The amusement park was like an illuminated dream, with lights flashing in every direction, lively music echoing through the speakers, and the sound of children and adults' laughter mixing with the creaking of the rides and the explosion of adrenaline-fueled screams. Emily looked around with shining eyes, absorbing every detail as if she were in one of those moments she never wants to forget.
Matthew, at her side, held her hand, walking calmly while watching her with an amused smile. "You look like a kid in a candy store," he joked, squeezing her fingers lightly.
"And no wonder!" Emily replied, pointing to a Ferris wheel that was spinning slowly in the distance, its lights constantly changing color. "Look at that, Matthew! I feel like I'm in a movie."
"Well, since we're in this cinematic mood, where do you want to start?" He arched an eyebrow, looking around at the rides.
Emily walked slowly around, her loose hair blowing in the wind as she considered her options. Then she pointed to a wooden roller coaster that looked ancient but still impressive. "Over there. We start off with a thrill and then we slow down."
"Are you sure? You won't regret it halfway through?"
Emily gave her a challenging look. "Me? Regret it? Wait for me at the top."
The line for the roller coaster was full of excited people, and Emily, even trying to keep her composure, could barely hide her excitement. When it was finally their turn, she held on tightly to the safety bar while Matthew settled in beside her.
"Ready?" he asked, already anticipating the scream that would come.
"Sure!"
As the car began to climb, the sound of the tracks creaking filled the air, increasing the tension of the moment. When they reached the top, Emily looked down and her eyes widened. "Okay, maybe I underestimated that…"
Before she could finish the sentence, the cart plummeted, eliciting a scream of pure excitement from Emily, while Matthew laughed beside her, more at her reaction than the adrenaline.
When the ride ended, Emily stepped out of the cart with messy hair and a wide smile on her face. "That was amazing!"
"And you still have the nerve to call me confident," Matthew teased.
"Okay, okay, next stop! Let's go on that giant carousel," she said, pointing to the ride with seats that spun at high speed.
The two of them passed through a series of rides: the carousel made them laugh like children, especially when Emily tried to hold on to Matthew's hat, which almost flew off during the fastest spin. Then they went to the Viking boat, where Emily, pretending to be brave, grabbed Matthew's arm on the first hard swing.
"I thought you were the fearless one here," he joked, looking at her with amusement.
"Oh, shut up and hold on tight," she replied, laughing as the boat nearly sent them flying.
They also tried to hit targets in a shooting game. Matthew, with incredible concentration, managed to hit three cans in a row, winning a teddy bear. He handed the prize to Emily, who held the toy fondly.
"See? You're good for something, after all," she teased, hugging the teddy bear as they left the stand.
"And you're terrible at hiding how much you loved winning this," he replied.
In the middle of the night, they stopped at a stand to buy cotton candy, which Emily shared with Matthew as they walked between the rides and food stalls. The candy stuck to her fingers, but that didn't stop her from taking another piece and popping it in her mouth, her eyes blinking with pure joy.
"You're all messed up," Matthew commented, laughing as he wiped away a piece of cotton candy that had stuck to her cheek.
"That's my problem!" she replied with her mouth full. "This is happiness in the form of sugar."
It was late, but Emily still wanted more. This time, she insisted on going to the house of mirrors. As they walked through the winding hallways, they laughed at the distorted versions of themselves. Emily pointed to a reflection where Matthew appeared to have short legs and an enormous head.
"Look at that! You look like a cartoon," she said, holding the side of her stomach in laughter.
"Oh, really? Look who's talking, you skinny-legged giant," he replied, pointing to another image where Emily appeared to have grown several feet tall.
After getting lost in the mirrors and tripping a few times, they finally found the exit, still laughing at the comical versions of themselves.
As they walked back to the central area of the park, Emily stopped suddenly when she saw a Ferris wheel lit up in an almost magical way.
"Please, let's go," she asked, her eyes shining.
Matthew, unable to resist her enthusiasm, agreed. "Okay, but only if you promise me that you'll stop dragging me on more rides after this."
"Pinky promise!" she said, extending her little finger to him.
Together they climbed into the cabin of the Ferris wheel, which began to rise slowly. The view from up there was breathtaking: the illuminated park looked like a sea of vibrant colors, and the city in the background shone under the night lights.
Emily rested her head on Matthew's shoulder, sighing. "That was one of the best nights of my life."
"And it's not even over yet," he replied, kissing her on the forehead.
When they got off the Ferris wheel, Emily started walking towards an ice cream stand, but she bumped into an elderly man carrying a folded newspaper under his arm.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" she said quickly, leaning over to help him.
The man, though surprised, smiled kindly as he accepted her help to stand. "Don't worry, young lady. It was just a little accident."
"Are you okay? Didn't you hurt yourself?"
He shook his head, still smiling friendly. "I'm fine, just a little surprised. Thanks for helping."
Emily smiled in relief, and after making sure the man was indeed okay, she gave him a quick wave before continuing on her way.
However, as she disappeared into the crowd towards the bathroom, the man's smile faded, giving way to a serious, thoughtful expression. He pulled a small cell phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number.
"I found someone interesting," he said after a few seconds of silence. "Her name is… Find out everything you can about her. I want detailed information."
