Standing Strong Forever

I turned away from her quickly so that I would not say or perhaps even do something inappropriate in public.

*****

Misty and I were the last ones to cast off. She preferred to sit at the front of the canoe and allow me to steer as needed. My backpack with water and a few snacks rested at the center of the canoe, and we each carried a little money. While I carried my digital camera nestled within a plastic bag, she had similarly protected the cell phone she kept in her left front pocket.

We purposely allowed everyone else to gain a significant head start. Our plan was to take a leisurely trip ten miles down the river before finally arriving at the canoe landing at the RV area. We knew that there would be a riverside store about every mile or so, with a bridge over the river at about halfway, so we could use those landmarks to judge our time and ensure that even if we decided to stop somewhere for a while, we could still make it back to the campground by dinnertime.

I had never spent so much time staring at my sister's nearly-bare back. With the exception of a pair of straps forming an elongated "X" pattern at about the midpoint of her shoulder blades, her back was completely uncovered. That was when I realized that she barely had any tan lines from having worn a bra for so many years.

"Um, Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened to your tan lines?"

"Oh, so you finally noticed!"

I felt like a heel for not having noticed something so significant any earlier. "Um... Well... Yeah. Sorry."

Misty giggled. "It's okay. I suppose there's still enough big brother in you that you wouldn't necessarily notice that."

Perhaps that was true, but I was glad that she was facing away from me as she paddled slowly, because otherwise she would have seen me blushing a little from not having previously noticed her lack of tan lines.

"Shortly after you first left for college," she informed me, "Mom thought it would be a good idea for me to make regular visits to a tanning salon so that I wouldn't have much of a tan line, if any. She figured that I'd want to wear low-cut or off-the-shoulder outfits, especially when it was time for prom. You know how she is about wanting me to appear girly and feminine."

"True. I think she's reliving her youth vicariously through you."

"Vi-what?"

"You're her alter ego, her younger self."

"Ah. Okay. Well, let's just say that I liked it and I've been having regular tanning sessions ever since."

"Hmm... Well, for what it's worth, I definitely approve."

The blush had dissipated, which was good, because Misty turned her head briefly to flash me an appreciative grin.

*****

We passed the first riverside store, where some locals as well as a middle-aged couple from the first van had gathered. Continuing down the river, there was a lengthy section of rapids which created a mini-adventure, but because of the recent lengthy rainfall, the river level was fortunately high enough that there was no risk of beaching the canoe on the rapids.

We entered a wide section of the river lined on both sides with small homes, many of which had decks built partway out over the water. I noticed that several of the decks sported picnic tables, and I could easily envision these families enjoying lunch or dinner over the river, perhaps chatting briefly with the canoeists riding the currents. Given the width of the river, I thought I should look down, and for the first time I could not see the sandy bottom of the river.

The river narrowed gradually as it meandered to the left and then a little more significantly back to the right, and homes continued to line the river on both sides. The tree cover was sparse amongst the homes, and I was thankful that Misty and I had taken the time that morning to cover each other with tanning lotion.

Spotting the second riverside store ahead on the left bank, I steered us in that direction, beaching the canoe and slinging the backpack over my shoulder. Together, Misty and I strolled up the gradual incline to the deck of the store, where several locals were sitting playing a game of cards. They all eyed my sister with curiosity, and I could tell from her straighter-than-usual posture that she was aware of their gazes and that she was thoroughly enjoying the attention.

Inside the store itself, the shade created a significant drop in temperature even before I was in range of one of the rotating fans. The store's offerings were primarily sugary, and while I have long loved M&Ms as much as the next person, I was somehow able to resist, instead buying two bags of Baked Lay's and two bottles of water for us.

