Clint is travelling on a small Cessna Citation over the Pacific. When the plane hits a pocket of turbulence, he is wrenched from his nap and plunged into a nightmare. The plane plummets into the ocean. Clint and one other passenger, a man named Carlos, survive. The hulk of the plane sinks, leaving them adrift with no land in sight. They fight to stay alive, but thirst and exhaustion overtake them. Purely by luck Clint finds himself washed ashore on a mysterious island. But where is Carlos? Did sharks get him? Did he drown? With survival foremost in his mind Clint finds clean water and fruit and a safe place to rest. Then Clint discovers the island is inhabited by other castaways, men who have been washed ashore on this unknown island over the years. One of the men is Andy, with whom Clint falls in love. Only much later does he discover Carlos’s fate, along with the fact that the island has more secrets to reveal. One that could cost him his life.

An Island, Lost

I could see the palms harboured many coconuts, but they all grew to such dizzying heights there was no way I could hope to climb up to get one. Instead, I scoured the ground beneath, but only found one that looked as though it had fallen off a long time ago. It had started to sprout. Fortunately, I came across a tree bearing large round fruit with rough yellowish green skin. I picked one and broke it open to reveal the white flesh inside. I put my nose to the fruit and breathed in a sweet smell which told me that perhaps I could eat it. I peeled off some of the tough outer skin and bit into the rubbery flesh. It wasn’t overly sweet, but palatable and I ate my through two of them before I realised I still hadn’t found anywhere to spend the night.


Chapter 5