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What happens in the cabin... (Sync & mypgems)

Sync

Sync

Corporate Drone
Supporter
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Location
Australia
Man…what a fucking dull week this is going to be. Worse that I’m stuck alone with Becca until mum and dad turn up.

Luke Harrison was rather unhappy with the whole situation. It wasn’t enough that his parents had called for a week away for the whole family – mum, dad, himself, and his younger sister – in their remote mountain retreat, where power was limited and entertainment was scarce. No, they had to compound it all by making him and Becca go ahead of them while they fixed up a few odd tasks at work before joining the kids. It wasn’t that he hated his sister, or disliked her…more that they had very little in common, and rarely spoke to each other because of that. He was ordered and logical and quiet, and Becca was…not.

Luke was twenty, had turned that age a couple of months ago. He’d finished high school two years earlier and had been working an apprenticeship since then as an electrician. He hadn’t finished the apprenticeship, but both him and his boss had realised that Luke was much better suited to electrical design than simply working with his hands; it wasn’t that Luke was a bad electrician, just that they’d realised that Luke’s mind was better at seeing circuits and wiring on paper. Luke’s boss had effectively subsidised the college degree for the next few years, after which Luke would go back to the company and work the subsidy off. The college course was due to start in a month and was, fortunately, in the next city over; it would mean Luke wasn’t too far from home, but he’d still be living in a strange city where he didn’t know anyone.

He was not an unattractive young man. He was an average height of just on six-feet tall, and was lean for his weight; he weighed a good eighty kilos, most of it muscle because of his apprenticeship and his Judo training. He wasn’t buffed or ripped, though; just nicely and lightly toned. The mop of short curly black hair on his head offset his pale skin nicely, and his deep green eyes were deep-set and shone under his thick eyebrows. His nose was slightly hooked down and sat over a pair of rosy and full lips. He almost looked odd, but on Luke the combination of features appeared reasonably handsome…almost.

He’d much rather be at home and studying in preparation for college next month, but instead he was driving slowly along a treacherous mountain road on the way to the family cabin in his old Camaro with his sister riding shotgun. The cabin had mains power but it was prone to failure; they had a diesel generator for backup power and plenty of fuel stored near the cabin for when mains failed – it wasn’t a case of IF power failed, but WHEN, really, and it often took days to get power restored when it failed. The cabin had a phone and a radio and not a lot more; at least there was plenty of wood for the four fireplaces the cabin had. Not even a TV, and internet access was done by hotspot off your mobile phone…if you could get network service. Of course there were the essentials like an over and stove and microwave and fridge/freezer. They had a few board games at the cabin and plenty of novels, although it was always advisable to bring more as the stock in the cabin was a little dated. Luke had brought a few books with him so he could study, but he wasn’t sure just how much of that he’d be getting done over the coming week. The only thing the cabin had that was good was a small hot-spring nearby, only a few minutes’ walk from the cabin – close enough that Dad had built a small enclosure around it to make it private, and fashioned a small enclosed passage from the cabin to the hot-spring so they could get to it without being too exposed to nature.

They’d stopped off at the supermarket in the small town at the foot of the mountains and had brought up a few days’ worth of food and drinks and snack – enough to see the two of them over until mum and dad arrived with more. Stuff for the freezer and pantry and fridge, hot drinks and cold drinks, stuff that could be heated for meals and breakfast cereals…they had enough for three or four days, allowing for the possibility their parents might be delayed by a day or two. They’d manage well enough.

Things were quiet in the car as Luke focussed on driving. The car wasn’t struggling, but the road was dangerous, and even Becca knew better than to distract or annoy him while he was trying to not get them killed. At least the signpost markers told them they were only ten minutes away from the cabin, give-or-take…
 
Becca, for some reason no one ever called her ‘Rebecca’, Harrison could feel the car chugging along up the road. While she wasn’t a car aficionado even she could tell that the her brother’s car needed a tune up or something.

A smile came to her lips at the next song on her iPhone: ‘Good Day in Hell’ by the Eagle. As the music started, Becca’s head began nodding in sync and then silently singing along. If only she was alone because then she could sing out loud! People had told her that she had lovely voice but Becca would always just shake her head in response. https://youtu.be/UCDG6z7ZvcQ

Even with with eyes she, she knew Luke was giving her a ‘look’ and/or shaking his head. He just didn’t understand the pleasure his sister got from singing or treating music as something more than background filler. It was another of those differences the two of them had. There were so many that sometimes she wondered if Luke was actually adopted. Of course she couldn’t be the potentially adopted one. No, it had to be Luke.

All anyone had to do was look at them together and know they weren’t related. Luke was tall and, her opinion, ungainly while she was short...no...she was space-efficient. That was her current line. The height, along with the delicate features of her face and slightly pointed ears, let Becca dress as an elf for Halloween several years running. Being able to do that ended when her non-growth spurt was channeled into giving her 34D breasts that were large but her stature made them seem even bigger. The looks guys, and some girls, gave her made Becca supremely uncomfortable but what could she do about it other than wear loose clothing? Her feelings were something she would talk about to no one.

A sizable bump made her open her big green eyes. The terrain was getting more recognizable as they got closer to the cabin. They had never gotten a straight answer from their parents just why they chose to build up here. The cabin was just out of the treeline and usually had a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains but was 10-15 miles from the nearest town on a road that could easily get blocked with snow. Fortunately that kind of snow was still a month off. The place could be boring with no TV or internet. Becca actually kind of liked it. It was a good place to clear your head and take things easy. She figured that she might even get a song or two written. That’s why she forced Luke to pack her guitar case even though he said it wouldn’t fit.

Becca knew that mom and dad hated the fact that their kids didn’t get along, she herself didn’t like it either, but how do you resolve it? Neither of them had anything in common with the other.

Luke was always into his science books, projects, or stuff like that. Techie stuff that Becca just couldn’t get her mind around. Oh she knew how to use a computer but how and why it operated, she could care less. The books she read were one that seemed to make her brother shudder. Ones from Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, the Iliad, to name a few. She even read ‘Moby Dick’ just because she wanted to! Then there was her music, all 60’s and 70’s stuff with posters of the same all about her room. There were times when Becca wished that she had been born early enough to experience it. Oh she knew it wasn’t all peaches & cream but just the general attitude ...

Just as the cabin came into view her phone suddenly playing the chorus line to ‘Who Are You?’ at a loud volume, in her earbuds. “Gaaaahhhhhh!!” Becca yipped, almost dropping the phone on the car floor. Hitting the answer button and holding it up to her ear, she found she couldn’t hear anything. “Frack me!” she yipped again and pulled the earbud out. “Mom? Mom?! Yeah I can barely hear you too. Why didn’t you call us on the cab... ON THE CABIN PHONE! Oh...Sorry I blew your eardrum out. Oh...yeah I get it. We’re about....30 seconds from it. Yeah... Of course he’s driving. Oh..that’s why you called me and you would’ve killed him if I was driving. Like he would me... Mom?! You faded... Uh huh....Okay....Love you too and see tomorrow. Bye!”

“As you hopefully figured out,” she said as she brushed some of her long, mane of brownish-black have back. “That was mum and she called to check on us and to say that got a too later start and we’ll see them by lunch time. So we are on our own for tonight.” Becca waited until he pulled into the open shed that doubled as a garage.

“I know you’re as enthused about this as I am. I like this place and all but I stuff I was going to do and places to go and people to bother,” Becca smiled and then looked at him. “I promise I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine. We can scoot through the week and not get mum and dad mad at us. Deal?” She held out her hand to her brother. “And I promise I won’t switch my panties with your undies again. Although it was hilarious when dad realized he was the thong he was holding was mine and not mom’s....” The way his face got and how fast he dropped the thong was hilarious!

At least there was one thing the pair could do together and that was opening up the cabin. Like priming the water pump, making sure the appliances were turned back, starting a fire in the main room fireplace. That and unloading the car. By the time they were done it was getting near dusk and as they went into the cabin, they didn’t notice the northwestern sky beginning to get dark...
 
The trip to the cabin was only, really, interrupted by a phone call from mum, apparently – checking to make sure that he was driving and not Becca (reasonable enough, given Becca had only just got her licence), and also to let the children know that they’d be late arriving…which meant Luke and Becca would be in the cabin alone for the rest of today, and tomorrow morning as well. Great. Just peachy. He muttered something to that effect under his breath, but there was nothing for it; he couldn’t wish his parents to arrive (well…he could, but nothing would come of it). In any case, it would probably make no difference to the pair – more than likely they’d do their own thing anyway, once the car was unpacked, and would only interact for dinner.

The cabin came into view and soon his car was parked under the shed – it was attached to the cabin, and was more like a large carport than a proper garage. The sides were enclosed, there were a couple of tilt-doors they could use to close the cars in and keep the weather out, shelves for various spare parts and tools…and that was about it. The generator was at the back of the shed, on the outside, and access to both was only by leaving the cabin.

