3

I bought my tickets with shaky hands, pretending I
only had enough to buy four tickets so that I could
only go on one ride. Hopefully that one ride would be
something like the Ferris Wheel or Bumper Cars.
But my friends, not knowing about my fear of anything
fast and slightly dangerous since I had only spent so
far a year in public school, said that if I only had
enough for one ride, then it better be the Sledge
Hammer.

"No," I responded, "Why don't we do the Gravitron?"
The Gravitron is a ride in which it spins very fast
thereby inducing artificial gravity and pressing you
against the walls.

But Paul told me, "But the Sledge Hammer looks like
the best ride here man."

"No, no, the Gravitron looks the best," I said
nervously.

Dan obviously saw the look of fear on my face for he
mockingly said, flapping his arms in the process, "Is
Natey boy chicken? Does he need his momma?"

"No," I dejectedly replied, "Let's go on the Sledge
Hammer first."

Right then, as if on cue, I saw it whirl past,
carrying it's passengers high up in the air only to
bring them right back down in a huge circle, although
there seemed to be a long pause at the top when they
were upside down, which frightened me.

We shortly got in line, it wasn't too long, but the
longer I waited, the longer my heart beated. Blood was
rushing to my head, beads of sweat were breaking out
everywhere. I suddenly wanted to burst out crying, but
couldn't.
Finally the ride stopped and it was time for us to
get on. I paused, hesitating to take any step closer
to the ride. My whole body was telling me to run for
it, my legs were already jittering. I looked around
weakly as I saw a small boy of only eight years get
on.
I saw him and resented him. Resenting him because
this boy was seven years younger than I yet jumped
into the ride as if he was jumping into the car.

At last, I felt my feet move forward like two leaden
weights. I took my seat next to Paul and strapped
myself in. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I had
picked the first row until it was too late.

My feet reached down to touch something, but never
felt it. I looked below, there was nothing there. I
looked above, a wire mesh. That didn't make me happy
at all. It meant that they expected people wouldn't
fall out, they would fly out.

My eyes were darting around anxiously. I had a gut
feeling I wouldn't live. Again I wanted to cry but
again I couldn't.

The ride started slowly, only a few lazy arcs back
and forth. I tried to enjoy it, I tried to laugh it
off. "Well this is relaxing," I said to Paul.

He turned his face around to meet mine. "Oh," he said
with a smile, "It gets better."

Somehow I didn't find that very comforting.
It was picking up speed, with each arc we went higher
up. I wanted to cry out for my mother, I wanted to cry
so desperately.

I closed my eyes instead, not daring to look down,
not daring to look ahead. I felt us going faster and
faster, the wind was beginning to pull at my cheeks.
Then I felt it slow down, and I opened my eyes,
thinking the ride had finally stopped.

I looked around, and upon noticing the look on Paul's
face, I looked down.

The dizzying height! We must have been a thousand
feet high, or at least it seemed like it. Everybody
looked like ants below us. We were almost completely
upside down.

All of a sudden, I wanted to pull the straps of my
chest, to get off this ride by any means possible. I
wanted to jump off, I couldn't bare it any longer. My
head was faint, my legs were anxious.

I felt us go down, and watched the ground come ever
closer. It rushed up to me, then at the last moment
when I thought we were going to hit the ground, we
were pulled back up.

I dreaded us going upside down, I dreaded going back
down, I anxiously awaited the moment when the ride
would be over. I gave a silent prayer to God to keep
me safe.

My whole body felt flushed, I could swear that my
face was red. I wanted to get out of there.
Again we didn't go upside down, and again the ground
rushed toward me only to retreat back.

This time though, I felt it. We didn't stop going up.
Then it happened, all of a sudden I was upside down
and everything was going slowly.

I looked ahead of me, everything was upside down. It
reminded me of the time that I used to hang on the
side of the couch telling my mom she was walking on
the ceiling. We were upside down for only a second or two,
but it felt like hours.

After that, the ride started to slow down and we were
soon able to walk off the ride. It seemed as if a huge
weight had been taken off my chest. It felt
exhilarating! The thrill of it all!

Dan rushed off yelling, "Wipeout anybody?" I looked
at him and he said, "Oh yeah, you have no more money."

I looked straight back at him, smiling, and said, "I
think I may have a couple of dollars left."