Chapter 2: Humble Beginnings

The twins are the only ones to survive their plane crash, and it doesn't take long to find out that they aren't the only ones who have suffered the same fate.

In time, the source of the light revealed itself. It turned out to just be a wooden torch, carried by a diminutive, curvy white woman about as old as the twins, with scraggly black hair and dark freckles. She didn't have an ounce of fat on her except for a double chin, and a spare tire that bulged out of the tight navy blue T-shirt she wore. Upon noticing the twins, she immediately adopted a gentle smile, baring her slightly crooked, horse-like teeth.

"Huh, I thought I heard a plane crashing nearby," she commented in a tender voice with a lisp that would put Holly Hunter to shame.

"Erm, hello... uh, I'm Mark Simmons Jr, and this is my sister, Justine," Junior said nervously.

"You idiot! You shouldn't just reveal our full names like that! We don't know a damn thing about this chick!" Justine scolded her brother.

"Aw, relax guys. I don't bite," the stranger replied, holding out her hand as she glanced at the smoky wreckage. "The name's Mandy. If you two are looking for help, then I think I can hook you up."

"Wow, really? That'd be great!" Junior's eyes lit up as he reciprocated the handshake.

"Eh, I dunno. I mean, we only just met and..." Justine's voice trailed off as she was met with another grin from Mandy.

It was only then that she took notice of her beautiful auburn eyes as well as her other physical aspects. The sight of such a woman would've completely turned off some other people, but Justine oddly found it pleasant to gaze upon.

"...Bah, you know what? Who am I kidding? I'll take the offer!" she said at last, grinning as she reciprocated the handshake as well.

"Swell. Now please, follow me," Mandy politely ordered as she started to head back into the tropical foliage.

A smitten Justine was quick to walk alongside her, while Junior intentionally lagged behind a bit so he could admire the rear end of his new acquaintance. However, before the trio could enter the shade of the palm trees, another trio formally strutted out and halted in front of them. It consisted solely of men, with the gray-mustached guy in the middle wearing a captain's hat. The two men on either side of him were dressed in slightly disheveled flight attendant uniforms and carrying spears fashioned from tree branches. The captain stepped out slightly ahead of his accomplices and surveyed the plane wreck, before fixing his eyes on the twins and Mandy.

"Ah, there you are, young lady," he said. "Care to explain these two newcomers?"

"It's okay, Daddy. They mean us no harm," Mandy explained. "Their plane crashed here and they were the only survivors."

"He's her dad?" Junior muttered to his sister, who did nothing more than raise an eyebrow.

It was then that the captain stepped over towards the twins and quickly looked them over, before his face relaxed a little.

"You two don't look very suspicious to me, but just to make sure, I'd better give you a good search. Men, go check the wreckage," he said, prompting his partners to explore the remains of the downed plane. "And as for you two, I'd like to check your clothes in case you've got anything dangerous on you."

As Mandy stepped away from them, Junior and Justine both blushed, immediately realizing what the captain meant. Wanting to get it over with, Junior sighed and stripped down to a pair of hounds-tooth boxer briefs, tossing his clothing onto the sand while Justine hesitated.

"Uh, do you mind looking away for a moment?" she asked. "It's bad enough I have all these older men ogling me."

"What, you're afraid I'll see something? Newsflash: I've seen you naked before. We were born naked for crying out loud," Junior snarked back. "Not to mention how Mom would force us to bathe together when we were little."

"Look, I'm not in the mood to argue, alright?" Justine growled, prompting her brother to roll his eyes and turn his back to her.

With that, she proceeded to disrobe herself until she was clad in nothing but a strapless white bra and black panties. She looked around nervously, managing to catch Mandy staring at her in astonishment, before immediately blushing and turning away upon being spotted. Justine herself blushed as well.

Paying no attention to the twins' half-naked bodies, the captain proceeded to rummage through both of their discarded clothes, before nodding his head and handing them back to their owners, who didn't hesitate to get dressed again. At the same time, the two flight attendants emerged from the wreckage, giving their boss a thumbs up as they wheeled out what appeared to be several carts of airplane food and beverages.

"Alright, you two can be trusted. And we really appreciate your contributions to our food and drink reserves, by the way," the captain said, prompting the twins to each perk an eyebrow. "Now, what are your names?"

"I'm Mark Simmons, Jr," Junior introduced.

