Since Josh was already facing the ocean, he leaned over the railing and pretended that Cassie’s words made him vomit. Sometimes there were just things he would do that she didn’t bother to retaliate with. This was one of them.
“What’s next?” asked Larissa when Josh had finished ‘puking’. “Do you guys want to stay for the fireworks or just go back to the hotel now?”
Ammon shrugged but kept his arm draped around her, “Whatever you want.”
Larissa glanced up at him. She had never noticed that freckles spotted his cheeks until that day when they mixed in with the slightly sunburn part of his skin just below his eyes. The rest of him had taken to the sun wonderfully and he was now coated with a warm brown tan on his arms. “Are you tired?” he asked.
Cassie answered though the question wasn’t directed to her. “I’m fricken starving.” She proclaimed patting her stomach. It wasn’t the first time she had made that announcement. She had been complaining about her starvation and her tired feet all day.
Josh and Ammon both grasped onto their stomachs in unison, their empty bellies growled. “Me too.” Ammon mentioned then turned to Larissa, “Are you?”
Larissa shook her head then reached into the back pocket of her capris to pull out a map of the amusement park. “We’ve ridden all the rides haven’t we?” she asked folding the paper over and glancing at it in her hands. “Accept for the fairs wheel and this one.”
“Which one?” asked Josh peering over her dark auburn hair.
Larissa jabbed a finger at a ride titled The Hammerhead. From the edge of the dock, she could glance down the stretch of wood and see the rollercoaster’s steel track beyond the roof of the fun house.
“Well then that’s perfect!” exclaimed Cassie. “We can grab something to eat, hop on that ride, and by then the fireworks will go off as we ride the fairs wheel.” The little blond girl clicked her tongue. “Perfect timing. Come on, there’s a hot-dog with my name on it.”
The group turned and Larissa bolted to the front of the pack just so she could input her two cents. “Let’s ride this one before we eat.” She said pointing over her shoulder at the enormous ride. As they marched across the wooden harbor, they could see a seats being hauled up the tracks as eager guests held their arms high in the air. “I know I’m going to puke if I eat before.”
Larissa didn’t have to lie about that. She blamed it on her supernatural senses, but there was just something about rollercoaster’s that didn’t sit well with her. Even after her first one that day, she had been walking around feeling as if her legs were made of jelly and her head was a pitcher of water ready to topple over. She hadn’t complained once though. Two reasons; one, there was no way she was making herself look weak by saying the rides made her dizzy. And two; she had spent years cooped up in an orphanage dreaming about doing something new. Now that something new was right in front of her face, she was going absorb it all. Even if her stomach didn’t want her to.
After coming to an agreement, the group marched back to the throng of the amusement park. With each step over the dry harbor floor, the sun fell closer to the horizon casting long shadows across the park. Bells and whistles chimed around them. Huge bubbles drifted across their path several times and Cassie ran up ahead to pop them. She nearly toppled over a flock of young teenagers as she tried to poke one that got caught in the ocean breeze.
By the time they rounded the fun house, the quartet was relieved to find The Hammerhead line on the verge of vacant. They wound themselves through an empty maze of rails before embarking on a long stretch of wood off the harbor. The only thing before them now was an endless mass of water and the enormous coaster perched above the surface.
The entire thing was held up by thick steel pipes that sank deep into the ocean waves. Not a single piece of the ride was attached to the harbor. Larissa’s stomach literally did a flip as her eyes never reached the top of that epic bundle of tracks. There were so many purple and yellow flips and spins, Larissa almost wanted to turn around and retreat back to the safety of the harbor. The only thing keeping her feet moving was the excitement hammering through her veins.
They reached the loading platform just as the seats containing exhilarated guests clanked back into the start point. Whoops and hollers of adrenaline pumped teens echoed beneath the wooden canopy as steel floor mats slid together beneath their dangling feet. A worker in a booth gave the all-clear, and with a hiss, the riders’ restraints were loosened. Larissa watched as the guests slid from their seats and clambered across the wood and steel platform on wobbly legs. Some of them fumbled for their bags before exiting, others took the opportunity to snag a quick picture. Regardless of what they were doing, each of them wore the same wild grin.
