Chapter 20 #2
The short drive to Blakeslee ended with heads turning this way and that to see the enormous place as they pulled in to park.
The orphans had never seen ski runs, geodesic domes, or acres of cars before—and that was just the outside of the resort.
The group went inside together and gawked at the beautifully appointed lobby, much of it handcrafted by Knox McCoy.
Most of the cubs were pointing at the overhead glass dome—amazed to see the sky.
Dash led the group to his office suite, located behind the check-in desk, and took over one of the large conference rooms. There, they could leave their things and change without having to rent lockers.
Since everyone was wearing swimsuits under their clothing, all they needed to do was tie up long hair and grab a towel.
The group followed Dash and Aiden down a long hallway and past various shops until they reached a set of double doors.
He unlocked them with a key-card, and they stepped into another world.
A wall of warm humid air enveloped them, including the harsh and pervasive scent of chlorine, which their bears found unpleasant.
The sound of echoed shouts, wet feet, and conversation distracted them, however, until they got their first good look at the amazing water playground.
While they were all together, Dash pointed out the bathrooms, warned them about the ‘no running’ rule, and reminded the adults to watch their little ones at all times.
In addition, lifeguards were stationed throughout the park for everyone’s safety and were to be obeyed.
“We’ll play here until lunch and then after we eat we’ll go to the Watershed in the shifter wing so our bears can have some fun.”
Each family decided where they wanted to start and split off from the larger group.
Tasha was invited to join Orrin and company, but declined, saying she was fine by herself.
Zak found an unclaimed lounge chair by the wave pool, and they decided to leave their towels and flip-flops there while they played.
When Zak took off his shirt, both Kip and Rayn pointed at his tattoos, eyes wide with wonder.
He kneeled down so they could get a better look and started with a general explanation.
“They’re called tattoos. It’s like using crayons on my skin, but it doesn’t come off.”
Questions and comments followed.
“I see flowers.”
“Do they hurt?”
“You need a bath.”
“I want taa-too!”
Orrin forced himself not to laugh, though it would have been better if the children had seen Zak’s body art earlier. Kip then noticed the silver ring in Zak’s right nipple and pointed.
“Wha dat Papa? Owie?”
Zak hurriedly covered it with his palm and stood up.
“I bet you’ll like the slides. Let’s go try them out.”
Orrin not only got the evil eye, Zak pinched his butt for not helping him out. Maybe they’d find a way to explain his bling, but apparently this wasn’t the time or place.
Kip adored the water slides, though he preferred laying down, sailing off the end like a sausage on hot grease.
The next time he tried going down head first and mouth open, resulting in a belly full of water which he promptly barfed up.
Thankfully, Rayn was satisfied sitting up like a little lady or being held by one of her papas, laughing until they hit the pool below.
Nearby was a series of waterfalls, fountains and other water features in a section devoted to younger children.
It had an African theme with lots of colorful animals that served one purpose—get people wet, usually by surprise.
Screams and giggles predominated, and the kids had a blast wondering what would happen next.
Afterward, they tried something more sedate—tubing down the artificial river that wound its way through the entire lower level.
Orrin and Rayn shared an inner tube, followed by Zak and Kip.
The ride gave them a chance to see everything the park had to offer, though they still got soaked in rushing rapids and beneath waterfalls.
Every time they spotted someone they knew, everybody waved and smiled.
It looked like the group as a whole was having a lot of fun.
Shortly before lunch, they huddled in the shallow end of the wave pool, riding the waves amid squeals and screeches as they bobbed up and down.
Every time a new one approached, Rayn called out, “uh oh!” and covered her eyes until the thing passed and the water flattened out.
Orrin had quite a time with Kip until he settled the little squirmer on his shoulders and held his legs.
He laughed so hard he gave himself the hiccups, which he also found funny.
Eventually, Dash and Aiden made the rounds to gather everyone near the entrance so they could change and go to lunch.
Orrin and Zak did their best to get the kids dried off and draped in towels before they left the warmth of the waterpark.
The hallways felt almost frigid in comparison, and they were all shivering by the time they reached the conference room.
Dry clothes certainly felt better, and the shivers were replaced by growling bellies.
Lunch might prove to be very… interesting.