Chapter Five

By Chris Fulmer

"Are you sure it was a good idea to tell Mr. Rooney where we're going?" Sloane asked Ferris as they made the turn off Interstate 90 toward the park entrance.

"I don't think it really makes any difference if I did or not to be honest, my fair Sloane, because even if Mr. Rooney did follow us here, there's virtually no chance he'd find us in the crowds that will be here this afternoon," Ferris reassured her. "And besides, you know he's said publicly time and time again that he hates going into any amusement park. That's why our class has never gone on any field trips to one during our entire time in high school."

"Not to rain on the parade, Ferris, but I think he hates you more than any park, so he might put his feelings on the backburner and hunt you down anyway," Cameron spoke up from the back seat. "Of course, I hope he doesn't come. The last thing I want to do is spend the first really good Christmas of my life in detention the day before the holidays."

"Trust me, Cameron, we won't spend Christmas in detention, no matter what happens," Ferris said to his pal. "And try not to worry about anything; today's a day to let all your problems drain away. We're going to enjoy the biggest event in Chicago since Al Capone killed every opponent from the North Side. Do the two of you realize that during the course of the afternoon, we can witness an actual shootout like they did in the Old West, cruise down the Amazon, take a ride with Santa on his annual journey, visit Marty Moose's forest, AND rocket to the far end of the galaxy, all without leaving the confines of the park? Most amusement parks don't go that far to entertain the paying public."

"It sounds like something people would expect from the productive mind of Roy Walley," Sloane said. "Personally I can't wait to try out the roller coasters. How many are there again?"

"Eight," Ferris told her, "all of which are guaranteed to deliver maximum thrills to those brave enough to ride them."

"Count me out on that," Cameron commented. He had never liked thrill rides at all, shying firmly away from roller coasters, no matter how tame they might be, after have nearly suffered a coronary after taking a ride on a particularly wicked one at age five-or so he claimed in was a coronary, as Ferris thought his friend often exaggerated his ailments somewhat to get out of things more credibly. Ever since he'd been released from the emotional oppression of his natural family, though, he'd started looking at coasters with somewhat more interest, and when the Buellers had gone to Six Flags Mid-America in July, Cameron had even gotten into line briefly for an inverted coaster before quickly jumping back out and taking a firm seat on a nearby bench to wait while the rest of his adopted family went on it. With all these positive signs showing, Ferris was convinced Cameron really wanted to have some fun on thrill rides, even though he always professed he didn't.

Therefore, he thought to himself as he drove underneath the large red and white sign announcing he was entering the park's grounds, this was the perfect opportunity to let the long-bottled up wild Cameron out of his cell.

"Do either of you have any preference of which lot we park in?" he asked his companions. They shook their heads. "Okay, then, let's see how close to the front we can get."

He made his way slowly through the enormous parking area (about three times as large as the park itself), his eyes searching relentlessly for any open space. As might be expected with an event as big as the park's grand opening, just about every space seemed to be taken. And, as Ferris noted when he checked his watch at that time, they had just ten minutes to find one before the opening festivities started. While it did look a little hopeless, he was a never-say-die kind of person, and as such kept his eyes peeled firmly. And sure enough, just when Cameron was beginning to go into his nervous twitching that was almost always a prelude to a comment such as "Let's just forget it and bail out, Ferris" or other similar remark expressing his desire not to push an issue any further, Ferris spotted an open space just underneath of the park's elevated train stations. Gunning the engine, he pulled into it as fast as he could to keep another roving driver from taking it at the last minute. "Okay, let's remember where we are," he said as they got out and locked the car up.

"Rascal Rabbit Section, Space 67," Sloane said, noting the guide map the man at the entrance to the lot had given them.

"Very good," Ferris said, noting it down in the back of his mind. "And now, we have a date with Mr. Roy Walley himself in about seven minutes. This way, if you all please."

He led her girlfriend and buddy through the main chunk of the lot toward what had to be the entrance to the park itself, as the authentic castle's spires were visible in the direction he was heading. At every roadway, they had to watch for luckless motorists who were still trying to find parking spots for themselves. Although the sun shone brightly overhead, a stiff wind was blowing, and the three of them wrapped their coats tightly around themselves to warm up more.

Finally they reached the front gate, where several lines had already formed. Ferris steered his friends toward the shortest one, and in just three minutes they'd reached the ticket booth, where he paid for all-day passes for the three of them, even though they were only staying until three to avoid raising his parents' suspicions. It was only through the fact that Cameron had inherited all his family's money when his father was imprisoned and his mother institutionalized that it was possible for Ferris to get them in for opening day.

