my thumb into her swollen clit. I grind into her, and my hand is now already down her back and I cup her firm, fine ass. I feel and hear the unconscious purr of my lover and I open my eyes to pull her up…BLONDE! She has red hair, such sexy red hair, BLONDE! I look down and my hand jumps off her ass as if I just set it in a pot of boiling water. I stiffen my body, and terror releases the blood that had so welcomely filled my prick. I cup my ass away, remove my hard on from the scene of the almost crime, and I go down. I grab a bottle of water and chug it, my brain starts to work. She is still giving me a little wiggle, but she is sound asleep, perhaps I kick started a nice dream. I finally relax and soon I am again asleep.

Day two brings a bit of a rewind of day one. I awaken to her scooting back looking scared, and staring at me. The difference is this time her mind is there and the fear is quickly exchanged for a different fear, the utter desperation of our reality. "s-sorry!" eeks from her mouth, and I know she is back amongst the conscious so I give her the Reader’s Digest version of our situation. I try to calm her, I have little in terms of positive information, but I muster a smile and begin, “Victoria, our plan crashed almost two days ago. You and I survived the pilot didn’t. I was able to launch this raft before the plan sank, and get some water and less food. You were drunk, drugged, both? I don’t know but you have been very sick and largely unconscious. Vic, sorry, Tori, we are in trouble. We only have us. From what I can tell from the position of the stars, we are way east of where we should have been so I am not sure, assuming they are looking for us, they wil find us. We need to find land, and if we do, I will swim us to shore”. I looked her in the eyes, “We have to survive, and if we can’t, you must. I will do water rations one more day, and then I will slow down…don’t argue, that is how it will work. We need to sleep in shifts and keep our eyes out for land, ships, planes, whatever. At best we have 3 days left, you might have 5 on your own…we have to find something, understand?” He chuckled, “I wish I had better news, but we are where we are…and somehow we have to survive…”

“Drunk, yes.. I don’t do drugs..” A sob came, one that was quickly bitten off and silenced. It would do neither of us any good if I had a break down out here in this shit. Shaky hands reach up, press to quivering lips and try to stifle the urge to babble like a loon, this can’t be real! How can this possibly be real?! I don’t even recall how I got here, much of anything really. My stomach hurts, my mouth is parched dryer than flour and my head is splintering in two! Or it feels like it. Still I reach up to rub my hands over my face, feeling the lump, through my hair but I do not feel any more damage. Is this lucky? How the fuck is THIS lucky!? Bastard pilot got the easy way out and he’s the dumb ass who flew us in the wrong damned direction! Does Dad know? My god!

“Don’t tell me what to do, Thomas!” snapped harshly, as the fear of being stranded on my own out here so did not appeal! “Like I am going to allow you to die so I can float the fuck out here on my own!” A loud un-lady like scoff came, giving him a hard, petulant look. He could try and tell me what to do, he should fucking know better though! Haven’t we been over this, since like I was born? I don’t DO anything I don’t want to do and killing my brother isn’t on my list of goals in life! Fucker! How dare he do that to me! I aught to smack him for making such a stupid suggestion. “It’s not the dark ages, Thomas.” Clipped, sore and angry and hurt! God that hurt, that he would think it would be better without him and I live!? HA! So our parents could hate me for the rest of my life by allowing HIM to die and not me? Fuck that! He’s the one who needs to live, he has a use in this life, not me..

“Sleep in shifts..” I nod, in full agreement with this, “Ration for both of us to make it five days because I am not staying in this raft on this fucking ocean by myself, Thomas!” hysterics were building, I could feel it and I could have said prior to THIS experience, I did not get hysterical! That was my mother! But! And it is a very BIG but! I am borderline right now and I can hear the panic in his tone too! We’re both so screwed… Swiping angrily at tears, I fix him with another hard, angry stare. “Do we have a flare?” I had to think, to find the calm and center, survival tactics, I took a class on it when I was younger and again before a trip I took to the Grand Canyon. Something could apply, couldn’t it? I take it in, ocean depths I can not see the bottom of and no fish in sight, no pole making material anyway! No radio, no chance of fresh water on the fucking ocean! And I don’t smoke, so no lighter.. “Jesus..” I can feel my heart thundering, wanting to choke off words, sanity..

“It’s cloudy.. We can save the empty bottles.. Do we have some plastic we can make funnels with? Something flexible not too thin?” grabbing my suitcase, I can’t really recall what the hell is in there but some week-long items. Taking a few bottles, I twist off the cap and pull the rope from the raft edge to wedge the bottles snug to the inflated side, open end to the sky. It’s not much but it’s a start.. isn’t it? Do we need to boil rain water? I don’t recall! “Do..” Again, words clog up and I sit back, eyes to the sky and closing. I just need some time to think, to clear my throbbing head and blurry eyes. DON’T CRY TORI! “East of where we were supposed to be? Do you know how far East? There’s islands all over between Cuba and Haiti and Florida.. if we aren’t too.. Too far out.” My mind is going over what I recall of the travel brochures and geography, not my favorite subject at all, ever! But when you travel a lot for the summer to the islands, you tend to learn some things.

“Anything to paddle with?” Seemed so useless but damned it, we are NOT quitters! The Sanders are well-bred, smart, educated and haven’t been raised so damned soft that we can’t figure out how to get the fuck to land.. hopefully friendly land. I have some toiletries, not a heck of a lot, but I unwrap some maxi-pads for the plastic and try to wrap it around the neck of the bottle, using the little tab tape on the end to secure it. It looks ridiculous! Pink and flowery wrapped around.. It doesn’t look like it will rain any time soon, but never know? If we were on land I could build a rain catcher better.. A few changes of clothes, tennis shoes in a ziplock, tooth brush and hard plastic case, that may be useful.. A heavy sigh comes, I don’t want to do this right now, shit is getting scattered in the limited space. Stuffing it back into the bag and zipping it, I know one thing that isn’t in there. Food. No cell phone? “Where’s my..” In the plane! Stupid! “Right.. No cell service out here anyway, I’m sure.” Dragging out a sweater and lumping it up, I use it as a pillow and lie back down. I just need some more sleep, and not to think about this. Wasn’t too long I tuned out Thomas’s soothing chatter and fell back to sleep.

Thomas

Well that conversation was not going well. Somehow I had made her very mad, and scared her all while trying to make her feel better. I felt bad when I saw her stifle a sob, “I’m sorry Tori, I wasn’t suggesting I thought you did drugs, but I think you were drugged. I am just glad you were arrested before whoever drugged you, got their hands on you”. I listened to her statements about dying together, it was noble, and I understood she was scared, hell so was I, but at a given point, we may well need to make some hard calls. For now the discussion was premature. I am sure she still does not feel well, I would like to pump water in her, but that is not an option either, so sleep and lowering her metabolic rate is the next best alternative. She had started to panic, but had found control and he would not bring up the thought of her being alone.

Suddenly her mind flipped and went in a constructive mode. “I had forgotten you took that survival skills course, I hope that we get a chance to put those skills to the test…I did get a flare gun, but the flare got wet, so I am really not sure….I do have a lighter…” I was glad she didn’t ask, I am a doctor and I know better, yes the habit is a killer, but I did smoke occasionally if I was under a lot of pressure…more cigars than cigarettes, but still dumb…except we had fire with us and that might prove helpful if we could find dry land. “…the bottles are a good idea, there is a small first aid kit, but I think we might want to cut the tops of the bottles off to increase the aperture of the opening…” he smiled and winked at her, “…but I defer to my survivalist. We don’t have a paddle, but if you find land, wake me, this raft has a rope and if I string it around my shoulders, I can swim a back stroke for a mile or more”. I looked at her, she was bundling up her sweater, and I wasn’t even sure if she was listening, but I talked anyway, “Listen Victoria, I know we haven’t been close in a long time, maybe if I was a better brother, you would be in a better place….And I am not trying to be a hero, but I am dedicated to helping you, taking care of you, that is what big brothers do”.

I sat up, I wanted her to sleep, so I would take the first shift. It was almost 6:00 PM according to my old fashioned antique Micky Mouse watch and since we were east, it meant it was more like 7:00 or later, and sundown would happen in the next hour. I would try to let her sleep at least 4 hours, her body needed to recover. The night air would be cool and we needed to use our body temperatures together to reduce our internal water usage. “Tori, come here, I know you don’t want to, but I want you to sleep with me holding you in my arms. We will stay warmer which will help our body’s water utilization, and we are more stable in the boat”. He looked at his beautiful sister, he knew how many guys wanted her, and he knew her reputation. But right now she looked scared, hurt and small. He was not holding some sex kitten blond, he was holding his little sister, the girl he should have tried to reach out to the last several years and hadn’t.

Tori

Thomas was used to early hours, as he worked way too damned early until nearly dinner time. Me on the other hand, I was used to being up all night and early mornings. I slept a few hours when exhaustion took over and I could no longer keep my eyes open, and passed out to oblivion. It’s the only way to keep the nightmares from coming, from waking up at all hours of the night to the long dark shadows and possibly lurking…. Well it’s best not to think of that and I hope to God almighty that I no longer talk in my sleep. I really don’t want to tell Tommy about Brad, like ever! So here is hoping new trauma erases old.. “Wake me up when you’re ready to sleep.” Was the last words out of my mouth, I couldn’t explain Brad… I really didn’t want to be touched, but if I was safe with anyone, it would be my big brother.

I lie down with him, tried not to be too stiff or over think things here. He was the Doctor after all and he knew the best ways to handle things, well.. some things at least. I curled up to his side, tucking my head into the crook of his neck, chin and shoulder, listening to his steady heart beating beneath my ear. My hand went to his chest, to rest over the center of his heart beat and I lay as demurely as possible at his side. Nothing TOO close, nor improper. I would have never thought of this before, not in a million years, Brad fucked that all up for me. Now, hell! I hated to be touched, by family or anyone else. How do you explain to your dad you don’t give hugs any more without telling him why? Same with Thomas, but if he felt my stiffly laying at his side, he said nothing of it. Eventually I fell asleep, curling up tighter to him as sleep took me and comfort won out over demure to drape a knee over his thigh. He was right, it was warmer this way.

I must have been dreaming, not sure what exactly but I was so dang thirsty that I was lapping water out of a bowl like I was a damned pet or something! Only, I wasn’t! I was nuzzled up to Tommy, licking and sucking at his throat and the bead of sweat that had ran along my lips like a rain drop. A hunger borne of the need of fluid, I guess it sent me into a dream. God, my mouth is dry, so much so it feels like my lungs are too! I came awake when I felt Tommy jerk against me, dream fading away from memory, and fuzzy headed. “Is it my turn?” Asked in a raspy voice, trying to wake up from the whole embarrassment of drinking from a pet dish! Forgotten that I had been licking him and sucking at his neck, yet he was giving me this odd look. The sun was setting and night was coming, my mind was waking up enough to fish through my jacket pocket for a pack of peanuts.

