Family Sensation

I loved the sensation of reclining there, the frigid water dripping off of me, cooling the rock as it warmed me. Once I was acclimated to my pedestal, I struck a variety of poses for Aaron. He quickly nixed several of them but settled on one of me laid out, with my elbows bracing my upper body and head off the rock, while my hair hung behind me. He had me pull my back leg up slightly so it was visible and asked me to turn my hips more towards him.

Pleased with the arrangement, he took a few pictures and then went to work.

I'm no model, and don't have much patience to sit still, but I did my best. He seemed very happy with the scene and his brush kept working even when he looked up to study his subjects.

A breeze started to run down the hillside and through the copse of trees that framed the clear water of the lake. It was fine at first, as we neared the high point in temperature of the day, but would be a little annoying later. As I sat more on my baking slab of granite, my skin became covered with the sheen of perspiration as my skin sought to cool itself. It worked, with the help of the breeze, but my yellow bikini quickly accented my nipple problem which I discovered earlier.

I knew that if I moved, that it would become obvious what I was covering and I figured that Aaron would not be able to make out much detail of me from that distance anyways. So I fought the urge to shift and the urge to abandon my perch as long as possible. After three hours, I was a little bored with it and had to go pee.

I told Aaron so and he grabbed a few more pictures before releasing me from my duties. The swim back across the water refreshed me and I slipped from its placid surface like a seal. One more big smile for brother and I darted back down the trail for my changing spot and temporary restroom.

Relieved, I returned up the hill and found Aaron setting up camping and cleaning up the old fire pit that was nearby. It was still quite warm out and he had changed into his swimming trunks and removed his shirt. He could have been a model for a men's fitness magazine. Even I had to take notice of his great body. I returned his whistles from earlier and was rewarded with a marshmallow plastering me on the forehead. Giggling, I sounded the battle cry and charged.

By the time I had reached him, I had been hit by marshmallows, pine cones, and a dirty sock or two. And even though I survived my charge he quickly dispatched me. I cried mercy when he pinned me on the ground and started playing Chinese torture on my collar bone. He didn't let up for a few moments and even then he didn't get off me until I had promised my undying loyalty to the cause.

I agreed, not entirely sure if there was a cause, or if he was it. Satisfied with his championing of "the cause", Aaron let me up and helped me to brush off my back and legs which were now coated in dirt and such.

The sunset was beautiful and we decided that another day here would be fine. Aaron really wanted to do some more painting when the sun was up again and was also looking forward to some other activities in the area. I wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but his mischievous smile told me that it was probably a little out there.

I cooked dinner for us- a real gourmet feast. It consisted of canned chili, bread, water, and some energy bars for desert. When we were finished Aaron broke out his harmonica and played for me.

That was probably one of the best nights of my life to that point. As the light slowly faded from the sky, Aaron's little song seemed to whisper back up at it. The music was slow and somewhat sorrowful, but it seemed as if it was a sorrow that would end the moment the sun rose again. I just rested my head in my hands, watching him out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't believe how talented he was. And as the fire flickered an orange glow across his face that would hide it momentarily in shadow, I had to appreciate my life with him.

With a last sigh of goodbye, the harmonica was put away.

He stared up at me then, as if suddenly becoming aware of my presence. Aaron always managed to lose himself in his art and in his music. We didn't say anything for a while. We just sat there snuggling against one another in the firelight. I couldn't get close enough to him. I was still wearing my bathing suit and he was in his. The temperature drop made our point of contact the warmest portion on either of our bodies and soon we were wrapped in a comfortable embrace. I had shifted to sit between his legs and he had slipped to the ground behind me.

I was holding his hands, which he had rested on my shoulders when I felt a growing twitch start in his forearm and spread down to his fingertips. The spasms were brief and rhythmic. It was a familiar reminder of our greatest difference.

