by Susan Abrahams'No, not the ghost train,' I say. 'How about the rainbow fairy slide again?'
'It's your brothers’ choice this time, Elly.' says Dad. 'Hop in beside me. It will be fun.'
The black door snaps our little train into the dark.
'I'm scared already, Dad.' I say.
'Boo!' screams a skeleton, making us jump.
'Raa, ha ha.' A green-faced witch laughs, poking us with her broom.
An icky spider web swishes my hair and a ghost wails, as we clack over the bumpy rails.
The train rattles up a steep part and stops. I grip Daddy tighter.
I scream as we fly down and up and down again. The train is getting faster. The witch is laughing louder. A trapdoor hammers open and shut. My head hurts from all the noise.
'This is not a fun ride Daddy.' I say, burying my head into his warm jacket sleeve.
A zombie moans. I hear my brothers laugh as we race uphill again.
I nuzzle in further. Our carriage feels like it's pointing straight up this time. I hide under Daddy's arm, shutting my eyes, ready for the scary downhill drop.
Instead, the train keeps going up and up, higher and higher until it lifts off the tracks and glides out of the darkness and into a pale blue sky filled with fluffy pink and white clouds. A pretty song sails through the soft white mist.
A tiny door opens beside our carriage, but it isn't a trap door this time. A little fairy skips out, spilling fairy dust. Smiling sweetly, she asks if we would like to try some fairy floss cloud.
'Delicious!' I say, as I watch my brothers devour their floss and ask for more.
Our train glides smoothly through the mist. I feel the warmth of Daddy's jacket on my face and smile. What a surprise this ride has turned out to be. I watch as the fairy twirls and dances to the music, her wings sparkling as she springs softly from cloud to cloud.
I sway and hum with the pretty song, until...
'Ouch!' I yelp, as the hard black rubber claps my head. The train pulls to a stop.
'Hey Elly, it's time to get out. Did you like the ride?' asks Dad.
'Oh yes,' I say. 'Especially the part with the pretty pink fairy and her glittery dust.'
Daddy shakes his head and laughs. 'You're a funny little one,' he says.
My brothers are looking blankly at me, like they hadn't even seen the fairy.
'Well, you sure looked like you enjoyed the fairy floss cloud,' I say to their funny looking faces and turn back to Daddy.
'Daddy, let’s go. I can't wait to see what scary ride my brothers will choose next.'
Susan Abrahams rode the ups and downs of corporate finance marketing in Sydney, before embarking on a sea change with her husband and three children. These days the sound of the sea and the warmth of her small town inspire her writing for children. Read more of her seaside adventures at her blog: Susan Abrahams. Writer.
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