I was wondering if I would see home again, if I would see my family again. I was having a great time but that thought kept running through my mind. When my grandpa left me he said “I’ll find you in a hour.” It has been four hours since then. He is probably worried sick, looking for me. As I was looking for him and him me we would never bump into each other. For comfort I would tell myself “just keep going on rides, have fun your on vocation.”
You may want to know how I got here. Well after my seventh grade promotion, my grandpa also known as Papa, wanted to take me to Magic Mountain. Ever since I can remember Papa took me on trips, just the two of us. We usually went to California, because my grandpa grew up there. He would tell me stories about his childhood as we drove. There has never been a trip where we have not driven. Papa loves to drive and I loved to listen to his interesting stories. We did things like fish, boat rides, Disneyland, California Adventures, the year before Knot’s Berry Farm and this is where it all started. It was there I discovered roller coasters!

After Knots I bought this computer game called Roller Coaster Tycoon. In the game you were the manager of a theme park, you could buy other theme parks roller coasters or create your own. There was this one park I spent hours on, and it had this one ride called the Goliath. All the guests in the park went straight over to that ride out of all of my rides. I later found it that the Goliath was a real ride and was at Magic Mountain. So when it came time for our trip I knew I wanted to go to Magic Mountain.


When we arrived at Magic Mountain, I was so excited. I ran to the entrance only to be stopped by a huge line. In line Papa told me about the last time he was there and about his favorite ride, this only added to the excitement. He then said “the first ride were going to go on is my favorite ride, there is something about this ride that I love I don’t know you will see for yourself” Papa took us straight over there, it was a old wooden roller coaster. Every second of that ride was so cool it had these sharp turns and steep hills, to this day it is my favorite roller coaster.

For the day I had a goal, a goal of ridding every roller coaster there. After the sixth roller coaster my grandpa and I were so tired and super hungry. We stopped and went to look at the food, they had so many choices but one thing stood out. The pizza, it smelled so good and when I asked for it he charged me seven dollars. It was totally out rages but when I got it, it had pepperoni’s spread out so evenly throughout the pizza and the smell oh the smell. When I finally took a bite after staring at forever, it was so worth the seven dollars. Immediately after the pizza I was ready to go back and ride the coasters.

My grandpa was still tired and wanted stop but he told me “you can keep going on them by yourself if you want” I laughed and said “okay”. The first ride I went to was the Goliath. I was standing in line and I saw this girl. The girl was so beautiful, she was the prettiest girl I have ever seen. Then I kept looking and saw her arm around another guy’s. My heart was instantly broken, I looked at him from up to down. He had highlighted hair, big muscles, was wearing shorts and flip flops. When I returned home I highlighted my hair, I was determined to get a girl like that. I also kept daydreaming and hoping that he would fall off the roller coaster and I would walk away with her, or he would get separated from in line and I would end up ridding with her and she would squeeze my hand because she was scared. I HATED looking at her around his arm. Then we arrived at the loading docks and my dreams were crushed I ended up with some old fat guy with bad breath.

The ride was so intense. The climb up to the top before the steep steep drop. My heart seemed to follow the beat of the click click click before the fall. The fall was so fast my head was jerking in every direction then we stopped and it was over. The majority of the ride was the climb everything else lasted for a few seconds. I couldn’t keep going after that ride I was drained, so we left and my goal was saved for later, for I planned on returning.

Papa and I were on our way home when he asked “do you want to stop at my favorite restaurant in Las Vegas?” I of course said “yeah, that sounds fun!” We later arrived and I was so hungry which was good because I was about to eat more then I ever have before. We walked in, and it was in a casino. It was the first time I had ever seen a casino before I was amazed and then we walked into the restaurant and the casino seemed liked nothing. It was so formal. There was classical music in the background, huge fancy pictures. When we were seated I looked down and saw three forks and two spoons I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t read the menu so papa ordered for me and when it came I ate all of it. It was so good then more came out I ate all of that too, by this time I was so full. Another dish came out and again I ate it all. Everything I had was so goo but god I was full. Desert came out later and it was a cheesecake and the pain in my stomach went away, I was able to get the slice down but I was done, there was no way I could eat any more. I could tell my grandpa was full too because he didn’t want to drive. That was the weirdest thing I ever heard. He loves to drive! I have to say though I was thrilled to death.

This means we were staying the night. I could not sleep that night, I was so uncomfortable I know for sure it was because of the all that food. When my grandpa woke up he said do you want to go home and I said “no, but we have to huh?” He laughed and said “I am your mom’s dad, so I am the boss of her. I know what we can do today”. I just smiled and said “can’t wait.” He took me to Circus Circus, it had this indoor theme park. Papa asked “can I leave you for a hour”. I agreed and he said “okay I will come and find you in a hour, it shouldn’t be that hard”. He got me this wristband that let me go on any ride I wanted, the first ride I went on was this water ride that got me soaked. On that ride I met this girl who followed me for the next hour. She was so annoying I thought I had it bad back home with my four younger sisters but this just showed me I had it good. She would talk and talk mostly about nothing I never felt so uncomfortable, I tried and failed many ditch attempts. But finally her big brother came and got her, he gave me the dirtiest look when he saw me but I didn’t care I was free. The first thing I did when I was free was I went to go play laser tag. There I spent I waited for my papa to come get me. He never showed up and I began to worry but I just told myself keep having fun. So I set the same goal I had in Magic Mountain, go on every single ride. Well I did that in like thirty minutes but I really started to enjoy myself. Then I decided to go back to laser tag and there I met a few guys and we had this competition going. I won the first two then they all teamed up on me and I was always the first one out.

I asked for the time and he told “oh, it four thirty.” My heart sank. It has been five hours since I saw my grandpa. I did not know what to do. Everyone could tell something was bothering me cause they all asked “dude, you okay?” I shook my head and at that moment a cop said my name all my new friends looked at me with this surprised expression on their face and I walked away with him.

My grandpa gave me the biggest hug and said “kid, I was worried sick about you.”

This trip was and is still the most memorable trip I have ever been on. It not because I was lost but it was an escape from home. The stories my grandpa told me were memorable they always are he is someone who I always have looked up to. He has lived through so much history and always has a new story to tell.

LOST



By Ashton Taylor