“Dry roasted..” I was hungry, I knew he was too but to eat these would only make our thirst that more excruciating to deal with. Sighing a bit, I hand the small pouch of nuts to Thomas and tug my make shift pillow on over my head. Ward off the night air, though I am sure he will be sleeping cuddled up to me for warmth in no time. Night two… Tomorrow was, the third day? How many days of water did he say we had? Rubbing at my forehead, I can’t recall exactly what it was he had said before? Did it matter? Looking to the night’s sky, I can’t see much of anything up there but stars and a few whispy white clouds. No chance of rain.. great! Just.. great.

“Did you see any planes?” then blushed profusely red, “Sorry, dumb question.” And it was! If he had, he would have woken me shouting. How stupid can you be, Victoria? To busy myself I put on a few more layers of clothing and checked my bag again, unzipping all the pockets and pulling out the things I found, nothing too special but everything was precious, even the lining in the suitcase could be useful… If we find ground. I scoot to the middle of the raft and rest my back to the side as Thomas lie down and cuddled up next to me. Tonight was my watch, flare gun was near by and in easy reach but realistically it wouldn’t do us much good with the flare it’s self soaked through with salt water and spongy as hell. This wouldn’t fire any time soon, if ever. Not something I need to bring up to Thomas either. I want to bring up the idea of just getting it over with, a rational mind would! But, god! I am no quitter or I would have checked out after prom night. At times you can hate your parents more so than others, and love them dearly too when thinking of never seeing them again. If dad hadn’t insisted we achieve, achieve, achieve! Hell, I could give up and end this miserable endless floating ordeal. On a good note, I haven’t seen a single shark or any other sort of predator in the water. That’s a bonus, right?

I drank some, no more than I was allowed, which was a cap full twice before dawn was coming and Thomas was waking up. “Star date… “ the joke failed, I had no idea what the fuck day of the week it was, nor the time, “Day three?” Hell, was it even day three? Who knew? I bet he would love some coffee right about now, he is a surely bear in the mornings and so I fall silent and scoot down into the center of the boat as he sits there, looking out over the water. “Nothing in sight, Tommy.” Softly those words left my mouth, wanting to give into the sense of dread but fighting it off for his sake as much as my own. They’re looking for us, no way they aren’t! And those boxes all planes have on them? That should help.. Shouldn’t it? And who can miss this bright yellow raft? Satelite images may help in a day or two, there is a lot of world to cover out here.. My stomach was cramping, growling with the incessant need to eat something, but I could go awhile longer still. Best to save food and water until …

Thomas

“Mmmm, oh Candy…oh babe” it was a murmur, barely a whisper. I thought I had stayed awake, tried to be vigilant, but I was running on empty…barely enough water to survive and trying to preserve the small box of protein bars I had pulled from the plane with the other small provisions. So forgive me, but I must have dozed for a minute, and then I felt it…so good. I felt the wiggle on my thigh, the pressing in, and then the lapping at my neck. I instinctively let my arm and hand come up and slide down her back and cup delicious firm ass. I knew this routine, and I loved it. The licks would turn into kisses, my cock was already getting hard in preparation and in just a few seconds would be like steel waiting for her upcoming touch. I knew my girl (this is a dream, she is still my girl, damn it!) and soon hand would stroke wanton cock. Licks on neck would turn to kisses, and those kisses would begin to travel south, down my neck, linger on my muscular chest, her mouth would find my nipples, tongue swirling, teeth nipping. Down she would trail her tongue along my six pack, trailing her tongue along and kissing every defined line. Then I would feel her hand increase the stroking of my cock, she liked the precum to be flowing as she released him and brought it to her lips to spread across like some sexual lip balm, her mouth would open and EUREKA, she would begin to devour my prick, worship my cock.

Yes, I felt the lapping and my body wiggled, I murmured, and I felt a new kind, a good kind of hunger that I hadn’t felt in days and…”Oh Jesus”…my eyes shoot open…fuck this is not Candy, this is Tori, and Jesus Christ, I am fondling my sister’s ass, and I am as hard as a sailor on leave. I look down, she is asleep, this is a dream for her, a nightmare, fuck a sexy nightmare, but a nightmare for me. My body jerks as I try to turn my hard on away from the closeness of her draped thigh. I wake her, startle her, and her eyes shoot open, “Is it my turn?” I am stammering and I reach my arm and hand up behind me, and touch the cool ocean water, I wipe my face and rub it back through my hair. “Yeah, that would be great if you could, I was about to doze off. We are both embarrassed, she has no idea what we just shared, and I have no desire to tell her. Jesus, we need to find land soon for so many reasons. Fondling her ass, a raging hard on, FUUUUCK, this is not good.

We in essence switch spots. I have no where near the clothing that tory has. I have one pair of jeans, two pairs of shorts, two t-shirts and a windbreaker, and a dopp kit. I was traveling for at most two days, and brought one change of clothes. I am in shorts and a t-shirt and put on the windbreaker. I cuddle up to my sister and rest my head on her flat stomach, my body is a bit curled and the pure fatigue of everything quickly has me fast asleep. My fantasy of before still lingers in my mind and as I dream I get comfortable. My leg slides over on top of Tori’s legs, and my hand extends over the top of her as she becomes my body pillow. I don’t know exactly of what I am dreaming, but as I awake in the morning, I feel my lower body grinding into her, complete with morning wood and I am kissing her flat tummy through her t-shirt as I grip her around the waist. Again, I wake up startled, I know that what we have both done is very natural, that is if the person you were doing it to was not your sibling. I look up and she has dozed too, it is almost impossible not to, and hell you can’t see anything at night anyway. We would likely hear a plane or a ship, so no harm is really done. I move back into my original position and fake sleeping until I feel some movement from her so that I don’t embarrass her for dozing.

She is awake, so I “wake” and I sit up and look around. Jesus it is bright, and I work to let my eyes adjust as I scan the perimeter hopefully. “Nothing in sight, Tommy.” She says softly, sweetly, a different Tori, a nice one. “Nope, but we need to think about digging into our reserves if we are going to survive”. I open a protein bar for each of us and as I bite, initially my stomach wants to convulse it is so absent food. Somehow we down it and I suggest we each drink a half bottle of water. We do and feel reasonably rejuvenated. I realize we are just slowly starving and dying and we need to increase our intake, even if we have a shortened time, just in case we do find land, that there is something still alive to get there. We play a word game to pass the time and it is near noon, the sun directly over head when I hear her yelp. Indeed, over my shoulder, at the very perimeter of the horizon is something that is most unmistakably rising from the horizon, LAND. “Sweet Jesus”, says the man with no spiritual leanings, but whose prayers have been answered. “I am going to eat one more protein bar, and half bottle of water, and then I am going to try to swim us there or at least get us as far as possible until I can’t swim any more” Adrenaline is pumping through my veins…I don’t know if this is our savior or not…but at least we have a chance…a real chance!

Tori

Such a lovely, tender dream.. Or so it had felt like, waking up I am not sure exactly what I was dreaming now. I feel warm, cared for and safe, smiling down at Thomas’s head nestled to my stomach as he has wrapped around me, no doubt worried I would freeze in the night or fall over board. He has always looked out for me, sometimes to his own detriment. I want to touch him, to comb my fingers through his hair and rub his broad back, to return the comfort of his hugging and the security I feel when he is with me.. but, I just can’t. Every time I think of any sort of contact with another human being, related and safe or not, I can’t! I freeze up, my heart begins to pound and my mind turns it into something ugly, horribly ugly and frightening. I know my brother would never rape me! That’s a sick thought to have, isn’t it? I know! God, I know.. He wouldn’t ever touch me! Especially not like that but my stupid mind goes off on a whole frightened, sick bender of ‘What if!?’ Brad had said it was my fault, I led him on…

God! I do not want to think about that right now. Forcing it out of my mind, I watch him sleep against me, his boyish expression, what I can see of it, makes me smile.. and for a time, we’re kids again and life is simple, fun and uncomplicated because we’re naive kids! Who ever said they wanted to be a grown up, didn’t know what they were asking for, let me tell you… His eyes open, close and open again, coming around to reality and he stretches, rising as I meet his morning face with a smile, “Nothing in sight, Tommy..” He is so cute in the morning, Miss Katherine with a K better appreciate him… Sadness threatens to well up once more, choking off words and so I scan the horizon and find nothing.

“Hangman without paper?” A brow lifts but I give it a shot, completely forgetting half of the letters I guessed right, erupting in fits of giggles whenever I have to start all over. Glad when he switches it up for a more of word association game than trying to recall spaces and letters in my head. I am so tired, drained and hungry, I know he has to be too. We eat, small little nibbles at a time, as neither of us want to puke it back up. A few more guessing words when I spy what looks like… Eyes shoot wide as I think I squeaked or something because Thomas turned around and swore out loud! Thomas doesn’t swear, not really and well it sounded more like a prayer than a swear and he doesn’t do religion either.. neither of us does. It’s for ‘sheeple’ not realists, not for the Sander’s Clan. “It’s .. land!” The raft rocks as I scoot closer to peer out at it, it’s a good distance away too! And we have no damned paddles either. Shit!

“Yes, yes of course.. “ Hands shake, moving to hand him a bottle of water and another energy bar. “Think we should wait to drift closer?” Eyes scan the lazy swells that carry us, are we even drifting towards it or are we going to pass by? I don’t see a thing out in the water, but it looks like the waves are taking us that direction. “It’s too far right now..” Could I tow a raft too? I am fairly strong, but I was sick before we even got in this mess.. Wide eyes turn to Thomas as he eats, both of our eyes swing back to the island. We’re going to try for it, safe to or not, close or not.. “Give it an hour to see if it get’s closer, you can’t swim well fully clothed either, it’s still a bit cold but the sun will be higher and warmer in an hour.. swimming with a cramping stomach, Thomas?” It wasn’t wise, we needed to think this through carefully and not rush into stupid. “An hour will allow your stomach to settle, food to digest and see if we’re drifting that way or not.” Looking to him, I wait for him to concede to my observations. I want to go for it too! I do.. But not at the cost of life and failure.

Thomas

Her point was well taken, we were a long way from shore, my best guess was two miles, maybe more. The challenge was were we drifting toward shore, if so, Victoria was right. He picked up the wrapper from his protein bar and wadded it up. I was about as ecologically minded as anyone you could find, I had fought for emissions reduction standards, and cleaner air and water. However, this was not polluting, this was an experiment. I threw the wax paper ball toward the island and watched as the waves took it away and out to sea. We weren't floating toward the island, we were floating tangent to it and would soon be floating away if we weren't already.

