Alone - short version - 1521 words

                                           

Contest Prompt:  A scene prompt! One of the scenes in your story ... 

                                                     

Must take place in an abandoned amusement park

                                                                

Word Count:  1521

                                                                                           

Alone

         Alone.  He knelt on the cold ground and rocked back and forth, holding his shoulders with his calloused hands numbed by the autumn cold.  The wind tore the leaves from the trees and hurled them through the air.  Like a shroud, the moon hid behind thick clouds, refusing to share its tempered light.  Jim wiped the silent tear from his cheek.

Why did you leave me? his soundless words cried out.  Still he rocked.

Rain threatened.  The silhouette of the ancient rollercoaster stood like a forgotten monster, reigning over the other dilapidated fun fair rides like a monument to blissful moments past.  Bits and pieces of rotten straw mingled with the past summer’s half-brown grass.

His feverish mind looked out from the rollercoaster wagon perched upon the highest point of the red mechanical mammoth.  The heat from the burning sun of the late Indian summer drew droplets of sweat from his forehead.  With her beautiful brown curls, Elizabeth sat next to him.  Her hands held onto the steel bar so tightly that her knuckles went white.  Just behind, Clara, a mere ten years of age, and Susan, only eight, squealed with joy and fright in anticipation of their upcoming rapid descent, sure to leave their cotton-candy-filled stomachs behind for the thrill of it.

A flood of love and pride swelled over him.  No one meant more to him than his girls, and he adored spending time with them even if he rarely came straight home from work.  After all, he deserved a drink with the boys.

Laughing at Elizabeth, he raised his two arms in the air, happy that they got the head car.  The biggest thrills were always in the first one.  Click.  Click.  Click.  The thundering ride whispered as it crept in preparation of its first dive.  From the corner of his eye, he saw Elizabeth holding her breath, obviously too scared to scream.  With increasing speed, the rollercoaster sprinted to the first loop, then crawled up to the next high point.  He could tell that Elizabeth was scared, but it was a good kind of fright.  Behind, the girls tried to outscream each other.  Accelerating, they made the descent and the last whiplashing curves before slowing to a stop, hearts pounding.

Clara laughed, holding her belly.  “I lost my stomach after the big dive.”

Susan looked up at her mother.  “I wasn’t scared at all, was I Mommy?”

“No dear, you were the bravest.”

Clara pushed her little sister.  “Was not.  I was the bravest even if I did lose my stomach.”

After the fun house and a few other rides, they strolled over to the candy apple stand where the three wavy-haired girls each ordered a big red one.  They had eaten corndogs earlier.  Instead of a sweet treat, for himself, he ordered a beer.  It was only his third, and the sun had just set.  The afternoon had been long, and he was thirsty.  Elizabeth looked at him.  He lifted his drink in response.

“It’s a great night out, isn’t it, darling?”

She sighed.  “Shall we go to the circus tent?  I hear the music, so it must be time for a show.”

He tossed his empty plastic cup in the trash as they walked inside.

A clown stood in the isle selling hand windmills.  Susan tugged on her mother’s skirt. “Hey Mommy, can I have one?”

“Ask your father, sweetheart,” Elizabeth answered.

“Me too,” Clara chimed in.

They found a seat near the front where they could see the horses galloping around the ring.  The tent smelled of circus animals along with popcorn and hotdogs.  When the music started, a trio of multicolored clowns with red balls on their noses entered the ring.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” Before the first act was over, he returned to his seat with a fresh beer.  Elizabeth frowned.

“You promised.”

“Come on babe, we’re at the fair.”

She stiffened, but a clown rolled over in front of her and squirted her with the water-loaded carnation pinned to his lapel.  The girls laughed.  The clown cocked his head from one side to the other and then sprayed a jet of water first at Clara and then at Susan.  The crowd roared.  In consolation, he handed them each a silk flower pulled from his sleeve.

