Double Switch Ch. 10

A Note to the reader:

Double Switch is a novel with a Prologue, an Epilogue and 18 chapters. The Prologue has been on this site for some time. Unfortunately, the censors at Literotica rejected my first and second chapters. I have rewritten them, making sure that no overt sexual activity takes place until the participants are 18 years of age.

To understand the story, you need to read the Prologue first. So, look it up under my name in the Author Index before proceeding with this Chapter.

Incidentally, Literotica calls the Prologue, Chapter 1. So, Chapter 9 you see here will be listed as Chapter 10, etc.

Chapter 9

It was still several hours before dinner time when the four arrived at the cottage.

"Why don't we try out the two canoes, I found in the shed yesterday," Frank suggested.

"I didn't know you were a canoeist, dear-heart," Sally told her fiance.

"I don't necessarily claim to be an expert, but what's to know? You just paddle, first on one side, and then the other. Otherwise, You'd go in circles. With a diploma in mechanical engineering, I should be able to figure out that much."

"We've been out with our dad, but that was years ago. So, don't count on us," Sue interjected. "Okay, let's get our suits on and paddle across the lake. It's lees than a mile wide," Sally suggested.

Quickly donning their swim suits, and shirts to protect them from the sun, the four put the two canoes in the water. Frank and Sally climbed into one and Ernest and Sue the other. Ernest was apprehensive about sharing a canoe with Sue, but since they would always be within sight of the other boat, he concluded he would be relatively safe from any attack the blond beauty might mount on him.

The fact that none of the four were particularly expert at canoeing became immediately evident. Nevertheless, they managed to cross all but the last hundred yards of the lake, when the paddle Ernest was welding broke into two pieces - the paddle end floating away before any of them could reach it.

"Damn! Now what are we going to do?, Ernest shouted. "I can't very well paddle with this stump."

"I'll maneuver our canoe over to yours," Frank yelled. The girls can link hands and I can tow you to shore. It's not that far. We ought to be able to make it."

"It's worth a try, I guess," Ernest hollered back.

A minute later, Frank had the stern end of his canoe next to the bow of the one Ernest and Sue were in.

"Now, Sue, Sally, see if you can link hands, without falling overboard. Each of you, crouch down in the canoe."

The girls managed to grab each other's hands and somehow avoid tumbling into the lake.

"Okay," Frank called. "Here we go. Ern, see if you can help a little with your hands. What's over here anyway? I don't see any cottages or anything," Frank asked as he began paddling strenuously.

"No, there aren't any. It's state park," Sally responded.

"There's a park ranger station at the entrance, about three miles from here, Sue added. There aren't any roads and only a few trails. It's pretty wild in most places.

"When we were teenagers, Sue and I and our parents and our younger brother hiked part of it, but not all the way to the lake. So I don't know if there are any trails right here or not."

"Dandy," Ernest was heard to mutter, as his hands worked at scooping water in an attempt to provide a little extra propulsion to his canoe.

It took about ten minutes, but they finally got the two canoes into water shallow enough that they could wade to shore.

"How far did you say that ranger station is?" Frank asked, once they had the two canoes beached.

"It's about three miles, that way, through dense woods," Sally answered.

"I don't think we can make it that far before dark. Those woods look pretty thick," Frank observed.

"We certainly can't load all four of us in one canoe," Ernest noted. "So, one of us will have to take one of the canoes back across the lake and borrow a paddle from someone in one of the other cottages; then come back for the others."

"Right you are little brother. Other than all of us spending the night here, that's our only option."

"Now that that's decided, the next question is who goes and who stays?" Sue added.

"Well, I think two need to go. For one thing, a canoe is easier to maneuver with someone up front. And, it looks like a storm could be coming up. The wind is freshening and look at those clouds on the horizon. With two, there's a much better chance of making it across, if one gets too tired to paddle, especially if a storm comes up."

"I think Ernest and I should go," Frank said. "We can probably get across and back faster then you girls can."

"You're not leaving us here all by ourselves," Sue announced in no uncertain terms.

"I don't like that idea either," Sally broke in. "There're bears in these woods. I'd be scared."

"You're not the only one who'd be scared, sister dear. No, that idea's out."

"Okay, then, it'll be one man and one woman who go and one man and one woman who stays. Which will be it be?" Frank posed the question.

"Well, I can tell you whoever stays, and whoever goes, I'm gonna be with Frank," Sally insisted. "That makes one less decision we have to make."