“Victoria, I would love to wait, but the current is going to take us away, it is now or never”. I was a bit self conscious as I peeled off my t-shirt and stipped off my shorts down to my boxer briefs. Even flaccid, I had a sizable bulge and I tried to position myself away from my sister's direct gaze. I gave her a hug, just before I hopped in the water, and felt oddly warm as her cheek cradled into my muscular bare chest. "It's okay Tori, if I get too tired, i will stop and we will try to hold our place until I can go again". I grabbed the rope attached to the front of the raft and put it over my head and around my neck. I winked at her to assure her and myself, "tell me if I start to veer off course, I am shooting for the far end of the island, so if the water drifts me, we will still be okay".

I looked over my shoulder as I treaded in place in the crisp cool water. The good news was the water was silent, and no waves would make the swim less formidable. With that I started to back stroke toward the island. I took long powerful strokes, I am an excellent swimmer and in top shape, I can swim up to five miles. Ira far from that now, and if I was honest, the distance, particularly rowing a raft, looked daunting. I felt the water flow over my chest with each powerful stroke. It had been 15 minutes when I took my first break. My chest was heaving and my heart was pounding as I climbed back into the raft, but I had covered at least 1/3 of the way, maybe half. I needed a break though, another powerbar and a bit of water. I hated to be depleting their provisions, but without some nutrition and water, I knew I couldn't make it, I also needed some help from Tori This was our only chance, I had to hope there was water and food we could find on the island.

I hopped into the boat, and I was dripping wet. I knew how my underwater clung to me and left little to the imagination, but there was nothing I could do. "I'm sorry Vic...but I have to rest and eat and drink for a minute...I will get going again in 5 minutes, but I have to have a break...my thighs and shoulders are also cramping a bit, more than a bit...is there any way you could give me just a quick massage?"

Tori

Tired, dried out and just irritable with the incessant beating of sun’s rays on my back. The lapping of water smacking the raft’s side, should have been soothing, calming of sorts but it just reminded me that there is no fucking fresh water to be had! A bottle or two left, maybe and no damned rain, nor cloud in sight. The paper drift the wrong way and it only seemed to compound the whole ordeal as a big snub of FUCK YOU from Mother Nature. He speaks to me like one of his fucking patients, not his family. Not his baby sister, but a damned patient and I really want to snap at him to shut up! Don’t preach speech shit to me, at me! But I don’t and I won’t do it either. He means well, we’re both just worn out, scared and thirsty.

He strips but I don’t pay him much attention, instead I unzip my suitcase and push his things inside to keep them dry and out of the way. It’s limited space in this raft and last thing we need is to trip over shit as we are moving around. “Okay..” If he goes off course, he knows damned good and well I will be watching for just that. I think he talks to calm both of us, and disgruntled as I feel, it is working a bit to keep calm and think clearly. I feel like an ass, for my thoughts, for my attitude. It is the last thing I ever wanted to happen! I love my big brother, so much and used to rely on him for everything. He was my protector, my shoulder and my confidant. He read to me, taught me most everything I know and tolerated me tagging along for the longest time. He used to be proud of me, until I shut him out. I had good reason to shut him out, but he doesn’t know that. I should tell him, now that we’re here and might die.. But looking at his reassuring smile as he slides over the edge and into the ocean, I can’t do it now. Now is not a good time. I sigh heavily, moving to roll to my stomach and half lay over the edge of the rift where he swims below me. When is it ever a good time?

Face to face with his.. Stomach. My eyes shoot higher and quickly, I hadn’t expected THAT. Maybe I should be in the back of the raft instead? I have strong legs and I could help with kicking… but then again, I might run him over if I do that. I don’t recall when or how my brother aged, but he has. He has filled out rather well, judging from the hard body stretched out and back stroking our way to the island. He used to be muscular, so I thought but this? I watch his ribs expand as he breaths, stretching and the strength of his hands and arms as he pulls his weight and mine, through the water. Lean hard legs kick below, and his six pack can not be missed. Sculpted six pack too, not just tight stomach but sculpted. Had he taken up working out? He must have, because his shape was too defined for an over worked Doctor. Should have expected my big brother to go from high school jock to mature man, he was in the supposed prime of his life right now at this age. Just, I guess I expected him to remain that baby faced pimply high schooler forever. Chiselled and angles, and muscle mass, Now I do feel a little forlorn and missing him as I knew him to be.

I must have gotten distracted from what was happening as we have stopped moving and Thomas is moving to get back into the raft. Shifting to one side, I watch him lift himself up and roll over into the boat, soaking most everything including what parts of me that are touching the bottom of the raft. He is breathing pretty rough but not too raggedly, a good sign. He is worn but he isn’t drained out completely. Trying to be decent, I am not really worried nor paying overt attention to his person but he seems embarrassed by his dress or lack there of. “No need to be sorry, turn over this way..” I pull at an arm to get his back towards me as he eats and drinks, I knew how tired and sore muscles could get, lord knows we both played enough sports to be familiar with the need of massage and liquids. Working the knots out of his shoulders and back, I try not to think too much about him in his underwear, nor that he is pressing hard between my thighs. It’s not sexual, but of need and health yet he blushes and apologizes as if he is some how doing something wrong? Maybe I am missing something here in all of this, and he is over thinking things? No real idea what is going through his head but as he relaxes and the muscles begin to relent, his groans tell me it is working. His eyes stay intent on the island, now closer than it was fifteen minutes ago. Silence is golden at times, listening to his soft grunts and watching him drink and chew while you see the gears of his mind churning over and over in those blue eyes of his. Ever the thinker… Some weird reason, I am smiling as I watch him. My big brother…

“Alright turn around..” Shifting places in the boat a bit, so that he is stretched out and upright, so I can get my hands on those thighs. They’re both hard, knotted up a bit and close to a spasm or two of pain that neither of us want him to feet. With care I work my grip over him, my thumb in and out carefully as I stroke from the knee upward. “Does it hurt anywhere?” I ask and get a shake of his head. Not yet, which is another good sign. Last thing he needed was for his muscles to cramp up into painful knots making it impossible for him to swim anywhere when we are so damned close to land! To possible rescue, homes, electricity maybe? Not many places left on earth uninhabited, right? Straddling his foot, I bend and reach forward, running my hands up and down, kneading with gentle care to sooth away the tired and tensing. Still, he watches the island as if he could will our way over there with just pure thought… I wish that he could, or I could do that. It would make it so much easier.

Moving to the other leg, I straddle once more and begin to knead my way up and back down from knee to groin. At first the silence was comforting, no stress, no shared thoughts of failure and panic. No what if’s or possible dangers in the water or on the land in a foreign country. But as I work and knead at his muscles, calves and back it is increasingly hard not to notice him in his underwear.. and the lack of clothing, and the snug fit of his wet briefs that leave nothing to the imagination. My god! Why did I look there, why am I looking there?! A falter in the massage, my cheeks burning so hot and red, I am sooo thankful he can not see my face or read my mind! So confused by what I see, what I feel and where my mind and eyes went! What kind of person am I? This is why he was apologizing, and I was just so caught up in myself to really pay attention. It can’t be helped, he has to swim with the least resistance. At least he didn’t do it naked! I want so badly to be horrified by the train of my thoughts and where they’re going, and the fact that I am NOT horrified is troubling too! My brother has definitely grown up, embarrassed as I am, its truly due to that fact he is quite good looking and I never expected to think that about my own brother. Please, God If you exist, don’t let him notice I noticed!? Please? Please, please, please!

He was ready to go again, I could tell by the way his body shifted and tensed. He was going to get up and hop back in. Trying to not meet him eye to eye, I shift to one side as he gets back to his knees. If he noticed, he said nothing and seemed resigned to this being the final push but I am not too certain he can cover this distance? I don’t want to say so aloud, I will not rain on his parade and our hope but I know I need to watch him carefully for signs of distress. He is punishing his body doing this, I will be damned if I have to sit on some sandy lump in the ocean by myself though. “We can do this..” Shyly I lift up to meet his blue eyes and smile, “I know we will get there..”

My god I am tired. it is even difficult navigating my body into the raft. Part of me is disappointed, I am a high end athlete, I had been training in hopes of even doing the Ironman in Hawaii, but at least for that, you prime your body so you are in peak shape before beginning that all day marathon of swimming, biking and running. My body was on the verge of deterioration before I even hopped in the water. I was living on a total of two protein bars in three days, and maybe 48 ounces of water. Perhaps disappointed was too strong, but somehow I had to finish. I looked across the boat and saw the concern in Victoria's eyes. Perhaps she did care for me still, boy if she did, she hid it well. I could understand Mom and Dad, they could both be a piece of work, particularly Mom. There were no Donna Reed moments, Mom was a shark, fucking ruthless, and had given her children no quarter in her expectations or criticism. I had satisfied her, Tori had not, and I had always felt bad. My god, my sister was beautiful and at one time full of life and sweetness, and Mom, Dad, or something had seemingly stripped that all away. I didn't think I even knew her anymore, but somewhere I still remembered the girl in pig tails trailing after me, the one who I taught to ride a bike and fixed her skinned knees, and the one who held my hand as I took her to buy ice cream.

Fuck, RALLY, was all I was thinking as I opened one more protein bar, almost half of our pack would now have been consumed, and drank a few more sips of precious water. She agreed to massage my muscles, thank god. I knew I was so close to completely cramping, and if that happened you might as well stick a fork in both of us. As I sit there and slowly eat, I feel her small but strong hands grip each side of my shoulders, and soon her strong hands are working the tension from my fatigued muscles and bringing me back to life. "OHhh....ahhhh" I hear myself respond to her touch. Truth be told, in terms of athleticism, hand eye, team sports, Tori was the much better athlete than I. I was a worker, and in endurance, my work ethic and dedication paid off. She was talented, gifted and I used to love watching her...so proud...but realizing I had never really told her.

The tension almost gone, god that had felt good, "than you". She does not acknowledge my appreciation, “Alright turn around..” but as I do as instructed I do see the cutest little smile on her face and I can't help but smile in return. She straddles my leg as she begins to work my thigh, and I can feel her ass push down for leverage as she works my muscles with her hands. I can feel the warmth of her sex as she pushes in as well as it is a stark contrast to my chilled extremities, but I ignore it, it is simple biology at work, nothing more. Instead my eyes study her face as she looks down and focuses on her efforts. She is just so damned cute, button nose, freckles, so many cute freckles, whispy, flowing blonde hair, and muscular cheerleader body, covered only in a light t-shirt and shorts. I hated how she didn't realize what a special little package she was, men should have been fighting for her, proving themselves worthy, rather than having her give it up, like she was worthless and needy. How had they evolved to this, and what could, should he have done differently. He hated thinking of his sister like he did, he wanted to cherish and protect, but it was almost impossible when she put so little value on herself and so detested any affection he had tried to show over the last few years.

