Petronella always went to a lot of trouble when it came to finding her son the right birthday present. Jason’s eleventh birthday was coming up and she knew exactly what to give him: a day’s pass to the local adventure playground.
She dropped Jason and a friend off at the entrance and told them to be good and enjoy themselves.
When Jason was at the top of the Ferris wheel it jammed. Jason panicked. He screamed. Eventually he was rescued.
Petronella’s birthday gift to her son lasted a life time; for the rest of his life he had a fear of heights.
Aw, poor Jason. I have a soft spot for Ferris wheels. They’re not the most exciting ride (or the scariest, I mean, come on, Jason), but they were invented in my home town.
I hate them – especially if the seat swings a bit! Chicago, Illinois! Did you know Al Capone?
Not Chicago. The first Ferris wheel was invented by the Eli Bridge Company in Jacksonville, IL. They also invented the Scrambler.
That’s the last time I use Wikipedia – although it probably accurately says it somewhere.
Jacksonville! Did you attend Lincoln’s speech there in 1856?!
Sadly I missed the original, bell, I have attended multiple re-enactments of it. There’s not much to do. It’s not a very large town. And no worries. Most people outside of Illinois assume we’re all from Chicago. Come to think of it, so do most of the people who live IN Chicago, too.
I’m busy carefully composing a review at the moment (of a book) and haven’t got time to reply!!
I was expecting the worst, but Jason was lucky to have escaped the ride alive! The day before yesterday, two little kids and their parents lost their lives when a tall tree fell on the wires of the cable car they were riding.
That’s awful. At least with fiction you can bring them back to life. (And I “finished” my 2nd ghazal today. I’m getting hooked!)
You’ve been baiting me to bate my breath! I am dying to read them.
You’ll probably be disappointed. And I hope you’ll be able to point out their faults! The first one gets posted on July 1st.
I am all legs (as in a web crawler)…
Methinks you might be a spider…
I would fain prove so.
8 legs – at least you’re not wasp.
I was scared right from the start
I’m glad I’m not alone I my fear of getting stuck on top of the ferris wheel loop.
The top of the London Eye when it was moving, oh so slowly, was bad enough
Oh dear, I’m sure my fear of small spaces comes from getting ‘lost’ in the ‘crooked house’ at our local fairground when I was little…
I got stuck in the primary school’s tiny lawn mower shed…