Thrill Ride

Chapter 9

S howing Gregory the best of Lands went quickly, even with the list of ideas Charlotte wanted to share with her aunt and uncle running in the back of her mind. The tour was more abbreviated than Charlotte would have preferred, but she wore her love for the park on her sleeve and hoped Gregory got the slightest taste of what made the park something to cherish and uplift, not tear down.

He’d made a few comments along the way about potential cutbacks, and Charlotte danced around them. Anytime he said something remotely negative or too business-focused, she pulled him into some detail or another that showcased all the zeal and care her family put into the park and how much the guests enjoyed attending. Here was a small pond where baby ducklings showed up every spring; they even had a fan account on social media, LegendDucklings, did Gregory want to see? Also, here was a spot a couple got engaged recently; there was the space where they hosted special after-hours events, which Charlotte saw having huge potential for expanding, and on and on.

Charlotte basically made sure Gregory kept scribbling in his notepad. After that whole period of touching him for longer than she should have and not as long as she wanted to, she was staying focused on putting Lands in the best light possible in a timely fashion so they could get to the office with time left before the meeting.

She walked him through the Wintertide Trail in Forgotten Beasts and laughed as the animatronic dragon at the end of the trail made Gregory shriek. And she made him keep his promise to go on rides, saving the park’s best ride for last. They strolled through Forgotten Beasts and walked by Mythic Glass, a shop full of blown-glass mythical creatures with a viewing area to watch the artist at work. Right now, Eva was the primary glass artist along with some assistants from Grove Tech, but her aunt and uncle switched it up with the season so the art would be ever-changing. Charlotte waved to Eva, settling in at her workstation, before leading Gregory to the entrance to Hydra’s Fury, Lands of Legend’s most popular ride in the thrill category. It was really their only ride in the thrill category, a problem Under the Waves would help since its centerpiece would be the Manta Diver, a coaster that appeared to go underwater. The story behind the coaster was about traveling to the Mariana Trench to look for signs of an elusive giant manta ray that had been attacking ships sailing anywhere near the area. To investigate what might be causing the creature to leave its home and chase away ships, the explorers—the people riding the coaster—have to dive underwater to look around. From the top of the highest hill, the Manta would race down a steep incline into a tunnel in the pool underneath with fountains shooting water up and away from the coaster as it entered to simulate a splash. The coaster would travel along the track in the tunnel inside the water briefly, slowing down to take in projected images of their quarry.

It was the kind of coaster that would bring in guests from around the country. The Manta Diver would be, by far, Lands of Legend’s most expensive endeavor, and Gregory would learn about that coaster soon enough. But for now, going on Hydra’s Fury would show him how impactful a thrill ride could be.

Charlotte stopped by the sign for the roller coaster, multiple Hydra heads and their gnashing teeth sculpted in perfect detail emerging from the wooden background. The sign was so large it was imposing, an intentional choice by her uncle. He wanted everyone to feel tiny and daunted going in, like how someone trying to defeat the Hydra in Greek mythology might have felt.

The sign looked like it was having the intended effect on Gregory.

He looked up and back down to Charlotte a couple of times, his eyes screaming doubt and fear.

His voice deepened with an obviously false bravado as he asked, “What kind of ride is this?”

“It’s our best ride: a roller coaster called Hydra’s Fury.”

“That’s right, I saw this on the park’s website. Hydra like the beast Hercules defeated.”

“The very one,” Charlotte affirmed. “But the story of this roller coaster takes place before Hercules starts his labors. It’s a time when the Hydra terrified the villagers around its home in Lake Lerna.”

“The roller coaster has a story, too ?” Gregory leaned in with interest. So close that Charlotte got her first solid whiff of his cologne. Given that nothing about Gregory gave “I like the outdoors” vibes, she didn’t expect the eucalyptus layered with petrichor and a hint of evergreen. He smelled like the forest, a place Charlotte always wanted to run away to whenever her problems stacked up, a place theme park visits and work usually kept her from. She tried not to obviously inhale.

