Hi there. :D I bring you the first chapter of "Lost on Gilligan's Island" so I can work on "The Hyde Effect" some more. XD As this project will likely take a longer time to produce. I'll probably pump out the first two chapters and then officially go on hiatus until I can finish "The Hyde Effect", which is probably getting close to done. It'll probably be done anywhere between 10 and 15 chapters if I had to guess.
I'm not sure what this project is going to take chapterwise. I'm aiming for 20 or 25 thereabouts, but I might go over and it might take quite a while to get that many chapters. I might get out of the fandom, I might get other ideas, I might start working on my other projects more frequently to satisfy my other readers. My updates tend to be rather erratic when I start a big project like this. XD
Anyway, enjoy the story before I bore you to death with my blabbering.
Lost on Gilligan's Island: Chapter 1- An Escape to Hawaii
.~GIAU~.
September 25, 1964
It was a bright, sunny Thursday in Hawaii. The weather was great, and, as usual, hot.
Willie Gilligan, a 21-year-old sailor, strolled down to the marina, a dimpled smile on his face. He had been working as first mate of the Minnow, a tiny tourboat, for about two months, and he loved it. He got to meet new people and be where he liked to be, and that was on the sea.
Every day from nine to six, he was on the Minnow, taking care of the passengers' needs or doing whatever work his skipper ordered him to do. He didn't get paid a whole lot, but then Gilligan didn't need a lot of money, just enough to pay his rent and buy his food. He was content with his job, and was glad that Skipper Jonas Grumby hadn't kicked him out for being clumsy.
Gilligan was what some called a "one-man disaster area" and couldn't get through a single day without knocking something over, bumping into someone, tripping, or spilling food or drink on a person.
This last clumsy act is what had gotten him fired from his last job. He had worked at a little restaurant as a waiter. Not only were some orders accidentally dumped on a customer, but other orders would get mixed up, messed up, or sampled by a graze-inclined Gilligan. The restaurant owners didn't even give him a chance. He'd just been booted out.
He felt so glad when the Skipper hired him on the same day he'd been fired. Two months later, the Skipper had become Gilligan's best buddy. Sure, the Skipper yelled a lot, and maybe he could seem a lot like an older brother sometimes, but the dynamic worked out well. The Skipper cared about Gilligan and Gilligan cared about the Skipper.
Gilligan arrived at the Minnow's docking site, where the Skipper was waiting. Another ordinary day of work was about to start.
.~GIAU~.
Meanwhile, several people arrived in Hawaii for different reasons.
One couple was in Hawaii for a vacation. They had lots of money and took no shame in spending it on a tropical vacation once and a while. Another woman was very famous, arriving in Hawaii for a little fun before she had to meet with a producer there in two days.
A man was a teacher who had just gotten out for summer vacation. He had been wisely saving up his money all throughout the school year, and had finally saved enough to take the Hawaiian vacation he'd always wanted to take. He was looking forward to observing different specimens of plants and animals, and perhaps saving some souvenirs for his class next year.
A farm girl from Kansas who had just recently turned nineteen had also arrived in Hawaii. It was her first time away from home on her own, and she was very excited and nervous to be so.
This group, so diverse, all coming together for an escape to Hawaii. What did any of them have in common? Nothing, except they all had the same idea.
Why not enjoy the day by taking a tour on a charter boat?
.~GIAU~.
Skipper Jonas Grumby was very proud of his boat. The Minnow, she was called, and she carried tourists from all over on exotic tours through the ocean and around some of the islands surrounding Hawaii.
He loved her and took great pride in showing her off, admiring her, and telling her passengers how he had gotten her. She was a sleek boat, painted all white except for the letters S.S. MINNOW, which were painted in an attractive, sharp blue on her side. It was the first boat he'd owned, and he made sure first mate Gilligan took good care of her. It was one of the few things he did right according to the Skipper.