As we sat on the deck and chatted softly amongst ourselves, we noticed more and more people descending the river. Another group of canoeists had taken to the water, and they all passed the riverside store, some of the kids with definite longing in their eyes as they passed the source of junk food. Many in the group – men and women and boys and girls alike – looked several times at Misty, one of the young boys continuing to turn around to look at her even when the river was about to take him around the next bend so that he would likely never see her again. It was amusing to watch how he and the other canoeists and the locals all reacted to Misty's unique choice of swimwear, and once again, I was torn between a big brother's natural concern for his little sister's safety and wellbeing and a sense of pride that the attention she was attracting would reflect positively on me just because I was sitting across from her at the picnic table.

Eventually, we continued our slow journey. The tree cover over the water thickened as the river narrowed, the houses giving way to more wooded areas along either bank. The scent of the water and the sound of its flow were soothing and relaxing. The sights of birds and insects and fish and even a rabbit was a very welcome change from the lab back on campus, and I knew that amongst all the memories Misty and I were making with the dual-celebration vacation, this languid ride down the river would be one of the memories I would most remember in late summer when I would certainly be growing rather tired of spending so much time in the lab.

As we approached the third riverside store, I remembered the island in the river, the one I had noticed while studying the river map online while planning this vacation. As I recalled, the fairly wide island was nestled about halfway between the third store and the bridge over the river.

"I know where we can stop for lunch," I offered. "Let's buy something here and take it with us a little further down the river."

Misty looked back at me with a quizzical expression, but she soon nodded her approval of my plan.

While my sister bought lunch for us, I consulted the large river map behind the main counter. As I had remembered, the island formed a "U" shape, with the open end of the "U" facing downstream. The bay formed within the island was somewhat narrow, with an even narrower entrance, and judging by the pictures of the area and the fact that there were so few homes along this stretch of the river, I figured that the island would provide a fair amount of cover.

It would be the perfect place to stop and enjoy a leisurely lunch and be in complete solitude.

We continued onward, slowing down to allow a group of teenage girls to pass us. Several of the girls asked Misty about her monokini, bringing a smile to my lips as I tried to imagine them wearing similar swimwear.

As the group of girls took the left fork around the island, I steered us to the right, glancing behind me to note that there was no one within sight behind us on the river. The island was long, its trees shorter than those on either side of the river but definitely no less impressive, and the undergrowth along the edge of the island seemed thicker than along the bank of the river.

"Where do we beach the canoe?" Misty asked.

"Either at the very end of the island," I said, "or we can try to loop around and force our way into the narrow bay. That could be difficult with this current, though, so I say we aim for the end of the island instead and then drag the canoe across that narrow strip of the island to the bay to beach it there and make sure that we get some time alone to enjoy lunch."

"Okay."

We followed that very plan, and it worked quite well. It was a bit of a challenge getting through the initial underbrush, and my sister and I both ended up with quite a few scrapes along our legs and arms, but then we came to the bay itself and were pleasantly surprised by the grassy clearing at its northern end opposite the opening to the river.

After beaching the canoe at the clearing, it was time to stretch out and enjoy lunch: sub-style sandwiches and more water. Conversation was sparse as we ate, marveling at Nature and reveling in each other's presence. We could softly hear the conversations of others making the journey down the river, some passing to our left and some passing to our right. We had picked a spot on the northeast edge of the bay, and from where we were, the only way that anyone would be able to see us would be by entering the bay itself or by following our tactic and trekking over the island to the bay.

Following lunch, Misty and I both stretched out in the grass, looking up at the sky through the canopy of leaves shading us from the direct sunlight. There were a few more clouds than in the morning, but they definitely were not as thick or as dark as traditional rain clouds. There would be no danger of getting wet unless we fell into the river.

...or decided to swim in the bay.

I stood and headed into the water. The bay was not deep at all, the water coming up to about mid-stomach. It felt cool and refreshing, and I reached a hand toward the grassy clearing to invite my sister to join me. She stood, stripped off her shorts, and came to stand with me in the bay, and while we could see well down the river from where we stood, there was no one to see us, and hearing no conversations of any other canoeists passing by on either side of the island, I took Misty into my arms and I kissed her softly.

