Lockdown Christmas Miracle Ch. 04

Chapter 4

As soon as Cassie pulled out of the driveway to go shopping the next morning, Eric headed out to the storage sheds to pack up the lights and fixtures he was planning to use for the project he was building with Ellie. After installing the bulbs in a couple of the long industrial fixtures, Eric realized that there was no way that the PVC frame would support even a small fraction of the weight of the lights he was planning to use.

He walked back out to the enclosure and looked at the structures around it to try and come up with an idea. Eric stepped inside to look at the frame under the plastic and checked to see that it was already just over forty degrees under the canopy, even with the limited amount of sun exposure they'd already had that morning. It was at least 15 degrees warmer than it was outside and without the wind chill effect, it felt even warmer than that.

Eventually, the solution involved creating a plywood frame for the fixtures and running a rope to suspend it over the enclosure by anchoring it to a large tree on one end of the structure and one of the storage buildings on the other. Using the ladder, Eric cut out an opening in the roof and modified the PVC to create a rectangle for the frame to seat on before adjusting the tension on the ropes until he had gotten the frame suspended almost weightlessly on top of the opening. He carefully installed fist one, than the other, fixture and used duct tape to seal off all of the edges between the plywood, the PVC and the plastic sheeting. Using some of Ellie's paint, he painted the plywood and duct tape blue. It was obviously a couple of large industrial light fixtures, but there wasn't much more he could do about it than he already had.

Eric was excited about having done so much in one morning and couldn't wait to show Ellie when she came out to help. As he walked back to the house he stopped to look back at where he knew both the tractor for the rope-line and 'Operation Paradise' were located and was doubly proud that neither of the projects were visible from the house, or each other, based on how he had placed them. Cassie had already unloaded the groceries when he walked into the kitchen and just smiled when Eric refused to disclose what he had been working on.

"Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise by poking around out there, but I was wondering if you could find a few things for me out in the garage or the sheds when you have a chance". She handed Eric a list including a propane tank, a burner, copper tubing and some other items and Eric agreed to help her.

As he looked at the list, it occurred to him that many of the same things would work to make a hot water heater for the 'lagoon' if he could also locate a water pump. He hadn't planned on heating the water, figuring it would pick up some heat from the temperature under the canopy from the lights, but he realized that the ground underneath would probably keep the water pretty cold despite what the air temp inside was like. He also started to worry about what the impact the lights would have on their parent's utility bill, even if they only ran it for a short time.

Ellie came down while Eric was still eating lunch and he was surprised to see that she was already fully dressed. She had some coffee and cereal while he finished eating and seemed really excited about getting to work after lunch.

While Ellie got to work painting after admiring the solution for suspending the lights, Eric went foraging for the supplies that Cassie had requested. In rummaging through the storage buildings, Eric also found an old diesel generator that looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. He hadn't been worried about using diesel for the tractor because he knew that the diesel tank in one of the sheds was mostly full and that it most likely wouldn't be good to use past February or April. His father always kept extra fuel on hand in case of power failures, along with running the machines they used around the property. Their full-sized truck ran on diesel too so their dad would make sure to use all of it every season before it went bad, but the truck was up at their cabin now and Eric figured that if he didn't use it up over the winter it would just end up going to waste.

After bringing Ellie everything he could find, Eric filled up the generator, checked that it would start, then used a dolly and fashioned a crude sled from plywood to get the generator in to place between the enclosure and one of the buildings. He slid the generator up onto an old pallet he'd found to keep it up off the ground and connected the power cables from the light fixtures. After firing up the generator and getting it to run steadily after it was warmed up, he switched on the power and looked over to see the amber glow dully shining through the painted plastic wrap.

Eric ran around to the door and went in to stand under the light and heat emanating from the fixtures above them. Ellie had looked up from where she was working when the lights had come on and walked over to stand beside Eric as he looked up at his handiwork. Eric checked the thermometer and it was hovering right around forty-five degrees at the moment, but closer to the light it was indeed starting to feel almost tropical. Eric took off his coat and then his sweater to stand under the lights in his long sleeve t shirt. He could feel the gentle warmth on his skin and on the fabric of his shirt. Ellie put down her paintbrush to pull off her own sweater and Eric glanced over to see her t shirt hike way up her side, as it clung to the inside of her sweater, before her hand caught it and pulled it back down. Eric was left with the memory of her creamy skin exposed under the glow of the light and was looking up nonchalantly again when Ellie managed to get her sweater finally pulled over her head after it had hung up on the clip of her pony tail.

"Wow, this feels amazing, Eric!" Ellie stretched up her hands and tilted her face back to get the full effect of the lights. Eric smile down at her and the lovely mounds of her tits under the lighter fabric of her t shirt. He found he was disappointed that he could see the straps of her bra showing through.

Eric admired the progress that Ellie had made painting the walls while he had been working and then left her to go figure out the water heater portion of his plan. The idea of running the water through a kettle over a propane burner seemed a bit difficult to monitor and manage from inside the enclosure. After thinking through some of his other options he looked up to see the air above the heat lamps shimmering against the cold of the afternoon sky.

