The door locks behind me and I am alone,
The world suddenly foreign and empty.
Uncertain, I step into the darkness searching for landmarks.
Angry gray clouds roil above and I stumble.
I feel their laughter pelt me as I struggle on.
In the distance, the roller coaster beckons me forward and I go,
Trudging along steel tracks that stretch on my right for miles.
I am numb. Unaware. Unfocused. Confused.
Empty cars quietly roll by in steady progression.
Up ahead, they stop briefly to collect passengers and disappear into the twilight.
Closer now, shadows fill the platform, waiting to board.
Destination unknown.
They are riders of all ages. All sizes.
Ethnicity and gender don’t matter here.
Some arrive, like me, oblivious of the ride to come.
A sense of shock cushions their perception.
Others step forward slowly, tangled in a haze of knowledge,
A heavy burden of pain.
Mixed in are the few joyful travelers, overcome with relief…for now.
Propelled by newcomers behind me, I advance to the station.
A car pauses and I climb in. Unready. Unwilling. Unguided. Compelled.
Another door closes and I’m off.
The track bends and descends out of sight before me.
The stygian void reverberates the deafening silence. Cold air assaults my skin.
The car rumbles onward despite my cascading screams.
Another bend. A rise. Upward momentarily.
A light glistens out of reach but I try anyway.
I slip and tumble…the car races beneath my feet carrying me deeper.
Down. Down. Down.
Murky water splashing my face, I gasp.
The car rolls on. Twisting. Turning. Undulating.
Hours pass. Seasons come and go. The darkness fades.
I round another bend comforted by a gentle breeze, the smell of spring.
Creaky wheels jolt the car randomly through well-worn terrain.
I am unbothered.
Buffered by sweet memories, I journey onward, the roller coaster unending.
Routine. Familiar. Accepted.
©2023 Virginia Emrick. All rights reserved.