“Of course it does,” she replied. “Remember, it’s a theme park. Everything has a story, even the concession stands. My uncle found a story reason for every ride, every building he wanted to add to the park.”

“Does that mean Sir Cinna-Swirls is an actual person in the park’s story?” Confusion played over Gregory’s face.

“Yes and no.”

Charlotte liked seeing Gregory’s face twist even further. She could tell he was wondering what he got himself into.

She put him out of his misery. “Sir Cinna-Swirls isn’t a person you can, like, meet or anything, but we do have a story for the character that owns the business—and let me tell you, he’s a real cad.”

Gregory shook his head, worked his mouth, opening and then closing it. “This is a lot of belief to suspend.”

“Not if you have an imagination. I can see you have questions,” Charlotte said. “But it’s not the time. Right now we have to go meet an angry Hydra.”

“What do you mean they’re ‘angry’?” Gregory asked.

She pointed at the sign. “Hydra’s Fury ! It’s mad because people are trying to kill them. Which, you know, is fair to be mad about. Let’s go.”

Gregory held his ground, a pale sheen to his face. He pulled at his tie. “So, here’s the thing. I, uh, have never been on a roller coaster before.”

He may as well have made a record-scratch sound; it would have had the same effect on her. She stopped and walked a few steps back toward Gregory. Charlotte had not expected the man who was here to invest money into her family’s theme park specifically to open a massive roller coaster to say those words. “Uhhh . . . what? I’m confused. When I saw you with Chad at Wonder World, I thought you’d gone on the new coaster.”

“No, absolutely not!” Gregory crossed his hands in front of him. “I was in Orlando for a conference and Ian wanted me to connect with Chad—they know each other from some stupid networking event.”

She was relieved to learn Chad and Gregory weren’t friends, but that piece of information wouldn’t move her from her mission. Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Are you stalling?”

“No.” He looked defiant, but also nervous and like he was trying to turn into his feet into roots that would stretch through the concrete and prevent him from moving and therefore riding the coaster.

“But you said you did research!” Charlotte exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Gregory admitted, “that was a lot of reading and watching videos online. I know that’s not the same, but this all came together so quickly that I didn’t have time to go to a park in person. And I have a thing about heights and how exposed roller coasters seem to be.”

Oh. That explained why he’d crossed his arms and tried to make himself smaller. Charlotte wanted to handle this delicately. She disliked when people shamed someone for doing, watching, or reading something for the first time. She would be encouraging. Charlotte wondered if it would be too much to put a comforting hand on his shoulder (it would be). Instead, she said, “Hey, everyone has to have a first time riding a roller coaster. Luckily, you’re with a pro! I take first-timers and people who don’t super-enjoy roller coasters on them all the time. Look, you don’t have to go on this right now, but I think you do need to try a roller coaster at some point and this one isn’t so bad.”

Best not to mention the friends who refused to be roller-coaster guinea pigs anymore.

Gregory didn’t answer so Charlotte continued as she walked toward the queue. “Some find it helpful to know about every curve and hill so they can mentally prepare while others like to be surprised. Which do you prefer?”

He slowly followed Charlotte down the queue, past the red-figure style mural, typically seen on Greek vases, that depicted the mythical Hydra, its nine heads stretching over the brave souls trying to fight it. If it wasn’t for his nerves, Charlotte would stop him to show off the art since it added to the ride’s story, but she could read the room. Or the queue, in this case. She needed to get Gregory on Hydra’s Fury as soon as possible. The chances of him turning around and dashing out of the line were high. Very high. She kept them moving.

“I think I’d rather be surprised.” Gregory sounded anything but certain. “I mean, I don’t want to know the ins and outs but maybe a general overview of the coaster and how long it will be?”

Charlotte chuckled inwardly at his contradictory answer. She couldn’t fully get it since she loved riding roller coasters, but because of her jobs, past and present, she’d heard every variation of this statement. She knew just how to answer.

