Instead of working towards a college degree, partying it up and enjoying a normal life at the age of 22, Simon Bishop spends his days and nights with his childhood friends: a werewolf, a goblin, two elves and a ghoulish Nikola Tesla. Known to some i...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The world around him was in a state of chaos. There were crowds of people yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs. He could hear their footsteps against the pavement as they ran past him. He could see children holding onto their parents with urgency. Simon, only ten years old, watched a stream of people run back and forth. It seemed a lot for a child to witness but, then again, being at a theme park came with its fair share of excitement and pulse pounding fun.
He walked on a grey-cemented floor sprinkled with popcorn everywhere. The skies were painted in a bright navy blue color and were filled with white puffy clouds. The smell of barbecue lingered in the air and the sounds of bells and sirens were heard in the distance. Music blasted through every speaker in the park. Announcers yelled out to nearby customers to try their luck at shooting for a stuffed animal. The atmospheric volume coming from every direction was overwhelming for Simon, but still fun.
Simon smiled as he looked around; he was having a great time with his parents by his side. Being with them was no discomfort to him. They weren't your average boring parents who only cared about education and good hygiene. They treated their son like a little prince, showing him enough love to the point of almost being spoiled. Though Simon was anything but spoiled, he just lived a full life. He looked like Macaulay Culkin from the "Home Alone" movies but instead of blonde hair, Simon had light brown hair and he wasn't nearly as annoying as the child actor.
Today was no different than the days that came before it. He had been at the park for nearly six hours, but after filling his stomach full of cotton candy, ice cream sandwiches, and a whole turkey leg, he was fueled for the ride back home. However, there was something he felt he needed to do. Something that would make the day complete. Out of all the rides in the park, there was one he feared the most. Ironically, it also was the one he wanted to ride the most; The Winter Frost. It was a brand new roller coaster that resembled an ice dragon.
The ride was visually beautiful, intricate, and fierce. The seats were positioned on top of a dark blue dragon covered in fish scales over a layer of rubber. It had massive wings that covered its ribs and it had a head that shot out streams of fire from its nostrils. The dragon looked insanely realistic. The track itself was intimidating to look at, let alone ride on. There were three drops, two loops, and a series of twists and turns. There was nothing too extreme about it except the last loop. The dragon always stopped at the top of the loop, leaving all of its riders hanging upside down. As dangerous as it seemed, it was a well-secured piece of machinery.
Simon wanted nothing more than to ride it. He wanted to conquer the fear that gripped him the moment he laid eyes on it six hours before. His mother was against the idea. She didn't want her son riding something so strong at his age. His father, on the other hand, was a bit of a wildcard. He saw nothing wrong with it. It was just a ride, he thought.
After some convincing, his mother gave in to his request and after waiting in what seemed like the longest line he ever had to wait in, it was their turn to climb aboard the dragon. He sat in between his mother and his father, but that didn't stop his heart from throbbing uncontrollably. This was it, no turning back. As their over-the-shoulder harness came down, the cart began to move. He took in a deep breath as his mother assured him that the ride would be over before he knew it. His father kept encouraging him to raise his hands in the air and embrace the moment.
