Final Destination 3, page 5
part #1 of Final Destination Series
"Thanks, Kevin," she said quietly. "I mean that. I really appreciate it."
Kevin shrugged. "Forget it," he said.
Next to them, Frank Cheek was trying again to engage Ashley and Ashlyn in conversation. They were still on their phones. He held up a cheap necklace he had around his neck. Dangling from it was a big, chrome, mudflap girl silhouette.
"Like this?" he asked. "I won it on the Wacky Ladder. You know, that rope ladder deal that wobbles? I like this. It's totally old school. I'm old school."
Ashley curled a lip and covered the mic of her phone with her hand. "You're getting old, all right," she said.
She exchanged a look with her friend and tilted her head forward. Ashlyn nodded without breaking her own phone conversation. She tapped Lewis on the shoulder and gave him a dazzling smile. Ashley did the same, pointing ahead of him.
Lewis beamed back at them. "Sure thing, ladies. Go ahead. Go ahead." He watched appreciatively as they squeezed past him and sashayed ahead. "You two can stand in front of me any time."
Frank Cheek tried to look over Lewis's shoulder as his prey escaped him. It was impossible. Lewis was a foot taller than him and as wide as a door. Frank tapped the jock on the shoulder and tried to inch around him.
"Uh, 'scuse me," Frank said. "I was with them…"
Lewis shifted his weight and crushed Frank against the rail. "Sorry, Cheek," he said, pushing Frank back with one casual hand. "No more room."
"But…"
"But nothing," Lewis said. "Butt out."
Frank sighed and looked around for a new victim. He saw Wendy and gave her a long once over that made her want to take ten showers. She shuddered and looked away.
Jason and Carrie had made their way to the very front of the line. Wendy saw Jason pump his fist and high five with Carrie to celebrate their victory. They had won the front seats. Wendy wished she could be happy for Jason, but her feeling of dread was stronger than ever.
The attendant directed Jason and Carrie to aisle one, and started sending the rest of the line to the others aisles. The riders hurried to stand by the empty cars. He pointed Ashley and Ashlyn to car seven.
The attendant was moving down the line. He pointed to Lewis.
"How many?" he asked.
Lewis held up a single finger.
"Okay. Hang on." The attendant pointed to Frank. "How many?"
Frank tried to see around Lewis to Ashley and Ashlyn, trying to catch their eye, but they were already walking toward gate seven. He sighed, disappointed.
"One, I guess," Frank replied.
"Okay," the attendant said. "Hang on."
The attendant looked at Kevin and Wendy. Kevin held up two fingers. The attendant nodded and pointed to the car.
"Gate eight," he said.
Kevin started forward, leading Wendy along, as the attendant pointed at Ian and Erin and then at a pair of younger kids.
"At least we're not in the last car," he said.
As they reached the gate, Wendy looked back down the line of people waiting to get in, but just then a scream of bakes and hydraulics made her jump and look around. Another train of twelve cars was sliding into the loading area, decelerating rapidly. The disheveled occupants cheered and laughed and sighed. The automatic restraining arms released and they began to stand and wobble out of the cars onto the far platform.
The gates for the car in front of her opened with a hiss and a bang.
"Everybody in," called the attendant.
Lewis, at gate nine, edged in, his bulk awkward in the tight compartment, but Frank Cheek, waiting to get in beside him, was still craning to look at Ashley and Ashlyn, who were stepping through the gate and taking their seats in car seven. With a darting look at the attendant, he bolted forward and squirmed in front of Wendy and Kevin as they started through gate eight. He sat down behind Ashley and Ashlyn, looking triumphant.
Kevin glared and stepped forward.
"Hey, sleezestack," Kevin said. "Those are our seats. Move your slimy ass."
"Sorry, sorry," Frank said, flipping out the view screen on his camera. "Eight's my lucky number. I have to sit here."
The attendant's voice crackled over the loudspeakers. "Everybody in your seats please."
Kevin's fists clenched. He reached for Frank.
"Listen, scumbag, I'm gonna pull you out of there by your sack if you don't…"
Wendy put a hand on his shoulder. "Kevin, forget it," she said. "Let's just sit in the back. Look, there's nobody in twelve."
