Seven Falls

"Ooohh! Please! Hardwick the Mountain King! Let's see you tackle things," replied Mitch in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

John stood up from the trail and set off at a brisk pace that soon had the group strung out widely. In spite of his best efforts, Greg found himself lagging behind unable to maintain the faster pace. Marcus and Wendy slowed down letting him catch up with them.

"You're looking really red, here," said Wendy offering him her canteen.

"Thanks," said Greg taking a large swallow of the cold water inside.

"Don't worry about it, John. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We don't have to rush," added Marcus.

Wendy was just about to add her two cents when a scream echoed off the canyon walls.

Greg forgot all about his fatigue as he took off up the trail with Wendy and Marcus close behind.

The others had pulled ahead out of sight, and when he caught up with them, he held his breath.

John was down on his hands and knees looking over the side of the trail where it dropped off. The area below sloped a bit before dropping all the way straight down to the rocky bottom of the canyon. It was quickly apparent what he was staring at, Kendra had fallen over the edge near where the trail narrowed, thankfully there was a ledge ten feet below the slope where she had gone over. She was sprawled across that small ledge which was barely wide enough to accommodate two people.

"Kendra!" yelled John his voice cracking in panic.

Wendy screamed and started to cry hysterically. Marcus pulled her close while Greg got on his knees and crawled to the edge next to John.

"Kendra! Can you hear us?"

"Yes..." came her voice though it sounded weak with pain.

"Hang on Babe! I'm going to lower a rope to you," said John.

"I...do...don't think I can hold it...My shoulder is messed up...I can't lift my arm, and my ankle hurts."

John sat back looking bewildered.

"Someone needs to go down there and get her," suggested Craig.

"Are you nuts? We aren't Rescue Rangers. Shouldn't we go find help?" cut in Mitch.

"I don't think we have time to wait for help," said Greg still looking over the side.

"What are you talking about, Pal?" asked Marcus.

Greg came away from the edge, and the others moved in around him. He spoke low so that Kendra couldn't hear him.

"The ledge she is on is breaking away from the side of the canyon. There is no way to know how long it will hold her. I think someone needs to go now."

"I got this. Marcus can lower me down," said John.

"I don't think that's a good idea, John. If that ledge is unstable your weight may be too much for it," replied Marcus.

Things started to dissolve into an argument with Wendy's crying making things worse before Greg's voice rose over the din.

"Enough! I'll go down," he said barely able to believe he had just spoken the words.

"Are you sure?" asked Marcus.

"I'm the lightest one here next to Wendy, and she is in no shape to do it herself."

Marcus took his friend by the arm leading him away from the others.

"Can you do this, Greg? It's a long way down, and you get vertigo when you stand on the bed."

Greg swallowed hard feeling the clawing hand of fear gripping his heart, but he nodded, "I can do it. Just...You know...Don't drop me."

"I would never let you down...Literally," said Marcus trying to lighten the mood.

"Greg is going. John, hand me the rope."

The two larger men took hold of the rope after Marcus had made a loop around Greg's waist. Slowly he took a deep breath and stepped over the side of the trail sliding backward down the slope toward the lip where it dropped off as Marcus and John let the slack out behind him. His heartbeat was picking up speed, and only the thought that his friend needed him kept him from bursting into tears and demanding to be hauled back to the top. When he reached the lip, he paused looking over into Kendra's frightened face a dozen feet away.

"Hang on. I'm coming for you," he said trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

She nodded hurting too much now to speak.

Greg closed his eyes letting his breathing slow.

"Please, God. A little help here o.k.? Just don't let me fuck this up and kill us both...Oh, and don't let me throw up all over her."

It took every ounce of courage he could muster to let his legs dangle over the side. The bottom of the canyon looked thousands of feet away though it was probably no more than a few hundred.

"We got you, Buddy!" called Marcus from the trail trying to instill some confidence in his roommate.

He dropped over feeling the rope snap taunt around his waist, for just a moment he swayed precariously in the air before Marcus and John began to lower him down. The drop was short, and his feet hit the shelf a few seconds later, it appeared to give slightly as he came to rest, and he winced.

"Hey, Kid! What have I told you about running off by yourself without adult supervision?" he joked.

"Greg...I think my ankle might be broken..." she said through clenched teeth.