Suddenly her hands went higher, and he was snapped out of his thinking, OHHH, UH, jesus she was getting close, and he felt his cock twitch. He looked down, it hadn't been visible, just a tingling, the bodies alert system that said, 'hey, we should be ready here, there may be something good happening'. BUT UH OH, UH OH, UH OH...don't get ready, nothing good is happening here and any thoughts that venture at all in that direction is BAD, BAD, BAD. She slides over to the other leg and is it my imagination, or is that hot epicenter resting on my upper shin considerably warmer than it was just seconds ago. It is my imagination and my mind has somehow ventured into a space that I never, ever imagined and I don't want to stay in. BUT then her hands start to work up again, and my cock not only twinges, but I can feel it getting hard, and shit she is staring down at me at it...how noticeable is it...and how do I possibly stop it. Please don't, down boy, down boy, this is not Candy...oh Jesus don't think of her now..think prune juice, spider webs, cold water...and focus and determination takes over and I turn off my senses, and let her finish. As soon as she slides off my leg I turn, neither of us look each other in the eye, and as soon as I can I get my ass back in ice cold, cock deflating, water.

I feel the burn, pure exhaustion, 20 minutes more swimming and my lungs burn, my muscles are jelly and suddenly I hear, "Thomas, sand! I see sand, step down see if you can touch?" I am in this almost comatose state of swimming until I die when she breaks through. I let my body drift down, and YESS, I feel soft sand under my feet. We are maybe 400 yards from shore and jellow like likes draw us closer until the water is only slightly about waist height. Victoria bounds out, "let me take it, you have done it all, oh God Thomas thank you...you saved us". I barely hear her, I have never been so entirely exhausted...I let the waves carry me into shore...I see her in her bikini pulling the raft...I know she can do it...I reach shore and don't even pull all the way out...the waves are lapping up against my legs and waist as I roll onto my back and again look up into cursed sun...but I am done...she is on dry land..I am too, but I am in trouble...my body is giving out...and I no longer see the sun...I no longer see anything...I pass out...

Victoria

Tense. I am so tense that every muscle in my body aches, knots and though land is coming closer and I can see it out of my peripheral, I can not stop watching Thomas. He is pushing himself, he won’t listen to me at all when I ask him to stop and rest, refusing to heed my caution and apprehension. Some silly notion that if he doesn’t get us there now, we will never make it! Why won’t he let me help him!? Why does he think I can not possibly tow him in? Is it ego? Size? Is he calculating something in his head and not sharing his thoughts with me or merely being sexist? I wish I knew, and god I wish he could listen to me! “Thomas, sand! There’s sand under.. Can you touch!?” I nearly topple out of the raft and onto my brother in an effort to see the ocean floor. It’s SO damned close! Without thinking about it, knowing he is about to pass the fuck out on me, I just have to shed my clothes as quickly as possible. Trembling hands yank off the sweater and rolling to the middle of the raft prove to be a bit more difficult to get my shorts off than I had anticipated. Precious moments taken, when I could have just left them on! What am I thinking? Am I even thinking rationally any more? I don’t know.. I say and think that a lot lately.

“Grab on!” Not realizing he doesn’t hear me as I jump into the water and take the rope from around his chest and off of his neck. “I can do this, let me help Tommy!” Again he waivers in front of me but he smiles and gives a nod. He just needs a moment to catch his breath, I got it. Maybe a moment of solitude to accept we are going to live?! I know I am shaken, I am so thankful and so anxious both at the same time, I don’t think twice about bounding through the water to reach solid DRY ground! Not realizing he didn’t grab on and he didn’t get on board, but still stood there in the waves tugging at his ankles and waist. I see ferns, large ones and small, I see bushes and palm trees! Lots and lots of palm trees, and the island is much larger than it appeared out there on the ocean, much, much larger! I only hope that the mountain on it isn’t an active volcano. I don’t see signs of human life anywhere, but that doesn’t mean the island is uninhabited. We have a chance here! I turn to find my brother, to share the relief and happiness, and mostly to thank him!

“Thomas?” Dropping the rope and raft clear of the rushing ocean, my hand lifts on forehead to shield as I search for my brother, only to see him laying in the surf. “Not an ideal place to crash, bro!” calls out in a teasing tone but I get no response, not even a single finger salute. Odd. He is worn out though but is he asleep? There!? I head back towards him, see if I can get him to walk his fine ass closer into safe territory.. Did I just say my brother’s ass was fine?! Dismissing stupid thoughts for fatigue, I reach his side and plop down on knees at his side. “Tommy?” His eyes are closed, and for a moment I get a real sense of fear, Everything inside me stills as I hold still as death. Not daring to breath to blink even until I see his chest rise and fall! A moment ticks by and it seems like ten years, but he breathes! “Thank god!” rushes out with relief and I sag, shaken with trembling hands.. my nerves are shot! So thoroughly drained I just want to lie down too but it’s not safe right here. “Thomas, come on.. stop playin’ and get up.. It’s not safe here.” I nudge him after my words don’t inspire any sort of response either. “Tommy?” I hate it but my voice cracks and all I can hear internally is, ‘please, be okay!’ like a lost little girl all over again. He isn’t waking up and he isn’t moving, but he isn’t dead! I can’t leave him here like this, hide tide will rip him from me, I just know it!

Getting up I make myself go to the raft and unpack everything under a large frond and shade of a palm tree high over head. Dragging the raft with me back to the water’s edge, placing it behind me, I walk over and through it to the other end and look to Thomas laying there, still unmoving. I expected him at any moment to wake up with one of his cocked smiles and a, “Hey kid.” Greeting. To him I was always some helpless little girl, I never believed it. Not until Prom.. “Not now Victoria!” last thing I need is to let THAT compound the trauma here. As if it isn't already hard enough to remain positive here.. I reach down and get Thomas upright, my arms under each of his and locked about his chest. Lifting him isn’t half as bad as I thought it would be, as he doesn’t weight much of anything. He is in his prime shape, sculpted without an ounce of fat anywhere that I can see. Thank god, because he is a few inches taller than I am and a good 70 pounds or so? Not sure, but I manage to get him half into the raft before I have to walk over him, straddling as I go and lift him about the waist and shove! “My god Tommy! You could wake up here and help ya know!” Huffs out in a grunt, pushing him into the raft without the fucking thing sliding is a damned chore and a half! Dragging him to the shade of bush and tree was wearing as hell and by the time I got him there, I literally landed on my ass in exhaustion. I’d have bruises on my ass, no doubt but I got him safely out of the water and sun’s rays.

“Oh.. I am fine! Fine.. Yep..” Gasping for air, sweating every where, I stood over him in said ugly yellow raft as he lay there semi flopped over. That had to be uncomfortable as hell but was he waking up to yell at me for it? No.. Damn it! Unpacking the suitcase of what few clothes there were and his things I made a nice pile in the raft to lay him up against. He wasn’t shivering or cold, which was good, my hands rest here and there to check his temperature in a few places and he didn’t feel overly hot nor cold. So that is good. Straddling his waist again, my arms once more wind around him and using all my strength, I pick him up and lay him back to the mound of clothing. I hope it will keep him upright as I need to get some water into him.. “Damn it Thomas.. Why won’t you wake up?!” I want to slap him but that’s just too cruel! He saved my life, I can’t strike my brother. It may wake him and it may not, but either way, I can’t do it. Glancing around, my mind is fighting to remain calm, not dwell on why he isn’t awake yet. I am not the doctor here, he is! … “But you’re not helpless, Tori!” hisses out as blue eyes narrow on the sky and sun. Time to pull my head out of my ass and stop being one of those stupid women you see on television who can’t do a damned thing but cry the whole fucking time.

My towel is gone, so there isn’t much to use to cover up Tommy with, but I had some light left before sundown and I had to get some things sorted out and quickly. No time to fall apart. Was there ever any time to fall apart? My mother would call me weak if I did, why I never have. Despite what she may think of me and how I have handled my life, she has no idea what so ever. Judgmental bitch. Finding the largest sweater I own, I toss it over Tommy’s lap before reaching under and pulling off his boxer briefs. Yes, I am blushing furiously the entire damned time but our clothes need to dry out. We can’t afford to get sick right now and it’s still only early spring, and beginnings of hurricane season too. Not easy at all to get them peeled off of his body but I managed to do so without embarrassing myself nor him.. Not that he is awake to even see what I am doing but he will wake eventually! God, I do not want to even discuss this part. Eyes shut and head turned away, I manage to get him undressed and his boxers draped over the raft. Nothing and no where to hang them yet, but they will at least begin to dry spread out over the raft.

Next was to get some water down his throat, and that wasn’t something I look forward to either. Unscrewing the top I poured some into the cap and tipped his head up but not back. Cupping his jaw I tipped just enough and pinched at his jaw to get him to open up. A cap full went into his mouth with only a little dribbling out before he reflexively swallowed. I fed him four more before recapping the bottle, using another one of my shirts to dry his face and chest off before fishing out a shower cap from my bag. Was a bit of a pain in the ass to get the plastic and elastic to give way but I managed after a short time. Taking empty bottle, cap plastic and flip flop with me. I set out to the beach to hunt up some small rocks. I knew we needed to find better shelter and look for fresh water, if there was any but with Tommy out, and no map or compass on me. No way was I going to leave him here to go venturing too far away. I couldn’t risk getting lost or injured and Tommy here by himself. God only knows what is on this island, and I am not that stupid to go out on my own!

Digging the hole and placing bottle, rocks and plastic into place, I hopped that it would work. Water collectors are often hit and miss, I only hope this one works. On my way back I gather what dry wood I can easily spot and carry, along with rocks for the fire pit and flip flop shovel. I can see the palm trees, I know that there has to be some coconuts here some where but again, risky and I can’t leave Thomas here alone. I keep busy, digging a fire pit and placing the wood within it. Hunting up a few ferns to lay out some small dark berries I found, hungry as I am and wanting to eat them, I don’t know if these are even safe and so I open a few for the bugs and flies to eat or ignore. As night settles and begins to grow dark I use the planet ticket stubs to light the fire, and then climb into the raft with Tommy. He hasn’t woke up yet, but I can feel him breathing as I cuddle up to his side and rest my hand on his chest. He breathes, so that’s a good sign isn’t it? Scrubbing my cheek to his chest, I can feel the warmth finally and pull him tighter to me. We need to think of how to get water, where to, food too and shelter. We can’t stay on the beach with no wind breaks, no water and I haven’t even seen a crab or clam yet. I don’t know when I drift off but when I do I thankfully do not dream.

