User blog:Corbierr/Dark Lion- Chapter 1

'Here's the first chapter of my novel, Dark Lion''. Enjoy! Sorry it's so long ^^

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Dark Lion

Chapter 1-

“Come on guys! If you’re any slower, we’ll be stuck in the lines all day,” Jade called back to her two friends, who were both trailing behind her. She stopped walking ahead, pausing just a few feet away from the ticket booth where a large crowd was gathering, and watched her friends as they scrambled to keep up with her.

From where she stood, she could smell the corndogs and the ice cream so clearly she thought she could even taste it. She could hear the thrilled screams of coaster-riders, and the squeals of excited kids. It all only made her impatience grow worse. She was just about ready to run into the park then and there!

Jade had been waiting for this day for a while. School had finally ended a week ago, and she had spent the last six or seven days (she lost track) doing chores and dealing with her crazy family. This was the first day she was able to get out and have a little freedom, with nobody but her best friends by her side, and she didn’t want to miss a single moment. She wanted to remember this, her last summer before she was off to college and she was separated from her friends, possibly forever. And as the time was ticking away, she was growing more and more frustrated with her slow friends. “Hurry up!”

“We’re coming,” Her best friend, Erica, sounded annoyed. She stood next to where Jade was, and gave the tall boy who had been behind her a tired glance. “Blame Ben.”

“I was taking a picture!” He argued, joining the two girls. “There was this really huge squirrel, and-”

