Water and Fire

Chapter 22

The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere and Maria grabbed Lena's hand to step out.

"Where are we?" Lena looked around. She saw some metal constructions in the distance and she took a deep breath. "Is that the fun park you've been talking about?"

Maria smiled and her eyes were glimmering in the sunlight. "Yes!" She started to walk faster and she pulled Lena with her.

The closer they came to the entrance, the more noise filled their ears. People were screaming, rides were squeezing and music was playing in the background.

Lena was almost blinded by all the lights and the colors and she didn't know where to look first.

"Two day tickets, please?" Maria placed the money on the counter and within a few seconds they were holding two pieces of paper.

Those two pieces of paper were ripped after they had barely walked two meters.

"Have a nice day, ladies!" A too friendly young man smiled a bright smile and he opened the gate.

For a moment Lena stood still. It was as if she had entered a different world.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Maria squeezed Lena's hand and Lena nodded. "Come, I'll show you the most exciting ride here. We can better go there before we eat chocolate, popcorn and hamburgers." Maria didn't wait for Lena to answer and she started walking. Eventually she stood still at the end of a line.

"How long do we have to wait?" Lena looked at the roller coaster that almost reached the clouds above them. "O, are we going in that?"
Maria followed her glance and she nodded. "Yes, all the way up and then all the way down. Trust me, you won't feel the pain in your heart anymore. Just your stomach." She placed her hand on Lena's back. "You'll love it, I promise!"

Lena wasn't so sure about that. As an angel she probably wasn't afraid of heights, but it could be that she was afraid of speed. Or metal cars crashing down with who knew how many miles per hour.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Lena's voice trembled and Maria grabbed her arm and pulled Lena a little closer towards her.

"Of course it's safe! Every day thousands of people use this thing!" Maria shook her head and Lena took a deep breath.

"Fine..." Lena shuffled forward and the closer they got to the roller coaster the more nervous she became.

"Our turn!" Maria all of a sudden screamed and she pushed Lena into one of the seats.

Lena grabbed the handle bars that were shoved over her head and she felt how she was pressed against the back of her seat. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, but she forced a smile on her face and she stared at the traffic light waiting for it to turn green.

Only a couple of minutes later the roller coaster started moving. Something started ticking rhythmically while they were moving up, higher and higher until Lena had the feeling she could touch the sky. And then all of a sudden it was as if she fell down.

Her lungs filled themselves with air and then she started screaming. She had a weird feeling in her stomach and she tightened her grip.

When the rollercoaster stood still again, Maria grabbed Lena's hand and stood up from her seat. "That was awesome, right?" She pulled Lena with her, even though Lena was barely able to move.

Lena felt a little dizzy and she could barely stand on her legs. Both her head and her stomach were turning and she closed her eyes a couple of times before she felt a little steady again. "Let's not do that again." Lena shook her head and she stared at Maria who started laughing.