Long Way Home by Brenda S Anderson

Author:Brenda S Anderson [Anderson, Brenda S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vivant Press
Published: 2018-05-08T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

LAUREN CLAMPED HER EYES shut. Her heart rate quickened, and her breaths started coming in frantic waves.

“What?” Jet squeaked beside her, evidencing more than a tinge of fear in his voice. Other voices in front of and in back of them joined in, sharing the fear, while others were joking and making light of the situation.

Nothing about this was worth joking over.

“You doing okay, Lauren?” Nate’s voice was a sea of calm. How could he do that when they were trapped a hundred-some feet in the air?

“No.” A tremble filled her whisper.

“Remember what we were just talking about with Jet? How he could deal with his anger?”

She nodded as much as the restraints allowed her. But a lot of good that would do. Nate probably couldn’t see her. So she focused on the conversation they’d had down below. She repeated to herself the tools Jet used.

Take deep breaths. Count to ten. Picture yourself in your favorite place.

Sure, she could do all that. If her feet were on the ground.

Her eyes still closed, she concentrated on her breathing, taking intentionally deep breaths and letting it out slowly.

That didn’t help at all.

Then what?

Counting.

No, she had a better idea.

She began singing the ABCs out loud, so she wouldn’t hear the anxiety from the other passengers. Jet joined in, followed by Nate. His voice was so awful, it made her laugh. Others joined in, making an odd but beautiful choir, and she dared to open her eyes.

Yes, she was suspended in the air.

But she was safe.

The bars and straps restraining her barely let her bat an eyelid, much less fall. She was going to be okay. And frankly, if something went horribly wrong on the ride—which it wouldn’t—she’d be with Jesus.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

The ride jerked, and just like that, they were moving again. She kept her eyes open and like Nate, she even released her death grip on the restraints, allowing herself to feel the freedom of flying through corkscrews, over and beneath the track. This was freedom: facing her fears—with her eyes wide open—and conquering them.

All too soon, the ride returned to its home and came to a stop. Their seats flipped upright. Her heart was still beating furiously, but more from fun than fear.

She’d conquered that ride! And she’d even go again. Finally, she understood the adrenaline rush people got from moving out of their safe zone.

She stepped onto the platform and did a little jig.

“Someone’s happy to be on the ground again.” Jet put an arm around her shoulders and nudged her toward the exit. “Me too. I practically peed my pants when the ride stopped. If you hadn’t started singing . . . ”

Nate came around her other side. “Don’t worry. We won’t push you on any more rides. You slayed this beast, and that’s good enough.”

She shrugged out of Jet’s arm. “Oh, I don’t know.” She jogged forward and turned around, walking backward. “I think we should give that one a try.

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