My heart skipped a beat as my eyes beheld the towering silhouette in front of me. My eyes winced from the shimmers of the reflection from the sun off of the smooth red, winding steel. It seemed as though its extensive structure reached past the sky, piercing through the cotton clouds above, all the way to the stars. As I tilted my head back, my gaze slowly took in each curve of the roller coaster. I could feel the blood surging through my veins as my heart pounded faster and faster in my chest, in a rush of excitement. I knew that I had to conquer this dragon.

As I waited in line, impatiently, as a thirteen year old would, each step I took led me closer and intensified the fluttering in my stomach, in anticipation of the adventure. Reaching the front of the line, my cousins and I bought our tickets and readily sat on the warm, contoured seats. I heard the click of the safety bar above my head, and my hands grasped the handle bar tightly, knowing that there would be an immediate take-off. Once it started gradually accelerating, I was startled by the exhilarating music that streamed through my ears. I was energized as I slowly ascended the steep incline on the back of the dragon. I could hear the “click-clack” of the gears beneath me as I reached the summit. There was a slight jerk and hesitation, and the monster roared. It abruptly drove me forward with all its power. As I flew downward, I felt my stomach rise to my throat and drop as quickly. As I plummeted down, the wind whipped my eyes, causing tears to spring up and travel across my face. My cheeks and hair were blown wildly outward in all directions. I quickly squeezed my eyelids shut, unable to keep a scream from escaping my lips. My breath caught in my throat when all of a sudden I realized I was upside down! The feeling was breathtaking and I let out a hysterical laugh that seemed as though it would never end. Laughing and screaming with tears streaming down my face, I felt only pure joy. I experienced the rest of the twists and turns in a daze. Unexpectedly, we came to a screeching halt.

As I walked away, breathless, I felt my flushed cheeks burning from the wind on my face, and fought the urge to ride it again. Once we were far enough away, I turned back to look at the tall, gleaming, red monster, the Rip Ride Rockit.