Passing through the main gate, they found themselves in the middle of a well-recreated Victorian village. Being the holiday season, all the Dickensian-style shops were decked out in Yuletide splendor, invoking images of A Christmas Carol. The centerpiece of it all was a gigantic Christmas tree in the middle of the center square, under which a large amount of presents had been laid. Right in front of the tree, a large podium had been set up, and several well-dressed people-high-level Walley Entertainment Co. employees, no doubt-were already seated on it, waiting for the opening ceremonies to begin. Ferris led his companions to a spot just behind the mass of reporters there to record the big event and checked his watch again.

Three more minutes until showtime. "I hope they don't drag on with opening remarks for an hour or more," he remarked to Sloane and Cameron. "I really want to get to the big rides as soon as possible."

"Can't we just start light and work our way up to the wicked stuff?" Cameron protested.

"We'll never be able to get on them if we wait too long, Cameron," Sloane informed him. "It's not a bad option, but everyone's going to the big rides, first, so we'll have to make a break for them right away if we ever hope to get on them, right Ferris?"

"Correct, my fair lady," Ferris said. Cameron groaned in defeat, knowing that for the next hour or so his digestive system was going to be effectively tortured.

At this point, Marty Moose himself came running up from the rear of the crowd onto the stage, accompanied the screams of delight from young children once they realized he was there in person. "Hiya, folks!" he called out to the crowd. "Y'all here to try out my new park?"

"YES!" came the loud consensus from the crowd. "Well, then, we'd better not keep you waiting all morning!" Marty continued. "So now, let me introduce to you my boss, the esteemed Roy J. Walley, Senior!"

He clapped and stepped aside as Roy Walley himself now appeared on stage, followed by a dozen other V.I.Ps, including a man who looked like Walley probably would in about twenty more years. "Thank you very much for that warm welcome, Marty," the entertainment kingpin told his main star. "And I'd like to welcome all you folks to Walleyland, U.S.A!" There was a thunderous applause. "Now I could say a lot of things right now and go into great detail about how we built this park and other topics like that," Walley said into the mike, "but I don't want to keep you folks waiting all day. After all, you didn't come here just to hear me talk all day. So let me just dispense with the special thanks to all the people who helped make this possible and get you all inside. First off, I'd like to thank my team of Imaginators that conceived and designed this wonderful park that you see before you: Keith Davis, Sarah Heigele, Chris Lech, Erin Heffelfinger, Matthew Martelli, Erynne Dunn, Ryan Wertman, Matthew Meade, and John Lombardi.

"Next, thanks goes out to the people who took time from their daily lives and actually built this place, the generous staff and employees at McCormack Construction International. And lastly, I'd like to extend a special thanks to a man who gave me many inspirations for what to put in this park, as he did also for my park in California back when I was building that one. He's a firm believer in the value of family entertainment and the need to give joy to the children of the world today, a mission he carries out daily in his toy store in New York. I contacted him about what I should put on the two hundred and nineteen acres your about to traverse right away, before I talked to anyone else, as I know he's got a knack for imaging great rides and attractions, even though he'll never admit it publicly. It's in thanks for the contributions he made over the last three years that I've let him open a branch store of his main one here in the park, which will be taking in charity money for Chicago's children's hospital just as his main store does every year at this time; ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm thanks for a lifelong friend of mine and one of the nicest human beings you'll ever meet, Mr. Emmett F. Duncan!"

The old man who looked like an older Walley stood up and took a deep bow to a loud respectful applause. "And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" Walley said once Mr. Duncan had sat back down. "I'd like to turn the proceedings over to the chairman of our Amusements Division at Walley Entertainment, Kevin Teter, who'll officially open the park; Kevin, ready to drop the line?"

"Ready if you are, Mr. Walley," Mr. Teter said. He was holding the end of a long rope that stretched across the whole street, the slightest pull on which would cause it to drop to the street. Marty had joined him and was holding the rope a little farther up as well, although they'd clearly pull as one. "Okay, folks, on the count of one, we're going to let you in to have the best day of your lives! Ready everyone? Five, four, three, two, one." He and Marty dropped the rope. ".Welcome to Wal.!"

Before he could finish, the crowd surged forward in a huge rush, knocking both Mr. Teter and Marty forcefully to the ground and trampling them unmercifully. Those people who apparently didn't want to get caught in the middle of the narrow passageways that where each side of the platform climbed over it instead, sending the microphones crashing to the street and the Walley Entertainment executives, including Walley himself, scurrying for safety. It was like a general full-blown riot had just erupted in that particular part of the Chicago area. Taking Sloane's arm in one hand and Cameron's in the other, Ferris weaved his way cautiously through the mass of bodies, trying to at least get to the crossroads at the center of the park without getting killed, where the crowd would almost certainly thin out as each person or group headed to the area of the part they wanted to try out first. He knew where he wanted to go first after having taken a quick glance at the park map he'd picked up at the gate. As he hadn't mentioned his decision to the others, though, it was only natural that the first thing Sloane blurted out after they'd reached the central crossroads was, "So where are we going first, Ferris? I hope we're not going to get caught up in this crowd right off the bat; we'll never get anywhere exciting if we do!"