Looking at the length of soft copper tubing he had pulled for himself, he quickly and carefully bent it into a series of 'S' shapes and went to find some hoses, clamps and fittings that would help him connect the tubing and the pump. He ran a hose from the garage out to the enclosure and began filling the 'lagoon', noting that it was now almost seventy degrees inside and smiled to see Ellie cutely wiggling her well shaped butt, dancing to the music on her earbuds as she painted leaves and trees on the far wall.

Once he had his hoses secured to the tubing and the pump, Eric used a long piece of PVC to carefully lift the copper tubing and place it on top of the light fixtures he'd installed earlier. The metal shrouds that covered the tops of the lights were allowing the excess heat of the lamps to escape into the cold air above them, Eric was just hoping that they would conduct enough heat into the copper tubing to raise the temperature of the water flowing through it. Using the ladder from the inside, Eric carefully pulled the hoses through and taped them off to the PVC that ran down the side of the structure. Eric connected the pump and ran the suction end into the water before running to the garage to turn off the tap, as the water coming out of the hose had almost overflowed the hole he had dug.

It took a while to fish the cable for the pump through and connect it to the generator, but once the small electric pump started running, Eric was rewarded with the appreciably warmer temperature of the water coming back from the coil once he went inside to check the result. He checked the thermometer and it was now at 76 degrees. Leaving his coat on, Eric quickly went back outside and carefully sealed all of the openings her had created from the outside to keep any additional heat from escaping. He checked the fuel gauge on the generator and was delighted to see that running it for as long as they had, had barely made a dent in their first tank of fuel.

Satisfied with the results of his work, he cleaned up all of the extra material and tools he had left laying around and used the wheelbarrow to take it all back to the storage sheds. On his way back he loaded up four of the largest office plants he could into the empty wheelbarrow and wheeled them out to the enclosure. Parking outside the door flap, he set them down and went back for another load. After a few more trips he had managed to get a sizable collection of them lined up outside the entrance and grabbed one that looked like a small tree and backed it carefully into the enclosure, being careful not to damage the doorway.

Turning around, Eric nearly dropped the plant on his feet at the sight of Ellie dancing around painting in nothing but her underwear. Her back was turned to the door and Eric simply stared in shock at the sight of his curvy sister's bare legs and back only broken up by the cotton fabric of her panties and the strap of her bra. Her hips were rocking from side to side with the beat of whatever she was listening to and her butt was making a sexy wiggle, broken up by an occasional slow grind as she responded to the rhythm of the song in her headphones. She bent down to fill the cup she was holding with some more paint and he was treated to the fabric of her panties stretched tight over her well rounded ass and a brief peek at the mound that got revealed between her legs as she reached down. He could see the dangling lusciousness of her large tits held in place only by the fabric of her bra, revealed beautifully as she extended her arms toward the paint container.

Eric could feel his heart thumping heavily in his chest, the sound of it filling his ears and stood frozen in the spot trying to decide if he should try to exit quickly before she caught him. In a split second Ellie stood up to resume painting and looked back to see him standing there. Instead of trying to cover herself, she beamed a smile at him in delight and shouted way too loudly, "Oh my god! I feel like I'm at the beach already!" She turned back to resume painting and continued to dance and gyrate, just as she had been when he walked in.

Eric walked stiffly over to a corner where Ellie had already painted in greenery and set the plant down. Ellie looked over as he backed away and gave him a vigorous thumbs up of approval even as she continued dancing, her full boobs bouncing seductively and her flat stomach pushing in and out as her hips rocked back and forth.

Eric tried to remain casual as he walked the remaining plants into the enclosure, one or two at a time, arranging most of them along the walls that Ellie had already completed. He would sneak glances at his almost naked sister whenever he thought he could do so without getting caught, but the few times Ellie looked over, it was to nod in approval and smile at what he was doing. After he had brought the last of the fake plants inside, he took off his own coat and sweater and was shocked to see that the temperature was a balmy 84 degrees now, even as the sun was still barely above the tree line to their south.

Ellie had completed making a circle of the enclosure and put down her paints to come help Eric place the remaining plants around the space. She seemed to take a lot of pleasure in arranging them to create just what she was looking for. Eric had to admit that she had a flair for making the different shapes and heights of the potted plants work with the background she had painted along the walls. He was only too happy to help her, lifting the larger plants and moving them where she indicated and watching her bend, stoop and ponder coquettishly in her bra and panties, considering the placement of every piece, like a jigsaw puzzle where only she could see the picture on the box.

As cool and calm as he tried to act on the surface, he was doing all he could not to openly stare at his sister's cleavage threatening to burst over the cups of her lacy bra and the way the thin fabric of her panties left almost nothing to his imagination as the smooth swell of her thighs, butt and hips made an intoxicating dance in and around him as she shifted plant after plant until she had things just the way she wanted them. Her perfume created a halo of scent everywhere she went and it was difficult to stand up close to her without feeling a little drunk and off balance. Eric soon found himself feeling overly warm, sweating in the humid air and it wasn't just the actual temperature that was affecting him. Eventually he also peeled off his shirt and walked around shirtless as he helped her.