Once more the worker signaled the all-clear as the last guest disappeared down the exit ramp. Simultaneous screeches rang through the short lines as the iron gates containing the line of eager riders swung open. The gang swarmed through like cattle, their feet clopping across the steel platform. Cassie hurried all the way to the other side before shrugging off her bag then hopping in the seat beside Josh.
Together, the four of them filled a row of seats and were among the first to throw the restraints over their shoulders. Even with Ammon’s long legs, his feet flopped around beneath the seat. He attempted to glance at Larissa, but the restraints over his shoulders were uncomfortably set so that he could hardly even move his head. All he could do was sit there and stare at the many seats before him.
A worker rushed past and yanked on his seat just to make sure everything was secure. When that was done, the employees signaled the all-clear. The steel floorboards folded apart beneath his draped feet and Ammon just had enough time to glance at the lapping waves beneath them before the ride started with a jerk.
From beside him, Josh let out an excited whoop followed by an annoyed ’shut-up’ by Cassie. Ammon wasn’t able to hear the next of their conversation because it was drowned out by the loud clicking of a cart being dragged to the highest point of the ride. Since Larissa was on the end of their row, she managed to tilt her head to the side and take in the view as they ascended. She was on the side that overlooked the harbor. With the sun just kissing the endless horizon, Larissa could hardly see the specks of carnival light illuminating the dock. She could make out the swirling of colors from the still active rides, and over the growing wind, she barely heard a game announcing ‘Winner! Winner’.
By now the seats had climbed so high that the only thing visible was the silver wash of sunlight bouncing off the ocean. Larissa let her head fall back against the hard cushion. This was the most epic ride she had ever embarked on by far, and up until that point, she had felt like she masked her excitement perfectly. The coaster continued to clatter with accent and now her excitement was borderline with fear. What if they got stuck upside-down? Or what if the tracks became loose and they were launched into the ocean to drown? What had she gotten herself into? There was no going back, the ride couldn’t just stop and have her exit. Her feet felt like melted cheese and she hadn’t even reached the top. Her heart hammered faster than the clicking of the climb and her stomach rolled around inside her like a tsunami. Click…click…click…
Drop. What felt like a straight plummet to the ocean sent Larissa’s stomach to her throat. She felt every one of her organs rise from her hips, to her chest, then finally erupted with a scream. All around her the screams of the riders echoed over the rush of ocean wind, but even in her ears, Larissa’s was the loudest. From beside her, she could hear Ammon’s almost violent laughter then all at once the plummet of the track stopped and Larissa felt her entire body being shoved against her seat.
When she cast her eyes around, she witnessed the seats in front of her almost fold upward. She knew exactly what was going on. They had just embarked on the first upside-down loop. With a rush, her feet swooped above her head and her shoulders rammed into the restraint vest. As they reached the midpoint of a perfect upside down, Larissa felt the slig
ht decrease in speed. The fear of being stuck upside down had enough time to be planted in her mind before she was falling once again.
The humid air slammed into her face causing her to tear up. The bead of water slid out of her eye as she forced her temple into the restraint. Now she could see the tracks laid out in between the heads of other riders. Her eyes barely had enough time to register that they were about to spin over the track when her body was filled with the sensation of lightness. Somehow, as their seats rolled over, no part of her body touched any of the restraints like perfect weightlessness. Then suddenly, with a swift whoosh, she was slammed back into her seat as they shot up into another loop.
This time when they rushed back down, Larissa was aware of the hammering in her ribs. It was from pure excitement. As the ride spun her around, and flipped over itself, Larissa didn’t register the speed of the ride, or the colors of the whirling track. She wasn’t even aware of the time they were there. A wild grin clung to her face as her body was thrown around and tossed in all different directions. Fear was replaced with anticipation; Larissa couldn’t wait for the next flip or the next turn. Her arms sprung into the air and she felt all the blood rush to her toes as the ride dipped so low, she might have skimmed her feet on the surface of the ocean water.