"If we had a coin we could flip it, but I didn't think I would need any money to canoe across the lake, so, I didn't bring any," Sue said rather flippantly.

"None of us did," Sally added.

"Okay, my fiancee has made it clear she and I'll be together either in the canoe or here on this side," Frank said. "I'm certainly not about to argue with her. So that's settled. Hey, I've got it. You two girls'll make the decision. Sally, Sue, turn around and look the other way. I'll scratch a number between one and ten in the dirt. You two tell me what the number is. The one closest, goes across the lake. If it's Sue, Ernest goes with her. If it's Sally, she and I go. Is that agreed?"

"Sounds reasonable to me," Ernest said nervously, contemplating being alone with Sue, either here or in the canoe. He was pulling for her to win. She would have less chance to do something that would embarrass him in the canoe. Once they got to the other side, they'd be busy looking for a paddle to borrow.

"Okay Sue, what number did I scratch in the dirt?" Frank called out.

"TWO. I'll go with TWO," Sue replied.

"Sally, what number?

"SEVEN."

"Okay turn around. The number is EIGHT. See right there. So, it looks like Sally and I are going for a paddle, in more ways than one."

"Never mind the puns, brother. Get going, so you can get back before dark."

As they cleared the shore, waving goodby, Frank took note of the few landmarks, by which to guide him back to the location. The only unique feature he could identify was a clump of white birch trees about a hundred yards north of where they had left his brother and Sue.

They were about three quarters of the way across the lake, when the wind suddenly picked up strength and the lake became choppy. It required all the strength Frank could muster, to get the canoe to the other side and then they were about a quarter mile down the beach from the cottage. By the time they found an occupied cottage a little farther down the shore, it had begun to rain and the wind was blowing fiercely. A woman answered their knock at the door and told them to come in out of the storm.

"I'm Sally Davidson," Sally said, once inside the protection of the cottage. "My parents own a cottage about a half mile up the shore. This is my fiance, Frank Adams." "Well, sit down and have some hot coffee," the man said. I'm Bernie Green. This is my wife Emma."

The couple looked to be in their sixties or seventies.

"Did you get very wet?" Emma Green asked.

"No, not really. It just started raining, as we approached your cottage. Besides, with swim suites, we're not worried about it. What weare worried about is my sister and Frank's brother stranded over on the other side of the lake."

"How did that happen?" Bernie Green inquired.

Sally recounted the story of the broken paddle.

"You only had two paddles with you?" Bernie said more as a rebuke than a question. "And you didn't inspect them first?"

"Yeah, I guess they were pretty old," Frank replied. "I kept worrying mine might break on our way back over here."

"Then you would've been out in the lake without a paddle. That's worse than bein' up the creek without one."

"That ain't funny Bernie," Emma Green broke in. "Here's some coffee. It should help warm you up."

"No, you're right, it ain't. I've got an outboard motorboat and I'll be glad to take you over just as soon as this storm lets up. But, there's no way, I'm takin' the boat out in weather like this."

The storm had intensified and the rain beat fiercely against the window panes of the small cottage.

Two hours passed. Darkness was coming on fast. Finally the storm passed, but by then it was totally dark. "Well kids, Bernie said. It's too dark to cross the lake now, but I'll go rescue your stranded pair, just as soon as it begins to get light. Should be about five-thirty. You two be out on your dock at five-thirty and we'll go fetch 'em."

Sally's heart sank at the thought of leaving her sister on the other shore all night, but there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"That's mighty kind of ya, Mr. Green," Frank said.

"Yes indeed. We'll be much obliged to you," Sally added with still a little sadness and reluctance in her voice.

"Call me Bernie. And, I'll see you two in the mornin' at five-thirty sharp."

"Here," Mrs. Green said. "Take this flashlight, so you can find your way to your cottage. It's mighty dark out there."

"Okay, thanks," Frank said, accepting the flashlight. We'll return it in the morning."

With that, the two walked dejectedly, the half mile up the shore to the cottage; both worrying about their two siblings left stranded across the lake.

They ate a light supper, knowing Sue and Ernest would have nothing to eat - then went to bed early, in order to be able to get up before dawn and be on the dock by five- thirty.

For the second night in a row, they didn't have sex. This was some kind of record for them, at least for the times they were together. But, with their worry, neither was in the mood. They didn't get much sleep either.