The Island of Three

Big thanks to my editor WokeUpOneDay, for the continued effort and dedication to my story.

I'm thrilled with any and all feedback I get, so keep em coming. Chapter 3 is also ready and I will be publishing it shortly after this one. I hope you all enjoy the origins of The Island of Three.

Look out for the next chapter. It's hot!

*

Chapter 2

- Three months earlier

"Lexi, come on! We've got to go!" shouted Tobias.

A loud shout came from upstairs. "But why? Dad's a dickhead! Why do we have to go and see him?" replied Lexi.

"I am not going to argue with you from different floors. So come downstairs and bring your suitcase with you." Tobias wasn't about to back down.

Lexi slowly slumped down the steps, dragging her suitcase in tow. "Ugh. Can't we just phone him or something? I can't be bothered to travel halfway across the world just to be told I'm useless by someone who is actually useless."

"That might be true, but he will kick off if we don't go. We'll stay for a couple of days, make general chit chat with the old fella and leave. That is all I ask." Tobias was in full older sibling mode. He was in charge and the other two knew it.

"Damn it, fine. But if I hear one complaint about what I'm wearing, what colour my hair is or why I haven't got a car yet I swear I'll break his face!" Lexi said intimidatingly.

"That's fine by me," Tobias said walking over to his youngest sister. "I would never let him hurt you Lex."

"I know, but I can take care of myself," she smiled as he brother looked down at her. "Thanks though." She gave him a quick hug before running off to put her bag in the car.

"Well that was awfully sweet for her," Sylvia said as she rounded the corner, walking towards her brother.

"Try not to wind her up about it on the journey."

"Me? Wind her up? You must be joking. I would never." She smirked devilishly and followed her sister to the car.

Tobias couldn't help but watch as his sister walked away from him. Her hips swayed with each step. Most of Tobias's friends had made numerous jokes about his sisters, and secretly he also enjoyed their looks too, but would never admit it even to himself.

The siblings said goodbye to their mother and headed out on the journey to the airport. The car journey was about four hours long and during the time they filled it with gossip, games and annoying each other.

During a quiet period on the journey, Tobias found himself thinking of his sisters. His earlier admiration for Sylvia's rear played on his mind. Sylvia had long brown hair that was usually tied up in a pony tail with a scrunchy. Her gorgeous, emerald green eyes could see through any façade and her smile could split the ocean in half with her alluring gaze. She often wore appropriate clothing that didn't show off too much of her perfect body, but on the odd occasion she did the sight was heart stopping!

Lexi had long, light brown hair originally, but had recently dyed it a bright blonde. She had also cut it shorter than usual, but still longer than shoulder length. Her blue eyes gave her an innocent and sweet appearance.

Unlike her sister, Lexi would wear clothes that didn't leave much to the imagination. Often she wore nothing more than her underwear while inside the house and little more when she left it. Lexi would regularly practice yoga in front of her brother to tease him after one day catching him watching her in near to no clothes.

Physically they were both the pinnacle of perfect health; very athletic and constantly on the move with some new trend or idea. They were both total knock-outs by all sense of the word and Tobias couldn't help but enjoy the idea of ripping their clothes off and taking them as his own.

Nearing the airport, Tobias realised he was actually looking forward to the trip. Seeing his father wasn't something he would enjoy, but getting out of the country for a while and relaxing was definitely something he knew they all needed.

"Right girls, looks like we're here."

"Yay," Lexi said sarcastically.

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Lex, just quickly give Tobi a hug and I'm sure you will feel better about everything."

Tobias couldn't help but laugh.

"You fucking told her?" Lexi asked slapping her brother's arm.

"What the fuck? Stop hitting me! No I didn't tell her. She walked in just as you broke up the hug."

"Aww, you love your brother. Isn't that sweet?" Sylvia mocked.

Tobias knew she was enjoying this far too much.

"I am going to kill you!" Lexi announced as she started slapping her sister's arm.

The siblings got out of the car, grabbed their things and headed for the airport. They only brought hand luggage and the security checks weren't busy, so luckily they were through the gates pretty quickly.

After a couple of hours the plane was ready for take off. They managed to book all three seats in one row, so at least they were all together. Tobias needed to be next to the aisle because of his size, and he also needed the leg room being six foot tall.

