The Ritual

by Jean-Luc Cheri

  When the three months of being Ritual Mates was up, Rain and I continued to have sex together exclusively. Finally, Mom sat us down and explained that while she didn’t mind us screwing, we needed to look for other partners so that our experience would be more rounded. We listened and nodded in agreement, and told her we would do as she asked, but when we were alone together we admitted we didn’t want to be with anyone else.

  About a week after our meeting with Mom, something happened that devastated our world.

  Some of the members of Haven would occasionally go up into the mountains and do some hang gliding. There were about fifteen in the group, both women and men, and they’d spend a few days up there catching the warm updrafts that rose up from the valleys below. Rain and I had gone with them once when we were younger, but neither of us had had the courage to launch ourselves off of the mountain top attached to a frame and nylon wings.

  This time, the group returned early, carrying with them the body of our leader, Father Yod. Somehow his hang glider had snapped a supporting rod when he was high in the air, and he had fallen to his death.

  Everyone at Haven was devastated, including Rain and I, and having sex was the last thing on our mind. A dark cloud seemed to appear over the commune as we mourned our beloved leader.

  A few of the long-time members tried to step up and fill the void, but it soon became apparent it wasn’t working. Father Yod had been the glue that held us together, and now that he was gone we were falling apart.

  Families began to leave, either moving to other communes or giving up the lifestyle and returning to society. Five months after Father Yod’s death, our dad informed us we were moving back to California.

  Rain and I hadn’t been part of normal American life since we were eight, so it was kind of a shock to go from living in a commune to living in the suburbs. The commune had their own school we attended, but when we were tested by the government school system, it was determined that we would be placed in grade eleven when we joined their school in the fall. So we spent two years in high school with classmates who were so much different than we were used to.

  Rain and I hadn’t had sex with each other, or anyone else, since the day we found out Father Yod died. Now that we were back in society together, and hanging out with the supposedly normal people, we learned that incest was very much taboo. So we hid our feelings for each other and turned our attention to others.

  Rain dated the high school quarterback, and I hooked up with a cheerleader. Even though we were both having sex, we didn’t really discuss it with each other. I guess we were becoming normal brother and sister too.

  After high school we attended different colleges, and drifted further apart, only seeing each other when we came home for breaks or summer vacation. It wasn’t until the summer between our junior and senior years did we really reconnect, becoming close again. We didn’t have sex with each other, but we both acknowledged that the desire was there.

  After graduation, I found a job at an engineering firm, and got my own apartment. I didn’t have a steady girlfriend, just bedding the occasional woman I’d meet in a club or bar, or friends would fix me up with.

  Then a random encounter at a grocery store changed my life. I was picking out some apples when I heard a voice from beside me.

  “River?”

  I turned to see who it was, and it took a few seconds before the recognition set in. I smiled.

  “Sahara?”

  She grinned. “I go by Megan now. How have you been?”

  “Been great. How about you? How long has it been?”

  “I’m great too. And it’s been too long. How’s Rain?”

  “She’s doing well too. Dating a real nice guy.”

  She looked at me a moment, then said, “So you and she aren’t…?”

  I smiled. “No. We haven’t since that summer.”

  She nodded. “You two were real close. To be honest, I envied her.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. I figured I’d have my shot after the three months were up, but then Father Yod died, and things got pretty weird at Haven. We moved out a few months later.”

  “I remember. We left a few months after you.”

  “So how about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Are you dating anyone?”

  “Not at the moment. You?”

  “I broke up with a guy about a year ago. We were engaged and everything.”

  “Why’d you break up?”

  She shrugged. “He was okay, but I just didn’t see myself spending the rest of our lives together. Since then, I’ve been a little gun-shy about starting up with someone else.”

  I nodded. “That’s understandable.”

  “But like I said, it’s been a year.”

  I smiled. “So you’re less gun-shy now?”

  Her eyes met mine. “Yeah. If it’s with the right guy.”

  My smile widened.