"This is perfect," she whispered between kisses, and I had to agree. For those few moments, it felt like Misty and I were the last humans alive on the planet.

...and then the sound of an airplane's engine rudely shattered that interesting thought.

We soon returned to the grass, laying beside each other again. While Misty was watching the leaves and the clouds far above us, I was on my side watching her. A hand reached out to her, rubbing across her uncovered stomach, drifting downward over the material of her unique swimwear and learning the outline of her sex. Misty sighed contentedly, simply enjoying how I touched her, remaining passive, her nipples beginning to harden and become more prominent against the "bra" of her monokini.

I kissed my little sister as I continued to touch her intimately. I do not know how much time passed while we remained in the grassy clearing of the island. I do not know how many other canoeists passed us without knowing of our existence and definitely without even fathoming our illicit intimacy. It simply felt right, and given that Misty and I were both consenting adults of sound mind and body, to me, the norms of society simply did not matter and seemed to no longer apply.

Similarly, norms of family blood no longer seemed to apply either. Our intimacy felt right, and, somehow, I felt that the place was right, and, more significantly, I felt that the moment was right.

The longer I touched and kissed my little sister, the longer and harder I became. I was actually not horny; I simply wanted to make love to this special young woman who had somehow captured my heart.

I knew she was wet, yet I still tugged aside the crotch of the white monokini and brushed my fingertips between her feminine folds. The wetness was very evident and fairly copious.

That was when I gently tugged Misty's thighs aside and repositioned myself, aligning myself over her and between her spread legs. She looked up at me with acceptance and love and unspoken permission. My little sister was ready to be penetrated by something thicker and far more significant than my fingers for the first time. Reaching up to me, she gently stroked my face as she nodded slowly, surrendering her body to me, fully and completely.

Reaching back, I pushed down my swim trunks, freeing the long dripping erection which seemed to pulse with excitement, as if it had its own mind and knew that it was about to embed itself in a most sacred place for the first and hopefully not the last time.

The crotch of Misty's unique swimwear had partially covered her precious sex again, so I nudged it aside for the second time, looking down between our bodies. That was when it truly struck me with incredible force:

I'm about to make love to Misty. I'm about to make love to my little sister.

Placing my tip on her clitoris, I slid forward, slowly yet firmly. I was amazed by how Misty shuddered beneath me, her eyes rolling back in her head as her eyelids slowly lowered, her breath instantly quite ragged. There was no doubt that she enjoyed that single act, and I had yet to actually ease my pulsing length into her wet body.

A moment later, I repositioned myself at her entrance, using a hand to gently part her labia, and once I was in position, I used my thumb to guide the bulbous tip into her sacred passage…

No longer was my sister silent, but her long, low moan was so soft that I had to look back at her parted lips to assure myself that she had indeed released such a sound. I took my time, gently pressing a little further into my sister's body, insistently spreading her open to accommodate me, pausing for a moment to allow her to enjoy the sensation of being pried open, and then backing almost completely out of her wet vagina. Only then did I finally release the breath I had not realized I had been holding and then repeat the dreamy pistoning motion, each time making my way a little further into her until, at last, Misty's body sheathed me fully.

She shuddered more visibly as I filled her. Positioning myself just right, I began to gently grind against her clitoris, and from the way she suddenly clutched at my bare back and inhaled so fiercely, I quickly covered her mouth with mine, just in time to swallow a most impressive sound of feminine ecstasy.

The lovemaking was slow. Unfortunately, neither of us was fully naked, but that did not matter. The love which bonded us was what mattered, and that love propelled us. Misty met my penetrations as we fitted together perfectly, as if anatomically we were two puzzle pieces which combined to create a fantastic image. I would vary the angle and depth and speed of my thrusting, and sometimes I would remain within her as I ground against her clitoris, and the result was a beautiful collage of expressions upon her young face and an equally breathtaking symphony of heavy exhalations as she attempted to remain quiet.

