"Let us out!" Screamed a mother of two, who tried to rid herself of the safety mechanisms which clamped to the seating. She was the mother of the twins who previously teased Shaun. They pleaded for help as the fear within the gut-wrencher intensified. It slowly began spinning and it was as though hell was let loose on board. No matter how much they pushed nothing budged.
They saw a speedometer light up in red lights. [Welcome to the Gut wrencher. Current speed 5 MPH]
Seeing the frantic commotion, the onlookers from the tower became horrified. They didn't know what was unfolding but this was definitely not a part of the ride.
Lucy - "Jamie! Shaun!" She screamed when it unfolded. She then rushed to the control booth not caring that her cellphone had fallen - "Cancel the ride!" She yelled at the employee who was dazed as to the swift change. He then hurried to insert the necessary command but soon came to the realization the system had locked him out.
A red manual was then taken up and once more he inputted some commands, but alas there was no response. Panicking, he sought to convey what was unfolding to his supervisor. In his mind, he lamented that this was the worst day of all for such a situation to unfold. That very morning the manager had collapsed on the job and died on his way to the hospital.
SPPSHHH! - An arm punched through the glass door as he saw a burly muscular man with cuts all over his arms enter. The man grabbed him by the throat saying, "Stop the fucking ride now!"
"I can't, the controls aren't responding. I've even entered the override codes." The worker pleaded in desperation as the man squeezed causing him to slowly lose consciousness. While the man squeezed, he could only helplessly watch as his daughter screamed in terror from the gut-wrencher.
Tears fell from Lucy's eyes while she looked on helplessly. As Spek was perched on her shoulders lazily looking on.
___________
[Current speed rotation 8 MPH]
On the Gut-Wretcher, Shaun trembled, as his breathing intensified. All he heard and saw around him were screaming, panicking individuals when the ride started. He could see all their faces as the gut wrencher's design was circular. In everyone's eyes, there was the fear of dying. He too didn't want to die, today was the best day of his life. His path was clear, surely fate wasn't so cruel as to give him hope to just snatch it from his grasp?"
His heavy breathing continued to escalate, and everything started to become a blur. He was suffering an anxiety attack as he smashed his arm against the safety harness while cold sweat ran down his face.
"You still with me, Bud?" To his side, he saw Jamie, and tears flowed from his eyes, "It's ok, just take one deep breath in and out."
He followed his brother's advice but couldn't help but say, "I don't want us to die, Jamie. Not like this!" The faces he saw haunted him as he looked around. Yet even when all seemed lost, Jamie wasn't panicky, which Shaun found quite remarkable. Jamie looked at him and responded, "With each second that you panic, you're more likely to die. Now get a hold of yourself, forget everything else, and let's assess our dire situation because there is no time for crying." As Jamie spoke Shaun saw him scanning his surroundings as if checking for weakness.
He continued, "This ride is known to be at its safest at the interval velocities of 0-40mps. At 50-60, everyone onboard becomes disoriented. It is between those speeds that the maximum thrill is obtained. Which means the bomb goes off at the 50 - 60MPH mark."
"Wha...what?! - Was the only response Shaun could muster as he stared at Jamie in disbelief trying to comprehend what he was saying. In a time like this what good was saying such things if there was no solution. Perhaps he was wrong all along and Jamie was even worse off than him.
Jamie - "Now this is your chance, there are sixteen persons on board this deathtrap, how many can we save?"
Shaun - "What?!"
Jamie pointed his hand at a man in his mid-forties who suddenly slumped over his safety harness. "Make that fifteen, you see by the way he held onto his chest before collapsing, there is an underlying heart condition that just got triggered from the commotion. Your hesitation might have caused his death. Now, will you 'what' me once more, or answer the question? How many are you willing to save?"
[Current speed rotation 10MPH]
Shaun hesitated as he looked at Jamie who ignored all the screams and pleas around him- "I want to save everyone, ok. But I can't Jamie, I don't know what my powers are. And even if I did have powers, it would be minor based on the test I just did. So it's definitely not super strength, there is no way out of this safety harness."
Hearing his response there was a slight look of disappointment on Jamie's face - "So that's it? You resign me, yourself, and everyone else to death because you don't have powers. You want to be a hero, the best of the best. But how does anyone reach that stage if all they rely on are so-called powers?