When the show was over, Jim stood.  Clara hugged him.  “Thank you, Daddy.  This is the best night of my life.”

“Mine too,” Susan said.  She wrapped both her tiny arms around him.

He looked over at Elizabeth.  She was beaming.  He knew how much it meant to her for her girls to be happy.  A deep warmth filled him inside.  “Well, ladies, what shall we do next?”

They looked around, and Susan pointed.  “How about the merry-go-round?” 

He pulled a wad of bills from his wallet and handed them to Elizabeth.  “You girls take a spin.  I’ll sit this one out.”

Clara and Susan held hands and skipped over to the carousel.  Elizabeth pecked him on the cheek before heading off to stand in line for the tickets.  He inhaled a deep breath of happiness.  “This deserves a toast,” he said.

Before he could take a step, someone slapped him on the back.

“Hey, Jim, how are ya?”

“Great.  The girls are on the ride,” he said.  “Want a beer?” 

“No.  I’ve got something better than girl’s pee.”  His friend pulled a brown bag half out of his pocket.

The two men walked over to the shooting gallery and watched.  They each took turns taking a swig until Jim looked over and saw the merry-go-round slowing to a stop.  “I gotta get back to the girls.  Give my best to the Mrs.”

He almost tripped on a cord used to tie one of the tents down but caught himself just in time.  He made it back in time to greet his just as they exited the ride.

Susan was beaming.  “Can we go again, Daddy?”

Clara looked at her sister and frowned.  “No, it’s my turn to choose.”

He laughed.  “That sounds fair to me.”

Clara turned around.  In front of them, the tea cups were spinning round and round.

He looked at the ride.  “There is no way you are going to get me on those things,” he said.  “Elizabeth, do you want to do that?”

The girls both jumped up and down, clapping their hands.  “Please, Mommy, please.” 

Elizabeth’s eyebrows bunched.  “My stomach is still going in circles, and you want me to go in the tea cups?”

“Please, Mommy, please.”

He dug in his pocket and pulled out another bill.  “Here.  You girls do better on the twirly-a-majigs than I do.”

Each daughter grabbed her mother by the hand and pulled.  In a matter of moments, he was watching them spin around as the ride increased its speed.  He glanced back at the shooting gallery.  His friend was still there, so he walked over to join him – just for a minute.

“Got a few drops left for your old buddy?” he asked.

“Sure.” 

Together they finished what remained in the bottle.  His knees almost buckled when she hit him, so he grabbed on to his buddy’s shoulder. 

“Daddy, that was great,” Susan said.  He wouldn’t give a million dollars for her smile.  It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  He bent down and kissed her on the forehead.  Elizabeth and Clara joined them.

Susan rubbed her eyes.  “Mommy, I’m tired.”

“Me too,” Clara said.

“Jim, I think it’s getting late.  We should go home, and don’t forget we have to get up for church in the morning.”

“You’re right, dear.  Oops, excuse me,” he said, when he bumped into a man as they turned to head back to the station wagon.

The lights seem to glow with a second areola.  He couldn’t remember when he had been happier.  He wished that they could go to the fair every weekend.

They left the noise and music behind them along with the lights as they approached the dim parking lot.  His foot caught on a root when he walked around a scrawny oak.  Before he knew what happened, he tripped and lost his balance, falling to his knees.  “Ouch.” 

“Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked.

The girls waited quietly, hanging on to their mother, worn out by the evening’s fun.

“Sure.  I’m fine.  I just tripped.”  Wiping his pants off, he stood and smiled.

“Do you want me to drive?” she asked.

“No, darling.  You just relax.”

When they reached the car, he unlocked it.  The girls crawled into the back seat and lay down.  He opened the door for Elizabeth.  When he took his seat on the driver’s side, Elizabeth scooted over next to him and laid her head on his shoulder.  She fought to keep her eyes open and lifted her head towards his.  “Thank you for such a wonderful evening.”

He turned the key in the ignition.  That was five years ago.