Then she was thrown back up into the sky as a delighted shriek escaped her lips. They whirled around once more, and with her head still nudged against the restraint, Larissa could see an upcoming plummet. Just as she began to fall, her stomach lifted into her chest and brilliant white lights flashed before her eyes. She had no idea what the lights were from, all she knew was that they couldn’t have been a reflection of the ocean water, but they were gone before she could think twice.
There was one last dip and one last flip before the ride clattered to a halt. Larissa’s body arched forward with deceleration as the ride when from super-fast to crawling in seconds. Her hands grasped onto the restraint as the seats were pulled back into the loading dock. Her heart was still racing, and her teeth were still showing. She couldn’t believe the ride was over! Even though the back of her brain felt fuzzy and her eyes scrambling to fight the dizziness. She would have loved to ride it again, even when she could easily recall upon that fear before the first drop.
The clattering had finally reached a halt and once more the platforms slid into place. The workers repeated their safely procedures before releasing the restraints. Larissa’s fingers were trembling as she worked to lift the vest and when she hopped out of her seat, it was a wonder she could even stand.
Ammon glanced back at her as they moved to the exit. He wore the same crazy grin and his brown hair stood up in all the weirdest places. “That was so much fun!” he beamed. When he spoke, his words where ragged from screaming.
Larissa cleared her throat before agreeing and they waited for Cassie to collect her things before following the exit ramp. “I wanted to do that again!” Larissa exclaimed.
“I know right?” Josh bellowed as the ramp took them around the corner of a small shack. “It’s like spring break all over again!” He whooped energetically, flexing his muscles and beating his chest. If it weren’t for Cassie who hollered for him to stop, he would have continued back to the harbor like an ape.
“What?” he asked pulling his shades down to glance back at Cassie.
The little blond girl stepped aside for a flock of exiting teenagers before she pointed to the small shack. Loaded on screens all around the place were several images of the same yellow and purple seats with different guests in each. Then it made sense. The flashing lights Larissa knew couldn’t have been from the ocean. They were camera lights.
“Where are we?” Ammon asked stepping up to the bored looking employee slumped across the desk top.
“You’ll probably pop up in a sec.” he muttered carelessly as his eyes stared out to the horizon. “Are you sure you want to wait here and see them?” he asked as he made a quick glance to his wrist watch. “The fireworks start in fifteen minutes.”
Cassie shook her head, “Nah, we’ve got enough pictures. Besides, I look hideous screaming- did you say fifteen minutes?”
“Well, twenty-two actually. I just like to round down.” confessed the employee with a sigh.
Cassie glanced at her friends as if this were the end of the world. “Let’s skip dinner guys and just run to the fairs wheel. Agreed?”
Larissa shrugged, “Last one there’s the rotten egg?”
“And it’s gunna be Cassie!” exclaimed Josh. With a swift shove, he had pushed her to the ground. The poor girl didn’t even have time to sputter an insult before Larissa and Ammon exchanged glances and took off sprinting.
It had been a while since Ammon ran for fun and his body remembered it beautifully. As he clattered across the wood, he was teleported back into his childhood; sprinting around the bases after his first home run. In several strides, he had caught up to Josh and shoved him out of the way playfully. He reached the harbor and spun around the corner of the fun house. On the far end of the practically empty dock was the hot-dog stand and the fairs wheel.
The wind pushed his matted hair back and as he glanced over his shoulder, he was surprised to see Larissa right on his heels. “Bet you didn’t know I was this fast.” She grinned not even sounding winded.
No. Actually he didn’t. His feet hammered to a stop at the end of the fairs wheel line and when he glanced back again, he noticed that Josh and Cassie had fallen far behind. “Well that was fun.” He said as Larissa halted beside him. She glanced back too. Josh wasn’t even running now. Instead he was trying to tackle a frantic Cassie and throw her into the ocean.
