I didn’t want to go. I knew I didn’t want to go when I found myself behind the second person in line. It was 8:30 p. m. the sun was almost gone and all the lights came on one by one. I knew I didn’t want to go when I was in line and my palms were sweating, when I kept begging my friends to leave the line. I knew I didn’t want to go but I was still going. I still stood in line, sat in my seat, buckled the seat belt, and pulled the bar over me. I kept going because I knew my friends would make fun of me. I knew they wouldn’t let me forget this day.
I had to do this so I could stay sane. At the start of this day an idea arose from my group of friends; we should go to Michigans Adventures and spend the day there they suggested. Sounded like a good way to spend the day and I was excited to go. We bought subs, candy, snacks etc. so we didn’t have to spend more money than needed. We argued about whose car to take for about twenty minutes until we voted to just take my friend Courtney’s beat up Cadillac. On the left side of her car the back door was bashed in so nobody was able to open it, so we all had to get in on the same side.
When we got in the car it smelled like the Macintosh apple scent from Yankee candle; which is my favorite scent from Yankee Candle. After everyone was finally in the car the radio got put on full blast. Everyone kept wanting to hear the same song over and over, I started to get annoyed and sing the song obnoxiously loud like “Why you gotta be so rude don’t you know I’m human too! ,” until they finally got the hint to change the song. Finally we were just seconds away from the entrance of the amusement park, thank god because I started to get sick of being in the car with them.
When we got out of the car we headed towards the people to stamp our hands that’s when we noticed the line was a mile long. Which sucked because we all were pumped up and way too impatient to wait in this line but we had no choice so we played a game I spy, it didn’t last long because everyone was more focused on the people in the line. Finally we made it to the front where they marked our hands with that bright lemon scented yellow stamp. Right when I walked in, I looked to my right and to my left and back at my friends. I asked “What does everyone want to ride first? Of course everybody had a different ride in mind, so we just started with the one closest to us.
That ride happened to be the wildcat which is one of the best rides in the park. We all tried to get the seats in the front of the ride only because we wanted to look like we weren’t scared of this ride; it didn’t work because my friends screamed like little babies. The day went on it was now about 2 o’clock in the afternoon the sun was hot and the park was packed. At this time I’m more than ready to go to the car and shove my face with food. We stood in line for just one more ride and then headed to the car.
As we started eating I got attacked by a seagull, it chased me around the car until I finally dropped my sub, nobody even tried to help me so I got mad at all of them and acted like a bitch until they apologized. I may sound stuck up but they do the same thing to me. By the time we got back in the park everybody had an attitude and we needed to get on something that let us relax and talk about what we were all thinking about, The best idea was to go on the lazy river. One by one we grabbed a tube and hopped in. Nobody said a word we just stared at each other with disgust.
I apologized for starting all the problems because I knew I was the reason everyone had an attitude. I wasn’t forgiven until I agreed to go on the one ride that scared me to death and it’s called a power tower if I remember right, basically it slowly brings you straight up and drops you. This ride is the most terrifying ride here. As we walked to the other side of the amusement park all my thoughts were rushing through my mind. I was breathing heavier the closer we got, my palms were so hot It felt like I was holding coals. My body started to completely break down. We reached the line and my friends noticed how I was acting and just laughed.
I didn’t find it funny so I glared at them. Next thing you know I’m at the front of the line being let through the gate and told to pick my seat. I chose a spot in the middle of my friends, facing the side of the park where nobody could see my face. I went to buckle my seatbelt and something was wrong it wouldn’t stay in the clip, I was trying to get the attention of the people around but I wasn’t heard. Before I knew the ride operator was ready to press start so I held on to the handles as hard I could, but with my sweaty palms it was difficult. Finally, some noticed that I was strapped in and the looked at me with a panic.
By that time the ride was already slowly moving upwards. It hit the top and paused I felt like everything was in slow motion. I started to think about everything that day the way I acted and how I could’ve acted I started to apologize out loud hoping they could hear. But before I knew before I could get all their names out of my mouth the ride dropped, my arms and the bar went upward I was completely unstrapped. I screamed so loud my voice started to fade in and out. The ride bounced twice and then stopped; my heart was racing and all I could do was shake. When my friends met up with me I had tears running down my face.
They asked “What happened? Wasn’t that fun? “ I said no I almost died at place where I couldn’t say goodbye, where I wouldn’t even have the chance to fight for my life. After I said that they all hugged me tight and wouldn’t let go. They kept apologizing for making me do something I didn’t want to. But I wasn’t mad I couldn’t be; because I got lucky enough to make it off that ride to have a second chance, to step back and look at the life I have. They kept asking me how I was feeling and if I needed thing I just kept saying telling them to just stop talking. Mainly because I wasn’t in the mood to talk or walk anywhere.
I just wanted to sit down and catch my breath. I wanted to put myself back together. Since that day I haven’t went anywhere near a ride, I was too paranoid that it might happen again and I wasn’t mentally ready for that. But that day did change me; I personally believe I turned into a better person. Now I think before I do, I try to help out anybody in need and I don’t take anything I get for granted. Like the saying goes “life is too short” and it really is, I am proof that no matter who you are or what you do your life can be taken from you in just a matter of seconds.
