Roller Coaster...Or Ticket to Doom?

    “No,” Brianna yelled as her mom and dad told her she had to babysit her 6-year-old brother, Jacob, Friday night. "I have plans with my friends at Whirl World!" Brianna was a tall, blond 15-year-old while Jacob had brown hair and was the shortest of his class. Maybe that contrast in looks went along with their completely different personalities.
   
    Whirl World was the local amusement park that nearly every teenager wanted to go to. Brianna couldn't possibly imagine skipping it just to babysit her brother.

    “Yes!” Jacob yelled, shocked that his mom even trusted Brianna. Being 15 years old, all she had on her mind were her friends, and clothes. Her past babysitting history proved this fact--her phone rang while she was cooking, she went to go answer it, and the food set on fire.

            When Friday came, their mom and dad said good-bye and then left.

            “You know that even though we’re going to Whirl World, doesn’t mean you can go crazy. I’m in charge here and you have to do as I say.” Brianna said, making sure she cleared it to her little brother. Her friends came and picked them up with someone's mom, and they were on their way to Whirl World.

            When they arrived there, Brianna noticed by his face that it was heaven to Jacob. He had never been there before, and once he saw it for the first time, he could never stop looking at it. While looking around, he saw a roller coaster that he really liked.

            “Hey, Brianna! Come check this out! I really want to go on this!” Jacob shouted to Brianna.

            “No, I don’t really like roller coasters that much. Why don’t you go on by yourself, and I’ll be waiting at the end when you get off.” So he got in the huge line, and finally it was his turn. He got on, buckled in, and in a flash the coaster zoomed out of sight. Jacob was puzzled when the ride ended; it let him out at an entirely different platform than where he'd loaded. He climbed down the steps, both amazed and cautious; he couldn't believe his eyes.

              He was amid a forest of dark trees with cobwebs hanging from their low branches. Scattered sporadically through the forest were ramshackle houses, their windows broken and shutters hanging askew. He barely noticed the structures, however, he was too busy watching the white, spector-like beings that were flying in and out of the buildings--right through the walls! Jacob knew this was not your every-day amusement park. He slowly toured the ground, looking every which-way he possibly could. Jacob had never viewed a place like this before.

            Over in the distance he eyed a statue of a bat. But was it your typical statue? That’s what Jacob was wondering before he noticed a sudden movement on the face. He rubbed his eyes and looked again…only to find moving eyes! He was staring at it in disbelief while back at the amusement park, Brianna looked at her watch and it had been over seven minutes.

            “Guys I’ve got to go see what my brother’s up to. Meet me at the park entrance,” Brianna told her friends. They agreed but rolled their eyes, thinking she was a little TOO nice to her brother!

Brianna walked up to the ride entrance and gave the supervisor a ticket. Then she ran up to the front seat in a hurry and buckled in as it took off. She was screaming and weeping as the ride went on; remember, she's a baby when it comes to roller coasters. Once the ride ended, she also came to a whole different platform. She let out a scream in horror, viewing everything Jacob did. She searched the land, crying harder and harder as she saw the terrifying sights. Over in the distance she could just make out the outline of a person...a little person...a boy? Studying it a little more as she came closer, she noticed it was Jacob! Next to him was that bat statue which he was still staring at keeping him from noticing Brianna.

            "Jacob!" Brianna startled him. Jacob jumped up in fright.

            "Don't scare me like that! Look...the eyes are moving," Jacob told Brianna, and she didn’t believe him. Then she finally looked, and by that time, the statue was as stiff as a statue. The eyes weren’t even moving anymore.

            “Please, Jacob. I have enough problems already.” Brianna argued, very exasperated.

            “But it was really alive.” Jacob just had to say.

              “Riiiight. And I’m the boogey man.” Brianna said back, adding a little humor.

              “For once you’re right! You are the boogey man!! Ha-ha!” Jacob teased.

              If I’m the boogey man, who are you? The boogey man’s boss!!!” The fight went on for a while, and when they finally stopped, they looked back, and saw the real boogey man!