“Doubt we’ll be that lucky to be able to stay out each other’s way,” he grumbled softly as he turned just enough to be able to see his sister. It was only then that he realised she was holding her hand out to him, so he turned more fully towards her and shook her hand briefly. “But…deal. You know that mum and dad are going to try and have family game times and stuff like that, don’t you?” It was a question, but a rhetorical one – there was no answer required, because they both knew he’d be right. It was no secret that the two children didn’t really get along, and no secret that the parents often despaired about the lack of good relations between their offspring. Luke and Becca didn’t hate each other; they just had very little in common besides both being members of the Homo Sapiens family, and both being biomechanically similar (gender differences aside).

For the next hour or so the pair unpacked his car – groceries first then luggage. Unpacking generally constituted the pair of them getting things out of the car, and putting them down in relatively-appropriate locations; Becca would put things away wherever she felt like, and Luke would then come along and place things in proper, sensible places. Luke was sure Becca was doing it just to annoy him, but she gave no indication that she was aware – or caring – of her brother re-organising things behind her. The only space Luke didn’t tidy was Becca’s bedroom. If she wanted to live in a pigsty she was welcome to it.

The cabin itself was a large, spacious affair: solid brick work on the outside, two stories tall; the main room served as a combined family/lounge/dining area, and it contained the central fireplace that served to heat the remainder of the house via a simple but effective venting system; the kitchen and master bedroom were to the side of the downstairs section, with a reasonable bathroom/laundry between the two rooms; at the rear of the main room was a set of stairs leading up to the second floor landing and balcony, off which were Luke and Becca’s bedrooms, and a small shared bathroom between their rooms. Vents funnelled the warm air from the fireplace to the bedrooms, although it was more like removing the chill than actual heating, and a large fan hanging from the ceiling of the main room (the main room was, in effect, two stories high) did a fair job of pushing the warmth of the fireplace around the ground floor.

Once the car was unpacked, Luke went outside and checked the generator and hot water system. The water tank was heating up just fine, and the generator was primed and had a good amount of diesel in the fuel tank. Dad had gotten more diesel delivered a few weeks ago, so he could always top up the fuel tank if need be. He closed the shed doors and went back inside, and was happy to see that Becca had gotten the fireplace lit and the fire was going nicely. There were plenty of logs outside for that as well, and Luke had brought an armful of logs in with him to fill up the bin.

“Dinner time shortly, I guess,” he stated rather needlessly; they’d both noticed it was getting darker outside, but both had assumed – partly correctly – that the fading light was from the ending of daylight, and had not really noticed the clouds getting darker and lower. “Give ourselves thirty minutes to unwind before we get into it?”
 
"'Family fun time' awaits..." Becca rolled her eyes at that thought. Their parents meant well, and the hikes outside could be lots of fun, but 60's and 70's board games they also had were ghastly. Even for someone who liked the 70's it was a bit much. "Did you know they have an unopened box for Twister? We ought to steal that thing and sell it on eBay. Could make make a little money," said as she got out of the car. Then Becca saw the look on Luke's face. "Or not. I was kidding!" Her brother was a stickler for following the rules while she used rules as more of guidelines. Like when her mom was helping her practice drive and she decided the speed limit was too slow. Fortunately the cute smile, a bashful look, and her mom's pleading look got her out of a traffic ticket when the police pulled them over.

She got another 'look', and gave it back, when she pulled out her guitar case instead of a bag of groceries. Luke's pride and joy was that POS car of his while hers was a beat up guitar she had found at a music store she haunted. Becca didn't know why he would get bothered because everything would get unloaded and as she did have a big bag of popcorn in her other hand. As soon as it was dropped off inside, she was back for another load. It was mostly snacks and only for a week but their dad didn't want to take chances so they got extras. Even if they somehow did run out, there were a couple day supply of emergency rations in the form of food bars. Becca had tried one once and vowed never to be so desperate to eat them again. If she remembered correctly, she squeezed Luke's arm and started talking about which kinds of seasonings they would need to get the geek flavor out. He was not amused.

It was her turn to shake her head at him moving the items she had just placed as they unpacked. Everything had its place! A place that could shift each time she looked at it but still.... Just like her room at home, that her mom had given up ever trying to keep it neat & tidy. Nothing smelled or was dirty, Becca made sure of that, but there were clothes and books and notes all over the floor and bed. Her desk was invisible under the drawings she had done and couldn't bear to throw away. The thing about it was that she knew were everything was. Mom had tested her on a couple of occasions and came out amazed. Becca could never figure out how Luke found anything in his room. Everything was so tidy and in its proper place that it hurt. How did he find something when all the somethings were in the same spot?

In anycase, the unloading got done while both of them piling their own things next to the stairs to be taken up later. There were still a couple of chores left with Luke going outside for his. For Becca it was getting the fireplace going since that was the heat for the cabin. It had been shirtsleeve weather outside but there was a chill in the air and regardless of that, nights usually were sweater weather at least. Becca had done the job often enough so it was very familiar: pull off the covering that sealed off the harth when no one was home. Open the damper. Put some wood in with a starter log and newspaper. Light. She added another piece of wood but would hold off more until there was a good burn.

"Fire's lit," she said to Luke as he brought in a load of wood. She went out and got some more so the bin was topped off and she had the next batch to feed the flame. The moment her brother said 'dinner' her stomach started rumbling. "Howabout a frozen pizza and some mozzarella sticks? Gives us plenty of time to clean before we eat." Becca didn't bother to look at him because she just knew he was trying to find a fault in it. She hid the smile when he finally had to agree it was okay.

Becca borrowed the bathroom between their rooms first. Mostly just to wash her hands and face of the grime from the fireplace. Before putting on shorts and a Sailor Mercury t-shirt, she looked at herself in the mirror in just bra and panties. There were times when she hated how she developed and to go to a doctor to do something about it. Mostly take her down a couple of cup sizes. That might keep the eyes off of her and just have people treat normally instead of a pinup. Her friends, Becca had great ones, didn't care about any of such things. Even the guys who weren't gay. She just shook her head and pulled the shirt on.

Later, with dinner mostly consumed, she sat on one of the couches that had a far end angled toward the other. This left a V shaped area in front of the fireplace and where the dreaded games would take place. Becca had her guitar on her lap with scribbled notes next to her. Every so often she might pluck the strings, hum a tune, or very softly sing a a few words. She would be quiet and then make a note on a paper. Then...

"Everything you want that is who you are
You can be the sun and the moon and the stars
Or the bass or the drums or the lead guitar"

With fingers still on the guitar, Becca looked at Luke and shrugged. "Sorry. I was going to working with a couple of friend this week. Open mic night at a place next month and we thinking of going. If I can get this thing finished we might use it." Putting the guitar back in the case with her notes she then stretched. "I don't if we're a band or a group or what but we just like singing. We were singing in a park once and people started giving us money so I guess we were busking. Yeah I know, silly but then that's me." Why was she telling her brother any of this? All it would do would give him ammunition in teases. Then Becca realized why: she was proud of it.
 
You could take the girl out of the country, but you couldn’t take the country out of the girl. Okay, Becca wasn’t a Country Girl, as such, but the saying was more-or-less accurate for her: no matter where the family went, no matter what they did, Becca was always going to be her typical, laid-back, semi-caring self…at least as far as her neatness and organisational skills wen. To Luke, it was as if Becca had deliberately grown up trying to be the chaos to his order, the mess to counter his neatness; how she managed to find anything, get anything done, in the maelstrom that was her life was beyond him. She was…challenging to live with. It was why they mainly gave each other space around the house, interacted only when they had to. It was why the family was coming to the cabin for the week – mum and dad were, I effect, making this their last ditch effort at making the kids at least tolerate each other before Luke went to college. Luke knew it…that didn’t mean he had to like it.

With things unpacked and mostly stowed away, Becca had suggested pizza and cheese sticks. Probably not the ideal thing he’d have thought of, but under the circumstances it was the easiest thing to go with. With his sister upstairs in the bathroom, Luke set about packing the remaining groceries away while the over preheated, then he unwrapped the pizza and put it in the over to cook. He grabbed his case and lugged it up the stairs, spent the next twenty minutes unpacking his case until the over timer chimed. By the time he’d got downstairs to rescue the pizza the house was most certainly lost its chill and was quickly becoming not-cold. The fireplace did a good job of warming the place up, but it never really got warm in the cabin; mild was the best it could achieve, the cabin was too open in design to really get warmer than that. Still, it was comfortable enough, even in winter. By the time Becca had come down – wearing nothing but shorts and a short t-shirt from that ridiculous Sailor Moon show – he’d cut up the pizza and served it, put a couple of mozzarella sticks on each plat, and poured a glass of Coke Zero for each of them. Becca took her dinner by the fire place; Luke sat at the kitchen table with a novel. The Lord of the Rings was this week’s pick, but he had a few others just in case.

With dinner done and plates soaking in the sink in the kitchen, Luke had moved closer to the fireplace with his novel; he brought his drink with him and was stretched out on one of the couches. By that time Becca had got out her beat-up guitar – it was in worse condition than his car, Luke thought – and was sitting on the other couch. She was gently strumming it and singing, but he could filter it out, let it become background noise to his novel. Then she started talking to him; it was slightly annoying, but he hid it well enough as he closed his book – using his finger for a bookmark – and lifted his head to look over at her. He knew she enjoyed what she did with her music, but it meant little to him.