Kevin looked up at her like she'd suggested he cut his hand off.
"In the back?" He shook his head. "No way. I didn't wait all this time just to…"
The loudspeaker squawked again. "Please take your seats."
"Yeah," Lewis called. "Get in the rear, Fish. You're used to that position."
Wendy tugged on Kevin's arm. "Come on," she said. "It's not worth fighting over. Besides, you and Jason can go again after this. You said you were gonna ride ten times, so you still have nine rides left to go, right? It's no big deal."
Kevin grunted like it was a very big deal indeed, and gave Frank a fatal look, but did not resist as Wendy led him back to gate twelve. They took their seats in the segment behind two younger boys, jostling and laughing as they squirmed in their seats and mock punched each other.
"Don't worry about it, Ethan," one said to the other.
"But…" Ethan responded.
"Look," the first boy said with all the deep, profoundly jaded world-weariness of his eleven years. "It's like, no big deal. We're already in. You're being, like, a total puss."
"Hey," the attendant called, storming towards the car where Wendy and Kevin sat.
For a moment Wendy thought he was coming to throw her and Kevin off and an embarrassing rush of relief washed over her. In front of her, the two boys scrunched down low in their seats, as if trying to disappear.
"How did you kids get through?" the attendant asked the two boys. "You're not tall enough to ride Devil's Flight."
"I told you, Harry," Ethan said.
"What do you mean?" Harry protested. "I'm fifty-five inches!"
"Yeah? Come here." The attendant hauled Harry and Ethan out of their seats and led them to a sign that read: You must be fifty-four inches to ride Devil's Flight. Painted along the side was an oversize ruler topped by an arrow pointed at fifty-four inches. He set the taller boy in front of the sign. They boy seemed to have made the grade by a quarter inch.
"See?" he said.
"Yeah, I see." said the attendant. He put his hand on the top of the kid's head and pushed down. Wendy giggled as she saw the kid strain to keep his heels off the ground. He lost the fight and his feet fell flat to the floor. His head was just under the arrow.
The attendant smirked. "Nice try, junior," he said. "Come back in six months."
"This totally sucks," Harry said.
"That's the rules, kid," the attendant said. "Outta my control."
"I told you they wouldn't let us on," Ethan said as the attendant ushered them out. "I told you."
"Bite me, buttwipe," Harry said. "This is all your fault anyway, you big puss."
As Wendy watched longingly after the boys, two whispering, giggling girls, with the hoods of their brand new Red River Park sweatshirts pulled up over their heads, slid into the vacated seat. Wendy guessed they were trying to keep their hair from getting messed up or something, but it seemed a little warm for long sleeves. Still, it was probably a good idea. Wendy wished she'd thought of bringing a hoodie, just a lightweight one. Her hair was going to be totally wrecked. Though honestly, at this point she was far more worried about her nerves being wrecked.
Kevin slouched down in his seat beside her and crossed his arms, staring straight ahead. "Worst roller coaster ride… ever," he said.
"Hey Wednesday!" called a voice from up ahead.
She looked up. Jason was waving and grinning at her from the front car. It looked like he was standing on his seat. Even so, she could barely see him over Lewis's massive shoulders. She waved back.
"Hey," shouted the attendant. "Sit down and strap in."
"Meet you at the end," Jason called, sitting down and disappearing from view.
Meet you at the end. For some reason, the words echoed unsettlingly in Wendy's ears, until Kevin pulled in his lap bar, then reached up and tugged down the shoulder restraints. Their harsh, clacking racket snapped her back into focus. She set the lap bar and pulled down her restraints. The padded, u-shaped bar fit snugly over her shoulders. Kevin tested his and she did the same. It was locked into place. There was no getting out now.
Two cars ahead of them, Lewis pulled his shoulder restraints down. They clicked into place, but when he tried to pull the lap bar forward it bumped up against his big gut and stopped. It wouldn't lock. He looked up, worried. The attendant was walking down the car, checking everybody. Lewis pulled the lap bar in with his elbows and leaned on it. He gave the attendant a big smile.
"Good to go, dude," Lewis said.