Shaun, if I were to guess you'll need an X-factor mettle that no one before ever had. You'll need to endure pain and suffering. To see solutions to the inconceivable in the harshest of circumstances before eventually conquering. Remember your mind can be your greatest asset and weakness."
Shaun looked on in amazement as Jamie violently smashed his right shoulder against the safety harness, cracking sounds were heard. Yet, Jamie merely grimaced as he was able to slip out of the harness in just two seconds; he had escaped the impossible.
"You're still seated, time is ticking," He stated before smashing his shoulder in place. Everything was happening so fast that Shaun's young mind couldn't seem to process it all fast enough. Yet, looking at the assured look in his brother's eyes, he gained confidence and he knew what must be done.
Crack! - AAWWW! – Shaun screamed after dislocating his shoulder, following what he saw Jamie do. He maneuvered out of the harness and quickly repositioned his shoulder. This was the most excruciating pain he had ever endured. It was pure torture, but strangely he felt an adrenaline rush flood through his body. Seeing his swift reaction Jamie smiled saying, "Now that's my little bro."
Noticing the two's miraculous escape, the others on board screamed out for assistance.
"Please, young men! Help my son," – Pleaded one woman who tried her hardest to push the safety harness off to rescue her son.
[Current Speed Rotation 15MPH]
"I'll give you anything you want! Just assist my dying husband." – Screamed a woman beside the man who Jamie previously identified with the underlined heart problems. Jamie then went over to the man, touched his wrist in search of a pulse.
"He still has a chance. Get me something that could be used to brace between the safety harness and that small crevice," He instructed Shaun who looked frantically for any loose piece of metal but in truth, there would be no such thing on board as it would be a safety hazard.
Shaun - "Jamie..., there is no such thing onboard." He looked at the man's limp body and was saddened by his wife crying, "Is he going to die?!" His hands began to shake as he once again became anxious. He had never seen a dead body; it was nothing like the movies.
Jamie - "Remember the time is ticking away. Now calm down, ignore all the screams, and clear your mind. Try to recall every step before entering the ride to find something that might be of assistance. The smells, the sounds, and the sights. Even the most insignificant of things." The screams were loud but once again Shaun saw Jamie's calm demeanor and didn't question his words, He took a few breaths in and tried to recall all that had unfolded. As he did, it was as though Jamie's voice was guiding him.
Jamie – "Inside your mind, you are the master of time. Everything moves as you demand. A split second on the outside world can be minutes within." As he spoke Shaun saw images flash inside his mind. From his declaration of conquering the rides to his stupid bet with Jamie. But there were now blurred moments cast in a fog that he could not see clearly."
Jamie then asked – "What are you?"
Shaun – "I'm the master of my mind."
Jamie – "So if something impedes you, what do you say?"
Shaun – "Begone!" He shouted causing the fog to instantly disappear. A memory then began to form of an elder who he had to pass before entering the ride. The elder was happily waving to his granddaughter who had just taken her seat.
There was something peculiar about this man that he immediately noticed, "The man with the limp that could only walk with the use of his ca…." Shaun halted his speech, now it became all clear what Jamie was alluding to. He didn't even have time to fathom what had just unfolded. He shouted to Lucy who was frantically waving for help below, "Lucy throw me that iron cane!" while pointing to the old man. Truthfully with the distance from the Gut Wrencher to tower a throw was nearly impossible without the help of the winds.
Hearing the request, Lucy rushed over to the grandad, snatching the iron skull engraved cane from his grasp before throwing it with all her might. Her actions might have been rude, but there was no time for politeness.
It was then that Spek innocently chirped and a bout of strange wind pushed the cane further than anyone could have imagined. It then clattered against Shaun's open hand, smashing his index finger backward. He grimaced in pain but knew time was of the essence. Hurriedly, he gave the cane to Jamie who placed it in between the safety harness and a small crevice. Pop! – The safety harness was lifted.
"Thank you!" The woman cried seeing that her husband was freed.
[Current Speed Rotation 20MPH]
One by one, Jamie and Shaun hurried to lift the harness from the other thirteen grateful passengers onboard.
Shaun - "Now how do we get everyone off?!"
Jamie- "Well that's the tricky part. Let's not mention our real names to anyone, ok." He chuckled. His words caused Shaun to look at him suspiciously before asking, "Why?"
Jamie while chuckling - "Let us just say the likelihood of us getting sued afterward is quite high."