"And I'm Justine. We're twins," Justine added.

"Okay, and which of you is the older one?" the captain asked.

Without a word, the twins both pointed at each other.

"What, you're not sure?" the captain continued.

"Well, we were born premature, so Mom was able to push both of us out at once. Even if one of us is older, then it's only by a few milliseconds," Junior explained.

"Interesting. Well, my name is Captain Jones, but my close friends call me Jerry," the captain introduced, shaking the twins' hands.

"Nice to meet you, uh, Captain," Justine stuttered slightly as soon as her hand was released.

Captain Jones gave the twins a courteous smile and adjusted his cap, before starting to tread back into the jungle. However, he quickly turned back around and took another hard look at the plane that Junior and Justine had emerged from, immediately taking notice of the large Simmons logo painted on the side.

"Er... young man, you said you were Mark Simmons, Jr, right?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah?" Junior replied.

"Hmm, well that makes the situation a lot more interesting..." Jones' voice trailed off as he walked away.

---

The twins simply looked at each other in confusion before the group reentered the jungle. They made sure to closely follow their new comrades, for they knew this island better than they did, and didn't want to risk getting lost. However, no one was prepared for when their path was suddenly crossed by an eye-lashed viper. Justine immediately screamed and leapt off the ground, unknowingly landing in Mandy's arms. The two of them blushed immediately upon impact.

Captain Jones remained calm, and with a snap of his fingers, he ordered one of his cohorts to charge ahead and ram the bright yellow snake with his spear, killing it within fifteen seconds. He silently brought his spear back up, the bleeding snake carcass still stuck on it. Justine, having been placed back onto the ground, was able to calm down a bit, knowing the snake didn't pose a threat any longer. Meanwhile, Junior looked away in disgust; he couldn't stand to be around blood, no matter where it came from.

"Hunting is something we do a lot around here, newcomers," Jones explained. "We don't exclude any creatures; birds, reptiles, seafood, you name it. Only rule is to avoid babies, eggs, and pregnant mothers. That way, no species dies out."

Both twins just shrugged as they continued their trek towards a currently unknown destination.

"Say... Justine was it?" Mandy asked quietly.

"Uh-huh?" Justine replied.

"Well, uh, I... couldn't help but notice you during that examination, and let me just say I would kill for a body like yours," Mandy blushed a little as she spoke.

"Aww, thanks. It really means a lot." Justine smiled back as Junior scowled behind them.

---

Before long, the group finally made it to a large clearing in the foliage. The twins in particular were amazed at the sight. Right in front of them was what appeared to be a massive village constructed out of plane, ship, and even submarine wreckages, the metal huts resting on the ground or up in the trees with wooden ladders leading up to them. A massive wreckage of what appeared to be an ocean liner was located at the opposite end of the village, elevated high enough to suggest that it belonged to a higher-up. Numerous bonfires that weren't currently lit rested in the center.

As for the people in this town, they all looked like typical mainland civilians. There was a lot of diversity in terms of age, race, gender, sexuality, and hair and eye color, and everyone was dressed up in various outfits typical of their backgrounds, all with varying degrees of wear and tear.

"Newcomers, welcome to Shipwreck Village, the capital of Isla del Exilio, which is Spanish for 'Island of Exile'. We gave it a Spanish name because foreign languages make everything sound cooler," Jones said. "This village is home to the survivors of various wreckages who happened to wind up here, who have all given up on leaving since there's seemingly no way to escape."

"No way to escape?" Junior perked an eyebrow.

"Well, we've certainly tried to escape before. But no matter what direction you try to leave the island from, there's something in the way, whether it be some large rocks, a coral reef, a shark infestation, or just rough waters. Not even the life boats that came with the planes and ships stood a chance," Jones explained further. "Some of these people have been here for years. And I happen to be the chief of this town simply because I was the only ship captain to not die upon landing here. I'll send some people out to convert your plane into a shelter for you, but for now, feel free to look around. Dinner starts in about an hour."

"I could show you guys around if you'd like." Mandy gave another one of her toothy grins.

"Sure thing," both twins quickly replied in unison, still hopelessly enamored by their new acquaintance.

