Journey Every Step Un-Sure

Approaching the park, I headed in the direction of the Wonder Wheel. Since it was still morning, most of the rides hadn’t opened yet. With a shortness of breath, I went to the ticket booth and bought my ticket. You see, as I ran, I thought of all the people that would really care if I existed or not, and couldn’t think of one. Not a single person. I barely touched the lives of anyone. Therefore, I would rather die before spending my remaining years behind bars, for a crime I never committed. The ticket booth clerk stared at me as she passed me the tickets through the plexiglass opening. Again I felt like a fugitive on the run for something I didn’t do. Eager to get on line and in my own car of the Ferris wheel, I dodged past the few people at the park to the line. Oddly enough, there was only one couple on line. A young couple perhaps in their twenties. As I was in deep despair, I couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of their conversation. The young lady, who appeared to be from an upper class circle, was pleading with the young man, who looked like a real tough guy. Just by the clothes he was wearing you could see the class difference. She was in a pleated black and white skirt with a white sweater draped over her tan shirt. He, in torn dungarees and a black leather jacket over a t-shirt. He looked like a punk. To top it off, from above his jacket collar on his neck, was a tattoo of a snake. The head of a cobra was clearly visibly. The only people I knew, who sported tattoos, were either thugs or punks. The young girl was asking him to understand, that it would only be for three years. She would be home for holidays and breaks. Just like they were home now on spring break together. He insisted it would be different with her away in another state and all. I gathered she was going away to college. The discussion continued with her insisting he should be able to trust her while she was away. He wasn’t buying her story for whatever reason and swore he would make her pay if she left him. He threatened that if he found out her parents were behind this, the outcome would be horrible. He also said that if he can’t have her all to himself, nobody else would. I didn’t like the way this conversation was heading, but I ignored it the best I could. Twice the young girl looked at me. I even noticed her briefly stare at my torn pant leg, which was now stained with dried blood. Not wanting to make eye contact, I stared down at the pavement. The last thing I needed was to get in the middle of a lover’s quarrel. The ride operator opened their door to the car and they stepped into it. But not before the young girl with the big brown doe eyes, glanced one last time at me with fear in her eyes. I, again, looked the other way. They would have to work out their differences and come up with a plan that suited them best. After all, I had plans of my own. 58 I handed my ticket to the operator and prayed for a stationary car rather than the ones that ran the tracks inside the wheel. For once my prayer was answered. Ironically enough, both the last car with the young quarreling couple was as well stationary. I sat down as the wheel began to turn upwards to the best view of the world from the top. Once, then twice it went around. As it circled the second time, the line below started to fill up with excited patrons, who also wanted the thrill of the wheel. On the third and final time around the wheel, it continuously would stop to board other riders. Knowing I didn’t have much time, if I was going to do what I had decided was my only option, I made my move. Quickly, I reached out and took hold of one of the steel beams. The young couple in the car above me had stopped at the tippy top. I was right beneath them. From this height I knew an immediate death would occur from this plunge I was about to partake. Inching my body through the cast iron metal car, I wedged myself where I was able to get a good grip and hauled myself up. Steadily I hoisted my entire body the rest of the way. My knee throbbed but it was manageable. The pain had let up. With completely empty cars surrounding me, there was no one to take notice of the crazed man that I had become. There would be no screams to warn the operator on the ground. I stood on the flat top of my car peering out for the last time. Thinking that there was no other choice but this, I took a small step closer to the edge. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to convince authorities of my innocence, I had no other option. I really had no purpose in life. I wouldn’t be missed. I made no impact in this world. My so called life had fallen apart. Sooner or later, the police would catch up with me and take me away in handcuffs. I couldn’t let that happen. I started to lean forward, and just as I was about to take my final step, a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and crashed into me. Instead of helping push me in the direction I needed to complete my destiny, it sent me flying backward. The scraped and bruised knee, gave out. Unable to catch my balance, I was reeling toward the other side. This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I needed to be in control of my final drop to the earth. Frightened of going over the side backwards, I tried in vain to grab hold of anything. I didn’t want to die like this. In fact, I didn’t want to die after all. I should fight the charges and prove it was Vicky and Mike and not me. Stand up for myself once and for all. Face the demons who wanted to drag me into the depths of hell. I want to LIVE! I’m an innocent man and I will stop at nothing, until every last person is convinced of my innocence. Desperately wanting to live now, once again I tried in vain to catch my footing, when the car tipped, knocking me back, smashing my head on a metal girder, leaving me unconscious. 59 What the heck just happened? Gradually, I began to sit up. Instead of being on top of the Wonder Wheel, I was in a forest. A forest so vast that all I saw were hundreds upon hundreds of oak trees. I scratched the top of my head. Actually, I felt the back of my head too, where I was certain a bump of an enormous size should be, from where it hit the steel beam. There was no bump or lump of any proportion. Nothing was there. How could this be? I know where I was and what I was about to do, before my change of heart. Then out of nowhere came that strong wind which knocked me off balance. Wait, my knee! My badly scraped knee and my torn pant leg. I looked down and there was no rip in my pants. No remnants of dried blood. I pulled up the pants and no cut of any sort. What was going on? Nothing was making any sense to me. I stood up slowly figuring I may get dizzy from the bang on my head only seconds ago. Even my legs felt good. In fact, I felt fine. No, I felt better than fine. I felt great. Wonderful! I inhaled and felt the fresh air enter my lungs. Such tasteful oxygen graced my ribcage as I sucked it in. Fully refreshed and with a clear head, I surveyed my present surroundings. Beautiful oak trees of various sizes encircled me. Oak trees are not very tall at all. They are full bodied smaller trees with enormous amounts of leaves covering them. The top of the oak tree is huge compared to the base. Almost all of the leaves were shades of a light orange with tinges of brown and red. It reminded me of fall, right before autumn leaves would fall to make way for winter. I started to walk forward with no particular path in mind. Still reeling from being on top of the Wonder Wheel just moments ago to here now, baffled me. Then it hit me. All at once it hit me! I died. I mean I was dead. I didn’t just fall back and hit my head. I ACTUALLY fell over the top of that car and splat. I started to rub my arms and then my legs to make sure they were mine. All was intact and as it should be. Again, nothing was making sense. I started to panic. From just a brief moment ago of taking fresh breathes, I now found it hard to catch my breath.