It's time for another short story entry and this week's pictures reminded me of my youth growing up a mile from a large amusement park. I spend every summer day at the park. I knew that place. The memories help create this week's story. If you'd like to participate, here are the rules:
2) Keep your word count to 500 words or less.
3) Submit your completed story to your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Leanne, and Tena) via the inLinkz linky on their sites. (If you need a bit of help with this step, just leave a comment on their sites and they’ll get you linked up!)
4) You have the until next Tuesday to post.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow!
Here's what I came up with. Enjoy!
The Victorious Warriors
They arrive, life springing from the lungs of youth. Happy doesn't do justice to how they feel as they rush the gates, spend their parent's money, and practically fly through the turnstiles where unending joy awaits.
They memorize every imperfection in the pavement that connects humans to rides, games, eateries, bathrooms, and benches where parents and grandparents rest. But not the children! No--they run from attraction to attraction, the smell of cotton candy and cigarettes smoke parts as they sprint by.
What to do first? Rides named to instill fear and trepidation are called out. Others want to eat food that somehow tastes better when coming a midway booth. However, older, more experienced and wiser children know it's best to delay--an empty stomach (under certain circumstances...) benefits many.
Nothing deters their enthusiasm, not crying babies, not long lines, not a momentary rain. They persevere, they reach incredible heights, surpass invigorating speeds, conquer death-defying feats of bravery, while secured safely, of course. They cannot, however, overcome the house-odds of the games, now matter how easily it looks to win or how much confidence they have. The barker takes their money and gives nothing in return.
For a day, they are kings and queens, heroes and superheroes, masters of all they survey while inside the gated world fun. They scream in delight, or in fear--it hardly matters. They've owned the morning, the afternoon, and they continue to dominate the night.
As moon replaces sun as the celestial source of light, the revelry continues. An amazing world by day transforms to an existence where anything can happen, a world where darkness enhances exponentially, the experience.
Time passes, wallets are drained, the world outside the gate prepares for night. Tired parents call the names of tired children and tell them the time to leave has come. They proceed like zombies over the pavement that connects humans to cars and buses and trains, dragging the spoils of their conquest over boredom and normalcy in wagons and strollers.
As rubber and metal wheels transport patrons to homes and hotels, the children rest a well-deserved rest and dream of hours and minutes until they can convince their parents to bring them back, back to an existence of wonder and everything kids love. They sleep the sleep of victorious warriors.
Word Count: 388
What lovely memories these pictures evoked for you.
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