“If you’re happy with it, then go for it,” he offered softly. His voice was a gentle baritone in pitch; he could get a lot of volume and power if he yelled – which he did more than he should with Becca – but mostly his voice was quiet and almost-soothing. A couple of his friends had jokingly suggested he could be the next James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman with his voice, but he scoffed and dismissed the idea. “Just make sure that, if you decide to become a band, you get proper and reputable representation. If you go busking, make sure you’ve cleared it and gotten the necessary permits. You don’t want to get ripped off or fined for it.” He leaned down to grab his glass from the floor next to the couch, took a mouthful, returned the glass to the floor.

“I’ve never understood what you do for music, Becca, you know that,” he went on smoothly. “My music tastes are more towards movie soundtracks and orchestral pieces. But if you’re going to do it, do it right; don’t leave yourself open.”
 
Becca stared at her brother for many seconds after he had stopped speaking. Later, she wondered if her jaw had dropped or not. Luke was being....civil to her. Not just civil but actually giving her advice that was...good. It was no joke, she actually felt faint! Okay, not really but she aborted the attempt to stand up to sit on the edge of the couch. "Orchestrals are great if you have the right conductor. John Williams, personal fan, is a god along with Hans Zimmer. His stuff made Interstellar perfection and the look on your face when we watched it told me you agree." The pair had been stuck going to the movie together when it showed in IMAX and both, at least Becca thought so, were entranced by it all. The ride home was one time they didn't fight when alone.

"And thanks for the advice on the potential band thing. Yeah there's a lot of stuff to make sure of and I'm not sure the girls will go for it." She smiled and stood up while undoing the loose bun her hair had been in. A slight shake of her head caused it to cascade down to her mid-back. Dealing with a mane like that was a pain but it was also one of Becca's pride and joys. "I dunno... If...when I go to college maybe I'll minor in Music Industry so I learn the biz and major in....something where I can learn everything. So much is out there and I don't know where to start. Probably play spin the bottle or something." She grinned because that was something she would probably do.

"And with that, I'm off to bed." As she passed Luke, Becca stopped and glanced at the book he was reading. "LoR is great but a little too heavy. Give Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders a try a tad lighter and just as fun." For no reason at all, she kissed the top of his head and then ran for the stairs before he could do anything in return. All the while laughing.

While the main room was warming up but her bedroom still had a good chill to it. There were vents that were to suppose to let the warm in from the main room and they worked in theory. Theory only went so far and that explained the down comforter on the bed and a thick wool blanket folded nearby. With one or both she could be toasty warm in a bed while wearing just a t-shirt and panties. There wasn't much else in her room because Becca never bothered to bring much up. Instead, she painted on the walls. Some designs were from when she was a kid, and showed it, but showed more skill. Becca never painted anything over, just added or enhanced things according to her mood at the time. Her brow furrowed as she thought what she would this time but nothing came at the moment. Perhaps later. Before going to bed though, she wanted a quick shower to wash the sweat out of her hair.

The sibling both shared a bathroom, and contrary to Luke's lies she didn't leave stuff all over the place, that opened to each's room. That meant if you locked the doors you had to unlock it when you were done to avoid a pounding on it from the other side. With her brother engrossed in his book downstairs Becca didn't bother locking his side. Instead, she pulled the t-shirt off and the sighed happily at undoing her bra. Both articles of clothing were tossed into her room.

There were marks where the material dug into her skin but that couldn't be helped considering the bra was at least a size too small. That was on purpose to try and hide Frick and Frack and she called her breasts. Standing sideways and looking into the mirror Becca made a face at the reflection. Maybe she should get a de-boob surgery and be done with it. At the same time though, the idea of being... The only word that ever came to mind was 'mutilated'. That was not what the surgery would do but it was what the back of her mind always yelled when she got like this. This was something she should talk with her mom but Becca could never bring the subject up with her. It was just...

Becca gave a shake of her head and started the shower to get the water hot. At least the water heater worked pretty quickly. Since it wasn't a full on shower, she left her panties on and just her head in the stall enough to get wet. Then add the shampoo... Massage it in... Rinse... Water off... Let the hair hang down while patting it with a towel to get the water out. She started humming the tune to the song she was working on and was combing out any snarls. This had been planned for her room but Becca got caught up in in things. Finally done and was about to turn to go into her own room when she saw the handle of the door into Luke's turn and the door open. It was easy to see since she was facing that door. All Becca had to do was turn, run into her room, and slam the door shut. It was like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming care, Becca couldn't move.

There stood Luke, her brother. Before him stood his sister Becca. He was fully clothed and she wore just her panties with a towel in her hand. It was only for a few seconds but it seemed like forever! Her eyes caught his looking down from her eyes to her....her...

The scream she emitted was just shy of the frequency to shatter glass. That was instinctively followed by: "YOU PERVERT!!" and Becca's run into her room with the door slamming shut/locking. "You're just like those FUCKS at school and their fucking cameras! Fuck! Fuck FUCK!!" In the back of her mind Becca knew this was all wrong and Luke wasn't the same as those...creatures at school. The ones that hid and tried to take... She starting taking breaths by a 4 count: inhale while counting to 4, holding for 4, exhale to 4, etc, etc. On and on until she was calm, or at least calmer.

Becca knew she should go find Luke and explain or something but she didn't have the energy right now. Especially for the crap that she knew he would be giving. Instead she crawled under the covers to find the strength for tomorrow. At least the parents would be there....
 
There was really no point in adding to the conversation about Becca’s music choices and tastes, so Luke didn’t. They disagreed on what they called music, mostly, so any conversation between them on that topic was going to be short and painful. He couldn’t be bothered with it, so he let her comments slide. Likewise their tastes on reading material, although they were more closely aligned with each other in that regard…if only a little. He had no chance to respond to that, however, as she – rather surprisingly – kissed the top of his head before bouncing up the stairs. He shook his head slowly and put his bookmark in his book, then set about tidying up after dinner. Becca was good like that, too. Sure, she might have planned to tidy up a little later, but he may as well do it now. A few minutes later all evidence of pizza had been cleared away from both couch and table, and he sat back down to read for a bit.

After a short while, though, he put his book down – getting into his PJs and a dressing-gown would be more comfortable for sitting back and reading in front of the fire. He put his book on the couch, stood, and made his way up the stairs to his room. It was noticeably cooler upstairs compared to sitting near the fire, but that was to be expected – at least it wasn’t cold any more. The old venting system could only achieve so much. He peeled off his jeans and polo and threw them in his hamper, then found a thick white t-shirt and dark grey PJ pants and pulled them on. They did a good job of framing his lean, toned form. He reached for his heavy robe and was about to pull it on when the need to pee hit him. He reached for the door that led to the shared bathroom, opened it…

…and was confronted by the image of his almost-naked sister, towel in hand and dab-drying her hair, wearing nothing but skimpy panties. They both froze, surprised to see the other. She was surprised to see him at all, he later figured, and he was surprised to see her all-but naked. Her breasts were a stand-out: round globes, very firm and perky, defying gravity almost, her nipples hardened in the cooler air and seemingly beckoning to him…and then they both reacted, finally. He pulled his eyes back up just as she started shouting at him. Then she was in her own room, the door to her room locked. At least his urge to pee had subsided for the moment.

“So next time, lock the fucking door!” He yelled back, his voice finding that power it was noted for as he slammed his own bathroom door closed. He stomped out of his room and thumped down the stairs, made his way to the couch, picked up his book and dropped heavily into the furniture to sit down.

For a while he just lay on the couch, book in hand, as he stared into the fire and tried to work out just what had happened: his opening the door and seeing her there was an accident, he hadn’t known she was there; the door wasn’t locked to tell him she was there, and he hadn’t heard any noise to let him know she was there; and she abused him and called him a pervert for seeing her when a bit of thought on her part could have avoided it all; and damn her breasts were amazing. He didn’t think that, all things considered, his reaction had been unwarranted. Eventually he calmed down and resumed reading.

He read for another hour or so before he took himself to bed. He hadn’t seen or heard from Becca for the rest of the night – she was probably in her room sulking or licking her wounds or something, and that was just fine by him. The robe and t-shirt and pants and socks came off, leaving him in just his shorts; the discarded clothes were draped neatly over the end of the bed for the following morning. Then he slipped under the thick quilt and wrapped it around him. The wind was starting to pick up a little outside has he drifted off to sleep.
 
Becca didn’t know what time she finally got to sleep. With the shutters still closed tight the room was completely dark so her thoughts had faded into sleep without her realizing it. She had heard Luke’s reply and the slamming of his door before curling up under the covers.

For the longest time Becca just let the thoughts and images of what had happened run through her mind. Luke was right, she should’ve locked his door so it wouldn’t have happened. Also, what she had said to him was totally out of line. He wasn’t a pervert, at least in this case, and where his eyes seemed to have focused was a...a..natural reaction. Embarrassing for both of them but nothing more.

As she drifted off to sleep Becca knew she had to apologize to her brother come morning. Not just to relieve tensions but because it was just....right. She new real perverts and Luke was not that type. Actually, from what she had seem or the years, girls never had a problem with him. He was a dweeb, but a nice dweeb when it came to others.

