If Only

Chapter 26 - The Line

Don't you wish you could go back home?

Trying' to remember, just where it was

'Member you ain't alone

-Tyler Childers; Coming Down

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Sammy POV

One time I went to a county fair.

I was probably about 13 years old, and my mom's treatment was officially complete. So, to celebrate, we had decided to attend the annual fair, which we had never gotten the chance to go to.

The night would come to be one of the fondest memories I had with her, every minute one that I would never forget. We had seen the rodeo, fed the animals, eaten as much deep-fried food as we were able, and went on the fair rides.

There was one ride we went on, The Drop Tower, that was undoubtedly the largest and most popular one there. It was intimidating and dangerous, or at least it seemed that way to me, because only the older kids were able to ride it. So, convinced that I was no longer a kid, but a very mature teenager, I had sucked up the fear clawing at me and gotten in line with my mom.

We waited for about half an hour, and by the time it was our turn, my heart felt as though it was beating out of my chest. But we had already waited, and there were kids behind us that would surely tease me if I chickened out, so I sat down and buckled in.

The ride itself was simple, you were raised to the very top, and then dropped to the bottom incredibly fast; but that was enough to scare the living daylights out of me. I swallowed the lump in my throat as we went higher, and my mom chuckled at my panicky behavior, grabbing my hand reassuringly.

Once we finally reached the top, I remember my mom pointing out towards the fair, rambling about the view and how stunning it all looked. But I couldn't stop thinking about what could go wrong. What if the seatbelts broke? What if the ride malfunctioned and we got stuck up here? What happens if the worker hits the wrong button?

And then, with the thoughts and worries running rampant in my mind, we dropped. It was so sudden, so unexpected that I didn't know what to do with myself. My stomach tumbled, and I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. It was as if the air had been stolen from my lungs.

I think the same thing was happening right now.

My mouth was open, my heart racing wildly, but I remained silent; unable to make any noise. Silent as Josh was torn to pieces in front of me by some type of beast. The blood from his shoulder fell at a too rapid pace, the arm that had previously been attached was now a lump of flesh and bones on the ground.

But that wasn't a concern to him anymore, not as his dark eyes widened with dread as he tried and failed to take in a breath. Crimson liquid spewed from his jugular, his skin torn from the sharp teeth of the animal before me. His eyes met mine, and I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to rid myself of this moment, of the fear and desperation in his gaze. He looked at me for help, but I could do nothing for him.

I looked at the gun on the floor, the catalyst for this entire event. The gun that had been pointed at me only moments before. I felt a brief rush of relief course through me, knowing the gun was no longer in the hands of Josh and his malicious intent. But that relief was quickly replaced with terror as Josh dropped to the floor, his eyes wide open as more blood continued to flow out of him.

He was dead.

This animal had killed him.

Suddenly, as if it could sense my thoughts, it turned towards me. If not for its incredibly large size, I would've thought it to be something close to a wolf, its broad figure nearly touching the ceiling. The blood from its kill tinted parts of its black fur as it dripped from its snout. I felt my breaths coming at an unsteady pace as I stumbled backwards, breaking the frozen state I had been trapped in. My back hit the wall, and I let out something of a strangled cry due to the pain in my ribs and the fear coursing through me.