The pavement was his enemy

"Hey, stop!" Jake yelled as the roller-coaster began it's course. "My seat belt is not buckled!"1

The sound of the amusement park drowned out his pleas, and the iron grip of fear in the heart of the young man went unnoticed as the ride took off slowly. Jake turned around in his chair, his heart beating wildly, threatening to leap out of his chest and scurry into some dark corner where it might hide from the life enhancing adrenaline. 2

"My seatbelt!" Jake screamed, but again his plea went unnoticed, for excitement was in the air, friends. 3

The roller coaster climbed to the peak, and Jake had no choice now but to sit back down and pull the safety bar in as close as he could. He ribs hurt from the pressure, but his fear allowed him a strength and endurance far supressing what should have been expected of a human being. 4

He wanted to close his eyes as they came to the top, to simply placate himself to a state of mind that would except whatever was about to happen to him, but his survival instincts would not allow it. 5

Jake Chambers would not accept an early demise at the hands of an amusement park ride in Queens without a fight. 6

So he held on tight as the coaster sped down the track hill, his eyes wide in fear, but no screams found his lips now. His cheeks flapped out wide, but he brought them in tightly with pursed lips, and forced his eyes to narrow on thew scene before him. With determination, he leaned in with the sharp turn of the tracks, using the new found strength offered to him by his adrenaline, and the momentum of the speeding coaster to keep himself tightly seated. 7

The Coaster went through a series of sharp turns, with everyone around Jake screaming in absolute glee. He was more terrified than he had ever even imagined; no emotion: happiness, depression, anger, nothing had ever been so strongly coursing through his veins. It was like a drug, one that enhanced every aspect of your concious mind. 8

He leanded with the vurves, holding on tightly to the bar, and his fear was almost sedated as he started to become more confident that he was indeed going to make it through this. 9

Then came the loop.10

He had seen it when he had signed up for the ride, but in his state of mind he had completely forgotten about it. What could he do? What way could he lean when his body was about to encompass a complete 360 degree space in a matter of less than a second? He did not have the answers to the question, and his fear took back over. 11

The cart rolled up into the loop, and to his credit, Jake held on as his unlocked safety bar whirled upright and flung him up and out of the seat. His knuckles were white; blood could not find any way into passed the tight grip and into his fingers. 12

Jake saw the carts passing below him, and the wide eyed looks that people were sending his way. Were they looks of pity? Was one kid laughing at him? He mused. How could anyone laugh when someone elses life was so obviously hanging by a wavering pice of metal?13

The cart came out of the loop and Jake was forcefully slammed back into the chair, his head rocking painfully into the seat above him. On impact his chin lurched forward, busting solidly into the "safety bar". 14

Jake, dizzied and delerious, shook his head, stars finding their way into his vision. 15

Another sharp turn had Jake sailing high into the air, but it was not the fall that killed him, more or less. It was the sudden impact as forty thousand of pounds pavement rushed up to meet him.