Secrets 3: The Road to the Future

When the alarm on my phone went off, Devin and I got up, took a quick shower and then dressed quickly before going across the hall and knocking.  Now that we were all together, we walked down to the lobby to have breakfast.  As we were eating, I asked my dad a question. 

“I think we already know what we’re going to do today, because we heard you talking about it with Lonny.”

“Yes, it’s something else you’ll enjoy, because we’re going to spend the day at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.”

“It sounds like fun,” Devin replied. 

“Yeah, I can’t wait until we get there,” I added.

Once we finished eating, we headed outside to get in the SUV for the ride to the park.  As soon as we arrived at the Glenwood Caverns parking lot, we went directly to the gondola for the ride to the top of the mountain.  As soon as we reached our destination, Mom pointed out something to the rest of us. 

“Let’s go there first,” she said while indicating the 4D Motion Theater.  “It should be a lot of fun,” she added. 

Devin and I were planning something a little more exciting, but it seemed important to Mom, so Devin and I reluctantly agreed to go there first.  The 4-D Motion Theater was basically the same as similar Motion Theaters at other theme parks.  I quickly spotted a sign that stated the movie currently playing was ‘Winter Wipeout’, so I pointed it out to the others.  There were also the titles of two other movies listed as well, so they must rotate which movie is currently showing.

“It sounds interesting,” Mom stated as we got in line.

As soon as we were inside, we were given the special glasses to wear while viewing the movie, and the seats would move to simulate the action on the screen. 

When the movie started, we quickly discovered that we were about to follow two snowmen seated on snow tubes as we zigged and zagged our way down the mountainside.  The snowmen led us through many obstacles, and we encountered some potentially dangerous situations as we made our way down the mountainside.  While this was taking place, the seats would jerk about and pivot with every act that was taking place on the screen.  I was glad when we finally reached the end of the ride, so we could move on to something more thrilling. 

“That was fun,” my mom said when the ride ended. 

“I guess, but it would have been more fun if we were still in elementary school,” I replied snarkily. 

“So, where do we go next?” Devin quickly stated before my parents could react to my comment. 

“I snatched a brochure about the park yesterday and it had a map, so I kind of planned out a route we could follow so we wouldn’t waste a lot of time walking back and forth to get to the rides.  Is that ok with you?” I asked as I looked at Mom and Dad.

“Sure, we’re basically here for the two of you, so tell us where you want to go next,” Dad agreed.

“Well, the closest ride to where we are now is the Defiance roller coaster, if that’s all right with you.”

“Yes, it’s fine, so lead the way,” Dad concurred.

As soon as Mom saw it, she quickly put her foot down.  “I’m not going on that with my fear of heights!”

She was staring at the tallest feature on the steel roller coaster ride.  It was the freefall drop, which is 110 feet (34 m) tall and the first thing you encounter when the ride begins.  It starts with a 75-foot (23 m) 90-degree vertical lift that makes you feel like an astronaut blasting off in a rocket, since it goes straight up into the air.  That is followed by a 102.3-degree drop on the opposite side where the ride reaches a top speed of 56 mph (90 km/h).

“I’m going to agree with your mother about this,” Dad stated as he placed his arm around Mom’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.  “You boys can go on it if you want, but your mother and I will go back to the 4-D Movie Theater and watch one of the other films.” 

“Yes, that’s a much better idea,” Mom agreed. 

“Then we’ll meet you back here when we’re done,” Dad added. 

“Ok, that fine with us,” Devin and I agreed, and then we each went our separate way. 

The Defiance opened on July 7, 2022 and stands 7,132 feet (2,174 m) above sea level, giving it the distinction of being the highest looping roller coaster in the western United States.  It also stands 1,300 feet (400 m) above the town of Glenwood Springs and has many other distinctions as well. 

To begin with, the free-fall is immediately followed by a 98-foot (30 m) twisted top hat switch, which means the ride goes into a series of twists and loops where you spend part of the time riding upside down.  This includes a banana roll of 111 feet (33.8 m) that is completely inverted, and this is followed by a zero-G heartline roll of 41 feet (12.5 m), and all of this takes place during the 56 second ride.  

