"We live in every moment but this one

Why don`t we recognize the faces loving us so

What`s God if not the spark that started life

Smile of a stranger

Sweet music, starry skies

Wonder, mystery, wherever my road goes

Early wake-ups in a moving home

Scent of fresh-mown grass in the morning sun

Open theme park gates waiting for

Riding the day, every day into sunset

Finding the way back home

Once upon a night we`ll wake to the carnival of life

The beauty of this ride ahead such an incredible high

It`s hard to light a candle, easy to curse the dark instead

This moment the dawn of humanity

The last ride of the day

Wake up, Dead Boy

Enter adventureland

Tricksters, magicians will show you all that´s real

Careless jugglers, snakecharmers by your trail

Magic of a moment

Abracadabra."—Nightwish, Last Ride of the Day


"Light brings darkness. What sweet irony." I slowly look up to see Mr. White, dragging himself on the ground. He is no longer the benevolent creature I once knew. He is mangled, and his eyes are dark black, empty holes.

"What are you doing here?" I ask evenly, slowly rising to my feet. "What do you want?"

"This is what you've been oh-so desperate to hide from me, is it not?" he counters. "What's her name? Gem?" He laughs. "Wonder why you're losing every memory? You're going to die, Tommy, and you will die with nothing. I'll make sure of that."

I shake my head. I won't let him take away my memories of Gem. I'd rather die than let that happen. This is my mind, and I'll fight for it. The ground under us dissolves, forming into a rollercoaster. Mr. White lets out a furious roar that sounds more demonic than human, and takes to the skies.


I shoot through the heavens, my heart pounding in my chest. There is no telling where this rollercoaster will take me, but I'm not afraid of where I will go. I can't let Mr. White take Gem from me. He is right about one thing. If he takes my memories of her, I will die with nothing. I need to wake up from this fantasy world, I realize. I need to wake up and see Gem one last time. I look back, and the jets on the back of my car ignite, sending me shooting down the track. The adrenaline pumps through my veins. In my peripheral vision, I see a streak of white behind me. The track is falling apart behind me, and I know this is it. The last ride of the day. I can feel my memories of Gem slipping away, but I hold on to them with everything I have left in me.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, TOMMY!" Mr. White roars. "I AM A CREATION OF YOUR IMAGINATION!" If he had eyes, they would be filled with bloodlust. For a moment, he reminds me of my father. The resemblance sends a chill down my spine. Can it be? "I MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE!" The track twists and turns and jerks violently, pulling Mr. White along with it. He won't stop until I'm dead. My time is running out, and regardless of the outcome of this chase, I will die. I am resting comatose in a hospital bed outside of this…imaginaerum. Mr. White never lied to me about that. My thoughts are cut off when up ahead, the other half of the track is down.

Is this how I am going to die? I ask myself, but I don't have enough time to form an answer to that question as I shoot through the skies, landing with tremendous force on the other side of the track. I look back, just as an impact shakes the car. Mr. White. He grabs me by the throat and squeezes hard.

"I HAVE YOU NOW, BUDDY!" he screams. "AND NOBODY IS GOING TO HELP YOU THIS TIME!"

"Why are you doing this?" I choke. "What did I do to you?"

"YOU WERE BORN, YOU SON OF A BITCH! THE MOMENT YOUR MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO YOU AND PUT ME IN MY ARMS, I HATED YOU! YOU ALMOST KILLED YOUR MOTHER WHEN SHE BROUGHT YOU INTO THE WORLD, AND YOU BOTH SHOULD'VE DIED IN THAT HOSPITAL ROOM!" He carries on and on, and it dawns on me just as Mr. White loses his form and changes into –

"Dad?" The word is a whisper of shock, horror. "No, it's impossible."

"I should've killed you myself," he says. I shake my head, and pry his fingers off my throat. I am eerily calm as I do this.

"No," I say. "I have to let you go." Tears slip from my cheeks, but I remain composed. My father holds on to my hands, but it takes no effort to let him go, and he turns to ash right before my eyes. I close my eyes, and take a deep breath. It's over now. He's gone; he can't hurt you anymore. I see the end of the track, and I'm not afraid anymore. My time has come. The dark embraces me, and my eyes fly open.