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.
He closed his eyes and raised his hands as the dragon began its slow departure to the top. He felt it go higher and higher until it stopped. At the top, he opened his eyes and he could see the entire park and as far as the parking lot. The wind blew with ease and all was quiet and still. All at once, the cart dropped and began to pick up immense speed, and that's when he let out the longest yell. The dragon shot out a stream of fire from its nostrils and smoke flew back and glazed all of its riders.
Simon's body tilted forward and his chest fell onto his safety harness. He held on as he felt the wind and G force hit his face. As the dragon swooped down and leveled itself on a narrow section of the track, he felt relieved. His fear had dissipated. He embraced the experience as the ride continued picking up momentum. The dragon went through the first loop and dropped once more. He loved it! The ride twisted and turned at great speeds, adding to his adrenaline levels.
As the second loop drew near, he was ready for it. As the cart was lifted up the loop, it stopped at the top.
Everyone dangled upside down and yelled out in thrill. He laughed and smiled at his father and then back at his mother. He was glad he had done it. It was well worth it and it would be something he'd surely brag about afterwards. In a few seconds, the cart would drop and the ride would end. He already knew where he was going after the ride: the bathroom. He was in dire need of a good pee.
However, the cart didn't drop and after a minute he started to wonder if something had gone wrong. His parents assured him that everything would be ok, but no one could have anticipated what would happen next.
The safety harness for the riders at the front of the dragon sprung up, and the riders fell down instantly. Simon's gleeful sensation was washed away by a wave of terror as he watched the unlucky passengers and he could no longer hold it in. He began to cry out loud as he reached out to his parents. The safety springs began to slowly unlock themselves for each of the riders, one by one, closer and closer to Simon and his parents. The remaining riders screamed out and tried holding onto their seats, but it was no use. Once their springs opened, they dropped.
Simon couldn't take it, his body was at the point of giving up; he would faint in the seconds to come. The blood rushing to his head was too much. His mother cried out and kept trying to convince him that everything would be ok. His father attempted to grab Simon while grabbing onto his own seat, but he feared the worst for his wife. Nothing had prepared him for something so surreal. He prayed that the carts would continue its course before their springs opened, but his prayers were not answered. Simon's mother dropped once her locks opened. He cried out with his father as he watched his mother fall. It seemed to be happening in slow motion. His mother fell with her arms reaching out to him, but he couldn't save her.
His father's locks opened but he held on as hard as he could. He turned to his son and calmly said
"It's okay..."
The awkward position in which the father found himself in made it very difficult for him to hold onto his seat. It didn't take too long for his father to drop. His sweating palms and lack of firm gripping caused him to fall. He took one final glance at his son and fell.
Simon sat locked into his chair, crying and gasping for air. He was now the last remaining survivor. He could see hundreds of people below him, running and screaming. He could see his parents on the floor, red puddles beneath them, oozing across the pavement. Tears running down his face as his lungs could not take the pounding from his heart. He couldn't breathe fast enough or long enough. As the springs holding his body down opened, he felt gravity grab onto him and pull him off. The wind picked up as his body dropped. His descent was anything but beautiful. It wasn't slow but it wasn't in the blink of an eye either, he felt the entirety of his death.
His body slammed into the pavement.
And he woke up screaming!
He sat in the middle of a classroom filled with children, his age. There was a brief silence in the room as they stared at him, but all at once, they rang with unwavering laughter. His emotions quickly transitioned from being afraid to feeling ashamed. His fears worsened as he realized he had peed himself while asleep. His classmates continued to laugh and point at the small puddle of urine, next to his right shoe.
Their teacher, Mrs. Brown did her best to contain the children but no one paid much attention to her, as she was their substitute for the day.
Mrs. Brown instructed, "Simon, come get the hall pass and go to the restroom."
He got up and felt the wetness off his underwear and jeans. Everything felt colder down there. He was so embarrassed that he actually wished he had died in his dream.
As he reached her desk, she asked, "Do you need me to call your parents to bring a pair of fresh clothes?"
He shook his head in shame. The last thing he wanted to do was to involve his parents. He grabbed the hall pass from her and left the classroom.
He made his way across the hall way and passed several classes on his way to the restroom. He did his best to remain incognito but the massive pee stain on his jeans made it difficult to hide. Fortunately for him, no one was around.
He sped walked while looking around nervously. He was so worried that someone would spot him, that he took notice of everything at the school. However there was nothing worth looking at in his school. It was your typical middle school, filled with glass trophy displays, bulletin boards filled with flyers, and the occasional banner hanging overhead.
He pushed an old wooden door as he walked into the boy's restroom. He went into the handicap stall with the sink and toilet inside. Once he slid the mechanism to lock the stall, he grabbed a bunch of dry paper towels and began cleaning himself. He stayed cleaning himself for a while. He wet some paper towels and attempted to clean the smell of pee off of him. He did everything he could to dry himself off right.
During the entire time he cleaned himself, he heard the door to the restroom open a few times. He was aware that he was no longer alone. he looked at himself in the mirror, he was wearing a gray long sleeved sweater with navy blue jeans, and his favorite black and white converse shoes. He was healthy looking kid, with a nice short haircut to match his style.
As he finished washing his hands, he left the stall and walked to the door.