When Devin and I got to the front of the line, we got into a car that had two rows of four seats each, and secured the safety harnesses over our shoulders and braced ourselves for what was to come.  The ride takes less than a minute, but it was the scariest roller coaster that I’ve ever been on. 

When the ride ended, we got in line and rode it a second time, since it hadn’t taken very long and we knew the movie would take longer than the time we were on the ride.  As soon as that ride ended, we waited for Mom and Dad to join us. 

“How was your ride on the Defiance?” Dad asked when we met up.

“I felt like an astronaut as we rose into the air,” Devin said, “but that was followed by what seemed to be a malfunction in our space craft which caused it to plummet out of control and we spiraled downward.”

“Yeah, it was enough to take my breath away,” I added. 

“Then I’m glad your mother and I didn’t go on it with you, but we’re pleased you enjoyed it.”

“Did you watch the same movie again or another one this time?”

“We watched the movie called “Happy Family” and it was as thrilling and enjoyable as the other one,” I asked.  

“I’m glad you enjoyed it then.”

“What’s the next ride we’re going to?” Dad asked. 

“The next closest ride is the Crystal Tower, which is a drop tower.”

“Oh, I hate those types of rides,” Mom stated adamantly.  “The three of you can go on it and I’ll wait for you.”

“It’s not the type of ride that’s hoisted up into the air and then dropped toward the ground,” I quickly offered.  “This drop tower is different and starts at ground level before it’s dropped down a shaft in the ground.  It’s not going to be that bad, because according to the brochure, you’ll be riding in a plexiglass cage and there will be a metal grate under your feet, so you can’t fall out.  The ride consists of five seats that are setting side-by-side, so if it will help, you can sit between Dad and me.  Trust me, there’s no way you can get injured and there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”

“Except if the entire ride malfunctions and the cage plunges down the shaft until it smashes into the ground at the bottom,” she pointed out.  “I’m still not thrilled about doing this, but I’ll give it a try if it will make you happy.” 

“It will and you’ll be fine,” I assured her. 

After we took our seats and were strapped in, I noticed another man had secured himself in the remaining seat.  I’d just turned my head back to check on Mom when the cage was released.  The drop of 110 feet (33.5 m) was at a speed of 2.5 Gs and left me feeling as if my stomach had suddenly risen into my throat.  Other than those things and being totally in the dark, it was a lot of fun. 

“You were right, and it wasn’t as bad as I feared,” Mom relented as our seats were being lifted back to the top of the shaft.  “At least it wasn’t out in the open like the drop towers I’ve been on before that lift you up in the air before being released.  And I totally enjoyed the colorfully lighted crystals that they had at the bottom of the shaft.  They were quite lovely.”

“Where do we go to from here?” Dad asked when we exited the ride. 

“The next two rides are types of swings and they’re fairly close together, so you’ll have a choice this time.  The ‘Glenwood Canyon Flyer’ is a series of two-person swings that are suspended from a revolving wheel at the top of a tree-like central support.  Once the ride gets underway, the swings will travel around in a huge circle and go higher and higher off the ground, and part of the time they’ll be gliding over the canyon below.”

“That sounds interesting,” Dad responded.”   

“The other one is the ‘Giant Canyon Swing’, and it is actually a large pendulum with a pair of two-person seats arranged back-to-back at the bottom of two long arms.  As it swings back and forth, you spend part of the time over the canyon before swinging back in the opposite direction and rising high above the mountainside at a top speed of 50 mph (80.5 kph).  They’re both located on the other side of the park, so we’d better get going.”

As soon as we arrived at the location where we could see both rides, Mom didn’t hesitate and made her choice.  “I want to ride on that one first,” she said while pointing toward the Glenwood Canyon Flyer.”

“Sure, that’s fine with us,” I concurred.

We’ve been on rides like this before, but what makes this one more thrilling than the others is that we’ll be swinging out 1,300 feet (396 m) above the canyon.  If there’s a malfunction and the chains holding one of the swings breaks loose, the riders will have 10-12 seconds to think about their fate before crashing into the ground below.

As we were getting off that ride, I could tell that Mom had enjoyed herself.  “it was absolutely delightful,” she proclaimed.  “I just stared straight ahead at the gorgeous views and never looked down at the canyon below, while also enjoying the wind blowing through my hair.”