"Don't worry, my dear, we're going to where the masses will be much thinner right now," Ferris reassured her. "You see, the majority of the other guests here are going to go either into the Amazon jungle on the left or Space Port Delta to our right to start off, since they're the closest areas to where we are right now. So instead, we're going to head for one of the other lands in the park, where the masses won't be packed in tightly right away, namely the Forgotten Desert."

"That's where they've got the Wild Bronco coaster with the five big loops, right?"

"Exactly, and we're going to have the honor of taking it on its inaugural run," Ferris said proudly. A loud groan of disappointment came out of Cameron's throat.

The three of them made their way down the northwesterly-leading trail at the crossroads, which led toward a high, wooden sign inscribed "LOST DESERT." The sides of the path became abruptly very dusty as they mad the transition from Victorian England to the Old West. Fake cacti and tumbleweed littered the landscape in all directions. From hidden speakers came the sounds of vulture cries and rattlesnake hisses and rattling, adding to the overall effect. In the distance, the Wild Bronco roller coaster, a huge yellow steel creation, was already visible. It had an air of formidability to it just from its general appearance, and it was likely this factor that prompted Cameron to abruptly let go of Ferris's hand even though they were still in the thick of a good portion of the crowd and say nervously, "Uh, you guys can take it on it's first run. I'll go try out the Painted Valley Stagecoach."

"Cameron, it's just a roller coaster, not a guided missile," Sloane said in an attempt to calm his worries.

"Exactly. And that's why I'd rather not do it," Cameron said again, this time just a little more firmly.

"For your information, Cameron, playing with toothpicks is far more dangerous than going on a roller coaster," Ferris said to his pal. "You can look it up in any reference book, and the experts will spell it out for you."

"That's because the experts are cowards in their own right and are too chicken to go on one themselves, so toothpicks would naturally look dangerous to them," Cameron countered. "And besides, you guys know me; I just can't do it. I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"Come on, pal, deep down you know you want to," Ferris said, trying the subliminal approach.

"No I don't, Ferris! I know myself very well, and I don't want to either at the surface or deep down!" Cameron practically shouted, but he was visibly weakening to his friends' prodding. So when Sloane then told him, "You'll only get over the fear by trying it, Cam," he sighed in defeat and muttered, "All right, I'll do it. But if I get killed, I'll haunt both of you about it for all eternity!"

"Trust me, Cameron, you're not going to die," Ferris told him confidently. "Okay, let's get in line, then."

The line was already fairly long when they reached the station, but not terribly bad. They were close enough to the front, in fact, that it was only about a five-minute wait before they were allowed to get into the coaster itself. They quickly fastened the over-the-shoulder harness restraints into place and waited patiently for the rest of the train to fill up. Finally, after another two minutes, the lady at the control box announced for all riders to keep their arms and legs inside the cars at all times and not to stand up, then wished them all a great ride and pushed the start button. The train rushed out of the station to a chorus of cheers and headed toward the lift hill, a whopping two hundred and fifteen feet high.

"Well, this is it, what you've been waiting for for the last three years!" Ferris told Sloane happily. "I hope it lives up to your expectations."

"I think it will, Ferris, I think it will!" Sloane was visibly thrilled to finally get a chance to take on one of the fearsome coasters she'd heard so much about in the press and on TV. "The only thing I hate about these lift hills being so high is that there's such a long wait to get to the top!"

"Well, that helps to enhance the ride," Ferris said optimistically. "It builds up the suspense and makes the first drop all the more thrilling. Plus, it gives you a great chance to get yourself ready for the big thrills ahead." He turned to the right. "Hanging in there okay so far, Cameron?"

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." Cameron was already praying to the Almighty. His eyes were tightly closed, not even wanting to look at the ever-shortening distance between the coaster cars and what he was certain would give him a fatal heart attack: the top of the lift hill and the downhill run to the rest of the ride. Ferris patted his buddy reassuringly on the back. "You're doing fine, Cam. Keep it up," he told him in his ear. Cameron didn't stop or slow down his prayers one bit. "If he's made it this far, he'll probably be okay for the whole ride," Ferris told Sloane after turning back to her, "so we can enjoy it without worrying about him."