He passed 3 boys before grabbing onto the door's handle. Each of the boys had something Simon took notice of...One boy had a dirty red sweater on, the second boy sported a Mohawk, and the third wore thick reading glasses.
As he grabbed the handle, his whole body shook at a sudden burst of sound. It sounded like the loudest popping noise on the planet went off. It startled him and the other boys in the restroom. They all looked at one another, alarmed and confused.
Their fears grew as they heard over the speaker in the restroom, "Code Red! Code Red! This is not a drill! All teachers and students are to remain in their classrooms! All students and personnel currently in the hallway are to go into the nearest classroom or office immediately! Lock every door! This is not a drill! Remain inside with every door locked!"
Simon and the 3 others immediately began to panic. they knew something was definitely wrong and they all came to conclusion that the popping noise was a gun shot. The boy with the glasses began to cry. The boy with the red sweater suggested locking the restroom door, while the boy with the Mohawk chose to run out and head for his classroom.
It was now Simon and the remaining two. Simon urged the crying boy to remain calm and to stop crying. He asked him, "What's your name?"
The boy answered, "Michael..."
Simon turned to the other boy but before he could ask, the boy with the red sweater answered, "I'm Robert."
"Ok Michael, Robert and I are going to keep you safe...but you have to stop crying. Ok?" Simon begged.
Michael wiped the tears of his face and nodded.
Simon turned to lock the door but the lock needed a key.
At that moment, another loud gun shot was heard! But this time, the sound was much closer. Michael began crying even louder! Simon looked at Robert and knew it was only a matter of time before the shooter heard Michael.
Robert pointed to the window at the end and advised, "Lift me up...maybe I can open the window!"
Simon ran to him and placed his back to the wall. He positioned himself to lift Robert up. Using the strength of Simon's arms and hands, Robert climbed to the window above. He twisted a knob and the window slid open. He looked down in relief, as the distance down was not scary at all.
Without warning, another shot filled the airwaves! But this time, it was right outside of the restroom. Michael opened his mouth and shouted in fear. Simon rushed to him, grabbed him and pulled him underneath a closed stall.
Right as they slid under and remained inside of one of the nearest stalls, the restroom door opened slowly.
Simon and Michael could partially see someone enter. Whoever the person was, they were wearing black tactical boots. Simon was sure this was the shooter and he feared the worst for Robert.
As the shooter walked into the restroom, he/she walked towards Robert's direction. Simon held onto Michael's mouth, allowing him to still breathe through his nose. Michael's Mucus and tears ran down Simon's little fingers.
Their imaginations ran wild as to what would become of Robert. Simon turned his glance from the shooter's boots to the exit door. He slowly began to crawl his way under the stalls with Michael. He had hopes of escaping with Michael, while distracting the shooter's attention towards them and saving Robert at the same time.
As Simon and Michael crawled closer to the door, the shooter slowly walked towards Robert. Robert begged for his life and began crying. The shooter remained quiet while approaching him.
As Simon reached the door, he made the mistake of taking one final glance at the shooter and the horrified expression on Robert's face. It was within a split second, that Robert looked at Simon and the life within his very eyes vanished as he was shot out of the window.
It all happened so fast, Simon swung the door open and He ran out with Michael at his side. They both sprinted through the hallway. Simon ran as fast as he could, but it felt like he was barely moving at all. As he turned a corner, Michael's body flew across him. It caused him to fall to the side. The shooter was now chasing after him.
As he fell, Michael's body dropped next to him. Simon was now face to face with him, he could see through the cracked reading glasses but despite Michael's eyes being wide opened, he was gone.
Simon was so scared; he could barely move a muscle. He was so sure the shooter would reach him and finish him off. As much he wished, this was not a dream and he would not be waking up from any of it. This was real and this was happening.
He could feel his heart pounding and tears were now sliding down his cheeks. He had given up and despite not being ready to die, he was too afraid to do anything but lay down, waiting on death to embrace him.
He heard the shooter's footsteps grow louder. He would reach him in seconds. This was it for Simon. Or at least it was supposed to be.
He heard a distinctive voice instruct him to, "GET UP!"
And it was so clear that it shook him out of his own fear. it was as if the voice had given him strength again. He immediately sprung up and began running again. At the end of the hallway were two doors, leading to the back of the school.
He ran without stopping. He heard the shooter behind him, but he kept going.
He finally reached the exit doors, and he pushed as hard as he could. As the door wiped open, he could see a vast forest across the school. It was pouring hard rain outside but it didn't matter, He ran across a small street and entered the forest. He didn't look back; he just continued to move forward. After a short while, he stopped to catch his breath. He couldn't go any further.
He glanced back without thinking, and he didn't even hear it coming, a bullet glazed the side of his head.
He was jolted a great distance into the air and began his descent towards the ground. He landed on his right arm and head hard...
He rolled down a steep hill and after rolling in the dirt for a couple of feet; he came to a full stop at the bottom. As he lay on the mushy dirt floor with his eyes closed, his mind went blank. It wasn't clear whether he was dead or alive, but a rush of immense pain was felt all over his body. His eyes shot open as he let out a loud scream from the pain. This pain was more than physical; it was internal. He lied there, crying his lungs out. He was scared and frightened. He couldn't explain it... but for some reason; he couldn't remember who he was or how he had gotten there. He closed his eyes and blacked out.