Aaron had very nearly been a cerebral palsy child. The disease forms after some sort of trauma to the cerebrum in the womb. Lesions form on the brain and cerebellum and cause a variety of damage to the nervous system. If whatever trauma it was that caused his symptoms had been only slightly worse, or happened slightly earlier, he could have had the full fledged illness and quadriplegia. Instead, he had momentary twitches and muscle spasms which he could not control. It had been why he had not gotten a scholarship to the Division I school we were enrolled in. He didn't pass the medical and physical exams.

The twitches had become a fact of life for us and were not so noticeable to those who were only passing acquaintances. I was certain that a lot of our high school classmates hadn't even realized that he had them. What was noticeable and decidedly more dangerous was the lack of sensation that he had.

There is a more common form of the condition which is called congenital insensitivity to pain. Aaron has a much rarer condition called congenital sensation deficiency. The word deficiency is used because its effects vary. Some of the sufferers feel everything but the lightest of sensations. Others, like Aaron, feel almost nothing at all.

He almost died during our childhood on several occasions because he didn't understand the concepts of pain or sensation. Injuries could become fatal or serious because he didn't understand that something was wrong. One time, as a freshman in high school, he had broken his ankle while playing football. Instead of laying on the ground waiting for help, Aaron stood up and tried to run back to the huddle. He toppled over when his ankle folded underneath him. People were stunned to see this kid with a snapped leg staring at his foot in surprise.

Our family had gotten used to it and his close friends and teammates were well aware of its potential risks. We all were cautious to remind him or notify him if something had hurt him or could hurt him.

The worst part of it is, is the not feeling anything. People can live, with help, without pain to remind them of their injuries or dangers. But when you can't feel anything's touch the world is a different place. For Aaron, every movement was an exercise in practiced muscle control. He never drove any car but mine and his. If his seat setting was off by just a bit, he would have no idea that he was applying too much or too little pressure to the gas or brake. All the subtleties of life that we learn through touch were lost on him.

I had asked him once, when we were younger, how it felt to not feel anything. He said that he remembered feeling really alone. And that sometimes he still did. Hugs and kisses from mom and dad didn't quite have the same meaning as they did to me. Aaron told me then that he liked people with expressive faces and movements. He liked voices and their intonations. He enjoyed smells and tastes. All of these other senses helped fill in the blank of what he was missing.

Even so, I had told him I was sorry. He said that he was fine.

But that night it was just the twitches. No accidents, no injuries.

The next day would be just as wonderful as the day before. We stayed on at the lake, Aaron having spent the evening concocting some wonderful sounding activities for the following day. He wanted to finish his painting of me and do some swimming of his own.

I didn't have to change in the morning, having spent the entirety of the evening in my suit. So first thing in the morning, despite a slight chill, I was stationed back atop my slab. Of course I was still worrying about my "nippiness", but Aaron didn't seem to notice whatsoever.

When he finally did finish the painting he allowed me to escape my pose and dive into the refreshingly pure waters of the lake.

I had gotten accustomed to that first momentary shock of the cool temperatures and rather then surfacing quickly, dove for the bottom. The water must have been purified by the mineral deposits beneath it, because it was entirely clear and free of typical mud. I was about fifteen feet down when I hit the bottom of the lake and felt the smooth firm surface of granite beneath my finger tips.

Leveling off my dive, I kicked forward, struggling to maintain my depth. The rock was impossibly smooth from years of erosion and I kicked lower. For several seconds my body grazed over the surface of the lakebed until I could hold my breath no longer and pushed for the surface.

By the time I reached the glistening blue top layer of the water, my lungs and eyes were just beginning to burn from the oxygen deprivation. But as always, that first breath of air made it disappear.

Aaron was nowhere to be found, his easel and canvas standing where he had left them. I was looking around, my hair dragging over the water as I turned side to side.

Failing to look for the obvious, he caught me from beneath. His hands slid up my knees to the back of my thighs and suddenly I was hurtling through the air. Right before I hit the water, I would catch side of my attacker, and the huge grin which spread over his face as I plummeted back into the freezing water.

I gasped and snorted the water from my nose until I could regain the surface. But by the time I had managed to clear my eyes and try to spot where Aaron was, he had already disappeared. This time I was ready and the moment I felt his hands start their journey up my leg to launch, I hooked my ankles behind his head.

