Annabelle squeaked in happiness as Roy handed her the ticket.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" she said a huge smile breaking out over her face. She had always dreamed of this place as a kid, her brother Sam telling her the story of his first visit again and again. The Johnston's had planned to go for Annabelle's next birthday, but that was before tragedy struck. Since then, Atlantic PlayLand had remained a constant symbol of utter happiness just out of reach for Annabelle…and she was finally here!
"Are you always this excited?" Roy asked her, watching with growing amusement as Annabelle bounced on the balls of her feet impatiently as they waited in line at the front entrance.
"You have no idea what this means to me Roy…I cant even explain…" Annabelle whispered in delight as she watched a roller coaster car zoom above them on the track.
"Well, I'm glad you like it. This was my favorite place as a kid. When my dad was alive, he'd take me here practically every weekend." Roy remembering all the things he and his dad had done in the park. He suddenly missed his father…and Ollie…
"What do you want to do first?" Annabelle's uncontained excitement brought him out of his sadness. He glanced at her again and couldn't help but smile. She looked like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Whatever you want to do is fine with me…here, I'll get a map." Roy took a map from the pile as the two made their way through the main entrance. After passing through the gates, the park opened up into a main square full of shops and restaurants. Kids screams and the smell of cotton candy and sunscreen floated in the air.
"Can we go on a ride first?" Annabelle asked hopefully, eyes flickering across the map as she noted which rides looked the most awesome.
"Like I said before, whatever you want…" Roy assured her gesturing at the whole map. Annabelle saw a picture of a winding orange and red track close to the picture of the main entrance.
"El Diablo…ohh, that one sounds fun! Want to go on that?" Annabelle asked.
"Sure, I think that one is pretty new. I don't remember it." Roy answered checking the map and heading towards the coaster. Annabelle followed close beside him, trying to take in all the sights around her. Some part of her knew she was being childish and that she should be trying to impress her date, but she really didn't care….she was at Atlantic fucking PlayLand!
"If only Sam could see this…" she breathed, eyes flickering around the park as she turned around in a slow walking circle. So much happiness, no wonder he had told her this place was like magic. She remembered the way his eyes would light up when she asked him about it, how no matter how angry or sad she would feel, a promise to take her to this place would lift her spirits.
"Annabelle…" Roy called grabbing her hand gently, "are you going to space out in the middle of the park all day or are we going to go on that roller coaster?" he asked grinning at her.
"What? Oh, sorry- got lost in thought I guess…yeah, come on! El Diablo awaits." Annabelle said, taking the lead up into the line for the ride. The twists and loops of the track loomed high up above them, but Annabelle remained undaunted. She had been on one roller coaster her whole life, a small carnival ride at a town faire. She felt like she could handle it…
The handle bars came down in front of Annabelle's face with a low hiss and she began to feel like maybe this wasn't the best idea. The brakes released the track, and the car began its slow incline up the 300ft hill. With Roy strapped in beside her, Annabelle looked down towards the ground and suddenly wanted to vomit.
"Hey Roy?" she said, staring down at the people below. They were rapidly shrinking to the size of bugs.
"Yeah?" he answered, totally unbothered by the height.
"Um, remember when I told you I like roller coasters? Yeah, well, I've only ever been on one…You know the Gut-Grinder at the Star City Fair?"
Roy turned to look at her incredulously.
"The one that barely goes up twenty feet?…it only gets up to about 45 miles per hour…" he said looking at the upcoming drop then back to her.
"Yeah, that one…Is it to late to get off?" Annabelle asked as the front car disappeared down the drop. The next two and a half minutes were arguably the most terrifying of her life. As the coaster rolled up into the station, Annabelle unclenched her hands from the lap-bar. Her hair was a complete mess and her face was turning a pale green. As the handle bars came up, Roy got out of the car and held out a hand to her.
"You okay?" he asked pulling her away from the coaster and trying to keep her steady. Annabelle groaned and hobbled away from El Diablo.
"I'm sorry for screaming in your ear…" she groaned holding her stomach. It felt like that particular organ had jumped up into her throat. Roy chuckled and ruffled her hair back into its correct position gently.
"It's okay, I can be deaf and still have fun today. So, no more roller coasters?" Annabelle plopped down onto the nearest park bench.
"No more roller coasters…" she confirmed, her stomach giving out an angry growl to prove her point. Roy stood over her watching the crowds of people pass by, looking towards where he remembered the arcade being.
"Come on." he said after a few moments, taking Annabelle's hand and helping her up, "I know what will make you feel better." She let him pull her towards the flashing lights and cheerful music by the air conditioned arcade.
"Pick one." Roy stated, gesturing to all of the prizes on the back wall for the ball toss game.
"How are you so sure that you're going to win?" Annabelle teased, feeling her stomach returning to its proper place. Roy gave her a look and Annabelle giggled.
"Okay, that one." she pointed at the plush Superman doll. Roy raised his eyebrow at her as the vendor took his money and handed him the tattered baseball.
"Go Roy, you hit those milk bottles!" Annabelle cheered sarcastically. Roy rolled his eyes and aimed for the stack of bottles. He threw the ball and hit the bottles dead center, toppling them easily. Annabelle let out a happy 'woot' and accepted the Superman doll happily. As she smiled at Roy, she saw something over his shoulder that gave her an idea.
