"Who Would've Thought Getting Knocked Down Would End So Well?"
The happiest place on Earth?!
Rescue workers and park officials alike were on the ground, trying to figure out how, exactly, to free us. They had to act fast, because the harnesses were not built to withstand extended periods of pressure due to the weight of its passengers, namely us. They would not hold up for much longer. Those on the ride were slipping in and out of consciousness, myself included. It was almost better being unconscious, I couldn't handle the crippling fear that overcame me. Billie Joe still had not woken up, so when I was awake, I was beyond terrified. Everything around me was beginning to get blurry again and I closed my eyes.
* Minutes later *
"Ok, we are going to get you out of there." One of the rescue workers was trying to comfort those who could still hear him "But the safest and fastest way for us to get all of you out is by restarting the ride." No one wanted this, we just wanted out. "I know you don't want to be in there any longer, and especially to continue this particular ride but this way guarantees that you will all be rescued at the same time, and within a short period of time." Let me tell you, this was not a popular idea, but we wanted out. Now. And the longer we were hanging upside down, the more likely it would be that our harnesses finally broke under the pressure. Ring of Death indeed.
By now, we were informed that we had been stuck because the locking mechanism - the one that allowed us to halt mid-loop - had jammed, stopping the roller coaster from continuing its course. According to the rescue team it had now been fixed. The next job at hand was to wake all the passengers on the ride, to avoid a possible heart attack from the shock of restarting the ride without their knowledge. This was no easy feat. The hardest to wake was Billie Joe. When he arose, he was really out of it, he was not speaking and would not look at me.
A man on the ground, in his mid-thirties, was holding a megaphone. He began to speak to us passengers. "We will now begin the ride." And sure enough, the ride began. Unfortunately, since we were mid-loop, there was no slow build-up. We flew down the loop. I cannot describe the paralyzing fear but also the relief that came from this. Subconsciously, we were all holding onto our harnesses for dear life as our tense bodies were thrown through seemingly infinite twists and loops. I looked over at Billie Joe whose eyes were open but it was as though he was not seeing anything. I touched his hand and he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had been in. He looked at me with a look of panic I almost could not handle. The ride began to slow down and eventually came to a halt. When the harnesses opened, no one could get out of their seat quickly enough. Passengers were reunited with family and friends who'd had the misfortune of witnessing the event. Billie Joe, however, had not gotten out of his seat. He was staring into space, almost as though he hadn't realized that he was finally free.
"Billie Joe?" I kept calling his name as I grabbed his shoulder and started to shake him slightly. He slowly looked over at me. It was as if he was looking right through me. "I saw my whole life flash before me" he whispered. "We could have died, and you, Amelia, throughout the entire ordeal, were looking after me."
"I care about you, Billie Joe... A lot." I looked him in the eye. "You have no idea how scared I was when I couldn't wake you."
"I care about you too." He smiled a little, but grew serious again. He looked down. "I had a severe panic attack up there, and I think I must have passed out because of it. I haven't had an attack like that in a really long time." He paused and looked me in the eye. "Not since my dad died." I became sad for him. Not only did we just have a near-death experience, but here he was, reminded of his father's death. I squeezed his hand and remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"When my dad died I just felt so helpless, but also terrified. I was afraid of what my life would be like afterwards... Without him. The night after he left us I was sitting in my room, still in disbelief. I looked over at Blue, the guitar he gave me," I nodded. "And I picked it up and was about to strum a few chords for comfort; music was all I had left. But I was overcome with sadness. Then I started to panic, and I couldn't breathe. I blacked out and my mom found me. She screamed and tried to wake me up, she wouldn't have been able to survive losing her husband and her youngest child at the same time I guess." He sighed as a tear rolled down his cheek. "And that's sort of the way I felt on the ride, terrified and helpless. It brought me back to that painful time."
My eyes filled with tears for Billie Joe, the effect that memory had on him, and the hurt he'd carried with him throughout the years. "Billie Joe," I began "I'm sorry that you lost your dad, and that it still hurts you so much. I can't take that pain away but I can tell you that I'll be here for you, through good and bad. And if we could survive this ordeal then I think we'll be okay." After what I said I was afraid it was a little too forward. Billie Joe and I had not defined ourselves as anything and I made it sound like we were a married couple or something. I just felt so close to him at that moment.
