15 for 15 Contest --- Closed

Start Time: 12:01P.M.



         Miranda always hated roller coasters; they just always seemed so dangerous to her. At fourteen years old, she had only been on three in her lifetime, and those were all designed for children.

         When she saw the picture of the monks on the rollercoaster, however, she couldn’t help herself. They seemed to be enjoying themselves so much, that she looked up at the towering rails and fast-paced cars and smiled. She could do it.

         She was thankful for the short line that allowed her little time to consider what she was about to do. With her friend, Patty, at her side, she was determined to conquer this fear.

         She got on calmly, strapped herself in, checking every safety feature ten times before the ride’s controller checked one last time.

         Then, before she could even argue, the roller coaster took off. It was slow at first, a comfortable speed for Miranda… even when it started it slow ascent up the first mountainous track, Miranda remained calm.

         They were a few feet from the top when she heard it: the unmistakable noise of a cable snapping. She looked all around, but it was too late. Screaming and yelling as the ride made it was over the top of the tracks, the cable’s frayed wires began attacking, slicing in her skin as she screamed, knowing that her voice was drowned out by the other passenger’s yells and the machine’s own noises.

         Suddenly, the descent began and, in one quick moment, Miranda felt the cable wrapped around her ankles, the tight, momentary pressure of them embracing her skin, her bones…

         By the time the controller knew what happened, it was too late.

         By the time Miranda was safely back on the ground, she knew that her feet were gone, and, looking over, she knew she had lost her friend too. The world became fuzzy, her vision blurred by pain.

         The last thing she saw as the medics wheeled her from the park was the picture of the monks, so happy, so enthralled. Finally, she let the shock and loss of blood consume her. Death was something she never feared.

End Time: 12:15P.M.
Word Count: 355 Words
Written On: June 15, 2008
Written For: "15 for 15 Contest --- Closed"   by Legerdemain
Author’s Note: This was inspired by an article of a young girl actually having her feet ripped off due to the same circumstance; a cable snapping and workers not realizing it in time. The name, the friend dying, and all else have been created.