Which line from the exposition foreshadows the resolution? Try as she might, Michaela could not convince herself that she was going to enjoy the roller coaster. Was it her natural fear of coasters? Or was it that this particular ride had been given the nickname the Spinal Cracker? Perhaps both.


Gunther had practically dragged her to the line. Now, after 45 minutes of inching, weaving, and waiting, she was next. The train pulled into the boarding zone and slowed to a halt with a loud hiss of air. A couple dozen people lifted the safety bars over their heads and climbed out of their seats. They were on cloud nine, smiling and laughing about the experience they had just survived. It was a feeling Michaela didn’t share at the moment. It was her turn to board, and there was no way out. She felt sick to her stomach.


She pulled the restraint down as far as she could, trying to take comfort in the pressure of the foam-covered bars. Yet she wasn’t able to eliminate the overwhelming feeling of dread that filled her mind. No matter how many times she reminded herself that she was perfectly safe, that she wasn’t going to become a missile launching off into space, she still felt uneasy.


It was 200 feet to the top of the first hill. Michaela alternated between looking straight into the sky and clenching her eyelids shut. Either way, she didn’t want to know how high off the ground she was. Michaela kept hearing the repetitive clacking of the chain, hauling her train up the incline. The sounds showed no signs of tapering off, and eventually her curiosity got the best of her. She pried open her eyes and took a peek.


Just as she surrendered to temptation, her train had reached the peak of the coaster’s ascent. From atop the summit, a magnificent vista filled the horizon. The entire amusement park was in view, and the sun hovered just above the nearby mountains. It looked like it came straight off a postcard. Michaela was entranced.


Then the ground seemed to fall out from under her, and the rest was a giddy blur. The drops, the loops, the wind whipping through her hair... Michaela was a collection of giggles and screams. When the train cleared the final rise, the very first thing she said was, “That’s it?”


Michaela danced down the ramp. “That was awesome!” she exclaimed. “Can we go again? Or maybe now we’ll ride the Silver Hammer! Or are you hungry? I could totally go for a pepperoni popper.” She babbled happily a little more before she turned to see Gunther several meters back, walking unsteadily, pale as a ghost.


“Ride the Spinal Cracker” by Shane Wilson.