“Did you boys like that ride?” Dad asked.

“Yes,” Devin answered for us, “and we looked down into the canyon every time we glided over it.”

“I’m glad you liked it, and I would have enjoyed it more if your mother hadn’t been gripping my arm so tightly each time we glided above the canyon that she almost drew blood.”

“You should be glad that I didn’t look down while we were over the canyon or I might have amputated it,” Mom shot back annoyed.

Devin and I didn’t respond to those comments and merely headed over to the Giant Canyon Swing next, However, I did glance over my shoulder to make sure that Mom and Dad were following us. 

We hadn’t quite reached that location yet when Mom spoke.  “I’ll only go on this ride if I’m on the side that is looking up at the sky when it swings out over the canyon.  I don’t want to be staring down into the canyon, because I’m afraid I’ll vomit, pass out, or have a panic attack.

“Ok, then Devin and I will sit on that side if you’ll go on it with us,” I stated and Mom agreed, so we patiently waited our turn to get on the ride. 

The giant arm of the pendulum started swinging back and forth, and as it slowly picked up speed, it swung higher and higher in longer arcs.  I quickly understood why Mom didn’t want to be on the side looking down into the canyon as the arm swung out over that huge abyss. Even though I understood that I was securely strapped into my seat, I still experienced a moment when I wondered what it would be like if the restraints that were keeping me safe suddenly broke.  

“That was exhilarating,” I said when the ride ended. 

“It wasn’t quite as bad as I feared,” Mom admitted, “but I’m glad you boys took the other side so I didn’t have to stare down into the canyon.”

“There was still a point when you were staring down at the ground, when it swung back over the land,” Devin pointed out.   

“Yes, that’s true, but if the safety harness failed it would have been a much shorter fall,” she replied.  Devin and I failed to see the logic in her statement, because she’d still have been injured badly, possibly even killed, if that had happened.  I chose not to respond and quickly grabbed Devin’s arm and shook my head when he started to say something.

“There are just three more rides left that we’re interested in going on and two of them are roller coasters - the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster and the Alpine Coaster.  In between is the Soaring Eagle Zipline, so we’ll go on the Cliffhanger first.” 

What I’d been able to find out from reading the brochure is that the park advertises the Cliffhanger as the roller coaster that is highest in elevation of any full-size roller coaster in North American.  It tops out at 7,160 feet (2182.5 m) above sea level while clinging to the side of the Iron Mountain.  The highest part of the ride is 50-feet tall (15.3 m), and that is where the Cliffhanger curves along the edge of Glenwood Canyon.  That’s more than 1,400 feet (426.75 m) above the Roaring Fork - Colorado River valley. 

Once again, Mom was hesitant about going on this ride, so the three of us did our best to talk her into doing it.  “It isn’t very different from the other rides you’ve been on and I’m sure you’ll discover that you enjoy this one as well,” Dad offered. 

“And we can all ride together in one of the three cars that each holds four riders,” I added.

She finally gave in and boarded the ride with us.  The cars were first pulled up a steep incline, and when we reached the top, we got a quick view of the valley below.  However, we didn’t have very long to enjoy the scenery, since we immediately began the long, winding descent downward until we returned to the same place we started from. 

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Devin remarked once the ride ended. 

“It was really high and jerked us around a lot on the way down, but I guess it wasn’t too bad,” she conceded. 

“I’m glad you went on it and decided it wasn’t so bad, so now we’ll head over to the Soaring Eagle Zipline,” I informed them.  “It’s a bit of a walk from here, so let’s get moving.” 

As we were making our way there, we passed a couple of other rides that seemed to interest Mom.  The first was the Mine Wheel, which is a Ferris Wheel with cars that resemble old fashion mine cars. 

“Why don’t we go on that?” Mom asked as we passed by. 

“That’s one of the family friendly rides, which means it mainly for the younger kids,” I responded.  “Devin and I aren’t really interested in going on those rides, but you and Dad can, if you want after we go on the Zipline and Alpine Coaster.”

She seemed ok with that, until she spotted the Wild West Express, which is an older wooden roller coaster.  “That looks like it would be more fun that that other roller coaster we were on,” she observed.