"You should have told me we could wear a bathing suit today," she said fanning herself at one point. "That water looks like it would be nice to jump into at this point, but we'd probably freeze to death in our wet undies walking back to the house," she pouted.

Eric tried to appear sympathetic, but was fighting a mental image of her wet and sleek in their makeshift 'lagoon', her underwear becoming transparent as they became wet. His throat felt tight and constricted, unable to allow him to speak properly. Eventually he managed to squeak, "I'm surprised we got everything up and running today. I didn't think we'd get this far until sometime tomorrow honestly."

"I know," she made a flourish with her hands as they admired their progress. "Just a few more touches tomorrow and I think we'll be ready to show Cassie her surprise."

Eric nodded in agreement and got dressed first as he went out to shut down the generator and cover it with a tarp he pulled from one of the sheds. He laughed to see that Ellie was literally steaming as she walked out of the enclosure, still putting on her coat. She was exceptionally bouncy and joyful as they walked home, chattering about the lawn furniture she thought they should bring over and the decorative touches she still wanted to add. She talked about getting up early the following day to work on the project and how much she couldn't wait to show Cassie the finished result.

Eric tried to focus on what she was saying as they walked, but he kept getting distracted by his memories of Ellie in her underwear and the possibility of spending a few more hours in their tropical oasis tomorrow in just their swim suits. Christmas seemed a long way off and he wondered if those few precious hours the next day were going to be his last chance to see her that undressed until they unveiled their 'gifts' to one another on Christmas Day.

As Eric showered and the girls cooked dinner, Ellie was struggling with the same concerns. The last couple of days with Eric and the magic of what they had created together had been the one bright spot in her life since Thanksgiving. The idea that they had to shut it down and keep it a secret for the next few weeks seemed like such a waste. Even though Cassie had requested the tropical paradise, Ellie couldn't imagine having to stay cooped up in the house for the next few weeks knowing she could be enjoying the bright colors and warm comfort of lounging around in their oasis the whole time. She knew she couldn't operate the equipment that Eric had put together to make it all work and there was no way to keep the secret from him even if she did.

In truth, half the fun of the day had been prancing around in her underwear in front of a boy again, even if he was only her brother. Ellie missed the attention she got from men and had to admit that it gave her a thrill to strip down to her bra and panties in the warm, steamy air, knowing at some point that Eric would walk in and see her like that. Part of her was a little disappointed that he didn't react more visibly when he did find her. She'd done her best to act casual about it, but secretly, she'd enjoyed dancing around making a show of it as they'd worked together. She wondered if it affected him at all to see her like that and found it a little weird that she secretly hoped that he did. Even if she could run the oasis by herself, part of what she was looking forward to was Eric being there to share it with her.

Ellie and Cassie talked about their plans for Eric's 'party' and Cassie said she'd be ready on her end in the next day or so. She asked if Ellie had come up with the 'entertainment' and Ellie waved it off like she had it handled. When Ellie suggested that it was going to be so hard to wait for Christmas to trade their 'presents', she was surprised how quickly, and enthusiastically, Cassie had agreed with her. Without revealing anything about their secret projects with Eric, both agreed that when they'd started working on their ideas after Thanksgiving, they thought that it would take a couple of weeks to be ready and were both dying to show the other what they'd been working on.

They heard Eric coming down the stairs to eat and quickly shut down their conversation, but as the three sat eating at the kitchen table there was a palpable excitement around the meal. They shared their after-dinner drink and Ellie wasn't the only one who had grown concerned with how low their supply of cognac had become in the days since Thanksgiving. As they joked and reminisced about past Christmases, they enjoyed the relaxing effect that the cognac had on them and when Cassie of all people had suggested that they splurge on another small drink, Eric and Ellie both quickly agreed.

After watching a movie together in the living room, Eric declared that he was pretty tired and planned to turn in early. He said goodnight and went up to his room, but rather than go right to sleep, he was barely behind his locked door for a minute before he was jerking off thinking about Ellie in her underwear and the chance to see her again the following day in her swimsuit. Even though he had just jacked off in the shower before dinner, he had been feeling bothered all through the movie watching his sisters curled up on the couch in their pajamas. As he came, he couldn't help think of Cassie joining them in the oasis, all of them wrestling around in the shallow lagoon, playfully sliding around wet and nearly naked.

Eric let Cassie know that he had to run a quick 'errand' after breakfast and would need to use the family SUV for a little while. Once he was out on the road, he drove extra carefully to maintain traction on the icy roads, as even in four wheel drive cars were constantly sliding off the road and getting stuck out here in the country during winter.

His errand was actually to meet his friend Chris, who'd grown up just a few miles away on his parents farm, and had always been the best source of 'chronic' in the county. Chris had every intention of one day managing their family farm and had opted to skip college to work on the farm with his father, even as his other siblings couldn't wait to get away from farm life and move to the city after college.

Chris had been growing and selling pot all through high school and while Eric hadn't been one of his regular customers over the years, Chris really only dealt with people he'd known his whole life and had been glad to hear from Eric when he'd asked if he could stop by the night before. Like everyone who worked on a farm, Chris was always up early and met Eric halfway up the private road that led to his house as planned.