The first half of this story -- involving the shipwreck and the island -- I wrote and posted about a decade ago under another screen name (NotGettinNE). At my request, that story has been deleted by moderators. I have made some minor edits in the original and added a second half to the story.
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Chapter 1
Melissa Wilson was 20 when her father helped get her a full-time job. He was a friend of Brad Masters, owner of an advertising agency. Melissa started as an office assistant but quickly worked her way up until she was made the front-desk receptionist. Her bright green eyes, natural smile and friendly personality were a perfect fit for a job that required her to meet and greet the people who came into the office.
After nearly six months on her new job, Melissa found herself summoned to Masters' office. At first, she was worried she had done something wrong, but the boss quickly put her at ease.
"Melissa, you've been a great hire and a wonderful asset to the office," he said. "It's about time you had a vacation."
"Well, um, thanks, but I don't really know if I've saved enough to afford a trip," Melissa said.
"I thought you might say that," Masters said with a smile. "I've talked this over with your folks and they're fine with it. I have a sailboat in Hawaii. We thought you'd like to join us for a few days sailing around the Pacific. My wife and I and Rachel and her fiancé are going."
Rachel was one of the company's account agents and had befriended Melissa from Day One. Melissa had never been to Hawaii and she was pleasantly surprised by her boss' offer.
"Sure, Mr. Masters," Melissa said. "Wow, thanks. That sounds like a great time."
Two weeks later, Melissa found herself on the Masters' 60-foot sailboat, "The Ad One." The group of five had flown on Masters' G-5 to Honolulu, spent a few days there and then had boarded the yacht. The ship was captained by John with Jason as first mate. John was a former Naval officer in his late 30s while Jason was a Samoan native in his mid-20s with the physique of a body builder.
Masters was in his mid-40s and his wife Lorraine was a "trophy wife" -- mid-20s with reddish brown hair, model good looks and a body that could rate consideration for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. In the first days at sea, Melissa noticed that John and Jason couldn't keep their eyes off Lorraine when she was sunbathing in her immodest bikinis.
Rachel, Melissa's friend, had thick blonde hair she wore in a short and sassy bob cut. She was 5-foot-6 with an athletic build (she had played volleyball in college). Her fiance' Dave was in his mid-20s with dark hair, a goatee and several tattoos.
Melissa was the youngest person on board but everyone had helped make her feel at ease. She didn't feel like a child nor did she look like one. She was 5-foot-8 and 125 pounds with a body that could best be described as "lithe." She wasn't aware, but when she sunbathed in her bikini (which covered considerably more skin than Lorraine's) the captain and first mate watched her as closely as they did the boss' wife.
The third day at sea, as they were about to turn back to Hawaii, storm clouds gathered. In just minutes, the waves grew to 15 feet, the sky turned black and lightning flashed across the sky. The captain ordered the passengers below to the dining area and ordered everyone to strap in to the swiveling captain's chairs that surrounded the table. Melissa's heart was racing as she saw the concern in her boss' eyes.
Masters told everyone, "Don't worry, I've seen worse; this is a stable ship and the captain knows what he's doing." Melissa, though, detected a hint of doubt in his voice.
For the next 30 minutes, the boat was tossed and the cabin became a seat on a world-class rollercoaster. Both Rachel and Lorraine succumbed to seasickness and vomited on the floor.
Suddenly there was a crash/boom flash of light and Melissa could feel the hair on her arms and the back of her neck tingle. The lights flickered and went out. Moments later, the first mate came into the cabin with a flashlight.
"Mr. Masters, sir, we had a lightning strike just off the bow; all the electronics are fried. The helm's not responding, and we can't restart the engine."
And with that, he returned topside.
The good news was that the storm had calmed and along with it the waves. Now, the ship was merely rolling instead of pitching from stem to stern. The captain next appeared in the cabin, also armed with a flashlight.
"Sir, we're adrift. It's too dangerous to rig the sails and the engine won't restart," captain John reported. "Before we lost power, the radar showed a good-sized island off to port; that's the direction the wind and waves are pushing us. Hopefully, we can hold up there."
Melissa and her four companions sat in the darkness, wondering what would happen next. They soon got their answer.
As "The Ad One" lurched through the water, pushed by the wind and the waves, it neared the island the captain had mentioned. Unfortunately for the ship and its human cargo, the island was protected by a coral reef about half a mile offshore.
Suddenly, the bow of the boat met the reef. It was like a car wreck at 40 mph. If not for being strapped in, those in the cabin would have gone flying.
Melissa and the other two women screamed, and the men grunted at the force of impact. The next sounds they heard came from the front of the boat; impaled on the sharp coral reef and driven by the wind and the waves, The Ad One was ripping itself apart. Ocean water started rushing into the cabin.
The captain appeared at the head of the stairway. "Everybody on deck, get your life jackets on," he yelled over the noise made by the ship's demise. "We're breaking up. We need to get to the island,"