“That’s another of the family friendly rides, so you and Dad can come back and go on those rides after we go on the Soaring Eagle Zipline and Alpine Coaster.”

“And after we go on the Mine Wheel and Wild West Express, we can go back to the 4-D Motion Theater again, because there’s one more movie we haven’t seen.  I believe it’s called ‘Moon Thunder’,” she added.

“Great, and while you’re doing those things, Mac and I will go on the thrill rides again,” Devin confirmed. 

As we were walking the rest of the way to the Zipline, I talked in a low voice to Devin while my parents walked a couple of steps behind us.  “I’m not sure, but I think I saw the an evil skinwalker standing on the side of the mountain while we were at the top of the Cliff Hanger Coaster.” 

“Are you sure you really saw it.”

“No, I’m not absolutely sure, because I only got a quick glimpse of it once we went up that first incline and before we started curving around and dropping downward before the ride ended.”

“We’ll have to check it out when we get back there again.”

“Yeah, if it stays in the same place,” I responded before I turned my attention to my parents.  “Ok, this is the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride and it’s a two-seater, so you do guys want to go first or do you want Devin and me to do that?”

“We’ll go first,” Dad quickly stated.   

“But look how high up in the air it goes,” Mom objected.  “I think I’ll probably sit this one out.” 

“You’ve already gone higher than that on both swing rides, if you count the time they swung out over the canyon,” I pointed out.  “Plus, you went on a ride that was nearly the same as this when we were at Royal Gorge.  There, you and Dad had to ride side-by-side in your own seat, but here you can ride together.”

“Yeah, this one is a two-seater, so you can ride with Pa this time,” Devin added.  “The weight limit for two people is 450 pounds (204 kg), and I’m sure you guys don’t come close to weighing that much.”

“We might have, if we hadn’t been making your father eat healthier,” she shot back, which caused Dad to roll his eyes. 

As soon as they were strapped into their seats, the sled was pulled slowly backward, continually going higher and higher until they were 600 feet (183 m) above the ground.  At that point, the zip ride was released, and they soared through the air until they came in for a graceful landing back at the starting point.  As soon as they got off the ride, Devin and I went next.

“I really enjoyed going on that ride,” Mom admitted once we were all together again. 

“That’s great, and to think you almost didn’t go on it,” I replied. 

We now led my parents over to the Alpine Coaster, which was the last of the thrill rides.  Dad thought it looked interesting, but once again Mom was hesitant about doing this. 

“You’ll be fine and you’ll enjoy it as well,” I cajoled.  “It’s just like riding a sled on the snow and it’s totally safe, because these sleds are attached to the track so they can’t go flying off into the air.” 

“And you’ll be holding onto two levers, one on either side of the sled, and you can use those to control the speed of the sled,” Devin added. 

Actually, the Alpine Coaster is more like being on a bobsled, rather than a traditional roller coaster, since instead of a series of cars that are hooked together, this ride used individual sleds.  It was almost identical to the Mountain Coaster at Inferno Mountain that we went on with Gramps and Pops, but I wasn’t about to tell Mom and Dad that. 

“We’ll have to take turns as we go down the 3,400 feet (1,036 m) of track until we come to a gradual stop at the bottom,” I explained.  “And you’ll have to remain on the sled as it’s pulled up another track, but this time the track will only be 1,000 feet (305 m) long and totally straight.  When the sled reaches the top, you’ll be back at the same location you were before we started the ride.”

That was the major difference between this ride and the Mountain Coaster ride at Inferno Mountain.  This ride gets pulled back to the mountain top after the ride ends, where the Mountain Coaster pulls you to the top prior to the ride getting underway.

“Can I ride with your father, since I’ve seen others riding together?”

“In order to have two people on a sled, the person who’ll be seated between the legs of the other person must be at least a head shorter so the driver can see where he’s going.  And you’re not a head shorter than Dad.  In addition to that requirement, the total combined weight of the riders cannot exceed 330 pounds (149.7 kg), and since you didn’t pass the first requirement the second one doesn’t matter.” 

“Ok, I’ll give it a try, but let me have a good head start before any of you go next, because I don’t want anyone crashing into the rear of my sled because I’m going too slow.” 

