Element, Part 1 (10 page)

He led the way down a small hill. “This pond used to be
bigger. It’s practically dried up now.”

“I guess this global warming is becoming more of a
problem.”  Natalie noticed the cracked mud where water once reached.

“Yeah, you haven’t seen the reports about it being a worldwide
issue?”

“No, I haven’t. I know the news said Austin’s been dryer and
hotter than usual and some crops had been affected. I didn’t realize it
affected the whole world. Since I’m majoring in biomedical science and not
environmental science, I haven’t kept up with the findings. I mean, don’t get
me wrong, it concerns me.”

“Oh, I understand. I hope I didn’t insult your knowledge so
please—”

“No, it’s okay. You’re just more in tune with it because of
the ranch.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. My parents really wanted me to
study agriculture so I could help my brother when they get older.”

“So why don’t you?”

“It’s not what I wanna do. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ranch
but I’d rather be with people instead of animals.” He urged his horse to pick
up the pace and so did she.

“I understand. So, what’s your major?”

Ryan lifted his cowboy hat and wiped his forehead again with
a handkerchief. “I’m a business and marketing major”.

Her horse drifted closer to his, allowing her to watch his
every move closely. “That’s cool. What department will you be interning at?”

He glanced over at her and she watched his eyes traveled up
and down. He was definitely checking her out. She wondered what he thought
about the way she dressed. She hoped the jeans and bedazzled t-shirt her mom
picked out for her made her look cute instead of nerdy. As for the boots, her
toes hurt and she wondered how much longer she could handle wearing them. She
didn’t have enough money to buy new ones, so she wore an old pair that had to
be at least a size too small.

“I’ll be working in the sales and marketing division.” He
cleared his throat a few times.

“Makes sense, since you like people. I wonder if you and
Lise will be working together. She’ll be interning in the marketing department
too.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out week after next.
What department will you be interning at?”

“The main lab.”

“That’s awesome. I wonder if you will be working with Dr.
Kronberg?”

“I hope so. I can’t wait to meet him.”

Natalie struggled to keep her attention on the path they
rode down. Her gaze kept wandering over to him, admiring the way he looked
wearing a cowboy hat and fitted shirt which outlined every bulge in his upper
body.  Not to mention the jeans that hugged his body perfectly. Cowboys never
caught her attention in the past but he sure grabbed her’s.

“It feels so free out here. Free from stress, free from the
worries of life.” She breathed in the fresh country air, clearing her mind. It
felt good to get away and enjoy nature. Something she hadn’t done in a while.

“It is nice out here. That’s why I don’t mind coming home on
occasion.  I’m glad ya came over.” Ryan reached his hand out and she latched on
to it.

“Me too.”  They held hands for a short while until the
horses drifted further apart and her hand slid from his.

She continued to take in the pure air, allowing it to filter
through her airways. She loved the way the air blew through her hair and it
made her eager to feel the wind against her entire body. Adrenaline flowed
through her veins and she yearned to let Freedom ride freely.

“I’ll race you to the creek!” Natalie leaned forward and
gripped the reins tightly and ordered the horse to sprint.

“Natalie….wait! I don’t think —” Ryan yelled out as she
darted off.

She ignored his warning and pressed forward. Several yards
later she looked over her shoulder and saw Ryan close behind. She laughed and
leaned into Freedom, encouraging him to go faster. This was not like her to do
something so reckless, but she couldn’t help it. The wind felt liberating as
she sped across the open land.

Slowly, she raised her body up and took a deep breath. She
felt brave and strong. Without much thought she let go of the reins and raised
her hands up high toward the sky. She closed her eyes and imagined herself
flying through the air; soaring over the vast open land to the wooded areas and
down to the lake. She blocked everything from her mind and concentrated only on
the sweet smell of the white jasmine shrubs blooming nearby.

“Natalie. Natalie. Stop! Stop!” Ryan yelled.

