Speed Slide (an excerpt)
by Chaojie , 7th grade
“Why don’t we go on that?” my brother suggested as we exhaustedly walked up to the shore. He pointed to the blue slide that towered over us.
“No!” I responded quickly. “Besides, I’m only eight, and you’re only six.”
“Who cares?” my brother asked frowning. “There’s a little kid going on the slide right now!”
“Well, maybe,” I muttered hesitantly. My brother grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the slide. I couldn’t believe he was braver than me!
As I climbed the steps, I shivered. It’s a mystery whether I shivered from fright, or because I was just cold. When we reached the top, my face immediately twisted into a pale and horrid frown. No one was standing in line. This was a bad sign. No one could set an example for us, and this wasn’t a very popular ride possibly because it was horrifying!
I couldn’t back away now, not with Chaoyian counting on me to be here with him. I sat at the edge of the slide, waiting for the signal to go. My heart was thumping faster than I could blink, and I was sweating. Maybe it was just the water dripping from my hair. It was a long ways down.
“R-Ready?” Chaoyin shivered. I nodded slowly in response.
“Go!” the staff member said. I lay down in an arrow position and propelled myself by pushing off. I slid forward and suddenly dropped down a hill, sliding even faster than before. My stomach churned and I felt nauseous. It felt as if I were actually flying in thin air. Water splashed on my face and wind pushed against my body. The water blinded me temporarily. Water droplets went up my nose, forcing me to cough. Gasping for air, I tried to get up from my position, but I was going too fast. I went down another hill, propelled forward even faster. Just when I felt like I was going to die, the sprinklers crashed water on my face and a splash of water rose from underneath me as I skidded to a slow stop.
I sat up slowly and wiped the hair out of my face. Chaoyin was right beside me, looking as if he were in another world. I smiled ear to ear, for I had conquered one of my greatest fears. I turned to face my brother and exploded with laughter. “Let’s go again!”
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