The sky was slightly filled with grey clouds and the weather was chilly as my friends and I walked around the amusement park, they stopped at the pirate ship ride and looked expectantly at me. “Come on! Let’s go.” they said, and tried to pull me into line. “No way!” I exclaimed, and began to make my way towards the souvenir stands. “Don’t be weak like that.” said Steven, mocking me. “I know that I am weak but that isn’t going to convince me to go on that ride!” I yelled, and turned away.

Five minutes later, I turned around and my friends were next in line. They rode it and when they finished they called out at me and began to convince me to go on it a second time with them. After pointlessly refusing to go on the ride, I got pulled into line and within seconds I was next. My heart beat faster and faster and it crept into my throat. Sweat beads formed on my forehead and my hands started to shake. There was no on else in line so I knew my time would come quickly. I glanced at my friends, they were all smiling, satisfied that I was finally going on a ride. “I don’t want to ride this!” I yelled, my voice shaking. My friends yelled back, “Come on Yerin!” I tried to avoid it again but my friends refused to let the ride start unless I was on it. For a couple of seconds I attempted to get myself out but they were persistent.

“Yerin, I’ll hold your hand, don’t worry.” said Steven, and signaled me to come on the ride. “No, no!” I said, realizing how much I regretted my decision. “Yeah, we’ll hold your hand.” Jovanny added, and finally I gave in. “Okay… fine.” I said. I slowly shuffled to the ride and sat in between Steven and Jovanny. Sitting in my seat, I tightly gripped Jovanny and Steven’s hand.

“Please keep your hands and feet inside of the ride at all times.” the worker said. and I began to hear the click click click of the ride starting up. Oh no, oh no… I thought and gripped Steven and Jovanny’s hands even harder with my sweaty hands. Swoosh, swoosh swoosh. The ride began. Okay, not that bad I thought but that was wishful thinking because after a few slight swings, the roller coaster starting to swing higher and higher. I felt my heart beating faster and faster and my body jerking up and down as the ride swung up and down. When the ride was up in the air, I peered down and the other side was far below me. Oh my god, oh my god I thought. When the ride began to go down I started shrieking and I was shocked and horrified that I was on this ride. “Come on, lift your hands Yerin!” Steven and Jovanny said, obvious that they were enjoying my misery.

Towards the end of the ride, when the drops were the most significant, my throat was dry and hoarse from all the prior screaming, a single tear rolled down my face and I was terrified. I screeched louder and louder. Steven and Jovanny attempted to raise my arms but I was unrelenting and refused. I wanted to get off the ride so bad but I knew it wasn’t done yet because it was still swinging high. I tried to close my eyes but that made things even worse so I opened my eyes and concentrated on holding Steven and Jovanny’s hand.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ride came to a stop. When the ride stopped, my body was shaking. I attempted to get up but failed because my legs and hands were shaking. Why did I agree to do this? I wondered and tried to calm down. I started concentrating on my breathing and after a few seconds my heart starting beating normally again and my quickened pulse decreased. Sweat beads covered my forehead. Around me, people laughed and congratulated me for surviving it. I was reassured that roller coasters and myself really do not work. I told myself that I would always and forever avoid roller coasters a much as I can. When we exited a ride, I got a horrible headache and for the rest of the day I felt lightheaded and tired.