Natalie paid no attention to Ryan’s pleas.
  The feelings going through her body consumed every part
of her. Her body was becoming one with nature. The wind seemed to flow through
her, lifting her higher and higher. It howled and lashed against her body
giving her the sensation of power and strength.

“Natalie….Natalie! Look! Look!”
Ryan continued to holler in the distance.

Natalie struggled to separate
herself from the wind and break the trance that consumed her. She sensed
something was wrong and quickly opened her eyes when she heard Ryan’s frantic
cry.

“Natalie. Stop! Stop!” 

She grabbed the reins and pulled
on them tightly urging Freedom to halt.  The horse came to a sudden stop. She
looked around trying to figure out why he sounded panicked. He pointed toward
the horizon.

“What is that?” Natalie steadied
the horse while her eyes took in the implausible sight. “Easy Freedom.” She
coaxed the horse but he skittered around nervously.

In the near distance a warm
reddish brown haze expanded across the open land. It rolled in, taking the form
of a massive cloud, billowing and consuming everything in its path. The haze
was headed in their direction. 

Breathing heavily, Ryan struggled
to speak. “It’s…it’s a dust storm. And it’s moving toward us. We gotta go…
now.”

She watched the haze roll in like
smoke billowing up from a forest fire. “In North Texas? I thought only West
Texas gets dust storms?”

“My family said we’ve been getting
them here lately, and they’re violent.” Ryan guided the horses to turn around.
“C’mon, let’s go!” Ryan made a tsk tsk noise with his mouth and commanded the
horses to move forward. Even though the horses panted heavily, they didn’t
hesitate and quickly shifted into a sprint. 

“We’ll shoot for the barn... over
there. It’s a mile. See it?” The wind made it difficult to hear him, chopping
every other word off. She followed his hand in the direction he pointed to and
she saw their target destination.

“I can see it. Do you think we’ll
make it?” she shouted back.

“I hope so.”
Ryan
yelled at the top of his lungs.

She glanced over her shoulder. The
storm had to be only a few yards away. It
didn’t take long for the fresh
country air to be replaced by thick, gritty dirt. The horses slowed down as the
storm surrounded then. Natalie coughed, inhaling the reddish dust with every
breath she took.

Ryan pulled out the handkerchief
from his back pocket. He guided his horse closer to Natalie and handed it to
her. “Put this on. It’ll help,” he choked out the words, coughing and wheezing.

Natalie nodded and grabbed it from
his hand. “What about you?”

Ryan let go of the reigns and took
hold of his shirt and ripped it open. “I’ll use this.” He tied it around his
face, covering his nose and mouth.

Darkness swiftly filled in between
them and she lost sight of him. She reached up and pulled off her sunglasses
only to realize that she needed them on. They protected her eyes from the dirt
that now stung her eyes and made them water.

“Ryan…Ryan…Where are you?” she
called out, her hand wavering back and forth in the dust.  The thick and dark
air made it impossible for her to find him. Freedom scampered and skittered
around nervously in a circle and she struggled to get him under control. Then
she heard his horse neighing.

“I’m right here. Where are you?
We’ll have to walk the horses.” His voice trailed off, lost in the whirling
wind.

She fought to remain calm.
“Ooohhh...Ookkaaay,” she muttered under the cloth. Then Freedom came to a
complete stop and refused to move.

“Whoa…. Whoa Girl.” Ryan suddenly
yelled and she turned, searching in all directions. Then she heard him command
the horse. “Stop! Stop!”

“Ryan… Ryan—” Natalie reached out
into the darkness, not finding him. “Where are you?” she continued to call out.
The dirt burned her eyes and a lump formed in the back of her throat. Flashes
of her near death plane ride a few months ago crept into her mind and caused
fear to take over. She swallowed back the tears. Now was not the time to give
into it.

She got off the horse and pulled
his face close to hers. Freedom kept his eyes closed apparently trying to avoid
the needle-like pricks of the whipping dirt. She checked his saddle, searching
for something to cover up his head. Then she remembered she had on a tank top
under her shirt.
Thank God.
Quickly she took off her shirt and put it
around the horse’s face.