The end result was much less spectacular then my first orbital journey, but I still managed to get dunked. Aaron, a fabulous swimmer, had managed to push his shoulders clear of the water until I sat on his shoulders, with his face sputtering into my bikini bottoms. The momentary perch would falter when he slammed me back into the water. I didn't let go, wanting to capture some revenge.

Sure enough, he went down with me. We were about three feet under the water when he managed to escape my leg lock, but he wasn't about to be shown up. So beneath the otherwise calm waves we struggled for supremacy, playfully slapping, twisting, and pushing.

Soon air had run out so we swam back for the surface. We couldn't contain our laughter and so we both ended up swallowing a lot more water then necessary.

"Hey sis, look," Aaron whispered quickly. I turned a circle in the water and looked to where his eyes were fixated. Two young men and a pretty younger woman were hiking towards our campsite, having just abandoned the main trail. I felt my stomach sink a bit as I realized we had guests.

Aaron was already swimming back towards the shore, halfway to protect his stuff and halfway to cut off the newcomers prior them entering our camp.

"Hello," he offered a bit to quickly to be friendly.

I followed, knowing that Aaron's mannerisms weren't always the best when he was put off.

"Hi," one of the two guys responded. They looked to be about the same age as one another, probably around twenty-six or seven. The girl was decidedly younger, closer to my own age, and from the way she was acting, involved with one of them.

I'd managed to get out of the water and join Aaron on shore by then. The moment I slipped from the water's reflective surface, one of guys (the single one) began to ogle outrageously. It wasn't a foreign experience but I didn't like it this far out in the woods. You feel safe when you are alone with nature, but when strangers intrude upon your solitude, I feel markedly more insecure. I did a quick adjustment of my bathing suit, trying to cover up a bit more skin then what it normally did. Damned bikinis are just too skimpy these days.

"What are you guys up to," one of the newcomers asked.

"Just hanging out and doing the trail."

"Yeah, us too. We were planning on camping here tonight and getting on with it tomorrow," replied the other guy. "Don't mind sharing the space do you?"

"No, its all public out here," Aaron replied.

I got myself in as close to Aaron as I dared, trying to hide from the one man's steady stare and from the occasional glance of the other.

I leaned out from behind him and offered a hand to the girl.

"Hi, I'm Athena."

She gave me a cutesy little smile.

"I'm Catharine." The creepy guy quickly stepped forward, his thin long frame loping towards me. He reminded me of a starving wolf, with his mangy hair and unshaved scruff.

"I'm Steven. It's a pleasure to meet you," he stated as he held my hand a bit too long.

Sensing my discomfort with Steven, Aaron stepped in front of me and took Steven's hand.

"I'm Aaron. Her boyfriend." Catharine giggled at the rebuttal to her hiking partner and the as of yet unnamed guy gave a derisive snort to his friend.

Steven was probably a little taller then Aaron, around six foot three or so, but was decidedly less muscular. If Steven had been a wolf, Aaron would have been a badger. His thicker muscles made him much more intimidating.

It was interesting to see how quickly we adopted the role of boyfriend and girlfriend; holding hands, petting hair, little kisses here and there. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Once the awkwardness of the first meeting wore off, we settled down to some good conversations with the others. Apparently Steven and David, the other guy, were doctors who had just finished their residency. They had decided to take a break and go hiking before moving to the nearest big city to start up practice. Catharine had been an intern at the hospital they worked at. According to her, the relationship had been very sweet. I got the distinct impression that she was a little in awe of dating a doctor who was seven years older then her.

My impression of the newcomers continued its downhill slide when Catharine decided that the swim was best approached in the nude. David had encouraged the decision, ignoring my disproving looks and had walked her naked down to the water and unceremoniously dumped her in. With a salacious grin towards Aaron and I, he jumped in afterwards.

Aaron and I tried to keep our minds focused on our own business but they were just to weird and out there for us not to pay attention. The couple had been innocent enough in their playing. Every once in a while Catharine would end up above water giving everyone an eye full of her small breasts. I noticed Aaron looking a couple times and found myself peeved at him for it. I gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs which he didn't even notice. I surrendered. Boys will be boys.