"You know him just as well as he knows himself," Sloane told him with a smile.

"Well, when you've been around a guy almost every day for the last eight years, you get to understand what makes them tick," Ferris told her. "Oh look, here comes the first drop! Hands in the air and prepare to scream!"

".AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST AS, AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL, AND IF YOU'RE UP THERE, GOD, HELP ME!!!!!" Cameron's prayer was abbreviated as the train rocketed down the two hundred foot first drop, down into an underground tunnel, then back up into the first loop. Ferris found himself screaming with delight, as he hadn't since his last go-round on a coaster back in the summer. The reports were true; this was a great coaster! He continued screaming non-stop as they went into several steep sideways rolls, followed by two straight loops. The airtime he was experiencing was phenomenal. No coaster he'd ever been on before in his life had given him this experience. With the air as cold as it was, the wind stung in his face more at the speed they were going, but that in his opinion added to the excitement of the ride. Just about everyone on board was shrieking as they started on the homeward run, including Cameron, who still had his eyes tightly shut, although while everybody else's screams were unintelligible, he was clearly crying out, "VOMIT BAG! ANYBODY WHO CARES, I WANT A VOMIT BAG NOW!!!"

Ferris gave him another pat and yelled over the other riders, "You're doing great, Cameron! Just hang on for about another minute, and we'll be home free!" Again, he got no response.

When the ride finally hit the brakes and rolled into the station, Ferris gave Sloane an energetic high five. "Best one you've ever been on?" he asked her.

"Without a doubt!" she shouted happily back. "You?"

"Same here!" Ferris told her. "We've got to try this one again before we leave!"

There was a nauseated moan from his other side. Once the ride came to a full and complete stop, Cameron leaped out before anyone else and began kissing the ground profusely. "I'm proud of you, buddy!" Ferris told him, putting his arm around Cameron's shoulder. "You managed to make it through a whole ride without getting killed! It's a great accomplishment!"

"Thanks, Ferris," Cameron responded, sounding very sick nevertheless. "Now if you'll excuse me momentarily, I need to use the nearest bathroom!"

He dashed off, covering his mouth tightly. "Well, I think he'll remember this day for a long time to come," Ferris said to Sloane as they left the Wild Bronco area. "I think we'll give him a break with the next ride we go on. It would be overkill for him to take him on two thrill rides right in a row."

"And where are we riding next?"

"How about the runaway gold mine train?"

"Sounds like a winner to me," Sloane said cheerfully.

Moments later, the two of them were getting into an oversized mining car in the nearby minor thrill ride, after having left a relieved Cameron safely on a bench outside. As much as Ferris wanted to help his friend over come his fears of thrills, he knew that slow and steady was the way to do it with Cameron, and that in an hour or so he'd be at least somewhat willing to try another one. "Better hang on real tight on this one," he told Sloane as they fastened the mine train's seat belts, "this one starts off wild from the start, and doesn't let up until the end."

"If only all rides were done like this," Sloane commented, "I'd want to visit every park in the country."

"It's a nice option, but I don't we'll be that.oh, hold on here we go!" The two of them started their excited screams again as their car was shot via linear-induction motors on the tracks deep into the bowels of the manmade mine. The passages were only partially lit by overhead gas lamps, adding to the suspense of what was ahead. And what was ahead was several sharp turns, low-hanging timbers that threatened to shave off their heads, a swarm of mine bats that came out of nowhere to startle passengers, rickety bridges that creaked and groaned as they passed over it, looking ready to collapse at any moment, and what appeared to be a train that was coming right at them, a "fate" averted only by a switch onto another track at the last minute. At the end, it appeared they were going to crash right into a dead end, which opened up for them to reveal they were back at the station again. "Another do-over?" a breathless Ferris asked his equally breathless girlfriend as they got out and headed back to the midway.

"Definitely," she told him, letting out one last excited shriek.

Just then Cameron came running up to them, a look of terror on his face. "He's here!" he gasped as he reached them.

"Who's.?" Ferris looked over his friend's shoulder and discovered exactly who. Rooney himself was not more than ten feet away and heading in their direction. He hadn't spotted them yet, but was going to any minute now. Thinking quickly, Ferris grabbed his friends and herded them into a nearby shop. "Okay, let me think this over," he said once they were safely inside. "There's only one option: surrender or die!" Cameron moaned softly.

"That's two options you just gave, Cameron, not one," Sloane pointed out to him.

"Shhh!" Ferris hissed. His eyes were transfixed on a set of discarded Sunday clothing lying on the floor close by, apparently left there by several cast members from the Victorian section of the park, and a baby carriage standing empty outside not that far away. "I think I have a plan."