It was a slight rattle of the window shutters that woke her up. All the windows had metal shutters on them to protect them when no was there. You to open a window, unlatch the shutter, and push it along its track to one site. Becca hadn’t done that the night before so the room was very dark but for the a slight bit of light around the window edges. Sticking her nose up out of the blankets she was in cased in, while at the same time blinking her eyes open, she could feel that it was colder. That was normal in the morning with the main fire banked down but this felt colder than normal. A second rattle was what made her throw off the cover with a resigned sigh and start hunting for clothes.

Was there supposed to be weather up here this week? Becca searched her memory as she sat on the edge of the bed to pull on a pair socks. Something about some rain in the lower elevations but just wind up here. The parents had an SUV that could handle the road up to the cabin a lot easier than Luke’s POS. Knowing her dad, Becca figured they should be up to the cabin by noon or a little after. That was very good because it would reduce the tension that already existed between their children.

As she buttoned up, leaving the top few open, of a flannel shirt, she knew she was the cause of a good chunk of them after what happened last night. No matter what, she had to apologize to Luke. Apologies were things usually done through gritted teeth with them but this time it would be real.

When she left her room, Becca stopped for a moment to listen for any signs that her brother was up. Hearing none, she crept down the stairs but then ran down the rest when she caught sight of a window. “Holy cats...” she said softly at the view outside. It had snowed during the night was still doing so. It was hard to tell how much because the wind was wiping the flakes all around. She could see it was starting to build in the sheltered spots. The visibility wasn’t very good with the nearby mountain become hazy in the snow fall.

Now Becca was getting uneasy about their parents. Yes the SUV had 4-wheel drive and yes their dad was a good driver. However, snow, wind, and ice could make the roads treacherous. To take her mind off of things, she started making some coffee and hot water for oatmeal. While that was getting started, she added some wood to the fire so it would build up for the day. By the time she was done with it, the water was boiling in the kettle. “We’ve got coffee, hot water for oatmeal if you want, and snow which we don’t want,” she said to Luke when she saw him come down the stairs.

“Before you say anything Luke...” Becca held up a hand before taking a deep breath. “I want to apologize for last night. It was my fault for not locking the door and I should NOT have called you what I called you. That was...wrong and I’m sorry.” She turned to fix her oatmeal as she continued on. “Been a shi...crappy week. Couple of knuckle draggers hid in the locker room and were going to take of me coming out of the shower. Probably to upload them to the internet or....blackmail me maybe.” She gave a slight shudder and a soft sigh at the thought of that. “You’ve heard of ‘Mountain’, right? 6-foot, all woman, and out bench presses the guys? Well she caught them before anything happen and used their face to make imprints on the locker doors. She let me kick them in the balls after I got dressed.” That caused a soft chuckle.

“I reacted badly last night and you didn’t do anything wrong bro. “So....peace?” Becca gave a slight smile and held out her hand.
 
He wasn’t sure what woke him up the next morning; he wasn’t aware of anything specific. Maybe he’d just had enough sleep. A quick look at his watch – he always placed it on his table so that he could just turn his head to see it if he couldn’t be bothered reaching for it – told him he’d slept for over eight hours, a damned good nights’ sleep. He must have been pretty tired to sleep for that long and that deeply…but then driving up the mountain yesterday was draining, on both him and the car. His Camaro was old but not crappy, in spite of what Becca called it; it was pretty basic by modern standards, but it worked well, and he kept it serviced. Still, he knew Carrie the Camaro had had a rough day yesterday.

He groaned, yawned, stretched…then hear the shutters rattle against his window. He sighed softly and got out of bed, grabbed his t-shirt and pulled himself into it, then threw his robe over his shoulders and tied it around his waist. It was cooler, noticeably cooler – he’d have to stoke the fire when he got downstairs…he knew it was unlikely Becca would have thought to do that. He yawned again and opened his door, then made his way down the stairs.

It was only when he got to the bottom of the stairs that he realised it was snowing outside, and probably had been for most of the night. There was already a good covering of snow on the ground, and that would probably get worse before it got better. The forecasts hadn’t said anything about snow that he recalled; rain, yes, occasional strong winds, yes, but not snow. He might have said something to that effect as he turned at the bottom of the stairs to head into the kitchen where his sister was, but Becca was already talking…apologising…offering peace…? That wasn’t like her. What had she eaten this morning? He searched her face for a couple of seconds, as if trying to see some hint of mischief, but saw nothing there…maybe she was just genuinely sorry. He reached out and took her hand in his.

“Peace,” he agreed simply, giving her hand a firm shake for about two seconds before releasing it. He didn’t bother saying anything else about that; there’d be no point, and would probably make things worse rather than better. Instead he went to a cupboard to grab a mug and started making himself a coffee to get himself started for the day.

“Don’t recall anything about snow, though,” he offered lightly as he swallowed his first mouthful of Black Heaven, his body dropping into one of the bar stools at the bench. “After breakfast I’ll go and make sure we’ve got plenty of wood inside for the fire. If it keeps snowing the temperature in here will drop more.” He took another mouthful from his mug and sighed contentedly. “Hopefully it’s not so bad that mum and dad can’t get here.”

He took another mouthful of coffee and looked at Becca, both of his elbows now resting on the kitchen bench, his hands now cradling the mug in front of his face. “You sleep okay last night?”
 
As she shook Luke’s hand, Becca was a little surprised that he hadn’t reacted to what she said about the locker room incident. Did he not care about what almost happened to her? It was at that moment Becca realized how much of a chasm existed between the two siblings and how unlikely their parent’s plan of getting them together would work. They were too far gone. At least though, they could try and be civil to each other for their parent’s sake.

“I’ll give you a hand with the wood too. There’s more than enough space in front of the wood box for the extra. Oh and I got it stoked up already.” She nodded at the fireplace that was taking some of the chill out of the air. The cabin was insulated even so with the wind and cold the heat could get sucked out quickly. If worse came to worst, they could sleep on the couches near the fire. But it wouldn’t, would it?

Becca turned from Luke to look out the windows at the snow falling. When the wind gusted the flakes came down sideways. The south and east sides of the cabin had pine trees that provided a good windbreak. The north and west were open due to a forest fire that predated the cabin. It allowed for great views but not much protection. She gave a slight shudder at being at the mercy of the storm. Gods...she wanted her parents here. Not because of Luke but just that...they were her parents and they could make the bad go away. It was a silly, childish feeling but she could help it.

“Yeah...I slept okay. Don’t know if I would have had I know this was coming...” Becca turned back and poured a cup of coffee for herself. “I remember it was gramps that gave me my first cup of coffee when I was.....nine? Mom was so pissed at him but I loved it. He was so much fun. I miss that old goat..” She looked up at Luke and shrugged slightly. “I don’t know why I started thinking about him...Just did.” She glanced up at a clock and saw what time it was.

“Parents planned to be on the road by now I think. I wonder what the weather is like downhill though. I know one thing for sure, if it's humanly possible they will get here.” That was something she knew they could agree on. Their parents would do anything for their kids. In the back of her mind Becca knew that no matter what they would be safe. People knew where they were and the storm couldn’t last forever. Even if the road was closed for the winter, there were helicopters that could come get them. She knew that and just needed to believe it.

They wouldn’t starve. There was the stuff they brought with them and, while not exactly the most nourishing, it was good for a few days. Then there was a metal pot and bucket in the back of a closet with sealed bags of pemmican and hard biscuits. This was the ultimate in emergency food that their dad had had taste for at one times. You broke the pemmican and biscuit into a snow filled pot and let it boil. The ‘hoosh’ looked horrible but Becca didn't think it tasted bad at all.

“Might has well turn on this for a just in case.” On high shelf, just as you left the kitchen, was CB radio that was probably as old as Becca. It was connected to an aerial outside that at one time was used for shortwave. The thing had batteries in case the power went out but they might not have been changed for awhile. There was some static then some faint transmissions that sounded like snowplow drivers down slope. They faded in and out but from the sounds of it, they were having trouble rain that had frozen to ice along the snow.

Both siblings looked at each other. “Better get dressed and get that wood inside...” Becca finally said in a voice that seemed calm but had an element of fear in it.
 
“Gramps was good like that,” Luke agreed as he sipped from his own cup. “Sneaking things to us when mum and dad weren’t looking, then grinning cheekily when they found out and it was too late to stop him. He let me try his pipe when I was ten – I think dad was getting close to ripping him a new one for that, but I didn’t like it anyway.” He snorted quietly and took another sip from his cup as his gaze drifted to the window. “I think it was partly due to my reaction to the pipe that he eventually gave it up. I like to think that, anyway.”

He sat quietly for a few moments and just sipped from his cup several times. There was no real rush, other than making sure they had enough wood for the fire before the weather closed in around them – but there were no forecasts of heavy weather anyway, so it shouldn’t be that bad. Still…mountain weather was known to defy the forecasts. He nodded as Becca turned the CB on.

