SOL 13/31

We get higher and higher on the steps, an occasional water droplet falling on me. The park gets lower and lower, step by step, as I walk farther from safety. I can almost see all of the park now - every brightly colored slide, every pool, and every patch of trees. I try to zone out, and not think of where I am walking. Everyone around me seems excited. Are they insane? We finally reached the top of the steps, and I see the opening of the slides.

We are bathed in yellow, warm summer light. I get into line, and wait for my turn. The line creeps forward, and my anxiety grows. Small insect sizes people mill about so far below me. My breathing increases - the seconds tick by agonizingly slow. Only three ahead of me. Now only two. I can hear the roaring water as it descends. The last person slips down into the slide, and falls out of sight. I can't stop staring. The lifeguard signals to me impatiently.I sit down in the mouth of the slide, a small stream of water flowing around. I cross my arms and legs and lay down as I start sliding.

The first bit is just a tunnel, maybe ten feet long - and only steep enough to keep me moving forward. I am paralyzed with fear, and I grit my teeth. The slide upend up and takes a sharp turn down. The first thirty feet is close to vertical. The light surrounds me as I fall once more, and I drop. For several seconds I was barely touching the slide because of the angle of the drop, (At least it felt like that). The next thirty feet my back touches the slide, but I am still practically falling. The last forty feet I slow to a stop, and crash through the pool of water. I get out, my heart pumping. I look back at the slide, and see that wasn't actually nearly as steep as I thought. Whatever. It was still terrifying. But I wanted to do it again.