Last night I had the strangest dream. I was in Sandusky, Ohio at Cedar Point with my friends. All the people were fat, and they were all eating green cotton candy. Off in the distance, I saw the world’s most dangerous roller coaster, and I wanted to ride it. My friends kept saying, “Luccy, you’re crazy! That roller coaster is too wild, too high, too dangerous. What if you get hurt?”
“I don’t care. I want to ride it.”
I stared at the coaster for what seemed like hours just watching the people go from 0 to 120 mph in only 3 seconds, being shot straight up in the air to 420 feet high and then dropping back down again. When the ride came to a stop, the people’s faces all had this stupid, surprised expression like they had just been kissed for the first time.
The coaster was calling my name. Finally I got up enough courage, I ditched the girls and got in line to take a ride. Because I was dreaming, I got on the ride without having to wait. As I sat in the seat I was so excited and nervous. I’d ridden roller coasters before, but none quite as intense as this one. I held on to my seat bar and closed my eyes to enjoy the ride.
It was everything I had hoped for and more. A take off faster than imaginable, straight up and then back down again as if gravity had been defined all over again. It only lasted for twenty seconds. I got off the ride and began to cry. It was so satisfying, but somehow I felt so empty. It all happened so fast.
My friends met me at the end of the ramp. They saw that I was crying and I was embarrassed. I knew what they were thinking, but I let them see me cry anyway.
“What happened?” they asked.
“It was so intense. It took off so fast. It soared to great heights and then back again.” I said through my tears, “and then it dropped my off.”
“Why are you crying?”
“Because now I’m all alone. Its over.”
“But you still have us.”
“But I want to ride the roller coaster again.”
“But it won’t appreciate you like we do. It will just leave to sad again. You can’t go back. Its way too dangerous for you. You just stay here with us.”
“But if I could ride it just one more time…”
“No. Just trust us. Its too dangerous.”
“But people ride that thing all day. Up and down and what not. And they all come out okay.”
“Some of them don’t. Some of them get sick and throw up and it smells like parmesan cheese. One kid died on a roller coaster a Disneyland.”
“But I won’t let that happen to me.”
“Please, we’re begging you. Just stay here with us. There are plenty more roller coasters in the park to ride. Most of them are much less intense. You’ll find another that will be even better.”
“You guys go ahead. I need sometime to think about this.”
“Okay. We’ll catch up with you later.”
I stood by roller coaster and watched all the people going up and down as fast a lightning. All afternoon, I just stood there. I couldn’t take my mind off of it. Every once in a while my friends would check in with me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine. I just can’t keep my mind off this fucking roller coaster.”
“Just give it some time.”
But I couldn’t wait. I got back in line for another ride. This time I had to wait. Just as I was reaching the podium to get on board again, I saw my friends. They were in the operating booth talking to the roller coaster operator. I knew what they were doing. They were telling him not to let me on the ride. I was too far away. I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t understand. They only saw the bad, I guess. But they should have known that nothing is only bad. Everything is bad and good at the same time.
Then I woke up to the sound of Adam’s alarm clock. I rolled over and started laughing. “What’s so funny?” he asked in a waking stupor.
”I just had the funniest dream.”
“What was it about?”
“A bunch of fat people eating green cotton candy.”
He started laughing with me.
“…kill me now while I’m happy.” I said to him.
“If this isn’t good, then what is?” He replied.
We like to talk with Vonnegut quotes.