Erica groaned and rolled her eyes. “It was just a squirrel!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“But have you ever seen one that big?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade decided to jump in before they started bickering. The two of them liked to butt heads a lot, with their much different personalities and opinions, and they could go on bantering for an hour at the least if left alone. Not that they weren’t good friends...the arguing, somewhat contradictory, seemed to make them stronger. She just didn’t want to wait for them to finish. “Ben, she has a point. Not everything is picture-worthy.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Ben ignored her, instead focusing on his camera now. “The picture came out pretty good.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She rolled her eyes and decided to let him be. He took the camera everywhere, so often that the strap might as well have been physically attached to his neck, not that her photography-obsessed friend would mind. There was no point in arguing with him over it. Erica knew that too, because she also remained quiet, though she wore a look of exasperation. Jade instead changed the subject. “Whatever. Let’s go already,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Calm down,” Erica told her, falling into pace with her as they walked together. Ben trailed slightly behind again, as he was still distracted with his camera. “The rides aren’t going anywhere,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“And neither were we,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Her friend shrugged and fell back to ask Ben a question as Jade just led them to the ticket booth. She listened to their conversation, trying not to laugh, as they waited in line.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;margin-left:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You really had to bring that thing?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Of course!” Ben replied, without a moment’s hesitation. “You never know what secrets are waiting here, secrets that I can turn into stories!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“What, are the bumper cars in with the Illuminati?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You don’t know!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">As they reached the front of the line, Jade had to interrupt them. “Guys, pay attention and get your ticket,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Erica and Ben continued chatting anyways. She rolled her eyes and paid for her ticket, then waited impatiently for them to catch up again.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Dude, the bumper cars could <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">totally <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">be evil. They could be part of some theme-park-ride-revolt!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Alert the media,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I will!” He was either oblivious to her sarcasm, or just didn’t care. She noticed his blue eyes sparked with excitement as he went on, and his entire being seemed to light up, as if electricity was going through him while he thought about these things. “I’ll expose the bumper-car conspiracy and save the world!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Whatever.” Erica shrugged him off and turned to Jade. “What do you think we should ride first?” Ben looked at her, too, silent and waiting for her to answer.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Of course she was the one being asked. Her friends seemed to see her as the leader, the boss, which she was usually just fine with. She liked being in control. But sometimes it just got ridiculous. “I don’t know. Where are the roller coasters again? Come on, we’ll find something.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">As they walked through the park, passing ride after ride and food stand after food stand, each of them would occasionally offer up ideas that would be shot down by the others. Ben wanted to go on the tower-of-terror knock off, also known as the Skyscraper, but Erica was vocally against it, with her fear of heights. Soon after, Erica brought up the offhand suggestion that they eat first- Jade and Ben both rejected it immediately. It would make it more difficult to go on the best rides, after all. Teasingly, Jade suggested the bumper cards, and not-too-surprisingly, Ben refused, claiming that he would not be part of their evil agenda. She couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not, but she and Erica still had a good laugh about it, anyways.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade had one ride she <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">really <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> wanted to do, however. There was a brand new roller-coaster, just opened a few days ago. It was the reason she dragged her friends to the park at all rather than go to somewhere like the beach or the movies. It was called the Black Hole, and as a self-proclaimed roller-coaster enthusiast, she was determined to ride it.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">While she was looking for it, Ben seemed to notice something else. Something that only a Ben would even <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">bother <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to notice. “There’s some Goth guy over there arguing with a cop.” He was getting his camera ready within an instant of speaking. Jade looked to where her friend was focused. A kid, about her age, with dark, baggy clothes, black, spiky hair and even combat boots (she imagined he was sweating like crazy), was indeed getting himself into verbal conflict with a police officer.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“So?” Erica asked. “He’s probably a delinquent or something.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“He looks cool to me,” Jade said.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You think <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">blood <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">can be cool,” Her friend retorted. Silently, she admitted her friend had a point.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">By this point, Ben had already taken several pictures. “I need to get closer,” he said, suddenly. “I want to know what they’re saying.” Before anyone could stop him, he was already on the move, ducking and rolling behind benches, signposts, trash cans and even random bystanders, all just to get near the conversation spot.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“He’s stalking people again,” Erica sighed. “Let’s go get him,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yup…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The two girls followed him, finally reaching him at a bench not too far from the boy and the cop. Ben was scribbling words on a scrap of paper he somehow acquired, with a pen that also seemed to have come from nowhere.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Where did you get the…” Jade began to ask, taking a seat next to him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Brought them with me. Ssh, listen, it’s great stuff!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She tried to argue with him, but when she heard a piece of the conversation, she was instantly hooked.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Look, I didn’t do anything. I told you that like four times already!” The boy was saying. Despite his agitated tone, he appeared relatively composed and confident, and Jade couldn’t help but envy that.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Someone <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">vandalized our waterslide last night,” The cop snapped. Unlike his opponent, he was seeming very frustrated.