“Don’t know why we’ve still got that thing,” he observed as he looked at the old equipment. “It barely gets used any more. Mobile reception up here isn’t great, I know, but it works. Still, it’s handy to have, as long as we’ve got good reception and power to drive it. If nothing else we can get messages through the local services.” Hearing that the snowplough operators were having a difficult time didn’t do anything to reduce his quiet concerns about the weather in the area, though. If the ploughs were having a hard time, dad’s SUV would have little, if any, chance at all. That meant he’d but stuck here with Becca until they could get out. No way was he driving down in his Camaro if the ploughs couldn’t get through. At least they’d brought up enough food and drink to keep the pair of them for a few days if necessary. Luke knew that he and Becca would be in trouble if they were still stuck in the cabin at the end of the week.

He drained his cup and nodded again, this time more firmly and with purpose. “Yeah…let’s do that. I’ll meet you by the front door in a few minutes, and we’ll make sure we’ve got plenty of wood indoors. The weather shouldn’t be that bad, but you never know up here.” He set his cup down on the bench and stood up, then looked over at his sister; he could see she was a little nervous. “We’ll be fine, Becca. Just focus on the task at hand and it’ll be okay. Let’s get dressed, get wood, then come inside and relax. We’ve got nothing to do but…well, nothing.” He gave her a faint smile and made his way upstairs to get dressed.

He’d have a shower later. Right now all he did was get out of his robe and sleeping clothes, then he pull on the same clothes he wore yesterday, with a heavier jumper to keep him warm while they were outside. His bedroom wasn’t cold, but he could feel the heat coming from the vent being challenged by the cold outside. If it got too much colder outside the heating wouldn’t be enough to warm the place up…but he tried to not think about that. He went to the toilet, too, after making sure Becca’s door was snipped so she couldn’t interrupt him, then he released her door as he left the shared bathroom.

Ten minutes later he was by the door, waiting for Becca to catch up with him. The snow was still falling outside, but the wind hadn’t picked up so it was still a relatively-gentle snowfall…
 
"Yeah I know. I'll just be glad when mom and dad get here and they're safe." As they made their way to the stairs, Becca slightly nudged Luke. "I know everything is okay but thanks. And I promise I won't disturb you when we're doing nothing." She didn't have much to do to get ready other than put on an extra layer of socks. Not so much for the warmth but that her boot were a little too big. What took the most time was tying her hair into a couple of pigtails. Hearing the 'click' of the bathroom lock turned her face a little red at remembering last night's incident. Other than a doctor, Luke was the first guy to see her boobs... She wondered if she should ask him what he thought of them. "Are you out of your mind?" she muttered, lightly hitting the side of her head. "Don't answer that...."

Becca's winter jacket was hanging in a closet downstairs and could not be mistaken for anyone else's. It was a mix of neon bright reds, yellows, and oranges. Instead of pulling the hood up, she just put on a lime green stocking hat. "You'll never loose me in the snow. Or a crowd come to think of it," Becca told Luke with a grin. She had purple gloves but instead pulled on an old pair of work ones instead.

The wood pile was around the side of the cabin and on the south side so the snow hadn't gotten too deep yet. The wind had died down but that just let them know how cold it was without the wind chill. The work and clothing kept them warm enough though. When they were done there was more than enough wood, the extra laid out on a tarp that was spread over the floor, to last for days. As they caught their breath afterwards, Becca turned to Luke after they saw how dark the north and west sky was. The storm wasn't over by a long shot. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let's go take a look at the hot tub." The 'tub' was actually a natural hot spring that had been the reason the cabin was built here in the first place. It was roughly 7-8 feet across and about 3-4 feet deep. A bench had been installed so a person could sit and enjoy the hot water bubbling up. There was nothing better, Becca knew, to relax in after a long day of hiking in the surrounding areas. As they got nearer, they could see the cloud of vapor coming off of the unfrozen surface. Crouching, she dipped an ungloved hand into the pool and smiled up at her brother. "Still hot as ever. Hope we get a chance to take a dip before going back home." She had always wanted to skinnydip here and without the parents it was doable. After the fiasco last night and now the storm, Becca knew it wasn't happening. It would probably make poor Luke's eyes go 'TiltTiltTilt' seeing her nude again.

The seemed to be falling heavier and the wind was picking up again. Time to go back inside. "I remember the time we came up here and I saw snow when it was almost June. Blew my tiny little mind!" Becca chuckled. "I thought the parents had brought it down from the North Pole just for me. If I remember correctly I then proceeded to slip and fall face first into the mud in my new clothes. Mum and dad didn't get mad, they just laughed and got me cleaned up." Their parents never seemed to get mad with their children. It helped that the kids were fairly responsible. One thing that did get them upset was when the teasing and picking between Becca and Luke devolved to arguments. She hadn't told Luke, but Becca had caught mum crying after one of the blowups.

Becca went back up to her room to change into shorts instead of keeping her pants on. They would be near the fire so it would be warm enough. If it got cold, a pair of sweats or a blanket would do nicely. Then she joined her brother downstairs.

Truth to her word, Becca was not making a sound as she laid on 'her' couch in front of the fire. She was rotating between three things: reading a novel, working on sketches in her sketchbook, or looking at a book with photos of Tuscany in it. That was a place she wanted to do a bike trip through. There wouldn't be any true destinations and all the time to get there. A glance up saw Luke and the smile Becca had was hidden by the book. She figured he would hate that kind of trip because it wasn't planned out to the nth degree. Maybe a little planning was good but it would be hard given her idea of wandering.

"Hey big brother? Got a question for you..." Goodness knew what kind of response she would get from Luke. Hopefully an honest one. "If you could take a trip or vacation anywhere in the world with no time frame where would you take it? Just curious is all. For me it would a summer biking through Tuscany." Becca held up the book. "Or doing the same on the South Island of New Zealand. Or biking the Alaska Highway and visiting Denali national park. And doing it with somebody...somebody I care about I guess. Just going out and seeing pretty things and places and enjoying ourselves."

"I know its a silly question but..." Her eyes turned from Luke to gaze into the fire then softly said: "I just...don't want to fight all the time and then be hating you 20 or 30 years down the road."
 
It didn’t take them too long to get extra wood from the large bin outside and carry it to the bin by the fireplace. The pair of them trudged back and forth for about fifteen, twenty minutes, carrying armloads of chopped-up logs until the inside bin was overflowing with wood. Should be enough for a few days. He only shook his head at Becca’s attire and comment, though – it was all true, he knew that, but that didn’t make her neon-bright oranges and yellows any easier on his eyes. The reflected glare from the snow was almost preferable.

The wind had died down, but the weather had not – looking at the sky, more was on the way. Dark, low clouds were never a good sign, and this high on the mountain they’d be lucky if snow just fell on them – but he didn’t voice that to Becca. She’d be nervous enough knowing the snow was falling heavily without hearing that there was a good chance there’d be a strong wind to drive that snow. Sometimes it was better to let truths be unsaid, and this was one of those times.

She suggested checking out the hot tub, and he reluctantly agreed. He didn’t hate the hot tub or object to the existence of the spring that gave it to them, not at all – it was just that he’d rather get back inside and settle down again. It was good that it was still there and operating – functioning – much as they expected it to, although there were no moving parts involved to potentially stop it from working. He shrugged her shoulders at her expressed desire to use the tub, and he found himself forcing himself to not think about her breasts. “We may get to. We may not. It’s largely up to the weather. I’m not volunteering to rig a safety line between the cabin and the shed just so we can get to it.” He grinned faintly, but was almost relieved when the wind started to pick up a little and convinced Becca to get back inside.

He heeled-toed out of his boots when they were both back inside and the door closed, leaving them by the main door to dry off, then he took his coat off and hung it up on the rack by the door near his boots. “Yeah, you looked pretty surprised to see snow that time. And it was funny to see you covered in mud like that. Mum couldn’t stop laughing at you, although she was being nice about it.”

While Becca went upstairs to change, Luke grabbed his novel and settled on “his” couch in front of the fireplace to read. He barely looked up when she came back down and settled on the other couch, and for some time they stayed like that: quiet, content, engrossed in their own activities. Then Becca spoke up, quietly. While he’d have been content to continue reading, he wasn’t about to be rude and ignore her, not when she seemed to be making some half-arsed effort to not be antagonistic towards him. He closed the book, using his forefinger for a bookmark, and looked up at the distant ceiling as he thought about his answer. There was that little near-plea at the end, but he didn’t address that – better to let a quiet response address that for him.

“I dunno,” he admitted finally. “New Zealand, I guess, to see where they made the movies.” He briefly waved his book around to indicate he was referring to The Lord of the Rings. “Other than that…Italy as well, I suppose, but I’d go to Rome. There’s a lot of ancient history there that I’d like to have a look at. And Greece, to Athens, for much the same reason as Rome. I’d like to visit Jerusalem as well, but you’d have a hard time getting in and out, I reckon.”

He brought his gaze back to the fire as he finished speaking, and he turned a curious gaze to his sister. “What made you ask? Not that I’m objecting I’m just…curious.”
 
