New EXPERIENCES

As I stepped foot into the line, I could feel my stomach drop rapidly as I glared up at the towering ride. I was with my friend Daisy, who had successfully gotten me to go on the ride. You could hear the excitement in people's voices as they somewhat patiently waited. Right behind me were girls who chatted vigorously.

“ C'mon, it won’t be that bad,” one girl said.

“ Ya, it’s just a little drop you’ll barely feel it,” another girl chimed in.

They were trying to convince their friend that it wasn't scary. I believed it too, trying to calm myself down. Reassuring myself that it’s just a little drop, frantically repeating to myself.

We finally were halfway there. I glared back in excitement at Daisy. I noticed her faded blue hair and the fresh new piercing that she had gotten a few days ago.

“My feet are starting to hurt,” Daisy exclaimed. 

“ Well, we're already inside, so it shouldn’t take that long,” I said. As soon as those words came out of my mouth. The announcement turned on that there had been a malfunction with the ride. I thought to myself, could this line get any longer? Well, it did. 

We boarded the little box, where we were seated all the way in the back. The lights were dimmed down as the worker instructed us on the safety instructions and wished us luck. Daisy and I looked back at each other with sudden fear, stretching over us like a jump rope. The ride started where the characters greeted us. Then it jolted us up without time to react. I held on to the bar like my life depended on it. It came to a stop, still swaying back and forth like a boat. Then jolted back, lifting me from my seat. I felt like I was levitating in the air for a second. The screams of the ride came to a sudden stop as the camera flashed in our face. The light was blinding my face.

I hopped off the ride like I had overcome something huge. While my friend, on the other hand, looked like she was sick to her stomach. I had learned from that day that even though something new could be tempting. It’s never bad to take risk, you might have fun. 

By Jacquelin Perez

“Head back, face forward, and hold on. Five, Four, Three, Two, One! Go!”  

The coaster dashes zooms away through the track as a dash of water follows the coaster, and screams come out of the tiny people. I grip the wooden railing, second-guessing myself if I should get on this terrifying ride. 

“You don't have to go on if you don't want to.” As I felt a comforting touch against my back to calm down a bit. I look up to see a woman dressed up as Shock from “Nightmare Before Christmas.” That woman was my reassuring mom. Her eyes gave me a call saying, “You can do it! You got it! You're brave!” My heart drums against my chest as if saying my costume was too small. Sweat starts to overwhelm me all over as my makeup slowly starts to fade off my face. I give her a forced, awkward smile as I look back at the roller coaster of screams still going. Thoughts in my head start to scatter, “You should do it!” “What if we die like in the movies?!” “If we say no, we’ll have to go on that dumb aerial ride again!” “We’ll have 4 hours left if we don't go on!” “What if you cry!? You're too old to cry!”  The smell of salty water hits my nose as another roller coaster takes off. I softly inhaled a big chunk of air as I made up my mind to say no. “Let's do it!” I said with an unsure determination. “WHAT!!? That's not what I meant. I take it back and say no!” I thought, and slowly yet surely, my feet started taking control as we waited in line.

My breathing starts to fasten as I fidget with my fingers, looking around anxiously, hoping the ride would malfunction. My heart starts screaming out of my chest as I start to hear the rhythm in my ears now. I look at my mom, expecting her to know I feel unwell about this. But we kept moving along the line like zombies. I look at the people dressed up as different characters from Disney like The Little Mermaid, Tinkerbell, Buzz Light Year, and even some evil villains. Their candy bags were full of candy from trick or treating around the park. Chattering fills around me as some people play the game “categories,”  as people laugh from the guessing. “How are they laughing!? Aren't they afraid this might be their last day to live?!” I thought as I looked at all of them as if they were insane. As if they were all just some crazy clown wishing to have a death wish. Suddenly, time flies past me. “How many?” A lady comes up to my family. “2!” I was hoping I could just leave. “3” My mom says happily, “ I start to bite my tongue as if what she said came out of my mouth. ”How could the happiest place on earth be this scary!?”  I made a face, almost looking like I was constipated.

 I felt a push behind me as I lined up with my number I was put at. I wanted to scream and say, “ I changed my mind!” and zoom out of that line like there was no tomorrow. Next thing you know, my sweating palms are gripping onto the railing as I look at the entrance where the roller coaster is supposed to be coming from. Slowly, the coaster made its way in front of me, looking like an impatient bull, and I was the bright color red. The gate in front of me opens widely, almost like the gates of death waiting for me. There it was, everything in my body was a noodle and numb. The only thing that was moving as fast as lightning was my heart.

 I stepped onto the coaster and looked at my mom, showing I was terrified. She smiles at me with hope in  her eyes showing me how proud she was of me for getting on this ride. I felt the harness press against me. I start to worry if it’s even tight enough to keep me safe in the seat whenever we make sharp turns, and for the big main loop. The coaster slowly starts, as the tune of The Incredibles starts playing. I felt as if my life was being timed, and I only had 30 seconds to enjoy my final moments. The tracks lock as I look around. My attention quickly goes up to the people looking down at me, even the young ones giving the look of wishing to be in my shoes and others giving me the looks of little devils as if kings are entertained by my spot of suffering.  “Head back, face forward, and hold on. Five, Four, Three, Two, One! Go!”  Wind quickly punches me in the face, forcing my head back when some mist of water hits my face. Screams

Cover my ears. But that's weird? It didn't sound like the ones around me were letting out suffering screams, but letting out excited screams. I didn’t let out a sound. I was afraid that one scream that would come out of me would break the whole ride. My lips began to dry as my hair got messed up. My eyes start to get dry as I shut my eyes and let my ears do the rest. The screams were still going, the lights still appearing through my eyes. Green, pink, purple. I held onto the metal bar as I felt a soft touch on the back of my hand. I opened my eyes as that touch was a signal that the loop was coming. I press my head against the cushion of the seat very hard, as hard as a rock. All my blood is going up to my head and back down.”Wait a minute ... that's it?” I look around as a white flash hits my face. I looked at my mom, and it looked like she had been electrocuted as she just smiled at me.”I forgot to tell you, but at the end they took our picture.” She smiles as I realize I probably looked dumb in that picture, but in that specific moment, I learned how anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.

-Angeline Melendez