“Should we help her?” asked Larissa.
Ammon looked up just in time to see Josh flopping Cassie over his shoulder. “Nah, I think she can handle it.”
Several guests had followed in behind them, and by the time Cassie and Josh had called a truce and made their way to the line, Ammon and Larissa were already climbing into the cart. The worker shut their door and Larissa poked her nose through the bars just as they began to ascend. Slowly, the line dwindled in size and evaporated into the darkness of nightfall. When she flopped down beside Ammon, she had expected to see him staring at her. On the contrary, his eyes were glued to the harbor below. Larissa followed his gaze and as the wheels rotating came to a stop; her eyes fell upon the same thing Ammon’s attention was locked to.
Illuminated by the glow of a popcorn stand was a toddler seated comfortably on the shoulders of his father. He beamed as one of his pudgy fingers pointed up into the sky. “Right there, dada?” he asked.
Larissa knew they were far too elevated for Ammon to hear, but over the carnival anthems and chilly night breeze, Larissa heard them clear as crystal.
The father chuckled as his hands grasped onto his son’s small shoes. “Yup, right there. And there going to go boom!”
“Boom!” repeated the child as his hands opened up like stars over his head.
“Big boom!” repeated the dad. “In all sorts of colors too.”
“Like blue?” his son asked locking his toddler arms around the top of his father’s graying hair.
“Lots of blue.”
“And ‘lellow?”
“Oh, yeah, tons of yellow!”
“What about red?”
“Red?” the father repeated, “There’s going to be so much red, it’ll turn your eyes red from looking at it!”
The little boy let out a wide-eyed ‘woah’ just as the wheel began rotating once more. Ammon kept his eyes locked out the bared window, but when the spot whirled around again, the father and son had gone.
Larissa watched as the faint amber light from the carnival slid across his face. There was nothing written in his expression; nothing that indicated how he felt after seeing the one thing he missed most. Instead, he fell back in the hard plastic seat and draped his arm over Larissa’s shoulder casually.
She sunk into him resting her cheek against his chest. She didn’t want
to say anything. Her lips stayed locked as they rolled around once more. And when the wheel finally came to a stop, they had reached the tip top of the circle.
“You know, I don’t realize how much I miss him until I see someone else with a father.” Ammon finally stated. His voice was as empty as his expression and Larissa didn’t know how to respond. Instead, she kept her eyes glued out to the ocean. There wasn’t a single ray of light in the sky now. Only darkness and what small amounts of carnival light the ocean could reflect. When the silence lingered, Ammon shifted in his seat and said, “But that’s fine. I’m going to see him again.”
His words caught Larissa off guard and she sat up to look at him. The carnival lights flickered with the green in his eyes and bounced of his somewhat burnt cheeks. “It’s like he’s just gone away on some business trip.” Replied Ammon, “I’ll see him again.”
“What are you talking about Ammon?” Larissa gasped. She would have assumed Ammon was talking about taking his own life if it weren’t for the fact that there was a sort of lively vibe in his tone.
“Heaven.” He said, “Life after death. There is a heaven, right?”
Larissa shrugged. She had never given any though beyond her immediate life. But life after death? What a strange thought.
“Well, honestly, I don’t even know if there is one.” Confessed Ammon. A moment lingered as Ammon pulled his eyes away from hers and cast them into the ocean. “I finally don’t feel angry anymore Larissa.” He spoke gingerly, “Do you want to know why?”
Larissa didn’t remove her gaze, “Claro.”
Ammon swallowed a big breath of humid ocean air before continuing. “Hope. That’s what’s getting me through this. Hope that I’ll see him again.” He hesitated, “I know it sounds… wired, and I know I’ve never been a religious person, but the concept of heaven and the concept of never really dieing. That’s what’s getting me through. I don’t even know if it’s true, all I know is that I need it to be. Otherwise, I would be miserable.”
The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural Page 17
