The Rides

It was a sunny saturday morning, the Fujikyu Highland Park was starting to fill with people eager for thrill and opportunities to scream. I shivered, not because of the crisp autumn wind but because of the thought of what will about to happen in a few minutes. I was with friends waiting in line for our turn to be flung and tossed in Fujiyama, the mega roller coaster. I have been working 'til late the past week, and all I needed was a good sleep. I wondered what I was doing there, spending a fortune just to squeal. But I couldn't pass up on the chance to go there either.
No time think about whether I should or shouldn't be there, we were already at the front of the queue, no more turning back, it was time to hop into that brightly colored roller coaster car.
The slow acsent to 79 meters at 45 degrees or so brought a thousand and one butterflies to my stomach. I couldn't bring myself to look behind. Mt. Fuji was hiding behind fogs, I could have used a little last minute distraction.
Then suddenly, I was not staring at the clouds above anymore, in an instant I was facing down and then everything whooshed in a blur. I remember letting out a big scream but I didn't hear it. It was drowned by everybody's scream. Surprisingly, I didn't belch anymore after that first drop. But whether my mouth was clamped shut or wide open through it all I couldn't remember. I have tried other roller coaster rides before but this one seemed to go on like forever with a twist or a drop every other breath, if anyone is breathing at all. Two minutes later, with everyone's hair severely dishiveled, the dragon-car stopped. I was intact, not bad! In fact, it was great. I was quite proud of myself for being so brave about it and put on a smug smile. Until we got to fall in line for the next ride, the Dodonpa.
Ride time is shorter than the first one but speed is faster. The throng of brave people falling in line for this one is much longer than I expected. The grogginess I felt since I woke up in the morning was slowly creeping back as we followed the maze-like queue and the adrenaline of the previous ride ebbed down. With a considerable distance from the queue, we could see people in those dragon-cars screaming in the Fujiyama ride. I couldn't supress to laugh a bit remembering how I felt when I was there just a few minutes ago. From where I stood it didn't look THAT scary, and it didn't last that long either. The people aloft and screaming looked rather silly.

When we were a few paces from the front of the queue, the butterflies started fluttering again. I fidgeted and wanted to get off the line. Some sort of drumming music was played in the background. "Dodon-pa! Dodon-pa!" (Ati-atihan beat) If it was meant to get the mood in tuned to the ride, it was scaring me instead.
We were almost there, I was near panic. If there was someone in our group declared that he/she was too afraid to go on and turn back, I would have surely followed. What kept me going was the dread that if I turn back and just sit in the corner while waiting for my friends to come back from the ride, I might envy them feeling so good and laughing (and they most probably will, since I haven't seen someone that fainted after the ride) when they come back. I didn't want to be a coward. Even so, my eyes still scanned the area for some sort of a chicken coop for those who chickened out before I step into the roller coaster car. I concentrated on the straps and belts in the seat. If I didn't hold on right, they might pick my ass in the nearby Feris Wheel.

Life is like being in an amusement park really. You hop from one ride to another. Some grand and some less challenging. Each ride is unique, different twist, different drop, different speed. After some time you'll get the hang of it. But still, you scream at unexpected twist or turn. You get braver and tougher, but from time to time, there will be rides that'll shake you and make you realize that you are not completely invincible after all.

It had been some kind of a ride, but I don't plan to get unto them again though. I'll try some other roller coasters, maybe ones that are scarrier. >:)