Stranded

by Chance Carter

  Suddenly he flipped her over onto her knees, presenting her ass and pussy for his pleasure. She looked back and grinned at him, encouraging him to have his way with her, maybe even offer a gentle spanking or two. As if reading her mind he knelt behind her and skewered his cock into her. She groaned loudly, from the pleasure and the pain, curiously aroused by both. As he penetrated her, he wrapped his hand around her hip and palmed her clit, to coax another orgasm from her. She happily submitted.

  “Fuck, Charlie, I’m cumming,” she groaned, her teeth clenched with arousal, her climax erupting inside her.

  Charles grabbed her hips tightly, seduced by the sounds of her pleasure, her vagina pulsating against his sensitive shaft. He thrust against her several more times before pulling his cock out off her, gripping himself tightly. He called out her name, his hot, sticky cum spilling out of him, finishing his orgasm on her beautiful, full ass.

  As soon as they both caught their breath, he stood up and held his hand out to her, raising her for a tender kiss, then lead her back into the pool to bathe her.

  Chapter 13

  “We found water!” Joss exclaimed as they wandered back into camp. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just starting to set.

  Ryan looked up from the fire and smiled at her, grateful she was home. He missed her when she was away from camp. When she’d stormed off that morning, he was seconds away from following her, but then Charles came to her rescue. Admittedly, he did feel a twang of jealousy, but quickly swallowed it down. It wasn’t easy. He really liked Joss and would have welcomed alone time with her. They had not been intimate since that first afternoon when they had gone exploring together, and he’d been fantasizing about her ever since.

  “That’s great, is it far?” Daniel asked, standing up to greet them. He’d been cleaning his catch, getting ready to spit it over the fire. He shook Charles’ hand, offering him a quick nod. Daniel was proper like that.

  “It’s a good trek, eighty minutes or so, to the north-west. I figure we were walking about two and a half miles per hour, right Charles?” she said, tossing her bag to the ground.

  Charles nodded.

  “Yeah, that seems about right, on average. It was a little slow going through the thickest parts.”

  “So about three miles, give or take,” Willie offered, stepping up beside Joss.

  She looked up at him and nodded.

  “It’s far, but at least we found a source, and we can keep our eyes peeled for one closer.”

  “We can’t move our camp into the jungle. We need to stay visible for search and rescue.” Grant interjected. He’d just made his way out of the shelter to where they were all standing. “It would be ill-advised.”

  Joss inhaled deeply, pausing to summon her patience. She would never have suggested moving into the jungle, but the fact that he thought she would want to do something so careless irritated her. Nevertheless, she turned to him and smiled. “Right you are, Captain. That’s why I was going to suggest that we collect water and bring it back to our beach.”

  Grant smirked back, and nodded, as though taking credit for her good sense. God, he was annoying, Joss thought, turning away from him, no matter how good looking he was!

  Ryan could see that Joss was holding her tongue and found it endearing. He was getting familiar with the little nuances in her body language and she almost always tensed up when Grant spoke.

  “Seems a long way to go for water every day,” he observed, speaking up before Grant got himself in any deeper. “We can use the empty water bottles, I guess, but that could be a lot of trips.”

  “We’ll use the condoms,” Joss clarified confidently.

  “Hmmm, really Joss,” Ryan drawled, tossing her a wink. The others chuckled nervously, as though they were all thinking the same thing.

  “Ha ha, smart-ass,” she laughed, playfully shoving him, “I meant to transport water!”

  “Seriously?” Daniel asked, “that will work?”

  “Hell ya!” Joss said, walking to their provisions. She lifted the eight condoms out of the suitcase and brought them back to the group. “Thankfully you boys were prepared,” she teased, “we have a bunch of these!”

  “So, use condoms...to transport water?” Grant asked, taking one from her. “How much will they hold?”

  Joss smiled at him, pleased that he seemed genuinely interested. “Believe it or not, they can easily hold up to a gallon of water. I’m not saying it will be light work to transport, but if we fill all eight of them, we may only have to do the hauling every three days. Three or four of us can probably manage that!”