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yeah, you said that already,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I just want to keep the park safe, so just cooperate with me!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“And admit to doing something I didn’t do? As tempting as that sounds, no. Sorry. And by the way, great profiling job. Really. Pick on the kid with black clothing, I see. Do you get all your criminal information from eighties and nineties movies? Nah, I guess not, or you’d be accusing me of murder and witchcraft as well, probably Satanism too,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Do not speak that way to an officer, young man. Do not be so insubordinate,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Oh, at least you assume I can understand words with a lot of vowels. Thanks for the open-mindedness, officer Smith,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“My name is Officer Jackson, it says it right here on the nametag.” Officer Jackson was sounding exhausted and desperate now, and his previously authoritative look had faded, leaving behind an annoyed and struggling middle aged man, the type of man who would argue with a random teenage boy and lose horribly.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">With a roll of his eyes, he replied, “Yeah, good for you, Smith. I’m leaving now,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You can’t just walk away from authority like this!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The boy just snorted and kept on walking. The officer, defeated and looking red, with embarrassment, Jade guessed, stormed off in the opposite direction.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Enjoy the show?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">It took her a minute to realize the Goth boy was speaking to the three of them.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Erica was the first to answer. “We were, uh…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“It’s cool. Actually, I’m glad we had an audience.” He smirked, glancing back to where the cop disappeared to. “Serves that asshole right. I wish everyone was listening to that.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Me too,” Ben blurted, jumping to his feet, making the Goth boy look a bit startled. “Can I interview you?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Huh?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Sorry, let me introduce myself.” He moved to pull something out of his pocket, which is when Jade noticed the ink on his arm. Had he run out of paper when taking notes? <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Very professional, Ben. <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Benjamin Darrow, junior reporter, future conspiracy buster. Here’s my card,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Name’s Casper, and...this is an index card.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Mom wouldn’t let me make real ones.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I see. And you just carry these around with you?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Ben carries everything around with him,” Jade smirked, glancing at her friend. “Except extra paper,” Looking a bit embarrassed he tried to hide his written-on arm. She laughed and gave him a friendly nudge. “Nice,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Casper looked at her, and at Erica. “And you girls are?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“The normal ones.” Erica gave a glance at Ben, who wasn’t paying enough attention to notice.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’m Jade, that’s Erica.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He was nodding, as if they answered some really complicated question rather than just gave him their names. “Alright. Cool. Well, I know some people from here now. Progress!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Erica frowned. “You aren’t from here?” Explained why Jade had never seen him before, at least.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’m from Minnesota, actually.” Casper laughed and shrugged. “You know, not as popular as Massachusetts, but it was alright. Or it was horrible, I don’t know. Lot’s of snow, though, and not enough beaches. Not that I ever go to the beach anyways, I mean, that’s what you’d guys expect, right? That I’m some sort of vampire or something? Well, joke’s on you, I’m not a vampire, I’m a <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> ghost. <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Clearly. Because there is only one Casper in the universe,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Great, stole the joke before I could make it. <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade stared at him. “You are impressively sarcastic,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He gave a tiny, mock bow, which made her smile uncontrollably. “I try,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“So…,” Ben said, changing the subject again, “Can I interview you or what?” His leg was shaking with energy and restlessness. “I think you’d give me some great material for a story,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Casper looked at the index card again. “You know...why not? I’ll call you at some point. We’ll meet up.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Awesome! Thanks!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“No problem. Well, anyways, I’m off. See you ‘round,” He nodded at the each of them and strode away.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">After he was gone, the trio shared glances with each other. Jade looked to where Casper had walked off. “Well, that was…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Great!” Ben was still buzzing with excitement.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Erica was not. “Weird,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Time wasting,” Jade decided, as she checked her phone for the time. They’d already been at the park for about an hour and they hadn’t even hit up any rides yet, or gotten food, or played games… “Come on, let’s go. And I know what our first ride should be…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And she spotted it in the distance, the large, shiny, jet-black roller coaster. “Viola!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You can’t be serious. What is that thing called again? The Death Hole?” Erica asked her, brown eyes wide from behind her glasses. “You know I hate roller coasters like that.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I still want to ride the Skyscraper,” Ben said. When Jade shrugged him off, he looked noticeably disappointed.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Feeling bad, she said, “Maybe that can be next, okay? But come on, you guys. It looks awesome! What are you, scared?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yes!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“It was rhetorical, Erica,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’m still scared,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She sighed. “Fine, then just stand here while I do it.” Jade started walking off.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Wait…” Ben ran after her. “I’ll come too,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade grinned. “I knew you would,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Erica, clearly not wanting to be left alone, sighed and ran after them. “You both owe me for this…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;text-indent:36pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">They got into the line. While waiting, Jade spent some time looking around. The most recent ride had just ended and the people getting off looked like they had the time of their life. Wild, windblown hair, exhilarated expressions, and some of them were getting sick. The signs of a good roller coaster!