“You’re okay boy.” She patted
Freedom, reassuring him. She hugged the horse’s neck and spoke into his ear.
“Freedom we will make it to the barn. You have to trust me, okay. Let’s go
boy.”  She pulled on the reins but he hesitated at first. She persuaded him
until he followed her lead.

Natalie had no idea if they were headed in the right
direction. The thick air caused visibility to be near zero. Completely alone
and in the middle of a storm, she feared the worse. She could see it all
happening again, just like the storm that hit the plane. Would she make it out
alive this time? She fought the feelings of despair and fear, determined to survive.

She closed her eyes and focused on her surroundings. She
shuffled her feet along the ground, persevering through the storm. The
dirt-filled wind thrashed against her face, stinging her skin like a horrible
sunburn after a day at the beach. She itched and burned as the dust entered in
through her pores.

She kept her eyes closed, allowing her senses to fully take
over. Somehow, the dirt gave her confidence and strength. It allowed her body
to connect with the earth until she became one with it. She felt the ground
moving and the entire earth rotating along its axis.
Guide me mother earth.
Guide me.
At that moment, something deep within her stirred. All her
surroundings aligned perfectly, like a navigational compass, telling her the
cardinal directions. It pulled her body and guided her footsteps along the
right course.

Natalie opened her eyes. Through the thick brownish-red
dust, she saw something. She kept her eyes fixed until the air thinned enough
to reveal the green barn straight ahead of them. The sight of it brought
instant relief and calmness to her. Step by step she made her way to the barn,
pulling Freedom at her side.

“We made it, Freedom. Thank God, we made it.” She reached
for the handle on the barn door to open it. At the same time, it slid open and
a hand reached for her.

“Natalie, oh thank God, you’re okay.” Ryan pushed the door
open further allowing her and Freedom to get in.

“Yes, we made it.” Natalie leaped into his arms.

Ryan embraced her, holding her close. “I was so worried
about you.”

She took off her sunglasses and buried her face against his
chest. Tears streamed down her face, scalding her eyes. “I was so scared. I
thought I might die out there.”

He leaned his head back and cradled her face with both his
hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t leave you out there on purpose. Please believe
me.”

“What happened to you?” Her voice quivered and she swallowed
several times, trying to clear her throat from the dust and dirt that scraped
her mouth like sand paper.

“My horse took off riding like a bat out of hell. She
brought me straight to the barn. I felt horrible leaving you behind. I was
waiting for the storm to pass before I went out to look for you. I’m so sorry I
left you out there by yourself.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his
thumbs in soft gliding movements.

Her heart told her he didn’t leave her intentionally. She
just happened to get caught in another freak of nature storm. Why did these
things keep happening to her? First it was the plane ride and now the dust
storm. She had potentially come close to death not once, but twice now.

Natalie sighed heavily, still crying. “Thank God, I made it
to the barn alive. Freedom got scared and wouldn’t move. I used my shirt and
put it around his head. Oh no, I think I lost your sister’s hat.”

“It’s okay. It’s over.”

“Then….then something overcame me and my body…” she couldn’t
stop the sobs.

Ryan placed his index finger over her lips. “Shhhh. You’re
gonna be alright. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.” He pulled her
close to him and began to stroke her hair, easing the fear away with the gentle
caress of his hand.

Her tears slowly ceased. Being in Ryan’s arms did make her
feel safe. Safe from everything. She didn’t want to leave his arms ever. She
nestled herself closer to him, allowing her hand and cheek to rest on his
chest.  The warmth of his skin relaxed her and that’s when she realized she was
touching his bare skin. Through all the pandemonium she failed to notice he
didn’t have a shirt on. How did she miss that?

She kept her hand steady and allowed her eyes to survey his
finely sculpted pecks and abs. What her hands felt that night on the dance floor
was real, very real. Ryan’s body was damn hot. A fine layer of dirt covered his
bare chest and his hair stuck up in all directions. The scruffy look only made
him sexier.