Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-28420405-20160715142937

Sunshine beamed down from the sky, shining bright summer rays across the sleepy suburban town. A light breeze blew through the trees. Kevin cursed as the sun streamed through his thin curtains, painting his face in light. He pried an eye open before slamming it shut again; he was never much of a morning person. Before his brain settled back into sleep, a thought flashed through his mind. He would be going to King’s Peak with his friends today. It was the biggest amusement park in the state. Suddenly flooded with anxious happiness, he whipped the covers off to get out of bed and start his day.

He and his friends had planned this outing for weeks. The last few weeks of school had been used exclusively for planning their trip. They made a list of what they would need to bring, and all agreed upon splitting the cost of the day. The website for King’s Peak offered an exclusive overnight stay for larger groups. Kevin and the others thought this would be the perfect outing for their last summer together. They could stay up all night and ride roller coasters, or enjoy the waterpark at dark.

That morning, Kevin packed his overnight bag. He put his bag with a change of clothes and toothbrush in the backseat of his car. His friends had offered to bring a tent and some snacks for their drive to the park. He couldn’t help but feel a little sad – he knew this would be their last trip together before college. He wanted to soak in as much fun as he could before turning the page on this chapter of his life. He cranked up the radio and headed out to pick up his friends.

Once the group was assembled, Kevin made his way to the theme park. The car could not have been louder. Music blared as they chatted and laughed. The only respite was pulling up to the gate to pay for parking. The car hushed as the kids scrambled to compile their money for the parking fee. As they pulled away to park the vehicle, the ruckus kicked back up to a full roar. Everyone was excited for make the most of the day.

The park was packed. Small children were toted in park-themed strollers. The smell of sugar and sweat permeated the air. Laughter, crying, and happy screams blared from every corner of the park. Kevin and his friends had to stop to collect themselves just inside the park. It was immediate sensory overload. Colors, smells, and sounds all swirled around the park. Once they were acclimated, they made their way to the picnic area where overnight guests were urged to pick a spot to camp.

The day flew by before they knew it. They enjoyed roller coasters and carinal games. After eating their fair share of hot dogs and cotton candy, they made their way back to the tent as the rest of the part patrons filtered out. The majority of the guests at the park were not staying overnight. The sudden shift in park population seemed to also change the park itself. No longer did the happy voices of families and friends ring out around the park. Darkness draped over the giant looming rides. Every other game stall was dark and abandoned. The neon lights from the other stalls cast an unsettling iridescent glow around the park. Adrenaline was still pumping for Kevin and his friends. After the park announced that overnight guests could go back and enjoy the open activities, the group left the picnic area. At first it was difficult to find something they all wanted to do. The night air made it too chilly to go to the waterpark, and most of the good game stalls were shut down for the night. Unenthusiastic employees stood in the game booths, but were less than inviting. Finally, the decided to ride the park’s largest roller coaster. The line had been too long during the day to entertain the idea of riding, but now they were virtually alone.

They wound around the twisting metal rails that separated the normally sprawling line for the coaster. A few other guests were also making their way to the roller coaster cars. A teary-eyed employee yawned as he helped seat guests in their respective cars. The safety bar slowly lowered and each person clicked it tightly into place. The speaker clicked on as the roller coaster creaked into action.

“Please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, enjoy your ride.” The young man flipping the switches on the coaster mumbled into the microphone before sending the riders on their way. Slowly, the metal scraped and clanked as the coaster moved forward.

Kevin and his friends occupied the first 2 cars of the coaster. They giggled and excitedly talked back and forth and the coaster continued to creep down the tracks. The cars began to pick up speed as they rounded a corner, and a few people let out an excited yelp as they whipped around the turn. Wind blasted through their hair and brought tears to their eyes.

The coaster started to slow as it approached a hill. It chugged up slowly, clicking as it inched closer to the top of the peak. The riders all quieted in anticipation for the drop. Kevin peered down and shuddered. The cars in the parking lot looked like toys, and the city lights twinkled in the distance. Farther down the track, a large loop was looming. The wheels on the coaster came to a sudden stop and the people all lurched forward in their seats. Some laughed and others squealed as they anticipated the large drop in altitude.

The coaster flew down the drop, picking up ferocious speed. Sparks danced up between the wheels and the track. Screaming rang from every side of the car, only interrupted briefly by laughter. The cars slowed again as they approached the loop in the tracks. Before anyone could notice, the car seemed to lose power. The wheels screeched as they labored to continue forward. The safety mechanism of the coaster locked the wheels, and the riders were now stuck upside down.

Panic rushed through the crowd of people. Women and men alike screamed, all terrified of dangling so high above the ground. Kevin took worried glances around the cars. Some people were crying, but most were confused. Next to Kevin, his friend Ben squirmed in his seat. His face was flushed red and his eyes were bulging slightly. Kevin tried to calm his friend down, but the friend quickly fell unconscious. Frantic, Kevin tried again to glance behind him, but his movement shifted the cars on the track, and the whole group screamed. He panicked and held as still as he could. He heard another friend of his call his name from a few rows back. Too scared to respond, Kevin held his position in fear of moving the car again. The screaming behind him grew in volume. Some voices were hoarse from calling for help.

Panic and fear evolved into despair. It felt like hours that they had been hanging. Most of the cries had died down. His friend next to him still dangled unconscious. Kevin tried to get the boy’s attention. It had felt like enough time had passed where he could try and move again. He cautiously tried to tug on his friend’s shirt to try and wake him. While tugging, he called out to his friends behind him, but no one responded. A few unfamiliar screams rang out behind him, but he could not gauge his friends’ wellness.

Kevin’s eyes scanned the ground below. Lights were now pointed up toward the roller coaster cars, and tiny dark silhouettes of people scurried beneath them. Kevin called out to them hopelessly. He knew that the cars would have moved already if they could. His vision was fuzzy, and he felt immense pressure behind his eyes and ears. Kevin could barely keep his dizzy eyes open, but feared what would happen if he slipped into the same unconscious state as his friend beside him.

As time crawled by, the group grew silent. Most had lost their voice or had fallen unconscious. A sickly smell was wafting through the group. It was just when Kevin believed he could no longer make it, the car lurched forward. The coaster shakily spit itself through the last half of the loop and immediately screeched to a halt once it was back on the ground. Kevin closed his eyes tightly and he pushed violently at the safety bar that was locking him in place.

Employees of the park rushed up along the track to help the people out. The fire department was also on scene, and helped cut out some of the riders. Kevin was the first to be released from the ride. Two separate men helped him stand to his feet, but he collapsed as soon as he touched the ground. Sobbing hard, he turned to his friends. It was then that he noticed that no other riders were moving.

The friend he had sat next to was completely blue in the face. His eyes were heavily bulged and bloody spittle stained his chin. It was clear he had died sometime during the previous hours while Kevin had struggled to stay awake. Some of the riders were still unconscious, but some had succumbed to the long hours of being upside down. Kevin’s head pounded as the blood drained from his face. The first responders forcefully lead him away from the others, sending Kevin straight to the hospital. He would be one of the few who survived the ordeal.

That was the last summer King’s Peak offered the overnight option to its guests. 