< "Hey, let's go on that," Rebecca said, eyeing some cute hunks waiting in line.
"Isn't there something better? It looks, well, cheesy," Diane said. She was still miffed they hadn't gone shopping. "I haven't been on a tilt-a-whirl since I was five years old!"
"All the more reason to go on it now, then" Rebecca said logically. "C'mon, guys. It's loading and the line isn't too long. What have we got to lose?"
Diane grumbled but Rebecca prevailed, and the three queued up in line. Up close the ride looked even more antiquated. Many of the phony icicles had broken off, revealing yellowish plaster beneath, and they could see wires poking out of the slowly flapping penguins. Above them a red and white striped pole bore a sign that said "North Pole."
"Penguins live at the SOUTH pole, not at the north," Harriet complained. "This ride looks kind of old. Are you sure it's safe?"
"Of course it's safe," Rebecca said. One of the guys looked just like Ricky Martin, and she thought she saw him glance her way. She renewed her determination to snag a date for that night. "They inspect them every morning. There are federal laws that say they have to. It's perfectly safe, Hari."
They reached the entrance to the ride. Instead of sitting in the typical tilt-a-whirl car the riders stood inside plastic cylinders almost like giant test tubes. They held two riders each, so Rebeca and Diane doubled up while Harriet had one to herself. They stood in the cylinders facing each other as the attendents locked a heavy steel and plastic harness over their shoulders and around their waists to keep them in place. Once secured they could hardly move. Rebecca thought it was far too elaborate for so simple a ride. "Are really sure we need this?"
The attendent smiled at her in an odd way. "Trust me, you'll need it. The ride can have unexpected bumps and jolts. We don't want you to get hurt."
"Yeah, unexpected for the Barney set," Diane said sarcastically. "Jeez, Rebecca, I feel like a two-year-old strapped in a car seat to go to Grandma's house! You owe me for this. When we get off, I get to pick the next ride!"
Meanwhile the operator of the ride had picked up a microphone. "OK, guys and gals," he announced in a dramatic way. "It's starting to snow! Are you ready for the...BLIZZARD?"
"Oh, brother," Diane grumbled, but the ride had begun. Ear-splitting techno music began to play as a transparent dome lowered over the ride, causing it to begin to "snow" inside. The cars moved slowly at first but soon picked up speed, each car moving in a figure-eight fashion around the tilted "iceberg" but also revolving around its own axis. The girls caught periodic glimpses of each other, the yeti, and the polar bears as they spun, making the ride even more dizzying. White flakes flew all around them. The effect of being caught inside a blizzard was quite realistic. Diane began to have second thoughts about mocking the ride. In fact, she realized she was growing very sick to her stomach!
Meanwhile Rebecca was enjoying every minute. As the cars whirled around the iceberg she swore she caught glimpes of a strange room below the track, a room filled with harsh white light, strange machines, and steel pipes. But she could never see enough to be sure.
What next?
Thu, 02-Nov-2000 10:18:56