But given more time, the couple got a little more frisky in the frigid water. At first it was just passionate kissing but it became apparent that David was standing on solid ground and that Catharine's movements weren't just the result of swimming. It took me a few more seconds to figure out that he was giving her a few fingered delight. The arm woven between their bodies evidenced that.

More and more put off, I was about to turn and tell Aaron that we should retreat to our tent and give them some time alone, when I heard him mutter a little expletive under his breath.

I turned back to look at the couple and was astonished to see that Steven had joined them, and that two pairs of shorts were now floating at the surface of the lake. The three were pressed in a sandwich with Catharine the meat and the two boys the bread. Catharine's cries were getting quite pointed and her head was tilted back on Steven's shoulders as she bounced on the unseen appendages, which she was no doubt riding.

Furious, I grabbed Aaron by the hand and yanked him away from his little stage performance.

"Fucking pervert," I practically yelled at him as he settled onto his sleeping bag.

"What the fuck?"

"You fucking pervert," I swore. It wasn't a normal habit, but I was a little pissed to be the only sensible one between the pair of us.

"Screw you. You were watching too."

"Not like you. You sounded like you had been running for a few miles, panting and huffing. I can't believe you."

"Bull shit. You don't see that everyday. That's probably like a once in a lifetime thing."

"And that makes it okay!?"

"Hell yeah it does. She's hot. If that were me, I'd be doing the same thing."

I sputtered for a few moments at the revelation my brother was just the same as the other guys. "Well, fine, go watch then!"

"No. You'll just be pissed at me."

"Get out! I don't want to be in here with you, pervert."

Aaron didn't really seem to need all that much encouragement and he slipped from the tent. When he did, I noticed the tent in his shorts. Men.

I flung myself on the floor for a few minutes before I decided to put some sweat bottoms on over my bikini. I zipped the tent up and found myself crying. I wasn't sure why it hurt me so bad that Aaron had been looking. He was just a boy. I guess I just expected more from him then the others. Especially when they were as creepy as Steven and Dave.

So I just lay there pouting in my sleeping bag, trying to ignore the rising temperatures inside the tent. It was a nearly impossible task, and I found myself dripping with sweat after half an hour. I stripped out of all my clothing and pulled my towel on over me and lay on my back, it my only defense from the perverted world outside.

About five o'clock, I heard voices finally in the camp site and the sounds of unpacking. I was hideously bored, but refused to leave the tent. I didn't want to admit defeat just yet.

When the tent zipped open and Aaron stepped back in, I was a little relieved until I caught on that his shorts were dry but his hair and skin were soaked.

"Prick," I muttered and rolled on my side. It was a little too careless and I quickly had to adjust the towel to avoid displaying any of my own goods. He changed on his half of the tent and let out a small sorry before he stepped outside and went to kitchen area.

It was impossible to avoid thinking about what he had probably been doing out there, and doing so stirred up two drastically different emotions in me. One was sadness and the other was the faintest tinge of arousal. I had never had sex, mind you, but had plenty of sexual experiences. You don't survive in high school any more without giving a little and getting a little. I knew enough to know that the right things could be very good. And that delighted smile I had seen on Catharine's face when she was pressed between the two guys told me that it was probably very good.

Swearing at myself I pushed myself up off the floor and slid on my top and a pair of trunks over my newly replaced bottoms. I stepped from the tent into a different world.

Aaron was sitting awfully close to Catharine on a log at the side of the unlit fire pit. She had one bare leg draped over his and only a towel covered her body. I assumed she was nude, considering she had never even bothered to get a bathing suit out. Aaron was talking animatedly about his art, and she was offering her services as a model. Steven and David sat close by watching with leery smiles. When I stepped into full view, I saw their gaze switch to me. Steven was the most overt of the gazers as always but David had a little bit of a lecherous smile going as well. Catharine looked to me, then to her boys but turned back to my "boyfriend". She let her leg fall a bit further, and everyone had a clear view of her snatch. Whore.