The Skipper was a large man in his forties, with greying blonde hair and blue eyes. He was a bachelor and an experienced sailor, having fought in the Navy during the second World War. He was used to commanding and command he did. While Gilligan was his pal and his "little buddy", as he affectionately called the younger fellow, he made sure orders were followed and didn't mind maintaining discipline with a short whack to the head with his hat.
It was time for the noon tour. The last tour's passengers were leaving with "We hope you enjoyed the tour"s and "Have a great day"s from the Skipper and from Gilligan. When they had all gone, the Skipper elbowed Gilligan. "That blonde girl sure was a looker, wasn't she?" he commented.
Gilligan swallowed. "I was too busy trying to not look at her," he said. "She kept looking at me kinda funny. But I guess she was pretty."
"Gilligan, everyone looks at you funny," said the Skipper. "Come on, I think I see our next passengers coming."
Gilligan saw that some of the passengers had luggage. He'd seen several people carrying luggage on three-hour long tours before, but never suitcases. He figured they must have been heavy. The nimble young man sprinted down the dock to the older couple carrying the luggage. "Here, let me carry that for you," he said, extending his arms.
"Don't mind if we do," said the man, setting his two suitcases in Gilligan's outstretched arms. The skinny fellow nearly fell under the weight, but he managed to support it by leaning backward.
"Oh, how nice of you," said the woman with a smile. She, too, gave Gilligan two suitcases.
Huffing and puffing, Gilligan slowly made his way back to the Minnow. His arms and knees shook from the weight of the load. "Here, let me help you with that," said another man. This one looked to be about thirty-five. He had light brown hair and intelligent eyes.
Gilligan gratefully allowed the man to take two of the suitcases. "Thanks," he said, releasing a sigh of relief.
Gilligan and the five passengers climbed aboard the Minnow, the Skipper greeting them and telling them that lunch would be served shortly. Mm, lunch, thought Gilligan, setting down the suitcases next to the rich-looking couple. I'd like a big, juicy cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard and onion rings and-
"Gilligan!" called the Skipper, interrupting the young man's train of thought.
Gilligan hurried over to see what the Skipper wanted. "Yes, Skipper?" he asked.
The Skipper looked giddy with excitement. "Gilligan, is that who I think it is?" he asked, pointing at the pretty redheaded lady.
Gilligan's eyes grew wide. "I think that is who you think it is," he said. Oh boy, a movie star! A real, live movie star! On our boat! And not just any real live movie star, but a real live Ginger Grant! Hot dog, should I ask for her autograph? No, I couldn't... But she's there! Here! Now!
"The real Ginger Grant! On my boat!" chuckled the Skipper. He wandered away, out of sight of the passengers, and did a little victory dance. Gilligan didn't say it, but he though that the little dance looked very silly when done by a man of the Skipper's size.
Gilligan smiled and headed back over to the passengers. He waved. "Hi. I'm Gilligan," he said. When everyone looked up at him, he swallowed back the sudden nervousness he felt. "I'll just um, check to see if we're ready with lunch," he stammered, backing up and turning around. He bumped his nose on the top part of the boat in turning. I've got to stop doing that, he thought, rubbing his nose and muttering "Ow" under his breath. He disappeared inside.
The passengers exchanged glances. "What was that about?" asked the rich man.
Gilligan soon came back out into the open, trying to handle three plates of food at once. He was carrying two with his hands and balancing the third on one of his forearms, and that one was wobbling back and forth like an out-of-control see-saw. The pretty brunette girl rose up and almost said something, but Gilligan spoke first. "It's OK, I've got it," he said. She sat back down.
Surprisingly, Gilligan managed to safely set down all three plates without incident, much to everyone's relief... especially his own. He grinned with a nervous chuckle. "Now I'll go get the other two," he said, stumbling off again.
"Gilligan, when you're done with that I need you to secure the anchor," said the Skipper. "Then we can set sail."
"Yes sir," said Gilligan, quickly hurrying off and grabbing the other two lunches, giving his own a longing look. He took the food out to the remaining two passengers and gave it to them. Then he set off to see if the anchor was secure. "Yikes! This thing is as loose as Skinny Mulligan's tooth when he fell off his bike that one time," he said to himself. He detached the line completely in order to get a good knot tied. He was about to tie it on when he found himself being addressed.