"Don't you worry about that we will get it all fixed up. First, I think we would both be happier back on the trail don't you?"

She managed a pained smile while he carefully removed the rope from around his waist and looped it around her.

"Bring her up guys. Slow!" he called to his friends.

Kendra cried out as the rope tightened lifting her upright, and Greg took the hand of her good arm squeezing it tight.

"You're going to be o.k. I promise. Just hang in there for a little bit longer."

He watched as her body rose up the short distance to the lip where she just managed to swing herself over so that Marcus and John could haul her the rest of the way up the slope. Greg stood nervously waiting for the rope to return while the cracks around the edge of the shelf widened.

"Hurry up, Fellas," he mumbled to himself.

The roped dropped down smacking him right on the head, but he was too thrilled to care. He quickly looped it back around his waist and gave it a yank.

"O.K.! Haul me up, Gu..."

The shelf broke free right under his feet.

There was a moment where he felt weightless like an astronaut, and he briefly wondered if space flight would feel the same. Then came the gut-wrenching drop like he had hit the top of a roller coaster and was headed down.

"SHIT!"

Marcus and John strained at the rope that threatened to slip from their sweaty hands, but they held on stopping Greg after a drop of a few feet. He still smacked into the side of the canyon wall where he dangled staring into the distance beneath his feet.

"Guys! Pull me the fuck up!" he cried trying to keep his cool and failing miserably.

Greg had never been so happy to see his friend's face as he was to see Marcus's grinning mug when he cleared the edge of the trail. Marcus immediately pulled him into a hug.

"I told you I wouldn't drop you," he whispered in his friend's ear.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate that," said Greg fighting back the tears.

The hike back was much slower with Marcus and John taking turns carrying Kendra, but they eventually reached the park where they flagged down a passing Ranger who called for an ambulance. The paramedics took Kendra away, but assured the assembled friends that her ankle appeared sprained, but not broken, and her shoulder was just dislocated. Everyone felt a sense of relief that it hadn't been far worse.

"I think we should take Greg for a nice dinner. In honor of being a hero and all," said Marcus throwing an arm around his friend.

"I second that motion!" added Craig.

The only one who didn't look happy was John who watched silently while the others crowded around Greg slapping him on the back.

UNDER A BLANKET OF STARS -

Greg sat at his desk making notes on a star chart that lay in front of him. He glanced at his watch noting the time.

"Tonight is the big night, right?" asked Marcus.

"Yep. Mars should be high enough in the sky by midnight to give me a chance at a good photo."

"I'm sorry I can't go with you."

"It's o.k., Marcus, I know you have important stuff to do. So where are you and Wendy going tonight?"

"Standard dinner and a movie date. I would tell you not to wait up, but since you won't be here..."

"I'm guessing you will leave a tie on the doorknob or something?"

"Let's just say if the dorm room is a rocking don't come a knocking!" said Marcus with a booming laugh.

"You're all class, Marcus."

A knock at the door drew their attention away from their friendly banter and Marcus went to answer it.

"Hey, Hop-A-Long! How's the bum wheel?"

"I'm nearly all better. I've always healed fast," said Kendra as she stepped into the room.

"I would love to chat but..."

"I know, Wendy is waiting for you downstairs. Have her home by a decent hour and use protection!"

Marcus rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind him.

"So, your ankle is better?" asked Greg.

"It's not too bad, just a little sore. Only hurts when I laugh."

Greg laughed for her as he stood up pushing his chair in behind him.

"Marcus was telling me earlier this is a big night for you. That you were going outside the city to photograph Mars?"

"That's right. The conditions are good, but these things can sometimes go sideways on you. Hopefully, I will get some good shots."

"Going by yourself?"

"Marcus was going to go originally, but since things between him and Wendy have taken off well...Who am I to get in the way of true love?"

Kendra laughed and feigned grabbing her leg which made Greg laugh in return.

"How would you like some company?" asked Kendra suddenly.

Greg nearly dropped his telescope eyepiece on the floor.

"You...Want to come with me?" he said his voice shaking.

"Sure...I mean if you want me too."

"Yes!" he nearly shouted then caught himself.

"Yeah...sure...If you're not too busy..." he replied trying to sound nonchalant.

Kendra just smiled, "You need a hand with anything?"