“Don’t worry, we’ll give you plenty of leeway,” Dad agreed.  

Mom went down the mountain first, and Dad gave her as much of a head start as the operator of the ride allowed before he followed.  As Mom had been going down the track, Devin and I made a pact. 

“Let’s do like we did on the Mountain Coaster at Inferno Mountain and try to go down the track without using the brake,” Devin urged.  “Just hold onto the brake without pulling back on it.”

“Ok, I’ll do that if you will too.”

“Deal.”

Devin and I went after Dad had started down, and I went first.  I did my best not to pull back on the brake handles, but one dip in the track caused my body to rock forward.  When my body lurched backward again, I unintentionally pulled back on the brake handles, but only slightly, and after Devin and I returned to the starting point, I asked a question. 

“Did you go all the way down without pulling back on the brake?”

“Mostly, but there was one point where the track dropped down and then rose up again, and that caused me to pull back on the brake without meaning to.”

“The same thing happened to me, so I guess we both kept our promise.”

Once we were all together again, we asked Mom how her ride on the Alpine Coaster went.  “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, since I could slow the sled down at times.  It was a lot of fun.”

“See, we told you it wasn’t so bad.”

“Yes, I made a big fuss over nothing.”

  

“Before we go on any other rides, I think we should stop and have lunch first,” Dad suggested. 

“That’s a good idea, but I need to use the men’s room first,” Devin stated. 

“That’s an excellent idea,” Mom agreed. 

“Ok, we’ll use the restrooms first and then we’ll head over to ‘The Lookout Grille’ for lunch.” Dad stated.

We let Mom and Dad go to the restrooms first, because I wanted to talk to Devin again.  “I saw the evil skinwalker again, while I was on the Alpine Coaster.  I just happened to look up as I was coming to a large bend in the track and I saw it standing between two trees, but the glimpse I got was so brief that I can’t be sure that’s what it was.”

“Do you think it was the same skinwalker or a different one.”

“I can’t be sure, but it could have been the same one.  There’s plenty of trees and uneven terrain so it could have moved around as a wolf and I doubt if anyone would have thought that unusual if they saw it.  I don’t think it could have moved between the two areas as a person, though, because it would’ve been hard for people to accept seeing someone moving around dressed in animal skins.”

“Yeah, that makes sense, so do you think we should call Gramps and Pops and tell them about this?”

“We’re going to be going back to college after this vacation ends and I doubt the skinwalker will stick around once we leave.  I think it has some sort of mental connection with us, kind of like a mind meld, and that’s why it keeps showing up at the places we go.  I’m just glad that Clint isn’t here, because he’d probably freak out if he saw it.”

“And Lonny is going to try to go on the rafting tours that Pa has lined up for us, so do you think we may see the evil skinwalker again while we’re doing those things?”

“It’s possible, but if we’re on the water, the skinwalker will probably stay at a distance away from us on the land.  I think it’s hesitant to get too close now, after we confronted it on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation.”

“But it wasn’t close to us at the reservation or Mesa Verdi either, even though it was still there watching us.”

“Yes, but it was standing out in the open where it was very noticeable back then, but now it seems to be lurking amongst the trees or in the shadows, so it’s not as bold as it was before.”

“That’s interesting and probably why I didn’t notice it too.  Either that or it’s more focused on you.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that as well.”

“Do you think we should tell Gramps and Pops about this when we get back and have them go to Fort Collins with us?”

“Let’s wait and see if we notice it there first.  This park is still fairly close to the reservations where we saw it before, but Fort Collins is a long way from here, so it may not follow us there, especially since we’ll be going to my house first.”

“Ok, but I want to tell them that you saw it again, just in case.  I think they should know that it seems to be stalking us, or just you.”

“Yeah, ok.  That might be a wise precaution.”

After we used the restroom, we met up with my parents for lunch.  After we’d ordered, I looked around at the scenery and it was obvious why this place was called ‘The Lookout Grille”.  We had a fantastic view overlooking the area as we ate.

As soon as we finished eating our meals, Dad asked a question.  “Did you boys bring your phones with you today?”

“Yeah, we both did,” I replied. 

“Ok, then call me when you’re ready to leave and we’ll meet you at ‘The Snack Shack’ to have a drink before we head back to the motel.”