  We went out that weekend, and being the carefree ex-hippies that we were, we had sex after the first date. And it was incredible.

  Rain was a bit surprised when I informed her I was dating the former Sahara, and I could sense of a bit of her old jealousy seeping through. But she was dating her future husband Will at the time, so she couldn’t complain too much. And as a matter of fact, she and Megan became good friends, and remain so to this day.

  I proposed to Megan a little over six months after our reunion in the grocery store, and six months after that we were married. Our first, a daughter named Amanda, was born ten months later and our family was off and running. Rain got married the same summer I did, and unknown to her, she was three weeks pregnant at the time. Her first was a son named Will Jr.

  Epilogue

  “Penny for your thoughts?”

  I turned and smiled at my wife, who was sitting beside me in the car as I drove home from the birthday picnic.

  “One guess.”

  “Haven?”

  I nodded. “I was talking to Rain earlier, about how perfect that summer was.”

  She smiled. “I was happy to be a small part of it. Have you ever told anyone?”

  “No, Rain and I have kept it a secret all these years.”

  “Sometimes I get jealous of her.”

  I reached over and took her hand in mine. “Don’t be silly. I love you so much.”

  “I know. But you love her too.”

  “It’s not the same. She’s my sister.”

  “We both know she’s more than that.”

  I nodded. “It was a long time ago.”

  “Have you ever been tempted? I mean over the years. To experience it again with her.”

  “No. Never.”

  “Why not?”

  I thought for a moment. “Because it would be wrong. We both knew that.”

  “So you think it was wrong what you did?”

  “No. At Haven, it was the right thing to do. At Haven, things were different. But once we left there, it wasn’t like that anymore. We saw ourselves differently. And we knew it would be wrong. Yeah, we considered it early on, but I think we both decided it would hurt our relationship, and perhaps ruin it forever. It wasn’t worth the chance. And then I ran into you, and fell in love. After that it was out of the question.”

  She smiled and squeezed my hand. “I love you, River.”

  “I love you too, Sahara.”

  She laughed softly and rested her head against my shoulder, both of us quiet for the rest of the drive home.

  # # #

  Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this story, check out my other books listed below. If you’d like to contact me, send me an email at jeanluccheri@hotmail.com. I try to respond to all emails.

  Jean-Luc

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  Links to Amazon books: (Or you can go directly to my Author’s Page on Amazon.)

  Step-incest Erotica (Taboo):

  The Ritual – Rain and River are stepsister and stepbrother living on a
hippie commune in 1975, struggling with taboo desires for each other.

  Tactical Wank – Rachel instructs her younger brother on how to masturbate before a date.

  Extra Credit – Lacey finds out that her brother-in-law and Math teacher is trading sex for grades.

  We Can’t Do That! – Step-siblings Maddie and Drew are on vacation in Hawaii when they meet an older woman who makes them an offer to cross a taboo line in exchange for a lot of money.

  Surprise Visit – Amber spends the night at her stepfather’s apartment, and discovers a secret so shocking it changes her life forever.

  I’m Not Your Wife! – Roxie’s stepfather gets hit in the head, and now he thinks Roxie is his dead wife.

  Crash – Siblings Holly and Scott’s spouses are in a car crash together, and the brother and sister not only have to deal with the results of the wreck, but also their secret desire for each other.

  I’m So Horny! – Alex’s sister Rachel is horny and wants to have sex with his friend Kyle. But when Kyle can’t get the job done, she turns to Alex.

  Lending a Hand – Kara is taking care of her nephew Craig, who has two broken arms, when she realizes she needs to lend him a hand..

  Help, It’s Too Big! – Holly sets her brother Nick up on a date so he can lose his virginity, but the date refuses him, telling him he’s too big for her.

  Watching Together – Siblings Bailey and Evan are forced to watch their friends have sex, unleashing their secret desires for each other.

  His Secret Desire – Renee discovers her stepfather is writing incestuous erotica, and decides to make it come true.