Hanging up the phone, the man put the device back in his pocket, his eyes watching the direction Emily had disappeared. The friendly glow he had shown earlier was now replaced by something more calculated, almost cold.
He turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the park and the sound of laughter behind, while the lights flickered on as if nothing had happened.
The park was still full of life, even as the hours passed. Emily was coming out of the bathroom, fixing her hair, wet from the droplets she had splashed on her face to cool off. The air was slightly cooler now, but still pleasant, with the light breeze carrying the smell of popcorn, cotton candy and hot asphalt. She looked around, searching for Matthew, who had probably taken advantage of her absence to buy something to eat or drink.
Matthew was leaning against a game stand, holding two large cups of soda. When he saw her, he lifted one of the cups in the air, as if it were a trophy. "I thought you were going to make me wait another half hour."
"You're exaggerating!" Emily retorted, walking towards him and taking the cup. "And anyway, I'm the one who has to put up with you dragging your ego around."
Matthew shrugged with a smile. "My ego is part of the package. If you don't like it, give it back."
"No way. I'm used to it," she replied with a mischievous smile before taking a large sip.
They started walking again, without a specific destination, letting their feet carry them. The park looked different now, with fewer children and more couples wandering among the lights and rides. Emily looked up at the sky, which was clear and starry, a rarity in the middle of the city.
"It's kind of surreal, huh?" she commented, looking at Matthew from the corner of her eye.
"What?"
"All night. It's like we're in one of those silly romance novels we watch every now and then."
Matthew laughed. "You say that like it's a bad thing. Sometimes a little cliché is good."
Emily nodded in agreement. "Okay, but don't think I'm going to melt. I'm still an independent woman."
"Sure, sure," he replied, his tone clearly mocking.
They ended up stopping in front of a fish stand. Not the real fish, but the game where you use a magnetic rod to fish out plastic creatures that float in a pool of colored water. Emily stopped and looked at the game curiously.
"Oh, no. You're not planning on trying that, are you?" Matthew asked, already anticipating disaster.
"Of course I am! Look at that goldfish over there. He's mine."
"Emily, this is clearly a trap to steal your money. The rod doesn't even seem to work properly."
"Challenge accepted," she replied, handing the attendant some coins and taking the rod in her hand.
Matthew crossed his arms, leaning against the stand as he watched. Emily leaned over the edge of the pool, trying to catch the goldfish that was slowly spinning in the water. Each attempt was thwarted by something: the weak magnet, the string that slipped, or simply her lack of skill.
After a few tries, she straightened up and pointed the rod at Matthew. "What are you laughing at? Why don't you try it, then?"
Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Are you challenging me?"
"Yes, I am."
He shrugged, picked up the rod, and with a precision Emily hadn't expected, managed to catch the goldfish in less than thirty seconds. He handed her the prize with a victorious smile.
"Your little fish, ma'am."
Emily looked at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me. How did you do that?"
"Natural talent," he replied, winking at her.
"Okay, 'talented.' But you'll see. Next booth, I'll beat you."
And so began a friendly competition between the two. Emily struggled at target shooting games, while Matthew seemed to master anything that required hand-eye coordination. They played hoops, basketball, and even a game of strength with a hammer, where Emily tried and failed miserably to make the bell ring.
"Maybe you need more muscle," Matthew commented as he swung the hammer with ease.
"Maybe you need more humility," she replied, rolling her eyes.
By the end, they had racked up prizes in the form of stuffed animals, balloons, and even a shiny plastic crown that Matthew placed on Emily's head while saying, "Queen of the park."
"I'll accept the title, but only if you'll be my knight," she joked, adjusting her crown in an exaggerated manner.
As time passed, the movement in the park began to slow down. Some rides were already being turned off, but the atmosphere remained magical. Matthew looked at Emily and noticed that she still had that sparkle in her eyes, as if every moment was the best of her life.
"Shall we go on one more ride before we leave?" he asked.
She looked around thoughtfully until her eyes landed on a lighted carousel, with decorated white horses and a nostalgic air. "Over there. Let's end with something more peaceful."
They got on the carousel and chose horses next to each other. Emily laughed as the ride began to spin slowly, the sound of music playing in the background. Matthew watched her, fascinated by the way she enjoyed the simple things.
"You're looking at me weird," she commented, turning to him.
"I'm just wondering how you can be so beautiful and annoying at the same time."
Emily laughed. "You really know how to give a compliment, huh?"
"That's a talent," he replied, laughing along.
When the carousel stopped, the two decided it was time to go. They were walking towards the exit of the park when Emily bumped into another one, this time with an elderly man who seemed to be distracted.
"Oh! Again, I'm sorry!" she said quickly, helping the man to balance himself.
The old man smiled friendly. "Don't worry, young lady. You seem to have a knack for showing up when I'm distracted."
Emily laughed awkwardly. "I hope I didn't hurt anything."
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. Have a good night," he said, before slowly walking away.
Matthew glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Are you collecting strangers today?"
"Oh, shut up," she replied, pushing him away slightly.
As they walked away, the man stood still for a moment, watching them disappear into the lights of the park. His friendly look faded, replaced by a serious expression. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and typed something quickly.
"I found her," he said, his voice low and steady. "I want all the information on this girl. Her name is Emily. Find out everything, now."
Hanging down the phone, he took one last look at the park before slowly walking away.