Becca found herself nodded in agreement as she heard Luke’s choices. Those were all places she would want to go as well just to see the grandeur of it all. A small smile appeared as the thought crossed her mind that between them, they could experience a place in all its facets. Luke with his interest in knowledge and her own in the art & beauty of the place. Each could teach the other. The smile faded at the realization that it couldn’t happen because of how fought so much.

Then Luke asked a question of his own that left her silent for several seconds. Why indeed? Ever since last night, when she lay in bed waiting to sleep, Becca had been questioning how things were and why they had to be and if they could be changed. With her friends, she was the peacemaker who helped settle arguments by making everyone talk and listen. She was like that way because she hated to see people fighting. If that was true then why do it with Luke?

“I dunno.... Maybe just to make conversation. Maybe...you’re my brother and I don’t know much about you.” The last was said softly as she looked at Luke. “I mean I know more about my friends and their lives and stuff then I know about my brother. You don’t know much about me I guess. Mum and dad know about the stuff I mentioned last night. The band and my idea for college. I know don’t care about that stuff like I’ve never cared much about your stuff. I’m rambling I know....”

She wanted to reach out but Becca wasn’t sure how and wasn’t sure what Luke’s response would be. “I guess when it comes down to it I don’t want to be hurting you or you me and especially not mum and dad. We’re brother and sister Luke, maybe we should start acting like it before its too late.” Becca glanced over her shoulder to watch the snow getting blown around by wind gusts before turning back to him. Did her words make any sense at all? Even to her?
 
Conversation for the sake of conversation. He knew people did it, knew that they sometimes did it just to fill a silence, he knew people did it just because they could…Luke wasn’t one of them. Oh, sure, he’d made conversation for its own sake on any number of occasions, but with Becca it just felt…not right. Not wrong, so much, just not right. But then…her reasoning was sound enough – reach out and make some kind of connection between themselves, settle down on the arguments and bickering between them; if not for each other, then for mum and dad. Even Luke could appreciate that.

“Well…” he began slowly, as he placed his bookmark in his book to free his hands, and placed the book on the floor next to the couch. “I guess…we’ve been at each other for…what? Ten years, now? In some way, shape or form we’ve been finding ways to niggle the other with. Let’s be realistic, though – we’re very different people: you’re more arty and flighty, and I’m not; clashes were always going to occur.” He offered her a small smile as he shuffled on the couch so that he was better facing her.

“That said, though…maybe it is time we bury the hatchet between us, or at the very least we agree to disagree and to be civil.” He grinned faintly. “It may take us a little while to get the hang of being civil to each other, though, what with you being flighty and all.” He paused for a moment or two as his grin faded; when he spoke again his voice was quieter and softer and carried a tone of seriousness to it.

“So…what happened with that camera-scenario you mentioned last night? You said one of your friends fixed it all up, but what happened, really?”
 
Listening to her brother brought a small smile to her. “You’re also a neat freak and possibly has OCD and I’m...not to the nth degree. We are 180 degrees different from each other and really....that isn’t too bad of a thing.” Becca laughed, sat up and crossed her legs under her body. “And I do want to bury the hatchet. We can disagree but we don’t have to get into a war about it. Just agree to disagree.”

Luke also asked about what had happened at school.They both went/were going to the same school but their experiences there were very different.

“Since I’ve...blossomed, you know what I mean, I’ve gotten more...attention. Looks, stopping in front so I accidentally bump into them. Standard crap.” Becca knew he was looking at her but her eyes were looking downward. “Forget about guys... You wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve had to lift their chins up to look me in the eyes. Which is okay too. Sometimes it's even funny. What’s not are the others who think because you have boobs you naturally are a slut. Which I am NOT.” Becca’s fingers were tracing patterns on the fabric of the sofa while

“Well....about a week ago after gym class I was in the locker room taking a quick shower and was getting to come out get my clothes when I heard a noise.” She shook her head and smiled slightly at the memory. “Imagine a loud clatter, a shout of ‘Stay in there Becs!’, a couple of ‘booms’, and then Mountain handing me my clothes. I walked out and on the floor a couple of guys and smashed up iPhone. Did I ever tell you about Gwendolyn? Nicknamed ‘Mountain’ Six foot Amazon, out bench presses the guys on the football team, and has a fondness for the skinny geeky guys in the science club.” Becca didn’t hang with Gwen, to her friends, much but they were friends. The sight of her towering over a guy half her height who was delicately holding her hand as they went down the hallways always brought a grin to Becca.

Taking a deep breath, she continued on. “The two....guys had hidden themselves in a storage locker that had a perfect view of me when I would have come out of the shower naked and putting my clothes on. They were going to...” Becca closed her as she calmed herself. “Upload it to the internet right so I would have been out there for anyone to see. Gwen found them, rammed their faces into a locker a couple of times, and was about to make them eat the phone. Anyways I kicked them in balls and Cynth warned them to keep their mouths shut or she would have the ‘bike club’ her brother is in pay them a visit.”

“Its over done with,” she said as she got up to get a can of pop from the fridge. “I guess last night when you opened the door the first thing that came to mind was...that. And I just flashed back and said that crap to you.” For some reason Becca sat on the edge of Luke’s couch instead of her own. “And I again apologize to you Luke. You did nothing wrong at all. It's all mine...mine and the beachballs. I dunno...maybe I should have them chopped off so I don’t look like a mutant....”
 
Luke listened. He could do that much. It was concerning that there were boys, supposedly classmates, at school who’d actively hide in closets and try to take photos of girls in the shower at school – especially under-age girls – with the intent of uploading them. He didn’t know if that was the entire story, of course, as he only knew what his sister told him, but he doubted she’d lie about that. He’d be massively disappointed in her if she was lying about it, and she’d surely know that. That she had a friend who’d backed her up and protected her – this girl called “Mountain” – was good to know.

He waited until she was finished, though, before he said anything – and she was sitting on his couch, by his knees, when she stopped talking. He reached out to her and lightly placed a hand on her knee before he spoke.

“First – you’re not a mutant,” he began simply. “You’re young, attractive, well-built…but definitely not a mutant. You appear to have all of the standard equipment that goes into building a female of the species, at last so far as I can see of the outside, and I can only assume your internal construction is equally standard, so nothing that might mark you as a mutation. Your proportions may be a bit more generous in some areas than others, but that’s not a mutation, that’s just nature.” He gave a gentle squeeze with his hand as he continued.

“As to the…shower incident at school…it might have been better had you not resorted to beating the two up, but I’m not going to fault you for acting in the heat of the moment. By assaulting them you effectively ruin any chance you might have had to report them for their activities, as they can now throw that back at you and Mountain.” He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Be that as it may. And last night…? Well, knowing what I do now, I guess I can understand your momentary lapse and reacting the way you did.” He paused, then gave a faint half-smile as he removed his hand from her knee.

“Anyway…as you said, it’s done, so I won’t talk about it if you don’t. Deal?” He was trying hard to not think about it – given that he’d seen her topless and knew what her breasts looked like in all their glory, he could have been quite happy to not think about it. She was an attractive young woman, yes – but she was his sister.
 
The touch of his hand made Becca's head jerk up in surprise. Their fights had never gotten physical but at the same time they never really touched the other unless was necessary. Without realizing it until it was done, she placed her own hand lightly on top of his. As Luke talked, Becca grew a little puzzled because features she was used to listening for weren't there.

It was weird... Not too long ago she would have gotten upset about, in her mind, the patronizing view that Luke was taking in regards to The Shower Incident. Going to the authorities? That would be the worse thing to do! She and the rest had handled it quick and quiet. Instead of yelling at Luke that he was wrong, she just gave a half smile and a shake of the head. "You're right big brother, we probably should have done it that way. I'm kinda glad we didn't because it would've gotten out and I...just don't want to deal with crap like that." They disagreed and didn't go to war over it! Becca was stunned and gladdened at the same time. She gave his hand a tiny squeeze before he could pull it away.

"And I'm not a mutant? I seem to recall being called a 'mutated slime monster' or a 'mutated mutant'. Words to that effect by you. Many times!" She frowned as if angry and then shook her head while giving him a teasing grin. "And I'm guilty of calling you a 'reject retard' a few times. But I do get what you're saying bro and I probably agree with it too. Eventually. If I ask you this again can you just tell me what you said again? Weirdly it's easier to talk to you then mum. She'll give me a pep talk that will last an hour."

In such a short time they could go from being cold and distant to being able to talk like siblings. Maybe all it took was being willing to reach out. Becca thought about telling Luke she was going to write a song about their peace treaty but didn't. He would toss her out in the snow she figured. And rightfully so! Before she could continue the thought a gust heavy enough to rattle the windows brushed the cabin.

"Crap... It was blowing like that when I woke up and then calmed down. Guess it came back up." They both got up to go to the window and look out at the wild weather. Standing next to them, the siblings could feel the cold on the other side of the glass trying to pull the heat out of them. Becca looked at the temperature gauge mounted outside. "Its gone done at least five degrees since we were outside." Without realizing it, her hand had sought out Luke's to grasp it tightly. "Where are they?" she whispered.
 