---

And so for the next hour until sundown, Mark Jr., Justine, and Mandy busied themselves exploring their new surroundings, with the latter pointing out anything of interest to the former two. Among the notable sights to see was a boutique full of assorted clothing, accessories, toiletries and more - presumably unwanted items from the suitcases of various travelers. It was operated by a young woman with tons of piercings, as well as black hair and lipstick. She was clad in a considerably tattered tank top and khaki shorts, which provided a view of her heavily tattooed body.

Another landmark included a food stand that sold various tropical fruits, spices, and sugar cane from all over the island, as well as salt harvested from the surrounding waters, and bags of various airplane snacks such as peanuts and pretzels. Right next to this was a street food vendor, selling various hot snacks like fried insects and roasted snakes and lizards, all the while sending a pungent yet surprisingly pleasant aroma into the vicinity. Finally, there was a smaller stand operated by an old man in a Hawaiian shirt that sold homemade jewelry and knick-knacks made from various stones and other indigenous items from all over the island.

"Welp, at least I can rest easy knowing that we won't have to fight quite as hard to survive here," Justine commented as she looked around.

"I'll bet you feel like the luckiest girl in the world, what with having your dad be the leader of such a cool community and all," Junior chimed in.

"Heh, you bet your a*s that's the case," Mandy replied with a chuckle, before checking her watch. "Annnnddd, it's almost time for dinner."

"Good, cause I'm starving," Justine said.

---

With that, the trio made their way towards the center of the clearing, where they found several people dressed in soiled and disheveled chef uniforms. They were busying themselves preparing supper for the entire village by means of several bonfires. To name a few, one elderly Jamaican man was cleaning what appeared to be several whole snapper and grouper on a stone table, and a younger man of the same race nearby was wrapping each gutted fish in a banana leaf before placing it on a slab of stone, using it as a makeshift pan to cook the fish over the open flame.

A middle-aged Filipino woman was busying herself roasting a whole wild pig, a whole sea lion, and several whole seabirds on a long, rotating spit over a fire. Meanwhile, a slightly younger white woman was carving into an already roasted pig, tossing its meat into a stone pot. Getting a closer look, the twins noticed several edible roots, shellfish, squid and octopus tentacles, and locally grown spices inside the pot as well. They were taken by surprise as the chef poured several coconuts worth of milk into the pot and stirred it around, preparing what looked like some sort of curry. Once the pig was completely cleaned, an old Indian woman grabbed the leftover bones and dropped them into a pot of hot water in order to make stock. Finally, there was a young Asian man with an androgynous appearance, who busied himself preparing rice-less sushi, using the fresh seafood and seaweed from around the island.

"Good thing he's not using any rice," Junior quietly told Mandy. "You do not want to know what too much gluten does to me."

Fortunately, the group didn't have to wait that much longer to eat before Captain Jones stepped up near the cooking area and tapped a bamboo stalk onto the nearby stone cauldron. The resulting noise was just enough to silence the crowd as they lined up for dinner.

"Greetings, everyone! I know the food smells amazing right now, but tonight it seems we've got ourselves some newcomers to our fair village: Mark Simmons Jr., and his twin sister, Justine!" he announced, pointing to Junior and Justine, who happened to be standing nearby. "So how about we all give them the big welcome they deserve?"

In response, the crowd erupted into rapturous applause as the captain raised one of each of the twins' hands in the air. Both twins grinned back, blushing slightly at how they were being treated like celebrities.

---

Following the brief introduction, dinner was served. In addition to the aforementioned curry and grilled fish, there was also roasted pork, sea lion, and seagull, as well as reheated airplane meals like pasta, salads, and meatloaf. To wash it all down, there were countless bottles of water, alcohol, and juice, as well as soda cans from the various vehicles that had crashed here previously. Not to mention the juices harvested from the various indigenous fruits, as well as fresh ocean water that had been filtered of its salt. The soda was rather flat and at room temperature, but nobody seemed to mind.

Seeing how Junior and Justine were new to the village, they had the honor of being served food first, if by "first" you meant right after the captain and his daughter. Each person had their food served to them in a stone bowl with no available utensils, which the twins in particular had to get accustomed to. While everyone else lined up to get their fill, the twins sat alone on a nearby log as they satisfied their stomachs. They found the food to be surprisingly delicious, until Justine pulled a shrimp out of her helping of curry and bit into it, only to widen her apple green eyes as soon as she saw what was inside it.

"Eeaagh! The shrimp aren't deveined!" she shrieked, immediately shoving her food aside and reluctantly swallowing the bite that was already in her mouth. Safe to assume her appetite was completely gone upon making that discovery.