“You got it.” She projected confidence and calmness. “So, you know how if you cut off one of the Hydra’s heads it grows two more?”

He nodded.

“Hydra’s Fury leverages that part of the myth. The riders, us, are battling the Hydra. When we attack, the track splits into two and we go off on one of the tracks. It’s pretty innovative for a theme park of this size to have so much variability in a ride, actually, but that’s because Uncle Frank . . .”

Gregory was looking around him, as if for a path of escape. This tangent was not helpful for his nerves.

“Anyway,” Charlotte got herself back on course. “We’ll attack with a sudden rush of speed, make the Hydra spawn two heads, go off in a surprise direction, and general roller-coaster things happen.”

Best not to tell him about the stomach-dropping dips. Or the brief going-backward part. Thank goodness Hydra’s Fury didn’t go upside down. Gregory was not ready for loops, she could tell.

“It’s about ninety seconds long, so it goes by quickly. I recommend trying to keep your eyes open for special effects and surprises, but if you can’t deal, close your eyes and imagine you’re doing cartwheels,” Charlotte wrapped up.

“Do I look like the cartwheeling type?” Gregory deadpanned.

He didn’t.

“Well, then imagine you’re doing something you enjoy that involves motion. Then you can pretend you’re doing that instead.”

“Okay,” Gregory said. “That I can do.”

In a quieter voice he added, “But maybe we could walk a little slower. You know, so I can take in everything you just told me.”

“Of course!” Charlotte assured him. “Of course. We can go at whatever pace you’d like.”

A piercing sound rang out from the dim museum-style diorama ahead. Gregory yelled in reply and jumped.

“ What was that? ” he shouted.

Charlotte clamped her lips together so as not to laugh. It was too early in the day and too close to the season closure for the line to be full, so no people were talking and giggling to soften the queue’s sound effects. The shrieks rang out much louder than usual.

“It’s okay! It’s only a sound effect. That’s our take on what a Hydra might sound like.” She could distract him with words. “My uncle consulted with some professors at Grove Tech—the college where my parents work—to develop a unique sound for the beast. You’ll hear it on the ride, too. Pretty cool, right?”

Everything about Gregory’s stance said it was not cool, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to admit that. He swallowed. “Yeah, cool.”

They got closer to the loading area and Gregory stopped walking. This was it, Charlotte thought, he was going to find a reason to get out of here. She wouldn’t judge him for it. Or anyone. Her uncle had built in a discreet and easy to access “chicken exit” for anyone who changed their mind about going on the coaster. In typical Uncle Frank fashion, he’d made that exit hallway appealing by turning it into a baby Greek mythology museum; some people skipped the ride just to check it out.

It looked like Gregory might be heading in that direction. He gripped the divider that kept the queue moving in steady switchbacks and looked down. His knuckles were white. “I’m not—I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

Gregory didn’t sound pleased to admit what he perceived to be a weakness to Charlotte, but it reminded her that whatever his intentions were for Lands, he was a human, too.

She leaned on the metal divider across from him, the tips of her shoes touching his. “I get that. It’s a big jump. Not everyone looks at a roller coaster and sees fun.”

He glanced up through that lock of hair that kept falling across his face.

“If you don’t want to go on Hydra’s Fury today, no judgment from me,” Charlotte said. “But if you’re up for giving it one ride, I’ll be right there with you the whole time. I won’t pressure you to throw your arms up or anything.”

Gregory straightened and took a deep breath. “Okay, okay. I can do this. It’s not even two minutes. That’s nothing.”

Charlotte smiled at his self-pep talk. “Exactly. You got this. And remember, screaming helps, no matter what you’re feeling.”

She set a slow pace until they caught up with a handful of park attendees ahead of them. Thankfully they’d be on Hydra’s Fury within a couple minutes. Charlotte knew from experiences with her friends that the waiting and anticipation could be one of the most torturous parts.