"Over there!" she said pointing to the snapshot booth, its curtain flapping lightly in the breeze. Roy looked at her questioningly but followed her inside the photo booth. After they sat down on the stool, Annabelle deposited two dollars for some pictures.
"Get ready!" she said happily, striking a pose. 8 blinding flashes later, Annabelle and Roy emerged from the booth laughing and waited for the machine to spit out their photos. The film strip came out with an off-tune 'ding' and Annabelle grabbed them quickly. The first one was of her throwing her arms out crazily and making a puffed out face while Roy glanced at her curiously. The next was a shot of the both of them pretending to look shocked at each other. The third had Annabelle making a peace sign and Roy making the rock-on sign with his tongue out. The fourth had both of them making fish faces, and the fifth was blurry because it had caught them laughing. The sixth was bad because Annabelle hadn't looked at the camera in time, and Roy was in the middle of a blink. The seventh was just of the two of them smiling, and the eight was one of Annabelle sneaking a kiss onto Roy's cheek.
The two laughed at the pictures as they walked down the boardwalk section of the park towards the other shops. Roy's stomach grumbled as his nose caught the scent of funnel cake.
"You hungry?" he asked Annabelle. She nodded and licked her lips in the direction of the funnel cake stand.
"My thoughts exactly…" he chuckled going to the vendor and ordering an extra large boysenberry funnel cake. Annabelle stood at his shoulder and was glad that the two of them shared a favorite flavor. As they ate their treat, the two made their way towards the giant Ferris wheel at the edge of the pier.
"You feeling up for another roller coaster?" Roy asked between bites of funnel cake. Annabelle eyed the Ferris wheel. It was really high…
"As long as it doesn't have any loops or corkscrews or insane drops, I'm good." she said taking a bite of funnel cake. They waited in a short line and climbed into their own compartment. Two benches lined the sides and the walls were thick windows. As the Ferris wheel rose, Annabelle and Roy could see the ocean and the park slowly shrink away.
"Wow!" Annabelle gasped at the view as the waves glittered below them. She watched as the people in the park shrank down to ant size.
"I've gotta' say Roy," Annabelle said sitting back in her seat and looking across the car at him, "This is the best date I've ever been on…" she finished smiling, hugging her Superman doll close to her chest.
Roy smiled back at her. His smile faltered when he realized, despite how much fun he was having with her, he really didn't know anything about Annabelle. Well, he knew where she worked and lived, but he didn't know what her dreams were, or what her favorite color was. Things that may not seem important, but that relationships are built upon.
"Who are you? I mean, you is the real Annabelle Johnston?" he asked, watching her face to try and read her expressions, something Ollie had taught him to do a long time ago. The slight twitch of her eyebrow when she looked him in the eye, the involuntary flex of her neck muscle, the far away look in her eyes…all signs of reluctance to talk.
But Roy wasn't interrogating her, so he waited as she looked away from him out at the view below. They were about half way up, and the wheel had stopped to let out other passengers.
"I could tell you the sob story of my life, but it might ruin your good mood…" Annabelle confessed, rubbing the silky cape of her doll between her fingers.
"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but…I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours…" Roy chuckled lightly. Annabelle wore a sad smile as she got her thoughts together.
"My father died when I was a little girl, in a car crash. When he died, I didn't just lose a father, I lost a family. My mom fell apart, and the responsibility of holding our family together fell on my older brother, Sam." Roy listened, watching Annabelle carefully as he saw the emotions flicker across her face. Anger, confusion, and a deep sadness.
"Sam started doing whatever it took to earn money for us, enough to survive at least, but he also started doing anything it took to forget the pain of our fathers death. He was in a gang and started dealing drugs. Eventually he became hooked on the very drug he was selling, the same drug I saw you using, Roy. My brother, the boy who took care of me, who held me until I fell asleep when I had nightmares, who I loved more than anyone, was taken away from me because of that drug…" Annabelle whispered, tears beginning to form.
"The worst part was, I didn't even know what was happening until his gang dropped his dead body on our doorstep. I didn't even know about the drugs….maybe if I had, I could have helped him, I could have done something…" she faltered, looking up at the ceiling of the compartment to keep her tears from spilling as the wheel began to move again.
"I was nine when i had to grow up, in the worst possible way. Then my mother met this guy, and I ran away….I lived in a lot of places, did some traveling to nearby cities, but I eventually settled down in Star City. I earned enough money from my paintings and photography to rent out my apartment, and I eventually got a job, and well, here I am…" Annabelle looked back at Roy, wiping her eyes, and sniffed. Roy sat in silence for a moment, feeling absolutely awful. He couldn't even imagine how it must have felt for her to see him that morning, pushing the same drug into his veins that killed her brother. He understood now why she had acted the way she did in the alleyway, understood the painting at her apartment, he understood everything...
"I'm so sorry…" he muttered, he couldn't even bare to look her in the eyes.
"Well, I'm not. I still met you. Now, stop it! I told you I didn't want to ruin your mood...but, what about you Red Arrow? Who's the man behind the mask?" Annabelle asked pushing her sad memories behind her. Roy rose his gaze to meet hers, but his eyes widened in terror as he saw what was behind her. A giant, mechanical robot, not unlike the one downtown the other day, was slowly rising out of the ocean beside the pier of Pacific PlayLand.
"Get down!" he shouted, reaching across the seat and pulling Annabelle to the compartment floor underneath him as the arm of the mechanical beast slammed into the Ferris Wheel.
Please review! almost over...