“Ok, it sounds like a plan,” I agreed, and then Mom and Dad headed in one direction to ride the Mine Wheel next, while Devin and I went back to ride on the Alpine Coaster again.

“Do you think the skinwalker is going to be watching us from the woods again?” Devin asked.

“It’s very possible, but I have no way of knowing for certain.”

“What side of the track was it on.  The right or the left?”

“It was on the right side when I saw it.  If it had been on the left side, that would have meant it had traveled into the park to get there, rather than skirting around the perimeter.  It was also at the outer edge of the park when I saw it from the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster as well.”

“That makes perfect sense now, so I’ll watch the right side to see if I spot it too.” 

After we finish our second run on the Alpine Coaster, we got together to chat.  “I think I saw it this time,” Devin stated. 

“Yeah, I did too.” 

“Do you think it will be there if we go again?”

“It might, because it was in the same place where I saw it before, if I remembered correctly.  Somehow, it must have known we were going to come back here again.” 

“If it can read your mind, like you suspect, then it definitely would have known we were going to come back.  Do you think it will attack us if we go again?””

“Nah, it could have run out and knocked either one of us off our sled the last time we did it.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Since that had been settled, Devin and I then went to ride on the Defiance again, followed by the Crystal Tower, the Giant Canyon Swing, and the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster, and then I called Dad.  “Where are you,” I asked. 

“We finished going on all of the rides that we wanted to go on a second time and we’ve been sitting on a bench in the shade while we waited for you to call.”

“Ok, then head over to The Snack Shack and we’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

“Fine, we’ll see you there,” he agreed. 

As Devin and I were heading toward The Snack Shack, we saw a situation that upset us.  A couple of older boys, probably in their mid-teens, appeared to have targeted a group of boys that looked to be several years younger.  It looked as if the older boys had taken some money from the younger boys and were holding it over their heads as the younger boys attempted to jump up and get it back.  The older boys were also using their free hands to push the younger boys away and were knocking them to the ground.  Whenever that happened, the older boys would laugh maniacally. 

“Do you think they know each other or do you feel the older boys randomly targeted the younger group?” I asked.  “It appears that the other people that are passing by must think they are brothers and the older boys are only teasing the younger boys by doing this.”

“It doesn’t matter to me if they’re related or not, because the younger boys are getting injured.  I can see some pretty bad scrapes and fresh injuries on their arms and legs from being knocked down on the cement or ground when they’re being pushed down.”   

“Ok, the men’s room is right there, so we can go in there and use one of the stalls to transition, but we’ll have to hurry and get back before the older boys leave.”

When Devin and I walked out of the men’s room a minute later, he stood six feet seven inches tall (two m) and was extremely muscular.  I was six feet three inches tall (1.98 m) with plenty of muscles as well, and we immediately turned toward where the boys had been earlier.  However, this time we noticed the older boys were walking away from the younger group, but it quickly became apparent that the teens still had the younger boys’ money.  We assumed this, since the younger boys were following the older group and begging the teens to give them back their money. 

“Let’s go take care of this,” Devin stated, and I hurriedly followed him as he walked toward the older boys. 

When he got there, Devin grabbed two of the teens by their wrists, while I did the same to the third boy.  “We saw you taking money from the younger boys and demand that you hand it over to us so we can give it back to them.” 

At this point, the boys tried to punch us with their free hands while still squeezing the money in one of their hands.  Two of them happened to have the money in the hand that we grabbed ahold of, while the other boy had the money if the fist that he was trying to hit us with.  Their effort was not well thought out, though, because the teens found the task of hitting us to be like smacking their fists into a stone wall. 

This not only hurt their hands, but it frustrated them as well and prompted one of the boys to attempt to punch Devin in the groin.  Fortunately, Devin saw what the boy was about to do and turned quickly, so the boy hit him in his muscular thigh instead and it didn’t turn out any better for the teen than his earlier effort.  In fact, this time the boy sprained his wrist in the process. 

“Fuck, are you Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson or John Cena?” he wailed.

“No, I’m younger and more muscular than they are,” Devin snapped back.  “Now hand the money over to my friend.”       