Gregory’s face was still pale when they approached the loading area; Charlotte spotted light sweat on his forehead. She’d do him a solid and make sure they weren’t in the front or back of the ride vehicle, styled to look like a chariot. The middle row is where they’d have the smoothest ride.

She waved at the attendant. “Hey, Beata. How’s it going today?”

Beata waved back. “Charlotte! I haven’t seen you in so long! We have to catch up soon, I have so many ideas to share with you.” Her tone was exuberant, so very Beata.

Beata noticed Gregory behind Charlotte and gave Charlotte a quizzical look. Charlotte would swear he was standing behind her to try to hide from the roller coaster. Lands of Legend employed a number of people from Lake Sterling and the whole everyone-knows-everything vibe of a small town carried into the park; the employees knew Emily had been on the lookout for investors, so Beata probably put two and two together. “And it’s been good so far today. More guests will be getting here soon,” she said.

Charlotte always liked hearing Beata’s feedback. She’d been working at Lands for summers between school for a few years and wanted to pursue a career in theme parks. “Excellent. We’ll talk soon—I can’t wait to hear what’s on your mind.”

Beata grinned. “Perfect. So, how many in your party?”

“Two,” Charlotte replied, “And we’d like the middle row if possible.” As she talked she tilted her head back slightly to indicate Gregory’s hunched-over form behind her. Beata got it. She was even more accustomed to reluctant roller-coaster riders than Charlotte.

“You got it. Please step up to the yellow line.”

“Thank you, Beata. See you soon!”

Charlotte moved forward then turned around to check on Gregory. “We’ll board the next set of chariots. You doing okay?”

He straightened back to his full height. Determination filled his voice. “Yes. I’m fine. I’m ready.”

Gregory didn’t sell it.

The chariot rolled into place, its metal bottom scraping against the track. “This is us,” Charlotte said. “I’ll board first.”

She stepped across the first seat and settled, shoving her empty coffee mug and her bag into the pocket in front of her. Gregory put a foot into the chariot gingerly. Charlotte wasn’t convinced he’d go on the coaster until he brought his other foot in.

Once he got as comfortable as he could, Charlotte pulled the lap-bar restraint down until it locked.

“Does it come down any farther?” Gregory asked. The nervous energy coming off him could power a small town.

“Sure, but it might be a little uncomfortable,” Charlotte said.

He replied quickly. “That’s fine. I’m fine with that.”

Charlotte pressed the lap bar down as far as she could, instantly regretting all the coffee she’d had. But Gregory visibly relaxed in his seat, despite the fact that he could barely move, so she’d accept the pressure on her bladder.

“Remember, you got this,” she told Gregory, noticing beads of sweat around his hairline and a slight flush on his cheeks. She hoped he did, in fact, have it.

He kept his gaze locked ahead and grabbed onto the bar in front him so tight it made his knuckles white. “Yes, I’ve got this.”

A wobble in his voice said otherwise.

The chariot set into motion. Hydra’s Fury started slow and built up momentum, so hopefully it would ease Gregory into the experience. She heard him breathing through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. Charlotte nudged his leg with her knee. “Here we go!”

The chariot went through a small tunnel, past a mural depicting the Hydra they were about to fight. Charlotte knew shit was about to get real and she hoped Gregory would be ready. They exited into the daylight and rocketed up and down a series of small hills, Hydra shrieks punctuating each one, as they prepared to make their first strike against the beast.

Charlotte peeked to her right. Rather than closing his eyes, Gregory had opted to hold them wide open. His lips were closed so tightly that his upper lip was turning red from the effort. At least he wouldn’t swallow any bugs, Charlotte thought.

The first animatronic Hydra head burst out of the bushes on Charlotte’s left. She knew it was coming but she forgot almost every time and she yelled at the same time Gregory screamed with force. The chariot pushed forward in a burst of extreme speed to attack.

“Nope nope nope,” Gregory repeated.

They attacked the beast on a small drop and the track split.