  “What are we talking in terms of weight?” Grant asked, ripping open a package. He stretched it out as far as it would go, and grinned.

  “I’m not sure, maybe eight pounds each?” she surmised.

  “Huh, that’s impressive,” Grant admitted. Joss grinned at him again, but her smile faded just as quick when he added, “assuming it works.”

  “Well, don’t take my word for it, Captain. Test it out yourself,” Joss quickly challenged, wishing she could figure him out.

  “Actually, that would be fun to try!” Ryan interjected playfully, snatching the condom from Grant. “Anyone else curious?”

  Joss turned to him, shaking off her frustration, “Ok, take it down to the shore. It is easier to fill when you pour water into it. We can cut one of the small water bottles in half and use it as a funnel.”

  Joss was pleased the experiment worked and the condom held together. They were surprised that it seemed to hold more than a gallon, but decided it would be too difficult to transport anything more than that, especially when carrying it on foot through the jungle. Joss had suggested that they tie the ends off with a small stick, making it easier to open and close the knot multiple times. It was possible they might need to use them for a long time, and she wanted to make sure they didn’t break. She showed the guys how to do it correctly. She also suggested that they fill the condoms inside their bags and knapsacks for easier transport, with less chance of them getting poked and popping. Finally, sacrificing a small amount of their fresh water supply, she washed away the lubricant from the other seven condoms, certain salt water would compromise the latex. There was no point in taking chances. Satisfied that they were ready, she joined the men back by the fire.

  Willie was just pulling the fish off the heat when she arrived. She was exhausted, and starving, but wanted to boil the water she and Charlie had brought back from the waterfall. She transferred some of the water into a stainless steel bottle and set it over the fire. She had a surprise for the men.

  Willie handed her a portion of the dish he’d created, consisting of berries, greens and some sort of reef fish, and she sat down between Ryan and Charles, each of them shifting over so she could squeeze in. Charles leaned over and gently brushed her shoulder, casual enough to not draw anyone’s attention. Joss smiled and could feel the blush rising in her cheeks, recalling the afternoon of intimacy they shared. Not only did Charlie come up to bat, he’d hit it out of the park. The man had mad skills! She took a quick glance at him, and although he wasn’t looking her way, saw that he was smiling too.

  As soon as she finished her meal, Joss grabbed her bag and fished out several small plants she’d found that day. She had a surprise for the men. She sat down on the ground, and using her pocket knife, trimmed the stem and leaves away from the roots, and set them aside. She then tore a piece of material off a clean cotton t-shirt, and placed the roots inside, tying the package securely before beating it with a rock. She dunked the entire herb sack into the freshly boiled water to steep it.

  “What is that?” Daniel asked, always curious about whatever Joss was creating.

  Out of all the men, he seemed most at home on the island, Joss concluded. He was always tinkering around and building little things to make life easier and more comfortable at camp. She was surprised one day when she came back from a hike and saw that he’d assembled a tall, private lean-to about thi
rty yards from camp, saying ‘they’ could use it as a dressing room. He claimed it was for all of them, but Joss knew that he had been thinking of her privacy. It was so thoughtful. He’d also rigged up a little table they could prepare their meals on, as well as a rudimentary fish trap he’d designed out of bamboo and vines. Both items had already proven their worth. She was impressed with his creativity and natural survival skills, especially considering he was a lawyer.

  “I found some Kava today, near the waterfall,” she explained, tying the left over leaves together using the long stem. She placed the little bundle into her make up bag, which she had converted to a storage container for the many medicinal herbs and plants she had begun to assemble.

  “What does it do?”

  “Well, many things. The root is used to make a tea which is very relaxing. The locals liken its effects to wine,” she answered, sitting beside him. “The leaves I can use for medicinal purposes. They’re strongly antimicrobial and have anti-inflammatory properties so they are good for soothing irritated or infected skin. Traditionally, the kava leaves are crushed into a poultice and rubbed onto the skin to treat rashes, insect bites and stings, and fungal conditions like ringworm.”

