Windchimes

The ground below us was damp and dark, a sure sign that the rain had come and hopefully, the windchimes were full of water.

"So what's this big secret you're about to tell me, Cinder?" Ron said inquisitively.

"Well, you know I was raised by my dad and he's Irish and my mom, she died when I was young and she was Cherokee. Her name was Rain and she called me Cinder, you know, the rain comes and leaves burnt trees to cinder."

"I'm sorry about your mom, but that's so cool your Cherokee;" Ron said running his hair through his brown curly locks."I always thought you were named after Cinderella."

Cinder let out a laugh and a little sigh, then looked around at the forest before her like she was a child amongst giants.Her twenty-something face was pale golden against her long jet black hair, parted in the middle. She laced up her Timberland boots a little tighter and tightened the flannel shirt around her waist.

"I need to find my rainwater windchimes to see how much rain has developed for my thesis." She said without hesitation.

"Oh, right," said Ron, remenbering what they were there for, but not before pausing to take a photo of trees with his Nikon since he was a photography major and liked Ansel Adams work-his area of study. Though the two had met at CU and were both in a weightlifting class, Ron being handsomely tall and well-built and Cinder on the slim side wanting to gain a few pound of muscle for her work in the woods.

As they walked through what was the Rocky Mountains, Cinder stopped and looked the map in front of her.

"I know that the windchimes are close to a boulder about a mile from here," and she looked and pointed at a rock formation she remembered to mark on her map.

"Well, looks like more hiking to do," Ron said politely as if asking her out on a date. He was shocked really because he was attracted to her beauty and brains, but she had asked if he wanted to go hiking in the Rockies with her and bring his camera along.

The ground was silent as they walked and each pebble flew out without a sound as they went up and down the side of the mountain, finally she saw the big boulder within her sight.

"I see it now!" Her face cherry red with excitement.

Ron just looked at her and found her so beautiful with her shorts on and tank top that exposed her little flat abs. She looked hot and sexy.

Cinder walked over to a tree with the aqua glass vials that looked liked bubbles and checked the water levels in each vial meticulously. Ron snapped photos of the huge boulder and they both felt a feat of not only climbing that high. but of doing an assignment that was due.

"Let's eat," Ron said taking out granola mix and sitting up on the boulder, his muscled legs stretched out before him.

"Okay," said Cinder."I have some yummy smores in my bag."She tossed her backpack off her back and began nibbling on the smores as she climbed up to the boulder where Ron sat.

"You know," Ron said with his face a little red, "I'm glad you invited me."

"Oh, yeah," Cinder said sitting close to him. The smell of her sweet chocolate driving him wild with desire.

"Look...I..uh, like you," He said slowly staring into her face, she being rigid at the words he just said, looking at him with dark doe eyes.

He leaned in closer and took a kiss of smore off her left cheek and she blushed. Then they started making out completely.

When they stopped kissing after what seemed like an eternity it was already getting dark. They packed up their belongings and started to head back to the car, when suddenly Cinder heard a noise, like a low moaning noise.

"Do you hear that?' she asked.

"It's probably two lovers making out, just leave em' be," Ron said.

Suddenly a large grizzly bear jumped out and began showing his teeth, his face turning sideways as he let out growls.

Cinder picked up a large stick and began chanting to herself...get back, get back, get back.

Ron decided to make a run for it and climbed up a tree and Cinder looked on in horror as the grizzly ran and clawed Ron down from the tree, bearing his claws into the sinews of his muscled chest and barely scratching his face.

She finally threw the stick down and with her flannel shirt put rocks in there and ran towards the bear with all her might, making loud noises as if to warn the bear she will attack.

WAP! She hit the bear in the shoulder blade and he turned around from the bloody trail of what was left of Ron.She hit him again on the nose. WAP! The bears nose going bloody, he decided to run away from these civilians never to see humans again.

Cinder ran over to Ron and took the rocks out of the flannel shirt and tightened it around his chest. She checked for his pulse and found he was still alive.Barely breathing, but alive.

She took out her cell phone and dialed 911.

Later that evening, the doctors said Ron would recover, but he was in serious condition.

Weeks later after the kiss upon the mountain, Ron and her stood on the boulder yet again. Ron shivering at the thought of the bear. He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him and thanked her for saving his live. She said yes and they both began kissing again as someone took a photo of them-making a fairytale romance out of a harsh situation.