“Well…’reject retard’ was one, as I recall,” Luke replied with a slightly-raised eyebrow. “Another was ‘geek freak’, and I’m sure there were more than a few assholes, idiots and wankers thrown in over the years. It took me a while to work out what that last one was, too, and I don’t want to know where you got it from.” He smiled faintly. “It might surprise you to learn that I was always willing to be more open with you, at least initially…it just seemed that, when we were much younger, you thought being annoying was more fun, and it just stuck.”

There was some element of truth in that – Luke had vague memories of wanting to talk with Becca and play when they were kids, but she’d turned teasing him into a kind-of hobby, and he’d never really gotten through to her. True, it might not have been entirely one-sided as he was possibly making it sound like, because he gave as good as he got as they’d grown up, but he wasn’t about the truth get in the way of a good story this time.

Then a strong gust of wind made the windows vibrate a little, and he noticed about the same time as Becca did that the weather outside had gotten worse, not better. The snow was driving harder, its angle flatter to the horizon, and, as he joined his sister at the window, he could feel the coldness outside trying to suck away the fragile warmth of the cabin interior. If this didn’t let up soon, they’d risk being snowed in – he was about to murmur something to that extent, but Becca took his hand and she sounded almost nervous as she wondered where their parents were, so he said nothing. He was starting to have his doubts, but if she was nervous, voicing them wouldn’t help her.

He was about to reply to her when his mobile phone rang from the kitchen bench. He looked at his sister quickly, then released her hand and walked quickly to it. “It’s dad…” he announced as he saw the CallerID on his screen. “I hope everything’s okay…” He picked up his phone, flicked the screen to answer the call…and found himself shouting almost immediately.

“Dad…? DAD! Yes, I can… Say again…? Dad, you’re break-…” Then he sighed with annoyance and put his phone down as the old CB radio crackled to life. Remarkably, he still knew the etiquette and protocols to answer when picking up a channel.

“We’re both here, dad,” Luke answered simply.

“Good.” Aaron Harrison’s voice crackled through the speaker on the CB unit. Reception still wasn’t brilliant, but clearly it was better than mobile phone reception. “Luke, your mother and I are still at the base of the mountain. Weather’s coming in and closing off the roads to you.”

“Great. What happened to you?” Luke wanted to know. “You’re supposed to be here by now.”

“We got held up at home. One of those last minute calls of your mother’s that we were hoping to avoid. An emergency of some kind at her work that took a couple of hours to resolve. We’ll have to stay in town overnight and get to you tomorrow.” Staying in town meant at the hotel near the base of the mountain – it was where Luke and Becca had stopped for supplies on their way up yesterday. That was still a couple of hours’ drive under good conditions.

“I guess there’s nothing for it, then,” Luke noted unhappily. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sorry, kids.” The voice was apologetic, at least. “You two just sit tight and try not to tear the house down around you.”

“I’m sure we’ll manage,” Luke noted wryly. “You two take care. Out.”

“Will do, son. Out.”

Luke sighed softly and placed the CB mouthpiece in its cradle. “Well…that answers that question…”
 
The sudden sound of the phone going off almost made Becca jump out of her skin. She had been so intent at trying to see through any gaps in the gusts that she wasn’t paying attention to anything else. When they had gone out earlier there was only a few inches of snow on the ground and that was blowing freely. Now the snow had gotten a grip and was building up quickly. This was the kind that wouldn’t fully melt until May or June.

Hearing Luke say it was dad on the phone made her breath a sigh of relief. Not knowing anything about the parents was scaring her with each passing minute. All Becca could think of what then rolling the SUV or getting stuck in a drift. The road up here wasn’t great to begin with but snow made it almost impossible. That Luke had to shout wasn’t a surprise because cell was usually bad. There nearest towers were almost at the very edge of the phone’s range and as she had experience yesterday with her mom, the reception was poor.

“Shit....” Becca said softly, not caring that she swore as she sat down on a stool. “At least they are in a hotel and not stuck in a snow drift someplace. That’s a good thing. And they know where we are and that’s good as well.” A quick glance out a window at the snow made her shake her head. “Unless this lets up now they’re...not going to be up here tomorrow. They’ll also need a plow to clear the road. So I’m guessing whenever the snow ends, tack on another day before they can get up here.”

“Don’t worry bro, I’m just thinking things through and give my brain something to hold on to.” She gave him a shrug and a slight smile as she looked around the cabin. It might not happen that way but it was a concept that eased her nerves some. “We;re out of the weather, warm enough with the fire,we’ve got power, and food. So we are set for the moment. Oh....”

Becca quick turned to look at Luke. “Your car...Do you think you’re going to be able to drive it back down after this? It had trouble driving up here but going downhill of snow and ice? A couple of turns are almost drop offs.” She reached out to touch his hand. “I wouldn’t want to lose you. Mom and dad on the other hand might disagree....” She giggled and grinned. “Just teasing bro but the first part? That’s true.”

She wasn’t sure how Luke was feeling about her but for Becca... She was realizing that she had a brother and not some idiot sharing space at home. She was liking it. There was the question of it lasting for the amount of time they might be stuck there.
 
“Dad’ll put the tyre chains on to help him get through the snow,” Luke agreed. “The SUV will have an easier time of getting up here, for sure.” He was well aware of the possibility that he and Becca might be stuck in the cabin for several days; if the wind and snow settled in the next hour, the chances weren’t good for mum and dad arriving before dinner tomorrow…that would all come down to how hard it had snowed lower down the mountain, and when a plough could be mobilised to clear the road to them.


“My Camaro…yeah, she’s due for a service in the next couple of weeks or so. She runs okay, but she won’t do a mountain climb in these conditions.” He gave a wolfish grin. “Not if you want to live to tell the tale, anyway. I could nurse it down the slope, maybe, but some of those turns could be nasty if the braking is done wrong, especially when the road is slippery like it will be now. I think there’s a spare set of tyre chains in the shed, but I’d have to go looking for them. Right now, that’s not a huge priority.”


This might not have been how mum and dad had planned things…but Luke realised, as he turned his head slightly to better-regard Becca, that he and Becca were certainly now starting to work together, or at least communicate more openly with each other, instead of simply bickering. Okay, getting stranded for a couple of days in the isolated cabin would not have been in anyone’s plan, really, but…it was having the desired effect. Brother and sister were now, finally, starting to act like brother and sister, instead of as opposing warlords who both operated by hassling the other’s borders.


“Oh…we should probably be a bit more mindful of how much we consume in terms of food and drink, too,” he noted, his voice becoming a little quieter as he spoke. “We’ve got enough with us for three days at normal consumption, but that was also banking on mum and dad being here by now and bringing more with them. At this point it’s going to be late tomorrow before they arrive, and that’s probably being optimistic.” He reached out to take his sister’s hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We’ll be fine, so don’t worry. We just need to not do anything stupid or rash, is all.” He gave her a small grin. “You know…act different to normal.”


Outside the wind had started to pick up a little, and the daylight had dimmed slightly. Neither were immediately obvious to those inside the cabin, but the wind was moving a little harder, driving the snow around the cabin in swirling patterns and slowly increasing the build-up of the white powder around the cabin’s base as the slowly-fading daylight worked to obscure the increase in wind…
 
“Not act stupid or rash....” Becca mused for a moment and then shook her head while grinning. “We have a problem then bro. If I tried to do that my eyes would spin in different directions, steam would come out of my ears, and a ‘tilt tilt’ sign would pop out of the head. I’m fairly sure that wouldn’t be good!” She gave a laugh and squeezed Luke’s hand in return. It was nice feeling to know she had someone to be with during all of this. Even better, that it was her brother.

As she listened to Luke talk about the food situation she nodded. “Drink is something we don’t have to worry about with all the snow out there. We could put a clean bucket of snow next to the fire and have plenty of water. Food...” Becca gave a slight shrug as she went to make a peanut butter sandwich. “We can certainly cut back a bit and there is always dad’s ‘emergency rations’ in the closet. The pemmican, hardtack, powdered milk, and chocolate he made. I think he did that when he was on that arctic explorers kick.”

“I remember mom’s reaction to his suggestion about taking a cruise to the Antarctic or a trip to ‘northern’ Alaska.” Becca grinned at the memory. “I thought it would be interesting but mom’s ‘I refuse to freeze my ass off sitting in an igloo while you play Nanook of the North’ was perfect! I did have to go look that one up though.” She remembered her, mum, and dad laughing themselves silly but she couldn’t remember if Luke did. Becca realized it was because she just didn’t pay attention that he existed. How can someone apologize for that? She would, somehow.

After the quick lunch they both settled back on their couches and into their books. There was something different about it though... Becca couldn’t put her finger on it but then realized the usual tension wasn’t there. They weren’t actively ignoring the other but, at least in her case, not wanting to bother the other. Whatever it was, she liked it. For the moment, she was sketching out a person but hadn’t filled in the features or even gender yet. It was one she had been work on for a while and was mostly an exercise for her mind. Luke wouldn’t understand it but maybe someday she could show him? Maybe...

Suddenly the lights flickered a few times and went off. Both siblings looked up and then at each other. It was mid-afternoon but Becca noticed that was dark then it should have been. And the sound of the wind... It was less of a howl and now changing into a low roar. “Power line must’ve finally gone down. Surprised it lasted...” The fan and lights coming back on interrupted what she had been about to say.