“ Eahahahhhhhhhhhh! ” Gregory yelled as they jolted to the right. Charlotte joined him, partially because she loved screaming on coasters and partially because she thought it might make Gregory more okay with making weird sounds in front of someone he just met.

The chariot approached a sharp incline and started slowly ratcheting upward, clacking the whole way.

“This is a big hill,” Gregory shouted.

“It is. But it’s the biggest hill on the coaster,” Charlotte pleaded.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” he muttered.

Charlotte tried to point out a detail off to his right but he shut her down. “You can tell me about the ride’s story later. All I care about is whether we’re almost to the top.”

They were not.

“We’re so close,” Charlotte lied, both trying to make him feel better but also enjoying messing with him just a tiny bit.

The chariot clacked forward, and Charlotte threw her hands up in anticipation.

“ What are you doing? ” Gregory shouted while managing to grip the bar on the back of the seat in front of them even harder.

“The drop is my favorite part!”

Gregory looked at her like she was an alien. Charlotte put her hands back down so he wouldn’t worry about her appearing untethered. She’d humor his fears, this time.

They’d arrived. The chariot teetered on the precipice for a second of spine-tingling suspension and then tilted downward at a sharp angle, gaining momentum.

“ AHHHHHHHH WHYYYY!! ”

Gregory’s scream could have shattered glass. Charlotte echoed him, but her scream carried a note of “whee, isn’t this fun!” while his said “I hate every moment of this.”

Charlotte felt a sudden death grip on her right hand and glanced down to find Gregory’s left hand covering hers. Nothing about the hand-holding was sexy. His palm was slippery with sweat, and he might be crushing the delicate bones in her fingers. But he was comfortable enough to reach out to her when he was scared.

Or he was too damn frightened to care. Probably that.

Regardless of the reason, Charlotte managed to flip her hand over and interlace their fingers. She squeezed back. She didn’t care about him being an investor who could upend Lands and her family, only that he was not feeling great about the situation. Maybe putting the stuffy venture capitalist on a roller coaster that might make him ill wasn’t the best idea in terms of really selling it on behalf of her family.

The chariot reached the bottom of the drop and bolted ahead, using the power from the descent to prepare for another attack on the Hydra.

Gregory relaxed his fingers slightly but didn’t let go of her hand.

Charlotte’s iron stomach flip-flopped, and the roller coaster had nothing to do with it. She didn’t pull away either.

When they reached the part of the track that triggered a backward slide, he cried out in alarm. “Is it supposed to do this?!”

The temptation to lead him on was strong, but Charlotte didn’t want to contribute to his never setting foot on a roller coaster again. She pushed words out forcefully as they cruised back, “This is intentional, meant to represent how a scared mortal would back away from the Hydra.”

“You said ‘intentional’ somewhere in there, right?” Gregory said loudly.

“Yes!”

“ I don’t like it! ” Gregory shrieked as they started to move forward again.

Charlotte laughed. “We’re almost through, I promise,” she said.

“You’d better be telling the truth, Charlotte!”

She was this time. The chariot slowed as it rounded one more curve that would take them back into the unloading zone. It came to a gentle stop and the lap bar made an unlocking sound. Gregory looked down at his hand as if he only now realized he’d been holding onto Charlotte for half of the ride. His gaze shot back up as he pulled it away and his cheeks flushed pink.

He wiped his palms on his pants. “Sorry about that. I, um, I may have freaked out a little.”

Charlotte felt the absence of his hand more than she should have.

She brushed it off. “It’s okay! It happens to the best of us. I’ve been the designated coaster hand-holder a number of times. It’s an honor to serve.”

Charlotte pushed the lap bar away and retrieved her belongings before carefully stepping onto the unloading platform. She offered a helping hand to Gregory as he shakily stepped out. It was proper manners and had nothing to do with her wanting to feel his touch again already.

