Shipwrecked

ONE

Hi, this is a fairly short beginning by my standards. Usually my chapters are about 3000 words, this is just under 2000. I hope it's an okay start,  but I needed to get this story up and going. Getting the first bit out of the way will hopefully mean I know where I'm going with it (for the time being, anyway).

Anyway, hope you enjoy.

- Emma :)

......

It had seemed like a good idea at the start. Let's go on a boat trip, they said; after all, wouldn't you if you found out one of your best friends could actually drive a boat?

So out they went. They'd be back by the time nightfall came. They didn't want to risk getting stranded in the dark.

The sea had been calm when they first set off and the sun was beating down. Perfect weather, they had thought.

For two hours, all five had been happy and relaxed.

It was in the third hour that things took a turn for the worst...

~~~

"Jason, since when did you know how to drive a boat?" Howard asked his partner as Jason climbed onto the floor of the boat, pulling in the rope as Gary threw it to him.

They were currently in the docks, having picked out their boat they had chosen to rent for the time being. Jason had shown that he was perfectly qualified to take the boat out beyond the usual distance and none of them could contain their shock.

"Howard, we've known each other for two decades and been together for two years and you didn't know I could drive a boat?"

"No, that's why I'm shocked."

"You have to admit it, Jay, you're not exactly the most open of people." Mark pointed out to him as he appeared out from the other side of the boat, having helped Robbie load their stuff on board.

"Mark, how much stuff have you and Rob put down there?" Gary asked, doing his best to see what was going on.

"Not much, believe it or not." Robbie replied.

"Please don't overload the boat, guys." Jason told them. "We're going for a day not an entire week. There's no use weighing the boat down."

"Could sink." Howard put in.

"Doug, it's not going to sink." Robbie told him, making his way round the side of the boat everyone was standing on.

"They said that about the Titanic, didn't they?"

"Don't guys," Gary almost whined. He wasn't exactly the most enthusiastic person about this trip and hearing about the Titanic was not helping him at all.

"Alright, alright, I won't mention it again." Howard said, putting his hands up in mock defence.

Jason had finally managed to sort everything out and had put things in the places they needed to be. They were ready, it seemed. Just one more thing...

"Hey, you guys coming or what?" Jason said to Howard and Gary who hadn't yet made their way onto the boat.

"I guess so." Gary said as Jason helped him over the edge, followed by Howard. "Just remind me, whose idea was this again?"

Jason shook his head and started the boat before steering it out of the docks and towards the sea.

The wind hit the five of them as they left the dock for the open air. With nothing around other than water to block to gusts, they could feel the wind in their in a way you could never feel inland. As they picked up speed, the wind grew stronger. Howard glanced over at Jason and smiled. It was clear to see that he was in deep concentration as he steered the boat along the waves. It was endearing for him to watch but, then again, to Howard, Jason was the most endearing person he could think of and he was so glad he was the one who got to witness it each and every day. Howard knew he was the luckiest man alive.