"How long is this flight again?" asked Lexi.

"Same as it was last time. And the time before that. Twelve hours, Lex. Try to get some sleep," replied Sylvia.

"Oh god, twelve hours. Why does the old bastard have to live in Peru?"

"For work mostly. But I heard from our uncle that he's found a new girlfriend out there." Tobias spoke with no interest in the matter.

"Eww, a new girlfriend? I would never want Mum and Dad getting back together. I just pictured them being alone now for the future," Lexi said with a shocked look as the plane took off.

"Yeah that is a pretty gross thought," Sylvia chirped in.

"When we get there you're both going to be nice and be on your best behaviour. Understand?" Tobias looked to his sisters.

Both girls looked back at him with doe eyes. "Yes brother," they said in unison. Then they burst out laughing as they knew he hated when they did that.

"God, I'm going to try and get some sleep."

It was nearly seven in the evening when they took off. They had something to eat before getting on the plane so Tobias was full and ready to sleep as much of the journey away as possible.

Tobias awoke to the sudden feeling of a jolt through the cabin. He was confused so he looked towards his sisters. "What's going on?"

"Turbulence. The pilot said we're in the middle of a storm." Another shake went through the plane. "It's slowly been getting worse for about an hour," replied Sylvia.

Tobias looked out of the window. Only to be met with pitch darkness and the odd flash of light. "Why are we in a storm? Shouldn't the pilot have diverted us?"

"We're not sure. They haven't said much about it, only that it should end soon."

The plane shook once more, this time for longer. Lexi squealed and held her sister's hand.

"How long have we been flying?" Tobias asked.

"About eight to nine hours now. Oh I want the turbulence to stop!" Sylvia responded.

Tobias was shocked he had managed to sleep for that long. The seat belt lights came on.

Suddenly the oxygen masks fell from the compartment above them, followed by screams and panic.

"Tobi, I'm scared!" spoke Sylvia.

Lexi was also scared and now crying as they both looked at their brother.

The tannoy sounded. "This is your Captain speaking. The storm has caused some unforeseen damages and we're going to have to make an emergency landing." Terror went through everyone's minds. "If you could all remain calm and follow the air hostess's directions, we will get out of this in one piece."

Tobias immediately began to calculate where they would be. "Nine hours from England would put us somewhere off of the coast of the Caribbean. We're above the water!" He told the girls to put their oxygen masks on because at this point the plane was jumping around in every direction.

The air hostesses spoke to the passengers on how to use the life jackets under the seats and how to breathe through the oxygen masks appropriately. Tobias quickly stood up, holding the seat for balance and grabbed all three of their bags. The workers on the plane shouted at him to sit down. He ignored them, only concerned about his sisters' safety.

"Girls. Hold your bags, ok? We'll be landing in the water and they'll help you stay afloat. Keep your life jackets on." They looked at his with teary eyes. "Everything is going to be ok."

"What if we get separated in the water?" asked Sylvia.

"Then I will find you. Trust me, I will find you and I will keep you both safe."

Lexi was scared as she looked towards her brother. "Do you promise?"

Tobias smiled a heart warming smile. "I promise." He could see that had helped calm them slightly.

The siblings put their life jackets on and clutched their bags for life. Tobias helped them with their oxygen masks and proceeded to do the same to himself.

The lights went out and the plane started going down. The screams were coming from all directions as the descent continued. Tobias couldn't help but hope this was a nightmare and that he would wake up at any moment and be sleeping in his own comfortable bed. But it never came. They fell for what felt like hours until finally they hit the sea.

Tobias jolted awake clutching his bag to see he was floating in the sea next to the wreckage. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, and then it clicked. "Lex and Syl! I have to find them!" He immediately started looking around. He was close to the plane so he knew they couldn't be too far. He called out to them, shouting at the top of his lungs. He grabbed hold of every piece of debris he could find just to be sure it wasn't them.

Tobias wasn't about to give up. Battling the waves he made his way further from the plane, hoping to find more survivors. He called out to them again. Even though the thunder and rain was blocking out most of the sound, he heard someone call his name. Desperate to find them, he swam in the direction he thought it had come from. After a few minutes of battling the weather and waves his eyes came upon them.

