I looked up once more into the blinding sunlight at the top of the tower. It was going to be our first ride of the day. The line seemed so long. I never really wanted to go on, but I also wanted to say, “I went on that!” It was a cold day, but the sun still felt uncomfortably hot. The top of the tower was 246 feet up, an information stand said. And I was going up there, spinning all the way around, and back down again. The drop would be 10 seconds long, with a five second slow-down.

Yes, I did times a two minute ride. 1½ minutes going up, turning all the way around once. Then a 15 second wait period to enjoy the sight and fear the drop. Finally, without any warning, it was released, and you hurtled down back to earth, so fast that the people waiting below could feel an long, icy gust of wind that was actually the air that was pushed down by the ride. As it turned out, timing it was a huge mistake. It just gave me a point to dread most, like a bomb going off.

As we waited in line, I was getting more and more uneasy. Heights weren’t my thing, but at the same time, I wanted to see the view. You could probably see the whole park from the peak of the ride. Once it was our turn to step through the people counter, Chris, my friend, and I, were directed toward a small green square to stand in. There were different colors for different sections of the ride, to make things go smoother. After another square, we were allowed to go through the gate to the green seats of the ride. I got a seat next to Chris, and pulled down the safety bar. I buckled up, and pulled tight.

Chris and I have done a lot together since he moved in across the street from me last summer. We go bowling, have Ping pong tournaments, go swimming, play tennis, and so much more. As you can see, he is more of the go-getter type, and I'm more of the laid back type.
After a minute or two, we felt a jerk, then rose. Just straight up, then we started spinning. I kept on telling myself to not look up. But about halfway around, I couldn’t help it. I looked up. The top seemed a mile away. I was so excited, I couldn’t stop my legs from swinging around. I couldn’t look down, but if I did, I know I’d freak.

The wind was biting now. My shaking could’ve been from excitement or from the cold. The ride turned more and more until it was all the way around. Then it stopped rising. I knew my day pack was directly below me, 246 feet down. The timer started in my head. One, two, three…
I didn’t know I was counting out loud until Chris joined in. Once we got to ten, I counted down from five. My heart felt like it was banging against my ribcage. “Three, two, one…” A pause, then…

WOOSH! I felt my weight being transferred to my shoulders, and my feet fly up. I heard screams from behind and around me. Everything rushed up around me and grew to regular size. Then, I felt like I had gained a hundred pounds. I realized we were nearing the end of the ride, slowing down. There was a final thump and a hiss, and the seatbelts were released.

I got out of my seat, with Chris right next to me. My legs shook as I stepped forward to get my day pack. Chris and I walked out the gate, grinning from ear to ear.

Later, we joined up with our other classmates from our German class. As we walked away, eager to start the day, I turned around and looked up at the top of the tower, where another ride was just beginning to drop, and I said to myself, “I went on that!”