She ended up carrying his eyepiece case while he lugged the larger zipper bag that contained his six-inch telescope. He had already put the Dobsonian mount for it in his trunk earlier. They drove out away from the city stopping to pick up some milkshakes along the way.

Greg had been coming to the same stretch of flat country for months now. He had met the old folks who owned this ranch through one of his Astronomy professors, and they had offered to let him use their vast open acreage for an observing spot. In no time at all, he had his telescope set up and pointed at the sky taking the time to make sure everything was calibrated and ready to go. He worked by the light of a flashlight covered with a red filter to preserve his night vision.

Kendra had spread a blanket on the ground sitting on it and watching with interest as Greg fiddled with his instruments.

"Everything going o.k. over there Professor?" teased Kendra.

"You joke, but when this photo ends up on the front cover of national magazines we will see who laughs last," said Greg.

He finished his adjustments and came over to sit next to her. She looked just as beautiful as always in a loose-fitting pair of green shorts and her usual scoop neck top. Her eyes seemed to catch the starlight making them glow faintly with the fire of a thousand suns.

"Marcus told me what you did," she said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Back on the trail from Seven Falls. He told me how you came after me even though you're afraid of heights."

Greg squirmed on the blanket suddenly embarrassed.

"All the guys wanted to come after you. I was just the lightest," he replied trying to deflect her praise.

"You don't have to be modest, Greg. It took a lot of courage to come down there. I might not be here today if it wasn't for you."

"I'll just take your first born child," he said jokingly, but Kendra's smile made him nervous for some reason.

"I never told you how I ended up on that ledge."

"I just assumed you slipped or something. No one talked about it afterward. I think we were just all relieved you weren't hurt."

"It was John," she said quietly.

"John?"

"Yes...He was all fired up about getting us down that trail fast. We were talking, and I was telling him we needed to slow it down for everyone. Mitch and Craig had their backs to us, and I could smell the booze on John's breath. I knew he had been drinking too much. I got angry and told him I was going to take point and slow the pace down. When I tried to go past him, he grabbed at me, but I guess with all he had drunk that morning he grabbed harder than he intended. He knocked me backward, and I lost my balance. You know what happened next."

"Jesus, Kendra! I had no idea. I'm sorry..." said Greg.

Kendra was outwardly calm, but she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "I'm not. I broke up with him last week, by the way. I thought at first I could get over it, but you were right, Greg. He was never going to stop looking for his answers in a whiskey bottle, and I don't need that in my life."

The pair sat awkwardly after Kendra's revelation though Greg did put a consoling arm around her for a bit. Finally, not sure what to do next, he got up to recheck his scope.

"You know Mars is too low to film clearly, but if you want to see it I have it in the eyepiece."

"Definitely!" said Kendra bouncing up from the blanket.

He stood aside so she could get closer to press one eye to the single lens.

"Is it supposed to be this blurry?" she asked.

"Blurry? It shouldn't be...Let me take a look."

He tried to step back to the telescope, but Kendra moved back only slightly leaving him practically rubbing up against her as he looked again.

"I don't know what you're talking about the view is perfect," he said confused.

When he rose up from the eyepiece, Kendra was almost in his personal space smiling up at him.

"How about this view over here?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Kendra?"

Greg's heart raced in his chest as she looped a hand behind his head and pulled his mouth to her full, soft looking lips. He had dreamed for months about this moment never imagining it would ever happen and it was even more perfect than any dream he had conjured in his mind. Kendra's lips covered his like a silk curtain rubbing gently, but insistently all around. Her breath tasted faintly of the strawberry milkshake she had been drinking earlier. The kiss lingered on, and she slipped her other arm around his neck turning her head to one side, and opening her mouth wider inviting him in. Greg reacted without thinking sliding his tongue forward to swirl it around hers, and she groaned in the back of her throat. His arms wrapped around her waist pulling her tighter as the kiss grew hungrier, bolder.

Kendra pulled away at last then took Greg's hands leading him back over to the blanket.

"Didn't you say that Mars won't rise high enough for several hours yet?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Um...That may be just enough time."

Greg gulped hard as Kendra reached down and pulled her t-shirt off over her head.