His sisters were directly in front of him, clutching their bags and each other in a fierce grip. Tobias felt the dread disappear as he swam toward them. He saw their eyes light up when they saw him plowing through the water to reach them.

"See? I told you I would find you," he said as he reached his family.

They both grabbed hold of their brother and pulled him in close, trying to hold back their tears. They then created a triangle of people and bags.

"Have either of you seen a boat yet?"

"No. We've only seen a few dead people floating around but we haven't seen any boats," Lexi spoke as she cried.

"Hey. Its ok, I am going to get us out of this. We will be fine."

Tobias had to reassure them that he would do anything within his power to help get them home. They looked better and nodded at their brother. He was a natural leader, at home and during school. He was always picked to lead any sport or school challenge.

"What do we do bro?" asked Sylvia.

"We need more bags, or at least another big bag. We need to create enough surface so all three of us easily float. A few hundred cases would be ideal so we can lie on top of it."

The siblings began to search the waters for anything they could use. Luckily they grabbed a few more suitcases and a few handbags they managed to pull in. Tying them together with cords and handbag rope they had made a semi-decent float. It wasn't enough to lie on but better than nothing.

With the storm raging on, there was nothing they could do. The plane had disappeared under the water. If there were any other survivors, they had been taken away in different directions thanks to the waves. There was no point trying to fight the waves at this point.

Logically, Tobias knew that if they stayed by the wreckage then there was more chance of survival. But tying to keep in one area was too exhausting and could end up with one of them drowning. Instead he instructed the girls to hold on tight and relax as they drifted off into the waters.

The three siblings had been floating for days. Exhaustion set in and they found it ever harder to stay afloat. Sylvia wasn't looking all that well and Tobias was starting to get worried. Doing his best to keep them awake with talk, he had managed to keep their spirits high. On the third day, all three began to lose hope.

"Tobi. Thank you for finding us in the water. You always keep your promises," spoke Lexi, her voice dry and quiet.

"I never break a promise Lex. I don't want to smell." They both laughed.

Sylvia was still conscious as they could see her moving from time to time. But it looked like she was finding it more difficult than the others.

"I don't think you have broken a promise yet. At least not that I know of," Lexi said looking at her brother and smiled. "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Definitely." Tobias spoke with excitement, just to satisfy his sister.

"Me and Sylvia had a crush on you growing up."

Tobias wasn't expecting that. "What? I'm your brother!"

"I know. But you had looked out for us our entire lives. You beat up any guy that treated us badly, even if you didn't need to. You were constantly helping us with our homework and you were always so kind. It wasn't our fault." Lexi looked innocent.

Tobias couldn't help but laugh. "I have the world's craziest sisters."

"Hey, I'm not crazy!" Lexi tried to shout, her voice cracking. She always hated being called that. "It's not my fault you have great traits and a cracking body!" Lexi suddenly blushed.

"What do you mean, I

have

?" He looked directly at his younger sister and laughed. "Do you

still

have a crush on me?"

"What!?" No! Don't be ridiculous. You're just as annoying as ever." She rolled her eyes.

Tobias laughed once more. "It's ok Lex, I have a crush on you too." She looked shocked. "Yeah I mean who wouldn't fall for a body like yours and Syl's?"

"You're playing with me, aren't you?" She narrowed her eyes onto her brother and saw the amusement begin to show on his face. "That's just mean. Here I am telling you about a deep secret and you think it's funny to joke about it."

Tobias was in a fit of laughter. "Maybe, but to be fair you do have a cracking bod." He looked directly at his sister. Then his eyes went wide, like he had seen a ghost.

Lexi was taken aback by the comment. "He actually said he likes my body! This is crazy!" she thought. She looked at her brother to see him staring wide eyed. "Umm, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Land! I can see land!" Tobias's speech came out frantic and rushed.

Lexi struggled to look behind her. When she finally did, her eyes came upon the most beautiful sight: an island in the distance filled with hills, trees and the hope of safety. "Oh my god!"

"Quick, Lexi, swim that way! Give it everything you've got! Sylvia wake up, we need you."