  Making a Donation – Patrick’s stepmother wants to get pregnant, and he helps her cause by donating his sperm.

  I’ll Do Anything, Officer! – Denise helps her brother Conner get out of a speeding ticket, but what she wants in return may be too taboo for him to handle.

  They’re Cheating on Both of Us! – When Beth and her stepfather discover their dates cheating on them, will they turn to each other to satisfy their hidden taboo desires?

  Desperate Measures – Stepsiblings Angie and Erik discover their family is in danger of losing their house, so they try to find a way to raise some money. Their plans put them on a collision course that will force them over a taboo line.

  Blindfolded – Alexis has the hots for her stepbrother Dylan, and her best friend Zoe comes up with a plan to allow her to satisfy her forbidden desire.

  Voyeur Hotel – Stepsiblings Becca and Danny are staying with their family at an old seaside hotel – a hotel that has secrets. Secrets that will force the pair to confront their taboo lust for each other.

  I Saw You Cheating! – Brad is on vacation in France with his stepmother Sabrina, and witnesses her cheating on his father.

  Strip Pool – Stepsiblings Bobby and Cassie start playing a game of strip pool, treading very close to crossing a forbidden line.

  I Can’t Believe I Lost That Bet! – Cyndi makes a bet with her stepbrother Scott that she knows she can’t lose. But what if she does?

  You Want to Sketch What? – Christopher is asked by his sister to model naked for him, so she can sketch an intimate part of his anatomy for her art class.

  Taboo Voodoo – Shelby enlists the help of a voodoo seer to seduce her stepfather. But will she have the courage to go through with it?

  Can’t You Knock? – Zack is having a private moment when one of his sister’s cheerleader friends walks in on him.

  You Read My Diary! – Austin has a secret: he’s been reading his sister’s diary for a while, enjoying her entries describing sex with her boyfriend.

  Caught Watching – Sophie hides in her parents’ closet to watch her mother and stepfather have sex, and when her stepfather discovers her in there, it leads them to confront their taboo desire for each other.

  Blind Date – Former stepsiblings Amy and Jimmy are hooked up on a blind date, which reignites their incestuous lust for each other.

  Oui! – Stepsiblings Erin and Sean meet a beautiful French girl named Romie during their vacation at the beach, who helps them realize their hidden desires for each other.

  Bedroom Spy – Nerd Ashley places hidden cameras in her stepbrother’s bedroom so she can watch him having sex.

  Surprise, It’s Me! – Alicia can’t stand her future stepmother, so she puts on a mask and becomes the stripper at her stepfather’s bachelor party in an attempt to seduce him.

  Paying the Debt – Alicia decides to help pay off her stepbrother Justin’s gambling debt to a large, tattooed biker. But when the biker meets her, he wants her instead of the money.

  What Happened in Vegas? – Stepsiblings Becca and Scott wake up naked together in a Las Vegas hotel bed after a night of drunken revelry. Is it possible they crossed a forbidden line and don’t remember?

  I Was in the Pool! – Joel has a problem. His sister’s friend accidentally saw him naked, and it happened to be when he was suffering from ‘shrinkage’ from being in the pool.

  Help, It Won’t Go Soft! – Sam has a problem with an erection that won’t go away, and needs his stepsister’s help. But will her attempts reveal hidden taboo desires between them?

  Forbidden – Rachel runs into the father who abandoned her three years ago. Will she be able to maintain her anger, or will her hidden desires for the man be revealed?

  Initiation – Amanda finally has a chance to satisfy her lust for her stepbrother when she gets an opportunity to participate in a blindfolded fraternity initiation with him.

  Help, It’s Stuck Again! – Abby gets a couple of Ben Wa balls stuck inside of her, and has to turn to her stepbrother Kris to get them out.

  Love, Lust, and Rock-n-Roll – Zoe joins her older stepbrother’s rock band, and as they rise to stardom together, she discovers she has a hidden lust for her sibling.