  “Wow, isn’t it marvelous, what nature offers us,” he gushed. Joss adored his accent and smiled at his enthusiasm. She completely agreed. Nature was amazing.

  “And we’ll be drinking that then?”

  “Yes, I thought it would be a nice treat for us. We’ve all been working so hard and under so much stress,” she smiled.

  “What does it taste like?”

  She chuckled softly, wondering that herself.

  “Well I have only tried it once before, back home, and it was the dried tea. I’m told fresh Kava tastes stronger, quite earthy.”

  “That’s a diplomatic way to say it tastes like dirt,” Grant teased.

  Joss looked up to see the captain standing behind them. He’d just come back from the shore, where he’d been cleaning out their ‘dishes’, made of coconut shells cups and homemade wooden plates. Joss chuckled softly. He was right, it probably did taste a little like dirt, but then so did green tea.

  “Will you partake, Captain?” she asked, certain he’d find some reason to decline her kindness.

  “I wouldn’t say no, girly. I’ve enjoyed a nice cuppa Kava once or twice,” he said, catching her off guard. “Let me know when it’s ready and I’ll join in.”

  Joss, mouth agape, watched him amble away, tucking himself into the shelter. He spent a lot of time alone, Joss had observed. He didn’t seem to enjoy people very much. He only socialized with them when he absolutely had to, so she was quite surprised.

  “Well, maybe he’ll come around yet,” Daniel shrugged, looking back her way. Joss nodded, still not convinced.

  * * *

  After about an hour of steeping the kava, Joss squeezed the juice from the pulp of the root into six glasses and offered one to each of them. She sat down on the bench, one that Daniel had made out of some saplings, and sipped her tea slowly, enjoying the warm, terra flavor. The Kava was quick to numb her lips and tongue, and before long she felt her body relax, like she was submerging herself into a tub of hot water. It was obvious that the tea was strong, because she instantly felt warm and tingly all over, her worries melting away. Everyone was mellow and happy, even the captain.

  The evening was beautiful, the best one so far. They talked and sang and laughed under a crystal clear sky, blessed by a full moon illuminating their festivities. It was like they were in summer camp, kids without a care in the world, just hanging out and being silly.

  They were enjoying a rare moment of silence when Charles, who had been quiet most of the night, suddenly spoke up, startling them all.

  “When we were young, my friends and I would ride our Harleys up to the lake and build enormous bon-fires. We’d hang out all night, listening to music, getting high, and banging our girlfriends inside our sleeping bags, right under the stars....there just isn’t time to connect like that with people now...”

  “What is it like in the future, Daddy-O?” Ryan teased, drawing chuckles all around.

  “Keep it up and you’ll never find out,” Charles rebutted, reaching around Joss to playfully punch his gut.

  Ryan doubled over and groaned, feigning injury.

  “And might I add that this new facial hair thing you got going on is making you look like a porn star. You might have a future in movies after all,” Charles quipped back.

  “Ouch!” Ryan groaned, pretending to stab his gut with a make-believe knife. “You really know how to hurt a guy.”

  “In all seriousness, I can relate to what you’re saying,” Daniel empathized, “I find it damn near impossible to do the things I really want to do. It seems we’ve all been brainwashed that we should live to work, not the other way around. Doesn’t anyone really live anymore?”

  “I suppose I do,” Joss sighed, thinking about the choice she’d made years earlier. Life had thrown her a giant curve ball, but she tossed that mother-fucker back. Granted, it took her almost a year to heal from the pain, and a lot of soul searching. A Stephen King quote came to her mind

  “It came down a simple choice: Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

  The morning she woke up, covered in her own vomit, having chased a bottle of pills with tequila, she realized the universe was giving her a second chance, insisting on it really. She knew she had to damn well figure out what would make her happy, or at least not want to kill herself, because what she was doing, just wasn’t cutting it. The truth was, she didn’t want to die. She just wanted the past to die. She needed to let all the shit go and move past her grief. The very next day she started making plans to walk the P.C.T., and over the next few months, nature became her therapist.

