Hershey Part Five

When will the madness end? How many chapters will there be?

Part 5: They Don't Dry Out For a Day or Two.
I stared up in wonder at the impressive behemoth that was Fahrenheit. I wanted to go on it, perhaps to prove a point, or perhaps out of curiosity, but it looked utterly terrifying. My friends wanted to to on the Tidal Force Roller Coaster, which is basically a giant hybrid of a water slide and a roller coaster. From what I've seen, it leaves it's riders throughly soaked, they don't dry out for a day or two. I wasn't interested; I didn't have a bathing suit on, like Brandi and Stephenie and had no desire to be soggy and uncomfortable all day. Anyway, there was one ride that I really wanted to go on. It was The Wildcat Roller Coaster, supposedly the fastest wooden roller coaster in PA. I never got a chance to ride it in 2007 and for the past year it had haunted me in my dreams. Literally. I would frequently dream of getting in line for the ride, only for it to shut down before I could get on. Now I had a chance and wasn't going to waste it! I grabbed my friend Courtney, and we merrily skipped off to get in line for The Wildcat.

The line for the Wildcat was ridiculously long, but I knew it would be worth it. I watched them test the extra set of cars, so they could have more riders, and thus make the line go faster. There seems to be something ridiculous about waiting nearly a half an hour or more for something that will only last three minutes, doesn't there? But what can you do? Courtney and I passed the time by playing with our cameras and chatting.  In a moment of boredom, I whipped out my pen and started writing on the plastic railing. I wrote such gems as "I did it for teh lulz" and "Frodo Lives". Courtney laughed, and people surrounding us in line gave me funny looks.

Soon enough, we were in the coaster's station, where they divide the line into little sections that will determine where you will sit on the ride. We were going to end up sitting somewhere near the middle.

I observed my surroundings. From where we stood I could see the whole park! I saw a really cool looking water ride, where riders sat suspended from cables and got drenched by hoses and water guns. It looked fascinating, but I never got to ride or even get a closer look. It was on a side of the park I never really got familiar with.
Finally, our turn arrived. We buckled in and pulled the lap bar down. I wasn't afraid at all, just so excited to be on this roller coaster, the coaster I had dreamed of!

The cars left the station, moving slowly and then, lurched up the hill, making that familiar grinding noise common with wooden coasters. My belly tickled with anticipation. Then it finally dropped down a steep tilted hill, the wind rushing in my hair. It was nothing like I expected but everything I dreamed! I cried out in utter joy and delight; every drop, every turn on this roller coaster was absolutely amazing! This was without a doubt, the best roller coaster that I have ever been on.

It was over too soon. We got off the ride, my adrenaline was still high. We promptly got in line for the smaller roller coaster right across from The Wildcat, aptly named The Wild Mouse. I found this to be very clever. This coaster was the complete opposite of the one we had just been on. This type of coaster doesn't have very large dips and are noted for their speed. They also have incredibly sharp turns and pivoting wheels; they're generally considered a family coaster because of their size. The line for this one wasn't horribly long. When it was our turn we had to race to get into a car, because they did not stop, they just kept moving.

We buckled in, and pulled the lap bar down. I wasn't expecting too much out of this ride, but I was proven horribly wrong. Whenever we turned a corner, the wheels would pivot, throwing the car out over into thin air, but still remaining on the tracks. It made me feel like I was falling out into space, like the whole damn car would tip over and I'd die in a horrible accident. Frightened, I found myself crouching over and crying "Do not want! DO NOT WANT!" whenever we'd turn a corner. Then the worst was over, and the car went up and down some little hills. I could enjoy this part of the ride.
Who would have though such a little ride would terrify me so greatly? I thought, if the Wild Mouse had me near tears, what would the Fahrenheit do to me? After we got off the coaster, I decided to treat myself.
I bought a cup of chocolate Dippin' Dots. Called "The Ice Cream of the Future" they are little balls of ice cream, which are a lot of fun to eat. These were no different, cold and delicious, rolling around on my tongue and melting. I love Dippin' Dots.

My memory serves hazy at this point. I do know that I ended up meeting with Matt, Scott, Sophie, Barbara and a few others. I don't remember if Courtney stayed with us or if she went off with another group. I do remember that we got in line for The Pirate Ship, which is always a favorite. It's one of those thrill rides, that swings you up high in the air, then brings you down, mimicking the a ship at a stormy sea. As a girl, they terrified me, but now as a young woman, I loved them.

The ride was fantastic, this ride always is! There is a delightful drop in your stomach, you're filled with ecstatic terror as you see how high up you are. Matt and I pretended to be pirates, growling "Arr Matey" whenever we got the chance.
We tried to get in line for The Claw, which is another favorite of mine, but the line was too long. Anyway, we had to meet everyone at the Carousel, because it was almost time for the awards ceremony.
We meandered through the park, meeting up with our fellow band and choir members as we went. I was a little sad to be postponing the merry-making, wishing I could just skip the whole stupid ceremony. It was long and boring, not to mention that the loud cheers of winning bands and choirs were offensive my ears. I was also hoping we would win this year, but our choir was not was good as last year's had been. But I prayed for a win anyway, despite my objections to the long winded ceremony ahead.

We all gathered at the Carousel, then migrated out of the park to the Hershey Stadium, where we would be stuck outside for nearly a half an hour in blistering, muggy heat! I desperately sought shade, a comfortable place to rest, anything to bring me ease. I was running low on water, and feeling grouchy. I wanted to be in the park, riding rides, not waiting to see if I was a failure in the eyes of some snotty judges! What a waste of time all this was!
Finally, we were ushered into the stadium, the crowd pressing against us. Feeling anxious, I popped a Seroquel and swallowed it with last of my water. Then we were seated in the hard wooden stadium chairs. This giant hockey stadium gave me the creeps, and I felt so small in such a large space. Ms. Westbrook approached Lindsey and myself and told us we were to stand before the judges, to accept any trophies we might win. Lindsey and I were chosen because we were seniors, it was our privilege. I felt so honored that she had picked us. We carefully traversed the steep stairs down to the cement hockey rink. We were representing the choir and the two eldest band members were representing the band.
We stood in a line with other school representatives, Lindsey and were I absolutely still, like Navy officers at attention. There was a hush, the ceremony was beginning.

Part six, will be coming soon. I warn you, my details may get a little foggier, because at some point my memory gets little hazy! Things may not be in chronological order, and events may end up in the wrong order. Bear with me, I just want to get my memories out, doesn't matter how.