  Cheri’s Taboo Ten – Vol. 2 – Ten taboo short stories: Taboo Sitter, Taboo at the Motel, Taboo Stripping, Taboo Dark Side, Sharing a Taboo Bed, Taboo Spying in the Bedroom, Taboo in the Snow, Science Geek (by Cameo Sparx), Taboo on the Ferris Wheel (by Tea Minx), and Taboo Voyeurism (exclusive to this collection).

  Cheri’s Taboo Ten – Vol. 1 – Ten taboo short stories: A Taboo Taste, Taboo Halloween Switch, Accidental Taboo, Taboo Shaving, Taboo Spanking at Home, Taboo Embarrassment, Taboo Peeping Tom, Stung (by Cameo Sparx), Taboo Aphrodisiac (by Tea Minx), Taboo Poker Game (exclusive to this collection).

  Prom Disaster – Keith is invited to the prom by Raquel, the hottest girl in school. But when everything goes wrong, it’s Keith’s stepsister Alyssa who steps in and makes it all right.

  Married for the Weekend – Ashley pretends to be her stepfather’s wife for a business retreat, where the couple must convince everyone they’re husband and wife, while at the same time dealing with secret desires for each other.

  Rest Stop Surprise – Jamie and Chloe are new acquaintances, getting to know each other as they share a ride home from college. But they’re in for a surprise they never saw coming.

  You Brought Me to a Nudist Resort? – Devin is tricked by his stepsister into going to a nudist resort with her, where their hidden desires are revealed.

  A Dark Motel Room – Due to their friends’ mischief, Lauren and her stepson, Lucas, end up together in a dark motel room without being aware of who the other is.

  Help, It’s Stuck! – Chloe has something stuck in an intimate spot and needs the assistance of her stepbrother, Lucas, to get it out.

  Taboo Games – Stepsiblings Jimmy and Kate are left home alone to play naughty games and explore their taboo desires.

  What She Saw – Kerri hides in her stepfather’s closet, and witnesses something so incredible, she realizes that she might be able to satisfy her taboo lust for the man.

  Teach Us – Scott and Dawn are stepsiblings who don’t get along, but when they meet another pair of stepsiblings during a family camping trip, they are taught they no longer have to hide their forbidden desires for each other.

  Taboo Matchm
aker – Wendy begins an affair with Ariana’s stepfather, and soon realizes the two of them have incestuous desires for each other.

  Taboo Foursome – Brooke and Dustin are siblings, and so are Brad and Elle. Brooke is dating Brad, and Dustin and Elle are a couple. Incestuous desires mingle as they spend a week in a motel room together.

  Taboo Dark Side – Sharon accidentally witnesses her stepdaddy having brutal sex with one of his students, and decides she wants the same from him.

  Fun in Cabo: My Two Stepdads – Casey’s two stepdads take her to Cabo for her birthday, where she spends most of her time trying to seduce them.

  Taboo Switcheroo – Stepsiblings Danni and Seth go on a weekend trip to the beach with their dates, but soon their dates become involved, leaving the siblings alone to rekindle old lust.

  Accidental Taboo – Step-siblings Beth and Jamie have rented a beach house for Spring Break with their college friends. When Jamie comes home late, he gets in the wrong bed.

  A Taboo Attraction – A tragedy has left Mike to raise his stepdaughter, Clarice, on his own. But as she reaches womanhood, he can't help but notice how much she resembles his late wife. And she has inherited her mother's tastes in men.

  A Taboo Spying – Erica desires her stepdad, and she hoped a year away at college would cure her of the obsession. But when she comes home, her lust is rekindled when she discovers he has placed hidden video cameras in their house.

  Taboo Halloween Surprise – Chrissie and her stepbrother Robbie are always fighting, but when they don their Halloween costumes, and identities are hidden, who knows what exciting mischief they can get up to?

  The Taboo Schemer – Rob asks his stepsister, Annie, to hook him up with her best friend, Teri. She’s happy to help him, but he realizes that the girl he’s getting sweaty with in the dark may actually be his scheming stepsister.