The attendant double-checked the bar. Lewis tightened his stomach. The bar didn't move. The attendant nodded and continued on to check Erin and Ian's restraints. Lewis breathed a sigh of relief and let the bar rise up a little. It still wasn't locked.
In front of him, Frank Cheek was leaning as far forward as he could, trying to talk to Ashley and Ashlyn. He reached out and stuck his digital video camera between their seats.
"Hey," he said. "I dare you two to flash your tits at the top of the loop."
Ashley and Ashlyn rolled their eyes dramatically.
Wendy raised her camera high over her head and aimed down the car. Ahead of her kids were waving their arms and shouting, "Let's go. Let's go!" If she was lucky she could get everyone in the train. She squeezed the shutter button. The flash flared.
The attendant, who had just checked their restraints, spun around. He glared at her, pointing to a sign. "Yo," he said. "Can't you read?" He started toward them.
Wendy looked at the sign, even though she already knew what it said. No loose objects. No cameras. Wendy shrunk in her seat as the attendant loomed over her.
Kevin took the camera from her and looked up at the attendant. "I'll put it in my pocket," he said. "All right?"
The attendant hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Fine," he said.
Kevin stuffed the camera in the pocket of his loose cut cargo pants. Ahead of them, Frank looked back and stealthily slid his DV cam up under his T-shirt.
Satisfied that all was shipshape, the attendant started back toward his control panel. Kevin grinned and leaned forward, gripping the lap bar in anticipation.
"Finally. This is going to…" he paused. "Aw, gross!"
He pulled his hand away from the bar, face scrunched up in disgust. A drooping line of bright pink chewing gum stretched from the bar to his palm. He tried to wipe it off on the side of the car.
The attendant stood at his console. He flipped up the clear plastic safety casing that covered the launch button, which glowed a jaunty green. He grinned and raised his hand over his head.
"And away we go," he cried, then pushed the button.
The twelve little cars jolted forward as the guide wheels began turning against the metal pipe track. Wendy was rocked forward and then back. The other passengers raised their arms over their heads and cheered. Kevin, having cleaned most of the gum off his hand, joined them, and elbowed Wendy in the arm.
"Come on, Wendy," he cried. "Get in the spirit. There's no stopping it now."
Wendy gave him a tight-lipped smile and half-heartedly raised her arms.
In the lead car, Jason leaned forward, eager and bright eyed. Beside him, Carrie smiled and gripped the overhead restraints with a happy tension. Eight cars back, Frank, now out of sight of the attendant, pulled his DV cam out of his shirt and started filming, holding it over his head, trying to frame both Ashley and Ashlyn, and the rising rails of the lift hill in the shot.
Wendy listened to the clacking of the gears as the cars slowly approached the climb. Then the train jerked to a stop at the base of the hill, eliciting nervous giggles and whoops from the riders. The rails rose above her like twin sword blades, two hundred and fifty feet above her head. It looked like they went all the way to the moon. A gear engaged beneath the car, and it resumed its slow ascent –CLACK… CLACK… CLACK. The car's angle increased sharply, pushing Wendy back in her seat. She felt like she was in the cockpit of a rocket on the launch pad. Her feeling of helplessness was almost overwhelming, but she did not want to disintegrate in front of Kevin.
She looked out to the side and saw the lights of the park falling away below her, and the starlit sky filling more and more of her vision. They were fifteen stories up. Now sixteen. Seventeen. The car's angle became even steeper and the constant clacking became strained. She could see the summit approaching and clenched the shoulder restraints with white knuckles. Another ten seconds of agonizing tension and the car began to level off, twenty-five stories above the ground.
The cars slowed, stopped at the crest, and pitched slightly forward so that Wendy leaned into the restraints. She held her breath. The whole park was spread out below her. The flashing, whirling lights and colorful structures were a puddle of chaos in the darkness of the surrounding orchard. Beyond them, and spreading to the horizon, she could see the more ordered, sedate yellow glow of halogen-lit, suburban streets.
There was a hiss and a clang as the brakes released. Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, the train began to roll forward. It edged into the downhill curve, forward angle increasing, and began picking up speed. Beside her, Kevin let out a rebel yell. The whole train echoed him –a unified screech of delighted terror.
