“Let’s turn back home!!” my mom shrieked. The deafening arguing caused my sister to bawl uncontrollably.

The trip to Bar Harbor started like it was going to be a disaster, and at the moment I felt crushed. Still, we kept going for a long time until we realized that it was the wrong way, and that’s when things got ugly.

“You always want to drive now look what’s happened!” Dad hollered at my mom; he was seething with anger.

My mom turned the car around quietly cursing my father. I was devastated. I forlornly looked out the van’s window, silently crying. I was really looking forward to seeing the town of Bar Harbor but now it was hopeless.


My mom must have seen my face because she didn’t say another word. Then my mom spotted an amusement park; it was a miracle. We stopped in for a break and my father decided that we were going to stay here instead of heading back home. I was thankful that the arguing was over. “Phew!!” I said to myself, relieved.

The park looked astonishing; so many things I have never seen or tried before. The screaming of the kids on the roller coaster, the smell of the buttery popcorn, and the flashing lights of the amusement rides, caused me to jump up and down, squealing with excitement.

“Wow! This is fantastic,” I exclaimed. We studied the park for awhile and my dad spotted the gigantic, blue water slide.

I’ve always wanted to try the water slide, but my subconscious seemed to say “No!” I was always spooked by water slides and just the thought of it made my heart beat so loud that my mom could hear it. That was why I had never tried it before. But this time, I was determined to overcome my fears even though I was petrified by the sound of the water splashing; it made an uncomfortable gurgling sound. Its thundering was so scary that I couldn’t move.

But when my mom saw the look on my pasty face, she urged me to try it. At that point, my dad spoke up and encouraged me to try.

“Okay,” I said with a loud sigh and glared at my parents then went into the bathroom. I changed into my swimsuit hesitatingly and grabbed a blue mat off the side of the pool.

As I ascended the curved, creaking stairs, my knees were knocking. When I got to the top of the water slide, I gasped for air then froze in place. Yet, I was willing to try because this was the golden chance of my life, and if I can achieve this, I can prove to myself that not everything is impossible. So I forced my legs to moved steadily towards the slide, and then I sat down. My hand clutched tightly on the sidebar; my hand was sweaty and slippery. I panicked as the water gushed around me like a pack of sharks planning to prey on me.

I let go instantly. Then I closed my eyes and tried to scream at the top of my lungs but my voice blended in with the rushing water.

The slide felt bitterly cold compared to the water. The slide took forever after this curve then that curve. At every curve I sped up, and it nearly appeared as if I were going to fly off the slide into space.

The thing that really startled me was at the bottom of the slide. There was a bump that punted you into the water with a mighty force. The striking scene of the pool beneath me forced me to close my eyes in fear. I whimpered but then I remembered the reason I was doing this.

Unwillingly, I seized onto my mat and shouted, “ Let’s charge!” The slide bolted me off with a torrent of cold water, and I didn’t know how to swim! My mat slipped uncontrollably from underneath me, and I was afraid to open my eyes to look for it. The taste of the chlorinated water was bleach-like, salty and yucky! I gasped for air but the only thing that came was the mat; it was a miracle.

I clutched the mat with all my might and thrashed and splashed toward my mom who was by the edge of the pool with the camera. I slipped many times, but then I heard the person behind me shouting for me to get out of the way. I flailed like crazy and finally reached the side of the pool.


As soon as I got out of the water, my mom took a photo of me. I was pallid and shook, and I looked like a drowned ghost.

My mother chuckled and said,”Wet mouse coming aboard!” I was exhausted but the other girls were having so much fun even my sister was excited. I decided to try again. I stomped up the stairs to the slide, livid at my mom for laughing at me.

“Oh, come on honey!” my mom remarked with an apologetic face. I didn’t say a word, but inside I already forgave her.

“Okay, okay. Let’s do this once and for all,” I murmured to myself.


It took me over six times until I overcame my fear; the first five times I started with a scream and ended with lots of crying. Each time I felt as if I were in a horror movie never knowing what would make me scream next.

Finally, I changed my mat’s position and slid down with confidence and assurance that I would be successful.

“Whoo-hoo!!!” I screamed with excitement, “ This is so much fun!!” I was grinning so hard that I was positive I swallowed at least two flies. The landing was flawless, and I finally mastered the water slide.

The trip ended pretty fast probably because time flies when you’re having fun.

“Don’t worry; we’re coming back again,” my mom assured me as we took our seats in the van.


I thought I could never master the slide, but I was wrong. I felt good about myself because I accomplished something I never knew I could. I learned not to be afraid and to have confidence in myself.