“And we have a generator. Yay!” she chuckled and got up to look out the window. What Becca saw made her eyes go wide. Earlier there had been short gaps in the snow where you could see but now it was solid white. “Oh my gods....” she whispered and carefully touched her finger to the glass before pulling it back. The cold on the other side just pulled the heat right from it while also feeling the vibration from the wind.

Then they heard a ‘clunk’ sound from up on the roof with the CB erupting into static. “That was the antenna going...” Everything was okay. They had food and warmth. People knew where they were and the storm couldn’t last forever. Becca told herself that over and over as she tried to believe it. .” No way mom and dad are coming up.... We’re trapped here Luke....” she whispered.and turned to hug her brother tight. It might have been the first time she had ever hugged him but she needed it now.
 
The clunk on the roof wasn’t good. Even before Becca said anything, Luke had a good idea what it was. He’d be able to fix it, of course, but not in this weather. Mobile reception would be dodgy at best, and with the CB out – at least temporarily – they’d have virtually no communications with the outside world. Going outside on foot in weather like this would be tantamount to suicide, as would trying to drive in the Camaro. The two of them would be trapped inside while the blizzard fell over them, at the least. Once the wind and snow let up, he’d be able to get outside and fix up the antenna.

“We’re not trapped, Becca,” he replied, perhaps a little more sharply than he intended, as he slipped an arm around his sister and drew her into the hug she’d started. “We’re stuck up here for a couple of days, just the two of us, that’s all. This weather won’t last forever, and when it lets up I’ll fix up the CB and we’ll be able to let people know we’re up here – if mum and dad haven’t already done that by then.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze and chuckled quietly. “It just means you need to ease up on the snacks, is all.” In truth, his sister wasn’t large, not by any stretch; yes, she was a little curvy and had a good chest on her but she wore it well, and could in no way be considered even a little overweight. But that wasn’t going to stop him from teasing her about it, especially if it helped distract her from the situation they were in. He hadn’t realised that she might be a little scared by being hemmed in like this, but there it was. It didn’t bother him so much, but he wasn’t as fixated by social media as he thought her to be.

The snowfield outside was a little concerning, he knew – with virtually nothing but swirling white snow able to be seen through the cabin windows, there was little else to do but sit tight. The cold could almost be felt radiating through the glass. The cabin was in no danger of being blown down, but the glass still vibrated a little when a strong gust of wind buffeted the cabin.

“Come on,” he suggested soothingly – he hoped – as he gave her another soft squeeze. “Let’s go and draw the curtains mostly closed to try and minimise heat loss. Leave them open enough to let light in, and close them in rooms we don’t need them open for. Then we’ll have a light lunch and a hot coffee. Yes?”
 
Becca was the newest of a hug from her brother and nodding slightly at what he said. Then her eyes blinked open... “I have to ease up on what?! “ she replied, loudly, before smiling. “I’ll have you know I’m almost below the average weight for a girl my age! And just wait until we get home! I’ll....I’ll put knots in all your shoes!” As she was venting her finger kept poking Luke in the chest to emphasize things. Becca was also trying not to laugh until she finally did. “Thank you bro. I’m still going to get you for that crack.” She gave him a quick hug before following hm about the cabin.

Most of the windows were still covered by shutters. The ones that weren’t they couldn’t close because that would’ve meant opening the windows to get at the latches and neither wanted to do that. The snack waited though because it was afternoon and supper would be shortly. Becca was happy with just some more oatmeal with craisens and a couple of beef sticks. Maybe a few cookies later if her stomach rumbled.

The rest of the evening was doing what they had done before: sit/lay of their own couches and do their own things. For Becca, the tension of last night seemed a lot less but that could’ve been just her. When Luke had gone to the bathroom she had suddenly picked up her guitar and launched into a quiet rendition of ‘L’ill Red Riding Hood’ When she saw Luke come back just smiled and kept going until she was done. “Sorry, the song just wanted to be played. I think I got that red cape I wore for Halloween when we were kids somewhere.”

When Becca called it a night she yawned and headed upstairs.

Ten minutes she was coming back down the stairs, half dragging the down comforter while also holding a pillow. "I didn't check your room but if it's anything like mine its an icebox," Becca said, leaning over the side of Luke's couch. "I think the wind is hitting that side of the cabin dead on. Even with the blankets it's too cold to sleep well so I'm going to sack out down here. If you want to too I won't mind it a bit big brother and I don't snore. I do sleep like the dead and if I wake up fast I'm liable to take a swing at someone. At least that's what I've been told..." At sleepovers, its was a ‘game’ to wake Becca up and watch her reactions from a safe distance. It had to be at a distance because she would take off after the perpetrator with a pillow.

The cushions came off of the couch which she then laid on the floor. “I am not going to roll off a couch and onto the floor again!” she declared and sat down to look at her brother. It was a family joke that if Becca slept on a couch, she always ended up on the floor at some point. As she was arranging the comforter her cheeks blushed a little as she then spoke softly. “Umm...I’ll be wearing a t-shirt but I’ll be taking...something off when I’m under the covers. It’s too uncomfortable to sleep with it on. I just want warn you in case of...” Becca looked up at Luke with cheeks that were still red. “I’m really sorry about last night and that I..well...flashed you. Gods that sounds so me it hurts! My poor Luke... You have to put up with me and my nuttiness.”

Becca laughed a little and shook her head. I don’t think I even want to guess at what ran through your head. Hopefully it won’t cause years of therapy and an aversion to dairy products. Well at least you didn’t laugh at them or, and this is not a put down bro so please don’t take it that way, a critique on them.”

Outside, the wind blew with even more snowing coming down...

Becca's song:
View: https://youtu.be/M-NKbxZ983I
 
Luke was quiet for a few moments before responding. He was concentrating…listening. Making sure the generator was running the way it was supposed to be. Without going outside and checking, it sounded OK. The generator wasn’t noisy, but it still made noise as the engine chewed through fuel to generate power for the cabin. Nothing sounded out of place. As long as the generator held out, they’d be fine, if stuck inside the cabin together. He’d go outside to look at the CB antenna when the wind died down – which, going by the way it was picking up at the moment, wasn’t going to be any time soon. Mobile reception would be shot, now, as well. There wasn’t a TV in the cabin – not for watching programs, anyway. The TV was linked to a slightly-old gaming console that barely got used, and would have been a waste of resources under the present conditions anyway.

They’d done very little with themselves after lunch. After drawing the curtains and shutters closed where they could, and discovering that upstairs was – not unexpectedly – somewhat cooler than downstairs, they’d both settled on their respective couches and occupied themselves with various activities: for Becca, it seemed to alternate between music and reading; for Luke, mostly reading and studying. They snacked little, had a couple of hot drinks each, and that was the afternoon gone. Dinner was similarly low-key, and consisted primarily of heating pizza and garlic bread in the oven and downing it with soft drink…after which they went back to their couches. Then it was closing on time to retire for the night, and Becca had already made her own plans.

“Yeah, my room’s not a lot warmer than the fridge, I think,” he agreed, as he watched Becca set herself up on the cushions on the floor. “I might do the same – sleep down here – but I can manage on the couch. I’m a tidy sleeper.” He grinned faintly. “Besides, you just know you’ll end up the floor, anyway – you just won’t fall as far.” He paused, then sighed softly as she continued.

“To be honest…I didn’t think a lot,” he offered carefully. He probably could have done without knowing she’d be taking her bra off once she was under the covers – it drew his thoughts to those round, firm globes that were parked invitingly on her chest. “I mean… Well, first, you’re my sister. Not right for me to look or consider. Second, you were busy hurling abuse at me two seconds after I opened the door and saw them, so I didn’t have any opportunity for a lot of thought. And third…you’re my sister. Even if I did have thoughts about them, I wouldn’t be telling you out of respect.”

He stopped at that point and fell silent…then he took a deep breath, closed his book after placing the bookmark, and stood up. “I’m going to bring my blankets and pillow down here,” he announced softly. He didn’t wait for Becca to respond as he set off up the stairs to his room. Once there, he stopped for several seconds. He had just lied to her – okay, they’d often lied to each other during their years of arguing, but this was different. He had had thoughts about her breasts, but he’d just told her he hadn’t, and that was…well, it was a lie of omission, he supposed. He could justify it as being respectful, keeping his thoughts to himself, doing the right thing…and it had been her fault for not locking the door, anyway. Better to not draw attention to the whole situation, just let it diffuse on its own. He shook his head slightly, then slowly dragged the blankets and quilt off his bed and tucked them under his arm, grabbed his pillow, and headed back down the stairs to his couch. The wind activity outside was still increasing, and that wasn’t a good sign for the next couple of days.

He started laying the blankets out on the couch, tucking them in at the back so they were under the cushions, set his pillow up so his feet were closest to the fire. “And just so you know,” he countered as he was fixing the couch up for himself to sleep on, “I generally don’t sleep in anything other than shorts. The blankets are to stop me from freezing, but I need to be cool so I can go to sleep.” He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her. “A friendly warning for you.”
 
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