Thomas

Swallow…Uhhhh, ow, hmmmm, not a sigh or a gasp, just a guttural moan…open eyes, dark…oooh ow…blink, blink, ow…blink…eyes fade…sleep. At least twice, if not three times, I complete a similar, barely conscious refrain. Finally, ahhh, something has me, grabbing me, eyes flash open wide, hands grip!!! It all happens quietly, I don’t have the ability or energy to gasp, let alone yell… at most, I sort of tense. Hands are so stiff, but it is warm, what is grabbing me is warm..not attacking..not at all…no, it is asleep?

My eyes somehow start to focus, barely, it is blonde, it is a girl….of course, it is Victoria…yes it’s Victoria. She has crawled almost entirely on top of me, thigh draped across both of my legs, little face buried into my chest. She feels warm and good. Jesus it is dark and cold. I look down at her, like she tried to make a human blanket. She feels good and I instinctively hug her closer and she responds with a little murmer and comforting wiggle. I listen, and the waves are hitting the shore fairly, loudly. Makes sense the wind is blowing hard and cool.

I am slowly but surely getting my bearings, but I am in so much pain, achy, stiff, and my head is pounding, like a symphony woodwind section is pounding with no regard t rhythm or attempt to do anything remotely assembling music. Just pound, pound, and I shut my eyes and rub my temples. It is not going away and won’t. I start to remember, swimming, and swimming. There was a moment that I stopped feeling anything, I was convinced I couldn’t make it and just swam as far as I could hoping somehow Tori would finish. I remember her screaming, and my feet touching sand, stumbling, more falling than swimming and finally finding land…but that is it. I don’t remember collapsing, I certainly don’t remember walking up and climbing into this boat. I look at this boat, there is no way I dragged this up here. The realization sinks in…her…Tori did this. She somehow got my ass and this boat up here, and safe. I smile down at her, ‘way to go kid’. I am impressed and grateful, I hug her again and kiss the type of her head. She saved me, I can’t remember the last time anyone took care of me in anything…and the last person I thought would or could was my baby sister laying on top of her big brother.

Her little hand falls down and another realization comes forward. Her hand is lying on my flaccid dick. I only realize it because of the warmth, but then I realize something far more frightening…it isn’t over my shorts or pants, her hand is literally on my cock, skin to skin. Jesus, I am naked, how did I get naked…and just like safety, there is only one answer, Tori. The sun is just starting to come up, I am moving slowly and this reorientation has taken a while. I am not sure why I am naked, but I slide her hand off my dick and let it rest on my thigh. I know why my head and body hurt so bad, and it is dehydration. I assume we have little or no water left, so if we are going to do one thing, it is find water or die trying.

I have to get up, and I am not leaving her here, we need to go together.
I try to wake her, “Tori, kid, we need to get up”. I get another little wiggle, hug, murmur, and hand once again finds cock. Just the brushing feels a bit too good, and I am not quite so flaccid. Okay, I need to end this, now. I call out louder, “Victoria, wake up…I’m sorry but you have to wake up”…she growls, no more hug, but still a little wiggle and her face digs into my chest…Suddenly, she shoots up, “Tommy…You’re awake…you’re alive!” She hops up and hugs me, hugs me as hard as I can ever remember, and in the process knocks any covering right off me. I don’t worry at first, I hug her back…”We made it…thank you, I don’t know how you did it…I mean got me up here, but thank you…but we have to get up now and find water….we need to look together…it will be safer…and…Tori…why am I naked?”

Tori

I let him go, let the man breathe a little and stop choking him off with my hold and hug. But MY GOD! It is SO good to see him awake, speaking! I was so worried there but then again..

"…and…Tori…why am I naked?” I look, I shouldn't have! I mean, I KNOW he is naked! But there ya go, I LOOK! And then, from bare toes, on up to the rest of him, our eyes meet and I have this look on my face I am sure he is quite familiar with. That DUH! expression parents are infamous for? Yeah, I am giving him THAT look. Such a stupid question! Maybe he isn't alright? Did he hit his head on something when he went down?

I reach up and yank him by his hair down so I can feel around, tongue bit in teeth as fingers explore for gnashes or bumps and really, in this thick mess is only sand and nothing else. A hefty sigh leaves me, "Because, Thomas! I couldn't dress you on my own, now could I?" Shaking my head, I climb off of him and out of the raft, trying to look around and stretch despite the grump and need of more sleep. I am tired and he is obviously in need of water and food! Thomas doesn't ask stupid questions... Normally, at least.

Eyes find his brandy wine colored boxer briefs where I left them to dry, "there's your shorts. Dry finally." Hands move to my lower back, bending and twisting to try and get it to pop or ease up a least on the pinch, a squint and frown giving me premature wrinkles by now, but doesn't help me soothe them away thinking about our situation. He is right, we need water and soon. Food, something to boil water in, and looking like we need seriously primitive shit to get the job done.

"I would have went last night but didn't want to leave you with the cold wind coming at us and no idea where the hell we are, so alone didn't seem all that smart to do.." I squat down at the make-shift water collector, pinching the thin plastic and lifting it up to peer into the hole. So far, nothing. "Fuck.." whispers out, fatigue not helping me feel any more cheery about this whole fucked up situation. Can't ONE thing go right for us? Just one!? I pat the plastic down into place, it may still work as the sun rises, it ain't over yet. Still, we needed water and food, and surely with the coconut trees I could see, something had to have fruit growing on it, papaya maybe? The berries still had flies on them, nothing dead as of yet but it will still kind of too soon to know for certain if it were safe. We could always find some kind of weaving materials and try for a fishing net? These things filter through my head and looking to Thomas to see his progress in waking, wondering his list of tasks he thinks we need doing?


Looking over my shoulder, I see the broad expanse of naked man dressing, unzipping the suitcase and fishing out his clothes. If he wasn't my brother.. I'd... What am I saying? It comes and goes, these hormonal thoughts and then reality washes them over with a thick smear of cold fear. I know Thomas won't hurt me, he's my brother and sure as shit doesn't think of me like that! He thinks I am some sort of sex-pot, if only he knew the truth. I know he doesn't have a very high opinion of me, I could see it in his sneer whenever he looked at me before this wreck happened. Imagine what he would think if he learned that I let Brad rape me? Acting all confident and wild was great armor, guys aren't so cocky when you act like that. Seems they only want to be hero's or abusers, but act the Ho and they are all disgusted with you. Funny that, right? Hypocrites.


Using my jean shorts to dust off the sand from my fingers, I look to my bare feet and his. This isn't going to go well without shoes, so over to him I go. Being nonchalant and quiet, fishing out some socks and my shoes as well while he covers himself in his slacks and button up. He didn't pack shit coming to get me, did he? I don't recall much, a bad feeling Thomas was right and someone had drugged me at that bar. Infuriating really, can't go anywhere these days without someone trying to use you up. Disgusting, but anger isn't going to help and Brett isn't here to ask any questions nor kick in the nuts. So...


"Where should we start looking? We need shelter too, firewood, lay of the land, food.. Do you have a knife on you? Anything sharp?" Or it's rocks to bust open the coconut's husk and that's never a fun thing to try without proper tools. I have a few lady's disposable razors but that is not going to do squat. No one shaves a damned coconut open, but the idea of it in my tired state does make me smile at the ludicrous thoughts in my head. Is it insane to talk to yourself as much as I do? Eh, fuck it! Who cares! I can own up to insanity.. My stomach rumbles, hungry. What I wouldn't give right now for a bite of ANYTHING edible. There has to be some crustaceans around here some where, right? ….and what would I cook it in?

Looking to Thomas, I wait for him to be ready and follow when he finally steps into the jungle.

Thomas

She is slow to get up, but as soon as she does, she seems to be a whirling dervish of thoughts, although few are spoken, but I can see her mind working. There is also trouble in there, something she has held back or not telling me, and that thought scares me. I am concerned, Victoria doesn't appear to accept normal society limits. She hold herself outthere as some little boy toy. Is that her, I don't want it to be. Is that what she isn't saying...she is horny and frustrated. Or has she done something really bad...a crime?...no that can't be it...god I want there to still be some redeemable goodness there...I want a sister to be proud of. I stop myself this is wasted energy right now, and I have scarce little energy left.

We need to go and find water. I am not going to get better without it, and I am scared that if we don't find it, I may not last much longer, at least conscious. I put on slacks and a button down. What am I thinking?...the answer is I'm not. Not capable. If her mind is flying, mine is stuck in neutral and edging towards a cold stop. I get up. "You were smart not venturing out alone. I don't think until we know the area better, identify some landmarks and navigational marks we can afford to separate, and even then, not until we are comfortable where we can safely travel".

I put on some shoes, loafers, I would kill for sandals or gym shoes, but I did not think I would have time to hang out at the pool or workout, so loafers is it. Fuck, why do I have to dress so formal...and pretentious. "Yes, I do have a pocket knife, but we need to be smart how we use it. the blade is not set for heavy duty stuff and if we brake it, we are done." I am ready and I look at her. I look like I am ready for lunch at the club and she looks like she is on a beach ready to go. Her little Daisy dukes are cute on her, as is her tight top. No wonder she is a boy toy, what boy wouldn't line up to play with that...well what boy other than her brother.

Katherine pops into my head for a second, and then is gone. It is amazing in how many days has it been she has barely crossed my mind. I have thought of Candy often, Katherine never, and yet it is she, I am planning to marry. Even I know, that is fucked up. You should be with the one who makes you feel alive, brings passion and substance to your life. Instead I am marrying out of guilt, obligation, expectations...I don't know which, maybe all, but none of them sound like passion. Okay, more wasted energy, refocus, work together...FIND WATER!!!

"I think our best bet is to follow the best line of vegetation we see and go inland toward the center from there. Vegetation and water should go hand in hand, so if there is a source of natural water, hopefully the greenest foliage can show us the way. We should try to do some sort of markings on the trees or something to show the trail we followed...Tori, I know I am older, but at least you took a course on survival...I am happy to follow your lead...I don't think my surgical skills are all that relevant right now. So Tori...what do you suggest?"

Tori

We have no compass, no weapons of any sort either. Looking about the area for the best possible access point as lists sort of flow through my mind of the need to do sort of list. At the firepit I grab a chunk of black burned wood, its stubby but a goof six inches of useable black ash firm enough to write with. If we can find clams, we could use their shells for sharp cutting tools but that may be awhile. Thinking of needs, the pressing one is of course water. At the suit case I pull out my small beach bag and empty it.

