Sam Terrace gained consciousness and slowly dragged open his heavy eyelids, blinking repeatedly as his eyes adjusted to the bright sun.
His head was absolutely pounding.
As his eyes adapted and he gradually regained his sense of time and space, the first thing he noticed was sand. He was flat on his back on a vast expanse of warm sand.
A beach. He was laying on a beach.
Sam groaned involuntarily as he attempted to sit up. He hurt all over. As he sat and began to take in his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was all the smashed wood and fiberglass and debris lapping at the shore: their boat!
The Terrace family: Sam, 22, his sister Sarah, 24, and their mother Priscilla, 44, had set sail on a cool, clear August morning just a few days prior.
Their mission: spread Jerry Terrace's ashes at sea on the anniversary of his death. Priscilla's husband Jerry had been taken from his wife, son and daughter far too young in a car accident and the Terraces had made a pact to sail to his favourite spot and make it his final resting place.
The storm had seemingly come out of nowhere.
Despite being experienced sailors, the Terrace family and their 30-footer were no match for the storm, which came up fast and remorseless, smashing their boat to pieces and washing them ashore.
The others!
Sam had a sudden moment of panic. Where were his mom and sister? What if they perished in the storm? What if he was here all alone!
"Mom!" Sam called out.
"Sarah!"
Sam's heart raced when he heard a faint reply from a stand of trees.
"Sam?"
Sam rushed over to find his older sister sitting up, leaning against a palm tree. She had taken a beating and had scratches and bruises all over.
Despite being fully engaged in survival, Sam also couldn't help but notice that Sarah's tank top was torn to shreds, leaving most of her lacy black bra showing and giving him an eyeful of the upper swell of her smooth, round breasts.
"Sarah are you okay?"
"Yes I think so."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm okay. Just sore as hell."
"What hurts? Anything serious?"
"I don't think so, Sam. Scrapes and bruises everywhere but nothing broken. I'll be okay. Where's mom?"
Sam stood and stared down the beach in both directions, scouring the outcroppings and wreckage, stomach sinking as he feared the worst.
He began wandering up the beach along the smashed suitcases, bottles and planks that were once the family schooner. Sam's walk turned into a run as he became desperate to find his and Sarah's mom.
"Mom!"
"Mom, where are you?"
Then he saw her, down the beach. She was face down in the sand and Sam's fear only worsened. He sprinted towards her, throwing himself down into the sand next to her.
Sam grabbed his mother by the shoulders and shook her gently.
"Mom! Mom are you okay?"
Priscilla then let out a small moan. Thank goodness, she was alive! She opened her eyes faintly and whispered,"Sam, what happened? Where's Sarah?"
"Sarah's fine Mom, she's just down the beach. We just woke up too, I think the final landfall smashed the boat to pieces and knocked us all out. But we're alive! We're okay."
"I love you Sam."
"I love you too Mom. Are you hurt?"
"No honey, just got my bell rung. I'll be fine."
"Oh my god I can't believe none of us are seriously hurt after that wreck. Let me take you to Sarah."
With that, Sam scooped up his mother who instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh Sam! No honey!"
But Sam Terrace, all-pro wrestler, rock climber and adventurer was fit and strong and carrying his curvy but slim mother was no chore. He started down the beach with his mom in his arms toward his sister. As he did, his heart was filled with relief and joy.
Even though they were in a terrible, dangerous situation, they had survived. And they were together. Everything would be okay.
As he walked, Sam glanced down at his Mom. She had her arms wrapped around Sam's neck, her eyes were closed, and Sam noticed something else: the loose-fitting sundress that Priscilla wore had ridden up at the front and was inching higher with each footstep on the beach.
At this point, the bright yellow dress was up around Priscilla's upper thighs, exposing her pale blue panties to the eyes of her son. Sam tried not to look but once he had noticed this he found it impossible to tear his eyes away. The dress slid higher and higher and now Sam had a full view.
His mom's panties. Pale blue cotton with delicate white lace around the edges. He could see her mound underneath the tight panties and could even see the curl of a few dark brown hairs poking out the sides.
Those thin little panties were now completely exposed, barely hiding her...
Sam shook his head and snapped out of it. This was no time for such thoughts. And especially not about his own mother! Back in survival mode, Sam closed the distance to his sister and set his mom gently down on the sand.
Mother and daughter immediately embraced.
"Mom!" Sarah exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her beloved mother. "Are you okay?"