All that she responded was a grunt. Tobias's fear for his sister's health drove him harder to reach the island.

It took hours of kicking and paddling their arms through the waves to finally reach the island. Tobias reached the sand beneath his feet first. With all of his remaining strength, he grabbed hold of the float and pulled, dragging his sisters and their bags onto the shore. Lexi was completely exhausted, almost unable to pull herself to her feet. Tobias immediately picked up Sylvia and carried her up the beach to a safe space under a tree.

"Lexi! Run and find help. Anyone!"

Lexi immediately got up and headed into the trees behind her brother, hoping someone was nearby.

Tobias began to call and shake his unconscious sister to try and get a response. "She might have taken in water." Luckily for Tobias, he had done numerous first aid courses for sports.

He began CPR on her chest guiding his hands between her bosoms. He could barely hear Lexi's hoarse voice shouting in the distance for help as he pumped down on Sylvia's chest. "Come on Syl. Wake up." He repeated the action again and again until finally she woke up coughing and wheezing for breath.

"Oh thank fuck!" Tobias felt so lucky in that moment. "Are you ok?"

His sister coughed some more before replying with a weak, "I'm ok. I'm just so tired."

"I know, I know. We're safe now Syl. You can relax. We'll find some help and get out of here."

Lexi returned from the trees alone. "I can't find anyone bro. There's no one here!"

"Shit. Did you see any rivers or water?"

"There's a spring just up ahead of us." Lexi pointed towards the trees in the direction of the water.

Tobias grabbed his bag and searched for a bottle. He found a plastic bag he had used to hold his toiletries in and quickly emptied it. "That'll do." He bolted towards the tree line. "Stay with Sylvia and keep her awake."

At best a few minutes passed before Tobias sprinted back. He then lifted Sylvia up so she could drink from the bag. "Drink slowly Syl. It will make you feel better. Lex, we can't be sure if the water is safe to drink just yet, but you should go and have some too. I have the most strength out of us and will wait till we can boil it, but you need to hydrate too."

Lexi knew her brother wasn't going to back down on this so she just took off towards the water. It felt fresh and cold which did wonders as it slipped down her neck. Moments later she returned to see her siblings talking, with Sylvia looking a little better. Both girls now slowly began to recover from their dehydration.

Tobias carried his sister further into the trees and laid her down under a small clearing just up from the beach. He instructed Lexi to look after Sylvia as he went to look for people and gather wood, just in case they were alone.

Tobias wandered around for about an hour. Not only did he not find anyone, he didn't find any trace that anyone had ever been there. Instead he started looking for anything they could eat. After another hour he managed to find a few coconuts and took them back to his sisters.

Part of him was still hoping he would wake up from this nightmare, but he knew deep down that this was reality and it was going to be the challenge of a lifetime.

-

A week had passed since their arrival. Tobias thought back on the events. They had managed to swim to the island in search of rescue, only to find it had no people on it. They made an S.O.S sign using stones and drift wood on the beach in hopes it would attract the attention of any plane or helicopter that flew overhead.

They scoured over a small area in hopes of finding things to eat. After finding plenty of coconut trees, the three siblings had managed to gain back some strength and begin making themselves a shelter. Using giant leaves and limbs from flexible trees, they made a half-decent hut.

The hut had three bunks, one for each of them using mostly leaves and clothes as pillows, a small fire pit in the middle to keep them warm at night and an archway entrance. The camp was taking some shape too. Tobias had shifted great big logs into the camp to use as seats that surrounded the slightly bigger fire pit in the middle. Along with a small stockpile of coconuts, everything was starting to look better.

"How long have we been here, Tobi?" Lexi asked.

"About a week now, Lex." He could almost hear Sylvia mocking Lexi in his head for asking

again

.

"A week? Is that it? It feels like forever. I can't remember what food tastes like, other than coconut."

Tobias put more wood on the fire. The island wasn't a cold place, except for the night time, but Tobias only found one Zippo lighter in the suitcases that didn't have much fuel left. He wasn't about to let the fire go out. They had gathered plenty of fire wood at this point. The island was relatively dry which meant wood to burn.

"Yep, a week. We'll have to start branching out towards the deeper parts of the island. Hopefully we'll find different food, or signs that people have been here."