"Take a piece of wood from the fire and mark that tree there," Pointed to the tree we used as a rain cover the night before, "Mark it with whatever." Placing empty water bottles into the beach bag, I rezip the suitcase and haul it into the raft. Scooping up sand as well, it is added into the bottom to help keep the raft from being whisked away by strong winds. As Thomas moved to mark the tree with a .. "Is that a Tee or a Cross?" asks with clear amusement as I pass him and step into the tree line.


"Keep an eye out for a few strong walking sticks. We should each use one, to make sure we don't step into a hidden hole and to fend of anything that may be out here with us, not appreciating our charm and good looks.." I teased him as I fanned through the under growth of ferns and such. "We can use a lot of these huge leaves to make us a softer bed mat..." I almost said IF! God, don't do that now Tori! "Ya know? When we get back.." an uneasy smile flashed. First things First, water.

"Ready?" At his nod, the bag was slung over my shoulder and into the interior we stepped. Wasn't even twenty feet in when we were completely swallowed in lush greenery. So anything could be out here, from snakes to boars, spiders.. It was daunting for the first few moments of walking carefully into the canopy, yet it was peaceful. I could hear a bird chirp and another singing, and now and then a rustling breeze that moved through if on tracks, only to vanish out of ear shot in moments. Some plants were sparse and some grew in thicker clumps, but I paused at each thick broad leaf I came across, to rub finger over waxy coating and look to the wee veins of the plant.

He was right, some had more water than others and they grew in what appeared to be rivers of plant life. The natural terrain sculpted to aid, but was mostly hidden from sight. Still, I followed the leaves and kept to the line of trees as well, marking them as we passed. We each had a black hand from marking trees, sweat soaked shirts, beaded brow and a bit of a laborious panting. A walking stick helped us move quicker, beat the bush back a bit without making too much noise. Stirring up whatever may be hiding out there was not on my list of things we wanted to do. I tried to keep track of the time and how far we had walked, and my estimate was about an hour when we halted to catch our breath.


"I kind of like the arrows.." It read "raft --->" a crooked smile lift as we sat on a rounded boulder to rest a moment. Thomas was looking pale and a bit wobbly on his feet, I could see the faint shake of his hand but I said nothing of it. I watched him, like a hawk. Worrying he'd tilt and fall over in a strong gust of air, I kept close and closer as the hour had gone by. If he noticed or not, he made no comment. There is safety in numbers and he really needed something to drink. Was growing harder to hear past our crunch of steps, rustle of leaves and heavy panting. We are both so worn out, tired and hungry. We can't give up...


"Shhh!" Thomas stood still, stiff with head tipped a bit, listening for something.
"What is it?" Eyes alert, I too felt myself go stiff and start to search for some unseen danger.
"I hear water, Victoria?" He seemed to doubt himself, as if his thirst had driven him so mad he was imagining things. Its there in his eyes and in his tone, but he is searching, stretching his full height and suddenly he is up and over the boulder, peering into the vegetation. Quick on his heels, I am over it too and following his long strides as he almost rushes through the thick variety of plants, rock and trees and as if God heard our prayers, we're there. Shallow, six feet or so wide and rushing down to meet the ocean.


"Don't!" I grab Thomas before he can get his hands into it, or worse gulp it down. I sink to my heels and knee, lean in and stick my pinky into it and yank it right back out, waiting. Counting. 'One. Two..' mouth moving but no voice coming out. "Ok, no burn or sting.." It looks clear and clean but it's not city water. It isn't filtered or tested, and we have none of that here with us. "drink a little, see if it's fresh or salt.." With the moss growing and rippling with the rush of water, it isn't likely salt water. I can feel my mouth parch almost instantly, my brain screeching about diving face first into it and drinking myself swollen. I watch as Thomas scoops some up in his hand and sucks it out of his palm. Without thought my tongue is lapping dry lips and my stomach is cramping as my throat feels like sand paper. Of course it's not real, it is my brain and body screaming for water, and when he scoops both hands in and takes an even bigger drink, I know it is fresh.


"Easy, Tommy.. Don't over do it.." Don't need stomach cramps to go with the rest of the problems that come from drinking too much, too fast and PLEASE! Let it be clean enough. I should be celebrating, we will live. Yay.. So awesome.. I am too damned tired and worn out to manage that kind of exuberance. Uneasy still, as yes we have found water, but we have no weapons. We have no food, no phone, no.. The list goes on and on and on. Water achieved, Food next. "We will need to go back for the raft and suitcase.." I should be drinking myself bloated, watching Thomas drink and drink and … He gave me all the damned water! That is how he ended up wobbly and weak, why I was able to lead him through the wilds, think clearer. Damn him..

Turning away from him as he drank deeply, I felt shame well up and color my face in heat. He would kill himself trying to be sure I was alright and I got him into this whole fucked up mess with my stupidity. I have to wonder, when will I ever learn? Maybe mom was right after all, a screw up wasting air, my potential. "Not too much Tommy, please slow down? You will end up in pain if you drink too much.." I turned to a rock, positioning my feet and walking stick. Turning it in both hands, I began to rub the end against the stone. Attempting to shape it into a finer point. They may be fish in this water, if we could spear one or two, we'd have something to eat. While my hands and feet worked on the stick, my eyes lift to scan the canopy high above. "There were coconut trees mixed in all these, do you see any coconuts?" If I kept him talking and distracted, it would keep him speaking and drinking slower. Was a thought at least.. I knew it kept me from thinking too much. Maybe nervousness, or fear or a combination of both? I don't know, but it was calming to speak aloud than get lost in the doubt in my head.

For a man who has spent his entire life trusting his brain more than anything, it feels incredibly awkward for me to be acting like an automaton. I am foggy and I listen to every word and follow every order from my irresponsible little sister. My gut tells me, she has this. However, the reality is I have no choice. I don't know a damn thing about survivor skills, but worse, my brain and my body just aren't working right and are barely working at all.

I grab the burnt stick to use as a marking device and I mark our trail as ordered. She jokes if I am making X's or crosses, I am making crosses. I have not had a religious moment in my life until I prayed for this island and it magically appeared on the horizon. At least for the next few days, I am a convert and more than willing to hope/prey that there is come greater being who is looking out for us.

I am walking on the edge of delirium, stumbling my way through. While tracking the most lush vegetation was my idea for water, this whole exercise is clearly under Victoria's direction and I couldn't have more confidence in her taking the reins. One unexpected benefit of the path we are taking is shade, and a general coolness of the vegetation. To say I feel refreshed would be a huge exaggeration, but I do feel a bit better. Eventually stop and rest sitting on the boulder. The cool rock also feels good, I am tempted to strip down and lay across it. I don't and I feel Tori sit close. I wish I could say she was seeking the comfort of my strength and male protection. I know better. She is not embarrassing me by saying it, but she is watching over me. Hell, let's be honest, my little sister is mothering me, and....I appreciate it. The fetal position sounds amazing right now, I feel like I have the flu...but I know there is only one cure. I just sit and listen, no strength to do anything else...and I hear it...it is more than a drip, it is a rush, the unmistakable sound of rushing water. I know I could be hallucinating, but we are in a fairly lush jungle...and this can't be a mirage. I stumble up, and finally stand on the boulder and look around. I feel Tori next to me, and I feel her hand around my waist squeezing me.

WE ARE SAVED...she says all the right cautionary statements, but we bound toward it, as much energy as each of us has left. She dips her pinky in, no burning, and I can't wait. I cup my palms and scoop up the water. As it hits my lips, my parched tongue, it tastes better than anything ever has, at least that I remember. I drink heartily, Tori is right to be careful, but I can't. My stomach pounds, and it cramps a bit, but not bad, and I need water. I may throw up like crazy, so I stop, and I don't. Jesus, I scoop again and this time I rinse my face, hair, I let it run down my dirty, smelly body. It is so cool, so wonderful, and I bask in the moment.

My senses start to come back and I look over at Victoria, she is enjoying it as well. She is a bit more cautious, but we both embibe liberally. Finally, I hear her talking. "There were coconut trees mixed in all these, do you see any coconuts?" She distracts me slightly, I am a doctor, I know she is right, but I also know how close my body had been to real trouble, and now that is no longer an issue. I feel so much better. I look around, and suddenly my eyes work.

I see two coconuts on the ground and I point, but then i see something ever more interesting, there is a bananna tree, with a bunch of at least 20 banannas within reach. I bound up and grab them, turning toward her, smiling, as proud as a kindergartner showing his mom his first finger paining. "We are going to make it Tori...we really are...yes, we have tons to do, and we need to get going right away, but we are going to make it". With that I bounded over to her, and picked her up in my arms, her feet hanging off the ground, as I swung her around. I kissed her on the cheeks, lips and cheeks again. Oh my God, I am happy! I talk softer, staring into her eyes, "We are going to make it Tori...I love you so much!!!"

Tori

Must have missed the coconuts laying there, but then again, they looked like dry grass and dirt mixed into the underbrush. Yet Tommy saw them, and bananas as well. Mean while I am sitting here lecturing a grown brother how to drink... The Doctor! For Christ sake.. I want to say something, play it off, smile at the silliness, but I am just too tired to care. It may have prepared me, had I been paying attention as I felt two strong arms scoop me up off my feet and swing me around.

"Thomas!" Gasped out, mind in instant wary panic mode! HE'S TOUCHING ME! Hands find chest, palms press to shoulders and I feel that clogged strangle hold on my throat take me and my body turn to ice. My heart begins to race, my mind to scramble and go blank, I can feel every contour of his body pressing to mine! And my mind is bent on forcing out that scream lodged in my throat, barely kept in check from punching him in the nose to get let go! But then he kissed me and the ringing in my ears and the rage of my heart beat slows but a moment as eyes snap to and recognize its Thomas! Lips graze cheek as I push at him to gain release, mouth opens for air, to curse and scold and demand to be let go and put down! When his lips land hard on my own, but not bruisingly so.. Protest sort of dies and urge to flee is caught off guard so completely that I forget he is touching me too closely and that he has a hold of me and I can't touch the ground.

"We are going to make it!" He says again, placing me on my feet with that happy boy smile I remember so well, only it's grown into a man's face.. my brother's face! Thomas wouldn't hurt me! Damn it! Stop acting like a ninny, Tori! He notices my wide eyes and pale face, and frowns at me.

Oh God! NO! NO!

"We should go get our stuff!" Pops out of my mouth in a chirp and chipper like fake happiness and I am off, almost running away! I hear him call to me, then call louder before he takes off after to catch up with my land eating strides of near run away status. "If we get the suitcase and raft and get back here, we can build us a shelter of some kind before dark.. Maybe we can follow the stream up a little further to find flat ground?" I speak up, effectively cutting off anything he wants to say and successfully do so all the way back to the beach to get our stuff and all the way back to the stream once again. I kept the pace brisk, fast and I know I shouldn't have. We're both so damned tired and have been without food and water for far too long. My legs are shaking from exhaustion as we set back down, dropping raft and suit case at the trampled spot we sat an hour before... We moved that damned fast..