              “AHHH!” They both yelled. It was covered in green slime and was twice the size of Brianna and Jacob put together!

              “Wait! I just remembered…the park closes at about 8:00, right? Well…it’s 8:04 right now! The park is closed. What’re we going to do?” Brianna said to Jacob, while they were running away from the boogey man.

              “I don’t know. Maybe we could get back on the roller coaster, and go back to real life. Maybe then, it’ll be earlier than here.” Jacob suggested, trying to help.

              “I don’t think that’ll work. The park’s shut down. The roller coaster won’t work.”.

              “Then what’re we going to do? Sit here until our bones rust? Good idea besides the fact that your friends are probably wondering where we are right now. They probably already left.” Jacob said.

                “Ooh! I’ve got it! I could call them on my cell-phone, tell them we’re stuck on the roller coaster, and they could tell the roller coaster tester to come get us!” Brianna said hoping that the plan would work out. Well, it didn’t. Turns out that Brianna’s cell-phone doesn’t have any service here.

                “Oh, man! There’s no service here!” She yelled.

                “Oh, great. Mom told you to get the ‘all-over’ cell plan. Now she’ll be mad.” Jacob pointed out.

                “You’re the one that wanted to get on the roller-coaster. Wait until mom and dad hear that one.” Brianna said, making more sense than Jacob.

              “Look, can we just not fight now? We have to concentrate on getting out of here. I think we’ll just have to go wandering around, in search of an area where there’s service. Now I’m not sure it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot.” Jacob said. He sometimes has moments where he gets very smart and thinks of great ideas, and this is one of them. But too bad it doesn’t last too long. One minute he’s ‘Genius Jacob’ and the next he’s just an everyday normal 6-year-old.

              “Were you just having a ‘Genius Jacob’ moment again?” Brianna asked.

                “Maybe.” Jacob replied.

                “Yes! Yes! Yes! Ok, where do we go?” Brianna excitedly shouted. She, too, also wishes he would have more ‘Genius Jacob’ moments.

                “Ok, let’s check over there by the dead tree.” He shouted out. They both ran over there and got nothing.

                “Alright, how about over there.” He said again, pointing to the grave yard. So once again they hurried over there only to find it got worse.

              “Ugh! This is hopeless!” Brianna yelled angrily. But she was wrong. Suddenly there was a faint, brief flash of light, zooming over to the forest.

                “Ok, let’s follow the light!” They each happily spoke. Both bounded to the dark forest and heard a growling sound.

                “I h-hope that was your cell-phone!” Jacob worried.

                “Either my ring-tone changed or that was a bear!” Brianna answered, sure it was a bear.

                  “Ahhhhh!!!!!” They screamed and ran in circles.

                  “You know, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Let’s just try to be calm and act like we’re the bosses around here.” Brianna informed little Jacob. He thought that was a good idea. So they both walked slowly, still following the light. Then they saw the bear!

                  “Good little bear. Nice boy. We’re not going to hurt you.” Jacob cried to the bear. It was a grizzly with cubs!

                “Oh, no! Let’s get out of here!” They screamed again. The light continued to lead.
Ten minutes later the light disappeared.

                  “This must be the spot!” Brianna excitedly wailed. She checked the bars and they were full! They jumped in excitement and called her friends. They didn’t believe her but still told the tester to come and get them.

                  “But one problem…how is he going to find us?! I think we're the only ones who could land here!" Brianna cried.

                  “Oh, wait! I hear the bear! Let’s follow the sound until we get out!” Jacob recalled. There goes another ‘Genius Jacob’ moment! They did so and could get a small view of the roller coaster. Then they ran to it and saw a short guy with a long beard waiting for them. It turns out they're not the only ones! This roller coaster is SUPPOSED to end up in that world and scare visitors!

                  When they got back, Brianna’s friends were amazed.

                  “What was it like?!” Amy, one of them, asked.

                  “Well let’s just say stay out of the forest!”