Free Dark Mind (The Dark Mind Trilogy Book 1) by Matthew Goldstein Page B

experience of my life. I think I might sit the next one out. And every other one for the rest of my life.”
    “I won’t force you, but you’ll be missing out. You get used to it.” She ran off down the exit ramp.
    Cole ambled slowly after her, his head still spinning in a million directions. I think I can live with the fact that I’m ‘missing out.’
    After they met back up with their group, they waited in an even longer line for an even larger behemoth. When they reached the loading dock, Mrs. Taylor stepped through the cars and went to stand by the exit, with Cole promptly following suit.
    “See you on the other side,” Amy said, disappointed.
    “You don’t want to go on the ride?” Mrs. Taylor asked when she noticed Cole in her wake.
    “No, I think I’m gonna sit this one out,” he said.
    “Okay, well, I’m going to sit on one of the benches at the exit to wait for everyone to get off. Come join me there.”
    Mrs. Taylor and Cole sat together to watch the coaster navigate its frantic course and listen to the screams, both thankful to not be one of the unfortunate passengers.
    Blink, cough, touch your knee and swallow before the coaster reaches the end of its run.
    Amy is on that car! He followed the instructions as inconspicuously as possible so as to not draw any attention to himself. He was trembling as he went through the motions, breathing a deep sigh of relief as he finished. He kept his eyes glued to the coaster to make sure nothing happened. He had a terrible feeling that, like the train, something bad was about to happen.
    For some reason, another kid about his age caught his attention. Cole could never be sure what it was that caught his eye, whether it was the kid’s intent stare at the roller coaster or some other factor, but when the coaster pulled into the station, the kid’s shoulders drooped as if he was also expecting something that never came. This struck Cole as odd and he watched the kid’s back for a few seconds, analyzing, trying to make heads or tails of him. Something struck him as not quite right , but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He thought he might have heard some little voice in the back of his head, but it was only a whisper.
    Almost as if the kid could feel Cole’s stare, he turned around. Their eyes met and held for a long moment before the woman with him, presumably his mother, grabbed hold of his arm and led him away.
    Cole became aware that someone was calling his name.
    “Cole? Cole?” It was Mrs. Taylor. “We need to go. They're getting off the ride.”
    “Huh? Yeah, okay.” He could not shake the chill that was making the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He had no idea why he felt like this. The kid had just given him an innocent glance. He had been pretty average looking, with brown hair in a standard crew cut and a beat up gray hoodie. Nothing about his demeanor stood out as unusual, but nonetheless, Cole was unnerved. He shook it off as Amy came running up to them.
    “Oooo Cole, you should have done that one! You would’ve loved it. It’s sooo much fun. I’m hungry. Mrs. Taylor, can we have lunch?”
    Mrs. Taylor smiled. “Of course.”
    While they took a lunch break, Amy described every single dip, twist and loop that Cole had missed and then went on to tell him about every other ride she wanted to go on that day.
    “I take it you’ve been here before?” Cole interjected after Amy had finished demonstrating how the third loop of one of the coasters was the best one.
    “Oh yes, many times,” she said. “My family comes here a few times a year. I have this park almost memorized. Are you sure you’re going to sit out for the rest of the day? That's lame. You should give it another shot. You just have to get used to it.”
    “If the others are anything like the first, I’m going to have to pass.”
    Amy pouted. “Okay. I’ll go on a smaller ride with you later. What would you like, the merry-go-round?” She smirked. “Joking.