Did he know something was wrong? He kept trying to talk to me but I didn't want to. I can't! I can't talk about .. that! I can only hope he will let it be, for now at least. Please? My eyes find his and there in those shining blue eyes, so like his own, he can see clearly the plea not to broach into anything right now that is too deep.


"Think there is a little flat rise up the stream just a few years.. I see a clearing past the two trees there.." I point as I lean towards him to show him where I am aiming. "There's plenty of broken branches, leaves and possibly mud or clay around here some where we can get us something comfortable going?" He takes the raft as I grab the suit case, switching off from who hauled what. Funny how we work, always like a team. Almost flawlessly so. Did he even notice anymore? funny that I did, I have been avoiding him as much as he has been avoiding me for the past few years.


"Let's go. We're almost there.." I watch him bend to grab the banana bunch, then set off up the slope. He isnt far behind me, I can hear him breathing pretty heavily behind me, as much as I am straining, he is too. Within ten minutes we are standing where it looks relatively flat and sheltered a bit by trees and bush. The water is pooled here as it cascades off a few outcropping rocks above. The clearing isn't huge, maybe twelve feet in diameter, fifteen at most? Well I am eye measuring it, not really clear on the size but it's small but large enough.

"What do you think?" I ask, waiting his answer, his eyes scanning the area as much like I had done.

I hug her and kiss her in celebration, exuberence...and in return I feel nothing...or is it fear...or is it hatred. No not hatred...but fear...Jesus, did I cross some kind of line. It wasn't that type of kiss...did it feel like it was. My god Tori...have you fooled around with so many guys...had so man meaningless sexual experiences...kisses, that you don't remember the other type. I gave her a kiss of friendship, closeness, mutual excitement and celebration...and you would have thought I was some slimy old man naked in a raincoat trying to make an unwanted move on her.

To say it was awkward would be a massive understatement...but I am missing something...I know I am...she looked...scared. But scared of me...how could she possibly be scared of me. I love her....I want to protect her...I always have...but maybe we both forgot that...I guess I had to. We will talk later...I know I need to clear the air....but later...work to do.

We gather our things, and I take the heavy stuff. I am feeling good again, and finding the water, coconuts and bananas gives me a huge sense of hope. Now we need to try to build a little shelter, set up a more permanent fire hole that can be protected from the rain...and then the can start to build tools to hunt or catch fish. There are lots of todos, but that is a good thing, the core question has been answered for now, he and Tori will survive, now they can focus on improving their quality of life.

"Tori, we can use this large palm tree as a navigation point. See the point jutting out on the beach, if that is 6 o'clock and this palm is 12 o'clock. I will pan a half circle walking 200 steps up form the palm and run a search to the 2 o'clock point. I will search for any sticks, and large palm leaves. We can use the leaves for flooring, bedding and to cover the sticks we turn into a lean to to help provide roofing coverage. If I can find sticks at least 5 feet all, we and then tie them all together".

After collecting and bringing back, searching more and again returning over and over. After nerly two hours we have almost 50 branches and a large pile palm leaves. Tori has collected vast amounts of vines, seaweed ropes, and she has even scavengered some rope that has washed up on shore. "Should we go find a spot and try to build a lean to as our first shelter? Again, I thank god she took that class...I am happy to be a gopher, I have no ego here, I just want us to work as well together as we used to, and we seemed to be doing now. We only have each other and we need to be as constructive and smart as possible, and I know the smart thing now is for me to follow Tori's lead and instruction.

Tori

On hands and knees, in dirt, rock and bush, it's all torn out and tossed to make a clearing in the rich dark soil. Working hands and knees to compress the ground, digging in with fingers to find lumps, rocks, debris that would make it uncomfortable, pull it out and toss it too. All the while I worked, he gathered, searching for useable items. My mind was else where, mostly on that kiss.

I explained nothing to Tommy, nor did he ask despite the clear look in his eyes of WANT TO. I avoided eye contact, instead laying down again and again into the dirt, only to get back up and put more fronds and leaves in low spots. My earlier trek down to the beach revealed a lot more than what had been expected. And hopefully the amount of garbage on the shore hasn't killed all the marine life. There was wreckage of all sorts strewn along the shoreline. Bouyei's, old netting, rope, plastic bottles and glass. Even found a floatation device like seat backing and carted it back with me. It could be useful, eventually. If nothing more, it contained metal brackets that might prove handy.. if we ever get find a way to loosen the bolts holding it.


I told Tommy of the junk lined beach, he was much more happy to hear that news than felt right, for either of us. Consciousness of the environment, yeah even out here in this insane situation, we are fucking happy to see trash and feeling guilty as fuck for it. Way to go parental figures. Using a shell in fist, I managed to slit the ends of some poles and sharpen the ends of others. A tongue and groove.. sort of. God! I hope this holds. Lining the area with poles, some vertical, couple horizontal, we patchwork our way into having rickety walls bound together by a lot of miscellaneous vines, rope, excess plastic from the raft cut free. Not that this raft would get us off this island, yet neither one of us can bring ourselves to deflate it nor butcher the thing for materials. That last shred of hope? Who knows.


"Hold that end for me.." Thomas had come over to help, lining up as best we could equal measurements of branches to fit together. "We can take anything really, and weave it around these poles and create a barrier." It barely went six feet high, of which Thomas had to hold together while I worked to bind it. Bracing it with larger rocks and cross poles on the inside. After more hours than I could keep track of, we had ourselves a six by six shanty.. And roof! And it was leaning a little on the lower end but I could prop that up.. I look at Thomas, who is looking, and leaning with the hut, both of us doubtful this will hold too long but not bad for some fucking city kids! Right?


"I will line the inside if you want to dig us out a firepit out here? Just cut away any branches hanging over, we don't want to burn down the island." I tried to tease, really, but I feel so damned tired right now. Watching him move, lift and carry a few stacks of the larger leaves to the door and set them within reach for me, I can not help but smile, "Thanks." and back to work we go. Thomas building a fire, me lining up our new home and bedding. If this holds, maybe I can find some clay and grass? I saw how to line and protect a shelter from drain off water in heavy rains, by lining the area with home made adobe, but it required two things I had yet to find. Clay and grass. Within the small room is a bed mat that will have to fit the both of us, suitcase to keep our clothing in and dry, toiletries bags had a few supplies in each one, but not a hell of a lot. Our coconuts we have yet to find a way to break open and, well a mess of garbage that was now our treasures.


"Want this lit?" I hear him call from outside, "No, we don't need to waste the lighter on it. We have bananas." Called out, only to find him looming in the doorway a moment later. Scooting to give him room, I watch as he inspects the area, steps in and moves to sit on the 'bed' with me. We eat in silence, both of us seemingly lost in our thoughts, both of us no doubt exhausted. My only hope is this thing, if it is going to cave in, takes us out with it. Bleak thought really, but I am just too tired to do this again.. well, any time soon. "I'm tired." finally confesses, looking to my brother with a sad smile. "And cold." I had water, thanks to Tommy's idea and we had food, for now. A shelter or sorts, and as I lie back to the mattress, my eyes line up with palm tree fronds above, over lapping one another, yet I still see sky. "Damned hole.." Chuckles out with a heavy sigh. So the roof would need more work, that was expected.

Thomas

I keep reflecting back to her reaction to my kissing her, the sudden turn, and all the things not said. She doesn’t even make eye contact, but in no way seems to be angry with me, just awkward and very focused. Well, that is probably the right mind set. I spend quite a bit of time scavengering and gathering materials for the building of our shelter and other things we might use. I find a child’s shovel for building sand castles, useful….an 8x10 fishing net, a few small holes, but very useful…there is other miscellaneous debris and I am both heartened and saddened. People use the oceans like a garbage can, and it is not. We need it and healthy marine life to survive. However, I am a bit of a hypocrite as these items, may well be just the added things we need to survive. I gather every empty bottle, both glass and plastic, some rope and put it al in the net and go back.

Together with the sticks I collected for Tori earlier, we are set to start. I am purely the dumb muscle, and she is the engineer. But a few hours later, both exhausted, we have our shanty. She works feverishly setting up a bed, or at least a deserted island version of a bed for us. I use the children’s shovel and my bare hands to make a 3 foot diameter fire pit almost a foot deep, and surround it with rocks to hopefully contain and protect any fire we build. I gather some logs, and other smaller sticks we can use for kindling, and I set up a fire. "Want this lit?", I ask, but she is smart. It isn’t that cold and we should learn to conserve whenever we can. I really am impressed by how resourceful she is. "I'm tired…And cold." She finally confesses.

“You have been amazing, let me get dinner, and you relax for a minute”. I go to the spring, and fill up two bottles of water for us, and grab six bananas that are particularly ripe. We haven’t eaten much and this will feel like a king’s feast in comparison. We sit and eat and drink, both famished. But again, few words are spoken. We sit there and watch the sunset and feel the significant change in temperature as the sun dips below the horizon, “I’m tired too….would you like me to refill the water and then why don’t we try to get some sleep?”

I trudge up to the spring, and I am trying to figure out how to broach the topic of what happened earlier. Is it me or something else? If it is me, what could I have possibly done…other than pretty much ignored her the past 3 years while I moved on with my life. I could kick myself, as I think about our last few days. I don’t know when it happened or why, she suddenly seemed to change, and was no longer the girl who use to follow me around. I hated watching what she was doing to herself, but rather than confront her, talk to her, I guess I sort of took the easy way out. I never intentionally quit on her, but my actions definitely suggested otherwise.

She was already back in the shanty when I got back, “I guess I didn’t do quite as good as I thought”, she says and points up at the hole in the ceiling, the stars now twinkling through. I look up and laugh, “the fact that you have it standing and covered at all is a miracle, we will work on it more tomorrow and fortify things…..Tori, I just wanted to thank you…I have really been impressed and I am just sorry, I am not more help”. I sat down on the edge of the mat/bed looking at her and she was in a bit of a fetal position, clearly cold. “Tori, I am not sure what happened before…” I didn’t want to go into the specifics and I was pretty sure, she didn’t either, “…but if I have done anything to hurt you, I am sorry…that has never, ever been my intent. If you would be okay, I would like us to lie together, so that I could hold you and we could cuddle for warmth….I…I love you Tori…and I am really sorry, I have been so absent these past few years…but we need each other…and…” I stopped as she rolled over a bit looking at me. I was trying to read her eyes, understand, but I was lost…and hoping I hadn’t done something I was completely unaware of….