"Thank you." He bit his lip and smiled at me despite his tears. He got out of the roller coaster seat and joined me as we walked away from the ride, holding hands. He stopped walking and pulled me closer to him. He wrapped me in a tight hug and held me there for a few minutes. As we pulled away, our eyes met. We moved in closer to each other and kissed. An earth shattering kiss, filled with passion and meaning. It was as if time had stopped and Billie Joe and I were the only ones on the planet. We pulled away from each other.
I looked at Billie Joe and knew this was the start of something good.
* Minutes later *
"Ok, we are going to get you out of there." One of the rescue workers was trying to comfort those who could still hear him "But the safest and fastest way for us to get all of you out is by restarting the ride." No one wanted this, we just wanted out. "I know you don't want to be in there any longer, and especially to continue this particular ride but this way guarantees that you will all be rescued at the same time, and within a short period of time." Let me tell you, this was not a popular idea, but we wanted out. Now. And the longer we were hanging upside down, the more likely it would be that our harnesses finally broke under the pressure. Ring of Death indeed.
By now, we were informed that we had been stuck because the locking mechanism - the one that allowed us to halt mid-loop - had jammed, stopping the roller coaster from continuing its course. According to the rescue team it had now been fixed. The next job at hand was to wake all the passengers on the ride, to avoid a possible heart attack from the shock of restarting the ride without their knowledge. This was no easy feat. The hardest to wake was Billie Joe. When he arose, he was really out of it, he was not speaking and would not look at me.
A man on the ground, in his mid-thirties, was holding a megaphone. He began to speak to us passengers. "We will now begin the ride." And sure enough, the ride began. Unfortunately, since we were mid-loop, there was no slow build-up. We flew down the loop. I cannot describe the paralyzing fear but also the relief that came from this. Subconsciously, we were all holding onto our harnesses for dear life as our tense bodies were thrown through seemingly infinite twists and loops. I looked over at Billie Joe whose eyes were open but it was as though he was not seeing anything. I touched his hand and he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had been in. He looked at me with a look of panic I almost could not handle. The ride began to slow down and eventually came to a halt. When the harnesses opened, no one could get out of their seat quickly enough. Passengers were reunited with family and friends who'd had the misfortune of witnessing the event. Billie Joe, however, had not gotten out of his seat. He was staring into space, almost as though he hadn't realized that he was finally free.
"Billie Joe?" I kept calling his name as I grabbed his shoulder and started to shake him slightly. He slowly looked over at me. It was as if he was looking right through me. "I saw my whole life flash before me" he whispered. "We could have died, and you, Amelia, throughout the entire ordeal, were looking after me."
"I care about you, Billie Joe... A lot." I looked him in the eye. "You have no idea how scared I was when I couldn't wake you."
"I care about you too." He smiled a little, but grew serious again. He looked down. "I had a severe panic attack up there, and I think I must have passed out because of it. I haven't had an attack like that in a really long time." He paused and looked me in the eye. "Not since my dad died." I became sad for him. Not only did we just have a near-death experience, but here he was, reminded of his father's death. I squeezed his hand and remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"When my dad died I just felt so helpless, but also terrified. I was afraid of what my life would be like afterwards... Without him. The night after he left us I was sitting in my room, still in disbelief. I looked over at Blue, the guitar he gave me," I nodded. "And I picked it up and was about to strum a few chords for comfort; music was all I had left. But I was overcome with sadness. Then I started to panic, and I couldn't breathe. I blacked out and my mom found me. She screamed and tried to wake me up, she wouldn't have been able to survive losing her husband and her youngest child at the same time I guess." He sighed as a tear rolled down his cheek. "And that's sort of the way I felt on the ride, terrified and helpless. It brought me back to that painful time."
My eyes filled with tears for Billie Joe, the effect that memory had on him, and the hurt he'd carried with him throughout the years. "Billie Joe," I began "I'm sorry that you lost your dad, and that it still hurts you so much. I can't take that pain away but I can tell you that I'll be here for you, through good and bad. And if we could survive this ordeal then I think we'll be okay." After what I said I was afraid it was a little too forward. Billie Joe and I had not defined ourselves as anything and I made it sound like we were a married couple or something. I just felt so close to him at that moment.
"Thank you." He bit his lip and smiled at me despite his tears. He got out of the roller coaster seat and joined me as we walked away from the ride, holding hands. He stopped walking and pulled me closer to him. He wrapped me in a tight hug and held me there for a few minutes. As we pulled away, our eyes met. We moved in closer to each other and kissed. An earth shattering kiss, filled with passion and meaning. It was as if time had stopped and Billie Joe and I were the only ones on the planet. We pulled away from each other.
I looked at Billie Joe and knew this was the start of something good.