"You there, boy... ehm, Gilligan, was it?"
Gilligan turned to look at the rich man, who had addressed him. "Y... yes sir?" he asked. The man beckoned him to come closer. Gilligan did so.
The man pointed at his plate of food. "What is the mushy pink stuff?" he asked in a low tone.
"It's crab, sir," said Gilligan.
"Are you sure it's not poisoned?" the man asked.
"Of course it's not," said Gilligan. "I can taste it for you if you like." He reached down with his fingers to pinch a bit of crab, but the rich man pulled the plate away.
"I'd rather you not, thank you," he said. Then he muttered something about grubby fingers.
Gilligan checked his fingers to make sure they weren't "grubby", as the man had put it. Finding they were perfectly clean-looking, he shrugged and walked off to get his lunch, and then Ginger interrupted him. "Gilligan," she said.
Gilligan gulped. "Y...Yes, m-ma'am?" he stuttered, inwardly freaking out that Ginger Grant was actually talking to him.
Ginger looked at him through dark green eyes. "Can you get me a nice, cold drink?" she asked.
"R- Right away, m-ma'am," said Gilligan.
"Get the rest of us something to drink as well, please," said the man who helped him carry the suitcases.
Gilligan fished a little notebook from his pocket and flipped it open to a blank page. "Anyone got a pencil?" he asked. The man had a pencil. He handed it to Gilligan. "What sort of drink would everyone like? We've got water, punch, and lemonade."
"No champagne?" asked the rich man, seeming surprised.
Gilligan shook his head. "No, but the Skipper keeps beer in the cooler. He doesn't let anyone have it."
"I'll have punch," said the pretty brunette with the pigtails.
"I'll have lemonade," said Ginger.
"I shall have lemonade as well," said the rich woman.
"Water will suffice," said the regular man. He used big, smart people words.
The rich man folded his arms. "If I can't have champagne, I shan't have any drink at all," he said.
Gilligan wrote them all down in his notebook like so:
PigTAiLs - PuNcH
GiNGer GrANT - LeMoNAde
rich LAdy - LeMoNAde 2
smArT Guy - WATer
rich Guy - ANy dRiNk AT ALL
He scratched his head, feeling as if he had written something down wrong, but then shrugged the feeling off and headed off to grab the passengers their drinks.
After giving them all their drinks (and nearly spilling a few), Gilligan sighed and went to go get his lunch.
"Gilligan, I didn't ask for anything to drink," said the rich man.
Gilligan looked at him in confusion. "No, you asked for 'any drink at all'," he said. "So I gave you punch."
"No I didn't want anything to drink," said the rich man.
"Gilligan, are we ready to set sail?" asked the Skipper.
"Yes, Skipper," called Gilligan, his heart sinking that he had messed something up again. He went to grab his lunch as the Skipper detached the boat from the port. The engine was started, the voyage had begun...
And the anchor was forgotten.
.~GIAU~.
That's it for Chapter 1. :P
Dun dun duuuuuun *boooooooom* I might bring the next few chapters rather quickly... X3
I'm also trying to put title images on all of my stories (I love how my G is for Gilligan one came out). The ones that don't will be decorated by a Toonigan (A Gilligan drawn in my original cartoon style) and the cheerful little message of "Sorry! No cover image available at this time!" Like the one on this story. XD I think he's cute.
I'd also love to make a chatroom for us Gilligan's Island writers. I hang out in a Danny Phantom chatroom a lot and it would be neat to do the same with GI, though it might not be frequented much becasue we all have lives and this fandom has been really slow lately. XD In which we could discuss the show, our ideas, and our stories. Or just random chatting. (I warn you though: If my author's notes are any indication, I talk A LOT.)
Also, I don't see how men's basketball relates to Gilligan's Island in the least... *The Korean thing that showed up* But if it helps get 500 by 50 I'm happy. XD