In the front seat, Jason and Carrie clutched the lap bar, grinning and screaming like happy lunatics as the cars plunged down the fifty-degree incline and the wind ripped at their clothes. In car seven, Ashley and Ashlyn were pressed back in their seats, their eyes wide. Frank Cheek struggled to keep his camera in front of him and focused on the shrieking girls. Lewis held onto the lap bar. He almost seemed to be trying to steer the car with his massive arms. Erin and Ian sat, stoic and apparently calm, as the wind whipped their air back from their faces. The only sign of nervousness they displayed was the fact that they held hands with bone crushing intensity. Wendy found she could not concentrate on anything but keeping herself together.
The train plunged on, corkscrewing slightly as it dropped, then hit the bottom of the first valley and roared up the second rise, a towering hill of steel almost as high as the first, but ascended in a fraction of the time. In spite of herself, the thrill of the speed and motion, and the sensation of her stomach rising inside her ribcage, was lifting Wendy's spirits. What a rush it was to fly like this, to have all her earthbound cares fall away like the ground below her, and have her life be reduced to speed, wind and torque. She shrieked with joyful abandon.
Kevin grinned at her. "There you go," he shouted. "I knew you were going to love it."
She could barely hear him.
The cars reached the top of the second hill and baked into a sharp, descending turn. Inertia threw Wendy and the others into their restraints and they struggled to remain centered. Wendy looked ahead, and her giddy scream died in her throat as the rest of the coaster's track was revealed to her, twisting away like a gnarled vine. At the base of the hill the cars had just topped was the first loop, a hundred and eighty degree, fifty foot high, vertical circle of track.
Upside down, she thought. We're going upside down.
The presence of the restraints did not reassure her. The fact that thousands upon thousands of people had survived the trip before her did nothing to calm her terror. She was going to fall out of the car. She was going to die.
The train straightened out of the curve, then plummeted into the drop, racing for the loop. Jason and Carrie screamed, eyes bright. Kevin pumped his fists over his head. Wendy held the bar in a death grip. Frank pointed his camera toward the loop.
"Here it comes!" he shouted.
The tracks blurred as the car screamed into the up-turn.
The G-forces were incredible. Wendy was squashed down into her seat like some giant was flattening her with his palm. The world rotated around her as the cars rocketed up the inside curve of the loop. The passengers shrieked and howled like a single exhilarated entity. She squeezed her eyes shut, but not being able to see what was happening made it a billion times worse. She opened them again and tried to focus on the other riders.
Frank thrust his DV cam into Ashley and Ashlyn's car and between their seats. He turned it toward them
"Now," he screamed. "Show me your tits."
Amazingly, Ashley seemed game. She grabbed the bottom of her flimsy top and started to pull it up, but she could barely move her arms, and the restraints were in the way. She strained, but lost her grip, and her arm, pushed sideways by the wind, smashed into Frank's hand just as the train reached the apex of the loop and turned completely upside down. Jarred, Frank lost his grip on the camera and it tumbled from his hand. He made a desperate, pawing grab for it, but it bounced off his fingertips and spun away, dropping like a stone.
"Shit," said Frank.
Wendy's eyes squeeze shut as, upside down, her shoulders pressed against the top of the restraints. Lewis's eyes bugged out as his lap bar, which had never fully locked, began to open away from his stomach. He clutched at it, panicked, and tried to pull it in, but his arms fought against the centrifugal pull and lost. He clung instead to his shoulder restraints.
The cars started down the other half of the loop. Below them, Frank Cheek's camera smashed off the super-structure of the ride, glass and bits of metal flying, and bounced to a rest on the out-going loop track. Its broken lens pointed directly toward the train, which barreled down at it at a hundred miles an hour.
The guide wheels bumped over the camera, crushing it, and were jolted out of position. Twisted, one of the four wheels wobbled furiously. The camera shot out from under the rubber wheels like a missile and ricocheted off the undercarriage of the cars. It hit a hydraulic piston right on the seam and split it. At rest, the tiny crack would have done nothing, but at the speed the car was moving, and with the incredible pressures it was under, it wrenched wide open and began jetting oil everywhere.