As additional canoeists passed by us on either side of the island, we could hear their conversations and their laughter, and in one case even their loud, violent rap music about fulfilling a woman's rape fantasy. I definitely was not raping my little sister, but a fantasy which I believe we both had shared for several days was finally becoming the new reality of our lives.

As I ground against her clitoris once again and pinched a nipple through the "bra" of her monokini, Misty's body suddenly stiffened as it rejoiced. I again clamped my mouth over hers, swallowing her impassioned cries as she shook wildly beneath me, her hands trying to pull me even further into her body as if I might be able to touch her soul. I continued to grind against her as she practically screamed into my mouth, the loud music beginning to fade as those canoeists continued their journey down the river while seemingly a river of hot love flowed from my little sister's selfless body.

She sagged beneath me, an arm falling limp on the ground as I lifted my lips from hers. I gazed upon her face, adoring how it was still a bit convoluted with her expression of carnal pleasure. With her orgasm having subsided, I allowed myself to relax a little, momentarily having retreated from the point of no return, because I selfishly wanted this experience, this ultimate lesson, to last as long as possible.

I withdrew fully, and together, we looked down between our forms to see the glistening erection hanging down from my groin. She reached between us, the touch of her hand on my slickened manhood sending shockwaves radiating throughout my body. Briefly, she stroked me firmly, but it was not nearly the same as when I had been inside her just several heartbeats earlier.

"Inside me," she pleaded with husky breath, the rap music becoming more difficult to hear. "Inside me, please."

Misty assumed the task of once more nudging the crotch of her monokini aside and assisting my insertion, her wet hand steady on my back as I once again made love to her. The pace quickened, and I rapidly recognized that this time, I would not be able to hold back nearly so long. This time, it was clear that I would fill her.

Burying my face in my little sister's neck, I allowed instinct to take control of me. No longer did I try to keep the primal being within me under lock and key. With the light breeze blowing over us and the filtered sunlight warming us and the sounds of the river and the birds urging us, we continued to make love until finally I was jerking my hips back and forth with earnest, tremendous need.

With a final thrust, I gritted my teeth, trying to keep quiet despite my groan as my white-hot love rocketed along my length and filled her. I was vaguely aware of how her breathing ceased as she felt the initial surge pouring into her. I somehow registered the fact that her arms and her legs attempted to trap me inside her. And then I was aware of nothing but my heart singing with hers.

Several hours had clearly passed from the time Misty and I had begun to eat lunch to the time we rendered ourselves decent once again. My little sister ultimately put on her shorts again to hide the fact that she had been wet for a reason other than swimming in the river.

We stood ankle-deep in the water to share one more kiss before leaving the island, and then we stepped into the canoe and continued our journey. Several times, we looked back at the island where we had just made love together for the first time, and as we rounded a bend in the river which caused us to forever lose sight of the island, I had a thought which I could share since there was no one else around us on the water:

"I think we should call that place 'Misty's Island.'"

She shook her head in the negative, then stopped paddling for a moment to look back at me. "I think we should call it 'Our island.'"

I definitely could not argue with that choice.

*****

After having made love in the tree-filtered sunlight, Misty and I soon became fairly thirsty. We had already passed two more of the riverside stores, but while we had some small drink boxes with us, they did not truly satisfy us. For the first time in the canoeing expedition, we actually picked up the pace so we could get to the next riverside store a little sooner.

We did not recognize anyone at the store. There were a few locals there, including two mothers sitting at a picnic table talking together as their little kids played nearby on the deck. There were about a half dozen canoeists in the store as well, one of the boys playing an old Dig Dug game, the cabinet of which had clearly seen much better days.

The eyes of the customers and the old man behind the main counter all kept returning to Misty. That was not a surprise at all because of her unique swimwear, and I had actually become quite comfortable with the fact that she was attracting so much attention from almost everyone we met on or along the river. But I also felt plenty of eyes on me, eyes which tracked back and forth between my sister and me. It was odd, and in a way it concerned me, although I tried not to show it.