He took her outstretched hand, pressing his palm into hers as he exited the chariot. He’d rubbed the sweat off seconds ago, but it had already reformed and it wasn’t because of the weather. The day was unseasonably warm, true, but January in Ohio rarely made anyone sweat. But it didn’t matter that his hand was clammy; holding his hand, helping him stand on shaky legs, being there for him—it all hit Charlotte’s heart like a lightly tapping hammer. Charlotte couldn’t contemplate the sensation for long because Gregory let go the second he was out of the ride vehicle. She led him toward the exit gate.

“So, what did you think of your first roller-coaster ride?” Charlotte asked.

Gregory walked at a slow pace, eyebrows furrowed in thought. “Umm. I didn’t hate it?”

“That’s something,” Charlotte replied.

“I’ve never been on a ride so intense and my stomach tells me maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have a giant cinnamon roll in my stomach.”

Yeah, Charlotte hadn’t thought that part through.

“But,” Gregory continued, “I do see why people think it’s fun.”

Part of Charlotte had hoped he would be an instant fan of roller coasters after a single ride, but she knew that it rarely worked that way. His reaction fell in line with other adult first-time coaster riders.

“I’m impressed you went on it,” Charlotte admitted. “The big question remains: Would you go on a roller coaster again?”

“I would consider it.”

He dragged out every word of his answer, but Charlotte still took it as a positive sign. Some people swore them off immediately after their first one.

“That’s good. Because if Ever Fund works with Lands of Legend, you’ll be helping to open a giant coaster and that means you have a lot more hands-on research ahead of you. Probably a whole trip to a DreamUs park, just to be thorough.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Gregory said it like it was some kind of burden.

Getting a proper look at him, Charlotte noticed how the roller coaster had disheveled Gregory’s hair; she spotted a small leaf clinging to it.

“You have a little souvenir from the ride in your hair,” she told him.

He looked alarmed. “It’s not a spider, is it?”

“Only a leaf. Right there.” She pointed.

Gregory brushed the surface of his hair with his hand. “Did I get it?”

“Nope.”

He tried again. “Now?”

“Still no. Lean over.”

When he obliged, Charlotte reached over to pluck the leaf from his hair—his exceptionally velvety hair, it turned out. The inside of her arm brushed against the shoulder of his suit as she stretched up, and she was close enough to his face to spot an earring hole in the top of his ear. Like the long hair, an earring didn’t line up with the buttoned-up man in front of her. She pulled her hand back and showed him the offensive bit of foliage before dropping it.

“Not an outdoors person, are we?” Charlotte asked.

Gregory didn’t answer immediately. He leaned down to pick up the leaf and twirled it in his hands, and when he stood back up, wistfulness floated in his eyes.

“No, remember, I said I like the outdoors,” he answered. “Love the outdoors. Or I used to anyway. But I do not love spiders.”

The expression on his face seemed to be about more than a fear of a spider landing on his hair, but Charlotte didn’t know him well enough to press, plus they had a schedule to keep. She checked her watch and the time had come to get Gregory to the office. “Well, then I’m glad we avoided any spider-related disasters. Are you ready to head toward the office?”

“Yes. I want to get settled before the meeting.”

She pointed them toward an exit that would get them to the park’s office. “Did you have fun this morning?” She mentally crossed her fingers that Gregory had connected with some of Lands of Legend’s charm.

Gregory took long enough to answer that Charlotte stopped to look back at him. That wrinkle between his eyebrows was back. “Uh, I did.” The awkwardness was back, too.

“I read a lot about the park online and looked at plenty of pictures. I had a certain image in mind when I came today,” Gregory continued. “Seeing everything in person made me appreciate the potential more. I’m, uh, looking forward to getting to work, assuming your family wants to move ahead.”

Charlotte translated his answer in her head, and she couldn’t tell if it sounded like Gregory saw a serviceable blank slate that he couldn’t wait to change. But Charlotte would lie down in front of Lands to stop the proverbial bulldozer and also maybe hear him out. Maybe it wasn’t so urgent that she talk to her aunt and uncle before the meeting at one.