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">But she also noticed something else, something a bit off-putting. There were a lot of cops around. Was this about that vandalism job that happened before?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“They’re everywhere, huh?” Jade jumped. The voice belonged to Casper, who somehow managed to show up behind her. “Damn cops. Multiplying like parasites,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“How’d you sneak up on me like that?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He shrugged.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">As long as he was in line with her, she figured she might as well make conversation, because she wasn’t sure how long she’d be waiting. “Ride looks awesome, huh?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“It’s even more awesome to ride it.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Have you ridden it already?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Casper smirked. “You bet I have.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade opened her mouth to reply, when Ben nudged her. “Sit with me?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Sure,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“No fair!” Erica complained. “Who do I sit with?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Their new Goth friend raised his hand and smirked. “Yo,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She sighed and nodded at him. “Yeah, okay. Good enough.” With that, she turned back around, seeming disappointed or at the very least, a little annoyed.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The line moved up again. Jade was surprised to find that she and her friends would be in the very front of the next group. She grinned, tapping Ben on the shoulder to get his attention. He turned around. “Yes?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You and me, front seat,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Ben looked suddenly sick for a moment. He turned around to look at the coaster, as it slowly began it’s journey out of the gate, his gaze locked on the front seat. “The front seat is the scariest,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“That’s why it’s the best,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He sighed and hung his head in defeat. “I have no choice, do I?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Nope.” Jade smiled at him. “It’ll be fun, trust me, have I steered you wrong before?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Well, you steered me to this coaster,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“And you’ll thank me for it later,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He just sighed.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade heard screams begin, and craned her neck to look up to where the coaster was going down the giant hill. Using her hand to block her eyes from the sun, she watched the descent, heart thudding in her chest. All she wanted to do was get on this thing already, the anticipation was killing her. She watched the ride all the way to the end, and not two minutes later, the ride had ended and the gate had opened to allow she and her friends to get on.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Pulling Ben along to the front, she got into her seat as fast as she could. Ben was, of course, slower. “I can’t believe I’m getting into the front,” he muttered, as he sat next to her.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Are you kidding?” Casper asked, from the seat behind, where he was getting settled in with Erica. “The front is the best part!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yeah!” Jade turned around, and the two of them wound up fist-bumping. “This is going to be great!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I still don’t like this,” Erica said. She looked at her friend; they appeared pale, and shaky. But before she could speak up, Casper did.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Look, it’ll all be over before you know it. Just close your eyes, hold on tight, and enjoy the rush, okay? Grab onto me if you want to,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Uhhh, thanks, Casper, that’s, uh, very nice of you,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He smiled, and this one seemed less sarcastic and more genuine. “Any time.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Once everyone was settled in, the bars lowered, and the man operating the ride began to speak. “Welcome to the Black Hole! When riding, please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, and please check to make sure you’re buckled in. The ride will last approximately two minutes and thirty five seconds. Thank you for visiting Wild World. Have fun,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And then the coaster slowly lurched forward. As they left the gate and entered back into the dazzling sunlight, the hill came into view. Jade nudged Ben, who was already beginning to look terrified. “Ready?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I think so,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“No, you’re not.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You’re right, I’m not,”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She rolled her eyes at him and stared straight ahead, as they began to ascend. She heard the tick, tick, tick, of the coaster against the conveyer belt, as they climbed higher and higher. <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And five, four, three, two, one! <span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">As the camera flashed and the coaster rocketed down the hill, Jade was sucked into the rush she had been craving. Letting out a combination of a scream and some sort of evil laugh, she tried her best to savor the moment.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Up and down the hills, through the corkscrew, up and down some more...it was all over way too quickly. The coaster entered the gate, and she prepared herself, disappointed at the sudden ending, for it to stop

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">It didn’t stop.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">They were going up the hill again.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Guys,” Erica’s voice was shaking uncontrollably. “Guys!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“What’s going on?” Someone in the back yelled.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“We’re stuck!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And then there were more screams, but this time, they were screams of horror. Jade’s heart was pounding again, and her stomach was tensed, but not out of adrenaline. It was pure, unadulterated, fear.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She realized something else a moment later. It was going just a bit faster than it was before. And as it went down the hill for the second time, she swore there was a tiny spark or two.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Tell me this thing isn’t going to catch on fire!” Ben yelled into her ear over the screams of everyone else.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jade couldn’t answer him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Of course! Of course we get stuck on this thing!” He shouted, suddenly crazed. “I told you we should have ridden the Skyscraper!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;">