  “Then you’re one of the lucky ones,” Grant offered quietly, the words tight in his throat. There was no pretense in his tone, no disdain, just a quiet observation. Joss looked up to catch his eye, and for a moment she caught a glimpse of his vulnerability. She offered him a supportive smile, but he ignored it, quickly looking away.

  “I suppose it seems that way, but I worked hard to get where I am. Life has not always been easy,” she shrugged.

  Grant looked back at her, brows raised, “That sounds cliche, sweetheart,” he jabbed, riding the thin line between teasing and taunting, a familiar tone Joss still wasn’t sure how to interpret. She couldn’t read him and it drove her crazy.

  “I’m just saying, maybe you shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Sometimes it takes a trial by fire for people to see the light,” Joss persisted, managing to keep her tone light.

  Grant shook his head and smirked, “I see you’re going to make a meal out of this...” he teased, his eyes challenging her.

  Joss held his gaze, her eyes lit with spunky tenacity.

  “Want to hear something pathetic?” Daniel jumped in, astutely observing the tension. “This is the most fun I’ve had in my life. This! Being stranded on a deserted island!”

  Everyone laughed, including Joss, grateful for the comic relief.

  “Maybe not so pathetic,” Charles agreed. “I haven’t been this relaxed in decades. No computers, no cell phones, no deals to close. You’d think I’d be scared for my life, but the truth is, I was more afraid the stress back home would kill me.”

  “What do you mean?” Joss asked, surprised by his confession.

  “I had a mild heart attack last year. Nothing serious, more of a warning really,” he assured, tapping her hand lightly. “I’m ok. I have the best physicians on this island. Doctors Sunlight, Exercise, and Rest. In fact, I feel better than I have in years!”

  “Are you on meds?” Joss pressed anxiously, “Are you running low?”

  “I take one aspirin a day, nothing else, and I have a full bottle. I’ll be fine. As long as we get rescued in the next eighty days,” he laughed, looking at his bros for support. They all chuckled nervously, but Joss wouldn’t let him off the hook.

>   “Charlie, you should have said something sooner. This is nothing to joke about,” she gently scolded, her eyes searching his. She was genuinely worried for him. If he had a heart attack on the island it would quite possibly kill him. The thought of it scared her to death.

  “Joss, honestly, I feel great.”

  “Ok,” she conceded, raising her brow, “but promise you’ll talk to me if anything changes?”

  Charles smirked at her playfully, adding a confident, “Sure.”

  “Promise,” she insisted.

  “I do.”

  “Anyone else have any life threatening illnesses to report?” Ryan mused, “Mad Cow? Hepatitis? Megalophallus?”

  “You’re the biggest dick here Ryan,” Willie quipped, throwing his shoe at him.

  “I was just checking. I’ve seen you naked. That sucker ain’t normal, big guy!” Ryan jabbed, whipping the shoe back. It bounced off Willie’s shoulder, hitting the ground with a thud.

  “Ha ha, aren’t you guys hysterical,” Joss laughed, in spite of herself. “Who wants more Kava?”

  Everyone lifted their hand.

  Chapter 14

  Day 22 (Since crash) ~ Still no sign of rescue. It seems odd that we haven’t seen a ship or a plane in the entire three weeks we’ve been here. I don’t want to lose hope, I truly don’t, but after three weeks of searching I’m starting to wonder what the mind set is of the people looking for us. Do they think we’re dead? Has search and rescue turned into a search and recover mission? Ryan, Charlie and Willie are influential people, so it’s unlikely that the news frenzy has died down or that their people will give up the search just yet. I guess that in some ways Daniel, Captain Grant and myself are lucky to have been on the flight with them. If we didn’t have them with us, it’s certain that we would’ve been given up for dead by now.