Victoria

"Anyone ever tell you, Doctor, that you talk too much?" A dimpled smile lift, hand reaching to tug him inside with me. "Stop being so weird and lie down." Bossy was my usual, but in a playful tone and always with care behind the sass. I felt like that old me, short lived as it would be, and I knew it deep down, it still felt good. My big brother, always rational, always considerate and always kind to everyone. "You didn't DO anything, now cuddle up with me, I'm getting cold!" I waited til he lie down and then scooted in up against his chest, using his arm as a pillow and felt his arm snake around my middle. A soft, "mmmmmm" came out, warmth! "Snug as a bug.." Something dad used to say when he tucked me in, something Thomas would say when Dad couldn't be there to tuck me in.

"Thanks.." In the dark it was easier to let emotions a little more free. It was alright that my voice cracked a bit and I felt sadness well up inside me. I felt him arm tighten around me but he said nothing and I couldn't force words out past the choked lump in my throat. It meant a lot more to me than I thought it would, to hear a kind word from him. It seems like it's been ages since he said anything remotely nice to me... Not that it is his fault. I pushed him away, never corrected his assumptions, I let people believe I was that coquette. I had it all, money, name, looks, play girl life style.. It was easier to appear well versed in the arts of relationships, than let the real fear show. I had to! I couldn't hide in my bedroom the rest of my life! I didn't have the luxury of being allowed to fall apart, I wasn't permitted to be broken, damaged goods. God only knows what my parents would say if they learned THEIR daughter had allowed some boy to get her alone, let alone rape her. Wasn't afforded normalcy, shaming my family was a whole other ballpark. No way could they find out, ever!

My hand rest on his forearm, lining up perfectly and strokes over his firm muscled form. Comfort is what I want, am seeking and lying with Thomas, I always have felt so safe and loved. Cared for. When the rest of the world thought me too privileged for pity or love or sympathy, Thomas freely gave it and more. If I have to be stuck in hell and die in some weird ass remote island some where, I am so damned glad it's with him! Yet, I feel so horrible about that too! "I'm sorry.." Whispers out, brokenly as tears slide down my face. He tries to pull free of me but I grab on, "Don't! please. It's alright.. I am just sorry I got us into this mess!" I can't face him right now, refusing to turn his way and so glad of the darkness that he can not see my face. He speaks, softly, reassuring in tone and words but I am so exhausted and worn that I find myself drifting off. Sniffling between gush of tears, longing for it all to be a really awful dream. Like that show? Lost? But if this is Heaven, or Hell? I wouldn't know it.


~~~ Some Time Later ~~~


I wake up to a large warm palm cupping my right breast and Thomas's face burrowed into my neck. He dreams, I think? Maybe? He is moaning in his sleep, muttering something but heavily breathing down my throat. I am definitely warm now! Almost too warm, but I can't really get my mind to focus on what and where I am, not exactly. His hips buck to my ass, grinding his..


Oh.. My.. GOD! THOMAS!?


He is like HARD! At first shock kicks in, to feel that pressing between the cheeks of my ass, wedging in my shorts and panties.. But it's my brother and I KNOW he isn't going to make me do anything! Then of course, that thought is totally gross! I feel myself stiffen even more, but rational Tori comes in to play! Okay! He is dreaming, it happens.... To other people.. I have nightmares, unfortunately. Seems Thomas doesn't but if he knew he was grinding up against MY ass?! He'd freak the hell out! Right. So.... I can't fucking lay here and let him .. do that? Against my butt?! Can I? Holy fuck, he's big!

Eyes slam shut, counting, not moving and trying desperately to go back to sleep! Not sure how long I lie there, but slowly the dream passes and he ceases to grind himself against me. At least I think the dream has passed? He stops making those moany noises in my ear, stops stroking my breast and rubbing his cock to my butt... My god! It's so damned warm in this fucking hut! I can feel the flame of shame darken my cheeks, my whole face! Am I aroused?! Breathing is labored, nipples feel funny, tight and like his hand is still there, on me.. touching. So odd! So wrong and gross too! Total accidental contact!

Nodding to myself, I slowly find myself relaxing, less worried about Thomas and his .. petting in his sleep... 'issue'. Tomorrow is a new day and much to do to get home! I can shake this off, pretend it never happened. I am good at that! Drifting back off to sleep, I find myself dreaming of a mixture of nightmare and Brad, only Thomas in my dream finds me, saving me from that repeated attack relived night after night.. I know it is a dream, Tommy never knew nor was even in town that night, he couldn't have saved me.. but some how it is comforting not to have the nightmare play out as it always did before.

Thomas

"Anyone ever tell you, Doctor, that you talk too much?" I smiled, that was my sister, don't get serious, or God forbid mushy, but her little joke told me a lot. It wasn't me, or wasn't just me, there was something else going on inside of her. Maybe it was just that someone had tried to drug her, that would scare and shake anyone, even someone who lived the lifestyle of Tori. I thought about that lifestyle, we had never discussed it, but as we were here, working through the challenges, it was hard for me to believe she had really changed that much. The girl here, the one who teased and just invited me to cuddle, was the old Victoria, the innocent sweet girl, behind the tough veneer. She had let few people see the real her, actually I am not sure anyone but me was ever allowed to really see that. I had thought that person was gone, and I hadn't understood why. But she wasn't gone, there was something going on inside, but she was still there.

I gave her a little extra hug when I first laid down next to her. She probably didn't notice, but it was a big brother, just letting his little sister know he loved her, and then I gave her cheek a peck. "Goodnight kid, and I will stop talking", chuckling I shut my eyes. This had been quite a few days, but only now, laying here in our little do it yourself home, did I really think we were good. The last three days I hadn't allowed myself to think about what might happen, how horrible a death like that might have been. Our parents had taught us both to be mentally tough, do not let your fears get the best of you, keep focused on what you can control and fight like hell. I gave her another little squeeze, we had done it and it was WE, and we would figure it out from here...I had to admit, if I had to be here, I was glad it was Tori, she was a survivor and a gamer...we could depend on each other...and WE would be okay.

As I held her, I couldn't help but think of Candy, not once Katherine, but the last time I had spooned it had been after an amazing session of love making, a gymnastics and endurance test. We had fallen asleep, just like this, until I felt her little ass press in to me again, doing her patented wiggle, and letting me know, it was time to get going again. God, I miss her...but I fell asleep having the nicest dreams....

It was a nice sleep...but I woke up with the slightest sweat...my body felt surprisingly good, comforted...and I had the nicest warm buzz going through my body...it took me several seconds to understand why. At some point during the night, I had rolled on my back, and Tori had kind of crawled on top of me. Her head on my chest, her leg over mine, stradling my one thigh, her arm up over my far shoulder, her other hand up on my other shoulder. She must have gotten cold at some point, but none of that is the issue. It is the little purring, murmuring sounds, and the little wiggle her body is making pressing into my leg...and OH SHIT, I am hard and her thigh is rubbing against my very pronounced and hard morning wood.

All of this is subconscious, she is asleep and I was too, biology took over, she sought warmth, and our bodies have primal intincts....but this has to stop...right? yes, stop, stop now...it does feel good...it shouldn't....but it does. I need to do something, I do not want her to wake up and realize how hard my cock is or be embarrassed at the fact she crawled on top of me purring, moaning...and yes, grinding. I take my hands down to my sister's firm waist and try to slide her off, but those soccer and cheerleading years have one strong little athlete on top of me. I grab her firm tight ass and more forcibly get her to slide off and curl up. I hear a little groan...I wonder what man she is dreaming of...and quickly realize I don't want to know.

She does slide off and I get up, but watch her...more than I probably should...I know it is a function of being lonely...having lost the only woman I had ever really loved...but I do watch...and am ashamed that I do. I look into my bag, I need a change of clothes and my options are few. However, I do notice a side pocket in my bag, and thank god, there is an old swimsuit in there. Must be left over from swimming laps at the club. In real life I would toss it in the laundry hamper, here it is fresh as a daisy. She is asleep and I strip down and slide it on. Thank goodness, that was a good oversight. I need to get rid of this hard on, and know the best possible solution...cold water. I walk down to the beach and wade in.

It feels great, my hard on quickly is overcome with shrinkage...and I go for a swim. I swim nearly two hundred yards and suddenly I see it below me. There is a reef, large and there are places where the coral is almost up to the surface of the water. The reef itself is beautiful, but the exciting thing is the marine life, fish, thousands, hell maybe millions of fish, all types are swimming below me. I can't wait to tell Tori, share my little discovery.

I swim back as fast as I can, so excited, we are quite the little team...she has basically done all the work, but i have found bananas and now the fish. Maybe I can be the provider...at least I am now contributing...yep we are partners, quite the little twosome. As I walk up, she is just walking out of the shanty, stretching, looking very god damn cute...she sees my goof smile and raises her brow..."have I ever got some good news for you!"

Tori

The sun' rays are warm, so delightfully warm and soothing. To stand there, stretching in the warmth, basking away like a contented house cat. Goose bumps rise and prickle everywhere, tightening nipples, tightening scalp and belly. Stretching feels great, despite sleeping on hard ground with only a little layer of leaves, I feel amazing! Not sure where Tommy got off to, probably to use the bathroom some where out of the way. Speaking of.. My bladder is full and that bottle of water left in reach is so tempting!

Yeah. Gotta go! Hopping through the bush, finding a spot out of the way and nothing in sight to bite my ass, I dig a small hole and take care of business. Walking back to the hut is uneventful, finding a banana off the bunch to chew on, I park on a flat enough rock and eat. I had dreams, but I didn't wake up screaming.. for once. Kept dreaming of Tommy, of all people. But still, thinking of him has me smiling brighter. My big brother, the saint, the perfection of off spring and manhood.. chuckling aloud, I do have to admit to myself that he is near enough to perfect. But I also know he has to work extra hard to be so. Always the serious one..

Speaking of serious.. Here he comes, drenched and.. "You found swim shorts?" Hell, sure beats the khakis! His shorts fit in like a second skin, his chest bare but sculpted. Despite his long internship, relationship and functions he keeps scheduled so often, he manages to keep in shape. Very good shape too, if the hard bulge of muscles all over and lean six pack is any indicator.. rolling my eyes at his strolling motion, why does it remind me of Bay Watch?

"have I ever got some good news for you!" He calls with a bright perfect smile, I feel a jolt to the system the sudden rush of WE'RE SAVED! Then I stop myself! That can not be it! Not possible, he would not be near so calm and I am sure he would be racing towards me if someone were here to rescue us. So what news could he possibly have? Still I jump up and walk forward a few paces, meeting him with a press of hand to his chest, "Tell me!" Rushes out in near whisper, too many things could be GOOD NEWS! Just spill it! "Tommy!" Whines out, a little bounce of toes in the dirt, trying to push his pace a little faster than dead sloth speed! Why does he do everything slow!?