The familiar chlorine smell filled my nose, triggering that certain feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was an indescribable sensation; almost a mix between dread and utter excitement, an emotion I’ve felt many times before. It was the feeling of waiting in line for the water slide.

Tanned skin was not uncommon in places like this, were the sun was constantly beating down harsh UV rays. Not to mention how much of it was showing. People, in an attempt to stay cool, avoided as much amount of coverage as legal.
Sunlight danced along the side of the deep rosy plastic, gleaming bright and adding a bit of magic to something that is so ordinarily plain. Like every child’s wildest dream, it held promises of laughter and excitement.

The contraption looming over me was intimidating as well as electrifying. I was torn between forfeiting to the anxiety and running in the other direction or indulging the thrill and standing my ground. Before I had time to make my decision, my sister was tugging roughly on my arm, forcing me into the sweaty, slick crowd of people. I obliged, feeling the slivers of her sharp nails pierce my skin. I winced but shrugged it off, focusing all my attention on the dense forest of bystanders and tourists surrounding me.

She pulled me along like a lost dog until we reached an immense group of people roped off by two long strands. It wasn’t hard to decipher the puzzle that was the line for the death trap known as “The Turbo Twister.”
The first thing that registered in my brain was how hot it was. Perspiration gathered along my hairline and formed little bullets down my back. But the worst of it all was my feet. Despite the occasional cool sprays of water dropping down from the shiny red plastic, the cement ground was literally solidified fire. It was the equivalent to walking on burning coals and a sweltering stove at once to the point where it wasn’t even worth waiting in line anymore.

My sister sensed my discomfort and offered up one of her flip flops. She nudged it over until it was just millimeters away from my toes. The minute my feet slipped into the glistening yellow flexible foam I felt nothing but relief. And by that time we were already halfway through the extensive line.

To the left of me, leaning against the silver fence was a girl. She had her blonde hair tied in a secure braid, pulling back the sun kissed skin on her already taut face. Her bright pink swim suit fluffed out into an almost tutu. She was the picture perfect girl that should’ve been on the cover of a magazine seeing as she had that young vibrant way about her. The pout she sported was the only thing out of place. I smiled weakly at her and was rewarded with a tongue pressed firmly between her lips.

I narrowed my eyes and spun back around. The view to the front of me wasn’t much better. A man, clearly a frequent customer to the McDonalds right down the road, slouched lazily against the sparkling railing. His orange swim trunks squeezed his thighs in just the right way.
His salt and pepper beard was thinner near his upper lip and the left side was disproportionate with the adjacent. His wrinkled features were leathery and dark, already cooked by the fierce UV rays. The little patches of fur dotting his arms and legs matched his facial hair completely.


I swallowed gruffly and tried my best to turn my attention somewhere else. Or should I say to someone else. A boy, probably around my age or so, stood coolly with both tanned arms folded firmly along a well worked chest. You could tell he had a gym membership. His blonde hair was dampened. His eyes glistened bluer than the aqua liquid waves twenty feet below us and his smile stretched wide from ear to ear. He was gorgeous. And tall, can’t forget about that all too essential height.
His blue eyes flashed quickly to mine, as if he sensed someone was staring. Well I could have made it less obvious.
I suddenly found the wet pavement a thousand times more interesting, praying he wouldn’t think the worst of me. Thankfully, he had his attention taken by a perky brunette in a sapphire bikini I would not have deemed fit for the public eye, let alone a family oriented water park.
If it wasn’t for the crashing sound of water resonating from behind me, I would not have guessed we had finally reached the top. The raft was perched precariously atop a sparkly, silvery metal platform overlooking the entire park. Giant blue slides, green slides, and purple striped yellow slides were all placed strategically around the place, looking miniature from such high up. I swallowed heavily and trailed behind my sister, joining her on the raft.
My palms slipped on the smooth material smelling strongly of chlorine. I withdrew my hands, rubbing the slimy liquid between my fingertips. It was not an enjoyable sensation to say the least. My legs glided easily into extension, resting uneasily against my sister’s.
I greeted the strangers boarding the raft with a pleasant smile, not wanting to be rude but still becoming increasingly aware of the situation at hand. The sun seemed to beam brighter, causing little intangible black dots to dance along my vision. My mouth grew dry, all moister seeping through the sweaty pores on my face and arms.
And before I knew it, we were off. The lifeguard forced the floatation device into the water. It collided with the blue stream messily, cool droplets sprinkled my skin. The warm air and contrasting splashes of frigid water were contradicting but satisfying and for a swift moment I thought this would not be such a terrifying experience. That is, until I saw the fall.
My eyes skimmed the plunge, measuring the size of the drop. Calling it high would be an understatement. It was equal to that of a small waterfall. The white foamy water collecting at the bottom was gushing out in great clouds and the surrounding surface was thrashing with waves.
As the river began to transform into rapids, I began to panic. My pulse pounded painfully in my veins and I could taste the unpleasant flavor of chlorine on my tongue already. I imagined it enveloping me, taking over all my senses, becoming the only thing I could feel. It was drowning all my thoughts, pushing me over the deep end.
The sound of rushing water picked up again and I was brought back to my senses. But it was too late. Our raft neared the edge. The plummet was imminent. One way or another the watery demon would have its way.
As we tipped down, a feral scream was ripped from my lips. My fingers wrapped themselves securely around the rough rope handles, clutching for dear life. The course fibers dug their way into my skin, not even drawing my attention in the slightest away from the fall. My heart soared and my body became light as a feather. For a strange moment, it felt like I was flying. I was free from gravity and the weight of standing and was simply suspended in air. And while the fear shrieked murderous words in my head, I couldn’t help but register what an unusual yet fascinating feeling it was.
That quickly came to an end. We hit the wavy water with a thud before swirling in small circles, gently coming to a stop near the shallowest part of the pool. My hands hurt with the strength they were exerting holding onto to those grips. My head spun with the overwhelming aroma of chlorine. My heart was fluttering intensely in my chest. The smell of popcorn gradually began to become apparent.
I felt like I was still at the pinnacle of the drop. It was hard to focus on one thing entirely with a million thoughts swimming around in my head. Did I really make it out in one piece? Where’s my sister? How did I survive that?
Sure enough it was my sister that brought me back to reality. She was hollering about being hungry and wanting to eat while she waded her way noisily through the shallow water. I consented reluctantly just to quiet her boisterous nature. But deep down all I really wanted was to get back in line and do it all again.