"Meh, first world problems." Junior shrugged as he continued to chow down.

"Hey, uh, mind if we sit here?" asked a middle-aged Armenian man, accompanied by a woman of the same age and race.

"No problem." both twins shrugged in unison as the couple sat down next to them.

"So, uh, you two said your last name was Simmons, correct?" the woman of the couple asked.

"Uh-huh," Junior replied.

"Well let me just say that we wholeheartedly supported your father during his run for president," the woman replied. "Running as a Green New Deal Democrat really was a smart move."

"Wow, really? Well we're certainly glad to hear that." Justine mustered up a small smile.

"I also got a look at your mother. Something tells me she would've made a great first lady," the man commented. "Certainly better than Melania Trump."

"No doubt about that," Junior chuckled.

"Say, we also have an adopted son named Blake. You might not know him, but he works at an insurance company that your father owns," the woman chimed in.

"Huh, interesting..." Justine replied.

---

After everyone had their fill of food and conversation, it was completely dark out, save for the full moon and the various torches that lit up the village. Most of the people were starting to head back to their huts, and the various shops that peppered the streets were closing up for the night. Aside from Junior and Justine, as well as Mandy and her father, hardly anyone else remained in the center of town.

"Well folks, I hope you've enjoyed yourselves so far," Jones said. "But I'm afraid you'll have to get some shut-eye for now. It's too dangerous to look around the island at this time."

"No prob. I'm feeling a little tired anyway," Justine stretched as she spoke, with Junior yawning beside her.

"Right. Mandy? Why don't you show these two where they'll be staying?" Jones requested.

"Sure thing, Dad," Mandy replied, ushering the twins to follow her as she carried a lit torch.

---

The trio made their way into the jungle just outside of town until they came across the same plane that the twins had arrived in. It had been moved all the way here, and parts of it had been removed and switched around in order to make it more like a hut. The Simmons logo was still present right by the now open doorway. The wreckage itself was now situated up in the canopy like some of the other huts they'd seen, accessible via a wooden ladder.

Entering the shelter, Junior and Justine found that their suitcases were completely unharmed, save for a few dirt stains, and were each resting on an upright seat. In addition, their contents were just as clean and neat as they had been since they were first placed inside them. Two of the cabin seats had been reclined all the way back so that they laid flat, and some airplane pillows and blankets were laid on top of them, forming a pair of makeshift beds.

"Welp, here we are. Have a good night sleep, you two, and if you need anything, just ask me or my dad," Mandy said. "Oh, and before you ask, your plane's lavatory is still intact. But since the plumbing doesn't work, you'll have to empty out your toilets every once in a while."

"Huh, I don't think we've ever shared a bathroom before. Here's hoping you don't hog it ninety-seven percent of the time," Junior groaned, quickly earning a nudge in the ribs from his sister.

"Heh heh, you two have the most hilarious dynamic," Mandy chuckled. "Anywho, goodnight guys."

While Justine proceeded to grab a change of clothes out of her suitcase and walk into the back of the hut, Junior decided to watch Mandy return to her own place, adopting a slightly perverted smirk as he checked her out from behind.

"Man, why is it that the chicks with the ugliest faces always have the best asses?" he muttered.

"Come again?" Justine asked, having changed into some tight, somewhat skimpy sleepwear.

"N-Nothing!" Junior quickly replied.

"Oh, come now. You don't think I heard you admit to lusting over Mandy?" Justine teased. "Seriously, even if you hadn't said that, it was pretty damn obvious. You've been checking her out all night, for crying out loud. I'll bet your hormones are just raging right now at the thought of staying at her place tonight, hearing her tell you dirty things with that cute, girly lisp."

"Oh, please. Like I'd wanna wrap my arms around that muffin-top," Junior sneered defensively. "Besides, if anyone was smitten with Mandy, it was you. I'll bet you'd love the feeling of those horse teeth clamping down on your-"

"S-Shut up!" Justine punched her twin in the arm to cut him off. "...Y'know what? Who cares? It's none of my business who you like."

"And vice versa. Now I dunno about you, but I'm in desperate need of some z's," Junior yawned, stripping down to his underwear and climbing into one of the 'beds'.

"Same here. Goodnight, bro," Justine replied, following suit.

"Goodnight, sis," Junior replied.