She was wearing a red lacy bra underneath her shirt that could barely restrain the avalanche of flesh held behind it. As Greg looked on, she released the hooks holding it in place with a casual ease, and her large love mounds bounced free onto her chest. They were very firm for their size standing out away from her body with just a hint of sag. The nearly flawless skin of each was much lighter than her normal tan complexion and they shown like twin beacons in the darkness drawing Greg forward.

"Sweet Jesus...Kendra..." he muttered trying to find his voice.

"So...You like them?" she asked.

"Oh! God! Yes!" he said his eyes going wide.

"You know, it's o.k. if you want to touch them."

"What? Oh...Right...Sure," he said trying to get a handle on the situation.

He had not left his dorm room having any expectation that something like this would happen and he was fighting to get back in the game. He slowly raised his hands to run along the sides of Kendra's huge, round breasts feeling the smooth skin under his fingertips. Her areolas were wide and dark brown, kissed by the sun, with nipples the size of cherries. Greg ran his thumb across one, and Kendra bit her lip.

"I like that..." she sighed.

He took the hint rubbing more vigorously on her love buttons with his thumbs, flicking at the rock hard flesh. Kendra opened her mouth and moaned.

"Oh! Yes!"

Greg kept it up, then squeezed her tits in his hands lifting them to enjoy the weight.

"Greg..." she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Suck them..." she whimpered.

Kendra let out an even more audible moan as his mouth found the bumpy skin of her areola licking it in a fast circle before he sucked one of her stiff nipples into his mouth pressing it to the roof with his tongue before catching it back between his teeth. She cried out grabbing at the back of his head and pushing his lips tighter to her tit.

"That's it, Greg! Ah! Bite my nipples! Ah, fuck! Yes!"

He took each breast in turn, licking, nibbling, loving every sweet, silky inch with his mouth, and Kendra came alive in his arms crying out at each love bite. They punctuated the moments of arousal with more deep, wet, French kisses that left Greg weak in the knees. He had never thought a woman's lips could be so soft and he distantly wondered what beauty secret Kendra used to keep them that way.

Any side thoughts that might have been in his mind at that point vanished when he felt her fingertips loosening the belt that held on his shorts.

"Oh...God..." he whispered when he realized what was about to happen.

"Don't worry I won't hurt you," promised Kendra as she shoved his shorts to the ground.

She lowered herself to her knees and hooked her fingers into the corners of Greg's cotton boxers slowly pulling them down as she smiled wickedly up at him. Her smile faltered for a moment when they dropped away.

"Holy shit, Greg," she said wrinkling her brow.

"What? What's wrong?" he said in alarm.

"Nothing...It's just, eh...Well...frankly...Your dick is freaking huge," she said finally.

"Really? If you say so I never really compared it to anyone else."

"What? Like no one ever said anything to you in the shower at gym class or something?"

"I was too embarrassed to shower with the other guys when I was in high school. I either snuck out without doing it or waited until the last minute and wore my swim shorts."

"Seriously?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders uncomfortable talking about his days in youth athletics.

"Well, Trust me, Sweetie. You have nothing at all to be embarrassed about."

Kendra smiled again working to regain the mood by slipping her small hands around the thick, swelling, cock that was rapidly expanding toward her face. The fat head, as large as a good size lemon, reached her lips a second later without her having to move an inch. She kissed it gently rolling her tongue across the ridges of flesh, faintly tasting the salty, clear fluid that dripped from his slit. The sounds of Greg sucking in his breath gave her desire a lift as she stretched her lips around the head and pushed forward struggling to take as much of his enormous shaft as she could. He hissed in the back of his throat and shoved his hands into her dark hair.

"Fuck! Kendra! Ah...Jesus! Your mouth feels so good!"

Her head moved further down his long pole until she retched a bit when it hit the back of her throat. Greg gasped arching his back slightly, feeling his scrotum tighten while Kendra began to slide his prick in and out of her mouth. She let it slam back inward on the down stroke making her gag a bit, but not enough to stop her from enjoying sucking the fattest dick she had ever seen. His cock started to shine in the faint light of the stars above as Kendra's spit lathered him from one end to the other. With the fingertips of her free hand, she started to massage his balls, feeling them surging with pent up semen. It occurred to her he wouldn't last long if she kept this up, so she pulled him down to her letting him mash his mouth to her slippery, cock-sucking lips. They dropped down onto the blanket, kissing and rubbing at each other's naked bodies.