When they refused to do that this time, we used the same technique on them that we’d used on the men who attempted to rob us after the football game in Boulder, eliciting the same results.  It didn’t take long before each of the boys were handing me the ill-gotten money, and once I had it, we released their wrists. 

This had a similar effect of releasing a rabbit or a deer from a snare, because they took off like a bolt of lightning striking the earth during a thunderstorm.  Now that they were gone, I turned to the younger boys and spoke. 

“How much of this money belongs to you?” I asked the first one and he told me.

I noticed the boys all appeared surprised that I was giving the money back to them, but I merely grinned inwardly as I handed him the cash.  I then asked the next boy how much money he had, and after I gave him his money, I did the same with the other two boys.  I just wanted to make certain they were all being honest when they told me how much money the teens had taken from them, and it all added up with what the other boys had given me. 

“Are you related to those other boys?” I asked the last boy.   

“Nah, they’re just bullies from the same neighborhood,” he answered. 

“Yeah, they’re always doin’ stuff like that to boys younger than them,” another stated. 

“And sometimes they do it to boys the same age or older than they are,” another boy added, “but they only do it to those boys if they are weaker, scared, and won’t fight back.”

“Then you should tell someone who will be able to make sure those boys are stopped,” Devin told them. 

“Yeah, we’ll tell our parents about this and let them know that those boys tried to steal the money they gave us.”

“Good, and they should call the police or sheriff’s department and have them pick those boys up, to make sure this stops,” Devin said.

“Ok, we’ll tell our parents you wanted us to tell them to do that too.”

As soon as those boys ran off, I made a comment to Devin.  “I was expecting security to show up and ask why we were picking on those boys.  I’m amazed that no one reported us, especially when we were holding the teens by their wrists.”

“Maybe the other people realized what the older boys had been doing and were glad to see someone step up and stop them,” Devin replied. 

“Yeah, I guess that must be what happened, so we’d better go to the men’s room again so we can transition into ourselves.”

While we were in there, we emptied our bladders as well, and then we made our way over to ‘The Snack Shack’ to meet up with my parents.  As soon as we got there, we found them waiting outside, and once we were all together, we went inside and were quickly led to a table and given a menu.  We looked over what they were offering to see what sounded good, and after a brief discussion, we all ordered a root beer float. 

“I haven’t had a root beer float in years,” my mom stated.  “I’m already starting to feel like a schoolgirl again.”

“That’s great,” I said.  “How did you enjoy the rides you went on?”

“We had a marvelous time,” Mom answered.  “Your father and I went on the Mine Wheel first, and then we went on the Wild West Express roller coaster, and the zipline again, and then we went back to the 4-D Motion Theater to watch the last film.  It was all quite wonderful.  Did you enjoy the rides you went on?”

“Yes, they were just as exciting as the first time we were on them,” Devin replied. 

“And I’m glad you didn’t go on the Defiance,” I said.  “It was just as intense as it was the first time, and I could hear some of the other adults screaming all around us, and they didn’t sound like screams of having fun.  And when I glanced around at them when the ride ended, many of them didn’t appear as if they were doing very well either.”

“Did you boys scream too?”

“Yes, we screamed as well, because like I said, the ride was really intense, but I don’t think we looked as bad when the ride was over.” 

“I thought I might need stitches in my hand after Mac’s nails dug into it will we were on the freefall,” Devin teased as he showed them his hand. 

“Then I’m glad I didn’t go on it,” Mom confirmed.

“After we finish our root beer floats, we’ll head back to the motel,” Dad informed us, “but we’ll stop for supper before we get there. “ 

“That sounds good,” I replied, “because I think my stomach should be settled enough to keep the food down by then.  The root beer float served as a test to see how my stomach would handle things.” 

“Yes, I’m sure we’ll all be fine by the time we get our food,” Dad agreed.

We stopped at a restaurant on the way back to the motel, and after we ordered our meals, my mom made a comment. 

“Mike you should probably tell the boys what they should wear tomorrow.”

“Yes, that would probably be wise.  Wear the same types of clothes that you wore on Monday, and wear layers, because it might be a little chilly when we first start out.” 

Devin and I assumed this meant we’d be going on the rafts again, but maybe this time on higher rated rapids.