** This story started out as a One-Shot in my book "I'VE SEEN.... Nothing Compares To You", but I decided to just make it into a book. Hope you like it. **

**********************************

The waves pounded the small vessel like a child's toy. The boat was taking on large amounts of water as the waves poured over the sides.

Austin was fighting hard to keep control of his small boat. He had been boating on the ocean many times but never had he seen a storm come up so quickly.

He looks up in fear at the black wall of water heading straight for him. He tried desperately to hold on as he felt his boat being picked up by the massive wave.

Within seconds, he found himself fighting to get to the surface. As his head comes above the surface of the water, he looks around to see what was left of his boat sinking into the depth of the ocean.

He swims quickly over to a large piece of wood and climbs onto it. The storm had stopped as fast as it had started.

He looks around, water as far as he could see. No land in sight. He lowers his head as exhaustion takes over along with the darkness that cloudy his thoughts.

~~

Austin slowly opens his eyes. There was no skies above him, but what looks like the ceiling of a cave.

"Well, I was about to get worried." A low voice says.

Austin quickly turns his head toward the voice, his eyes meeting the prettiest brown eyes he had ever seen.

The man was stooped down beside Austin holding what looked like a coconut shell full of water. His dark brown hair hung down to his shoulders and he had a scruffy type beard, not a full beard.

"Where am I?" Austin asks as he slowly tries to raise up.

The man shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know." He says as he helps Austin take a drink of water.

"What do you mean, 'You don't know'?" Austin asks, looking at the man with a very confused look.

"Exactly what I said, I don't know." The man shrugs again.

"Am I on an island?" Austin says as he looks around the cave.

"That I do know. Yes, you're on an island. A very deserted island." The brown eyed man says.

"I'm totally confused." Austin says shaking his head.

"O.K., maybe this will help." The man says as sits down beside Austin. "My name is Tim. I was put on this island, right at five years ago."

Tim notices Austin's eyes scanning over his clothes. Jeans and a tee shirt.

"Yea, I know. I don't quite look like Tom Hanks on 'Cast Away' but it's a very long story." Tim says as he pokes at the small fire he had going near by.

"Well, don't look like I'm going anywhere too soon. What did you mean by being put here?" Austin says as he takes another drink of water.

"I'm originally from Texas. I knew this rich Tycoon there. He owned a bunch of cattle and a few oil rigs. But he was into dirty dealings. I knew all his dirty little secrets." Tim says as he leans over and stirs something that was in a pot over the fire. "I needed money so I came up with this stupid idea of black mailing him. It sort of back fired on me. So instead of killing me, he had his goons drop me off here. So you might say this is my prison."

"Wow, Okay? I have a question. Your clothes are not ragged. And as I look around there's things like blankets, pots, flashlights. Things that you wouldn't normally think someone stranded on an island would have." Austin says.

"He doesn't want me dead. He just wants me out of his hair. We were actually friends at one time. So about once every two months, he has supplies dropped off. Literally dropped from a helicopter in crates." Tim says as he hands Austin a bowl of what he had been cooking.

Austin felt as if he hadn't eaten in days so he grabs what Tim had offered.

"Wait a minute, these are carrots and potatoes and beef? Where did you get this?" Austin asks as he watches Tim fill a bowl for himself and then sits back down next to Austin.

"Dinty Moore." Tim says with a smirk. (For those who might not know: Dinty Moore is a brand of beef stew sold in the US)

Austin laughs as he shovels the stew into his mouth.

"I always walk the beaches after a huge storm. Cause you never know what you might find that can come in handy." Tim says as he takes a sip of water. "This time a found a human that came with his own luggage." He chuckles as he points over to two of Austin's suit cases that had been on the boat and had floated ashore.

"My suit cases!" Austin laughs.

"So, Uh, what's your name?" Tim asks.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's Austin. I'm from Georgia." Austin says as he takes another bite of the stew.

"So why were you taking a swim in the ocean?" Tim asks raising a brow.

"I started out in a boat." Austin laughs. "But it didn't last long when that storm hit. How long have I been here?"

"I found you the day before yesterday. I was afraid you were going to die." Tim says as he sets his bowl down. "It's nice having someone to talk too again. I haven't heard another human voice in 5 years."

"Have you ever tried to leave the island?" Austin asks.

"I'm not allowed to leave." Tim says, shaking his head. "If I leave, he'll kill me."

"How would he know? You could slip off to Florida or somewhere." Austin says.

Tim pulls his hair back and feels on his neck.

"Feel right here." Tim says.

Austin reaches over and gently rubs Tim's neck.

"What is that?" He asks as he feel a small knot on Tim's neck.

"It's a chip. He can follow my every move." Tim says as he runs his hand through his hair.

"Are you freaking kidding me? This is like something out of a science fiction movie." Austin says staring at Tim.

"And, he conveniently had it put right next to my jugular vein so if I ever got brave enough to try to cut it out, one slip up and I would bleed to death." Tim says with a shrug.

"But it can't be all that bad, right? I mean, you're on a beautiful tropical island, you have food and clothes delivered to you. It's like you're on a permanent vacation." Austin smiles.

"Actually, no, it's not that bad." Tim says with a smile. "There's only one thing missing."

"What's that?" Austin asks.

"Companionship." Tim smirks. "Aka, sex."

**********

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THING BY VOTING AND LEAVING YOUR COMMENTS!!

*~* AUSTIM *~*