Mental Games - 27. A Day of Thrills

Mike and Adam got up early Wednesday morning, hurried through their morning preparations and then grabbed a quick, yet filling breakfast. By the time they arrived at the Kritzer's cabin, Jack, Megan and their parents were already waiting on the porch and the kids were eager to get going.

"I'm glad you're here, because I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept them contained," Jim quipped, with his wife nodding her head in agreement. "They're so eager they could probably run ahead of the car and beat you there." Both Jim and Melinda laughed after Jim added the last comment.

"Nah, we'll let them ride with us," Adam joked back. "We want them to have plenty of energy left when we get there."

"Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Jim observed, but then hesitated briefly before continuing. "Here, you might need this too."

"Why? What is it?" Adam wondered, as he accepted the sheet of paper Jim had just offered him.

"It's a Power of Attorney my wife and I had drawn up," Jim explained. "Since you asked us about doing this in one of your emails, we had time to take care of this before we came here. It will allow you and Mike to stand in for us, if anything should happened to our kids while they're with you. Oh, and just so you know. I've given Jack some money to cover their expenses."

"Thanks for thinking about this," Adam responded while holding up the Power of Attorney, "but the money isn't necessary. If you want to leave it with him, then they can use it for whatever they want. I had more than enough cash left over from the money the donors gave me toward the Landeez, so I've got this trip covered too."

"Just the same, let them pay for what they can," Jim insisted.

After saying goodbye to Jim and Melinda, the boys guided Jack and Megan to the car and got them situated inside.

"Is it going to take long to get there?" Megan wanted to know, just as soon as she was situated.

"It will take a couple of hours to get to Kings Dominion, so sit back and enjoy the ride," Mike answered, as he hopped into the driver's seat and slipped a bunch of discs into the CD player to entertain them as they traveled.

Mike and Adam thought the kids might fall asleep during the ride, but the pair was obviously too excited for that to happen. In fact, Jack kept repeating how anxious he and his sister were to get there, because they hadn't done anything like this for about six years. That was when their mother started getting sick. After that, they spent most of their time at home, so their dad could take care of her.

When they finally arrived at the park, Jack and Megan jumped out of the car even before Mike had turned off the engine. The kids were bouncing around outside of Mike and Adam's doors, trying to encourage them to hurry up.

"What ride are we going on first?" Megan wanted to know, once they were inside the park.

"I think I know the perfect ride for us to start on," Adam replied, as he guided them toward the 'Backlot Stunt Coaster'. It was the same ride they had ridden first when Mike and Adam spent the day there with Adam's parents. They let Jack and Megan sit in front, because the boys wanted to watch the younger pair's reaction as they made their way around the track.

Just as it had before, the ride started off by taking them into the shell of a three-story parking garage and up a winding ramp. When they reached the top, the car unexpectedly plummeted downward and dropped toward the street below. Megan and Jack both screamed and grasped the safety bar in front of them, because they thought the car was freefalling. Once it reached the bottom, the car suddenly swerved to the left, in an effort to avoid what appeared to be a roadblock the police had set up. This sudden change in direction sent both kids' bodies sliding to the right and caused Megan to crash into Jack, pinning him against the side of the car. However, before they had time to adjust, the car lunged forward again.

As they navigated the next obstacle, a steeply banked curve, Megan screamed even louder than before, because it felt as if the car was going to flip over. They had just barely recovered from this when the ride took another unexpected dip, as it disappeared down the flight of subway stairs and caused the pair to scream again.

When the ride began to slow down a few seconds later, a look of relief appeared on Megan's face, but it didn't stay there for very long. Without warning, the sound of gunfire enveloped them and flames burst out of nowhere. When this happened, another shrill scream escaped Megan's lips, just before the car jerked forward yet again. This time it traveled along a dark, twisting tunnel, before suddenly hurtling them into the daylight. The car then experienced another unexpected drop, before the ride began to slow and return to the station.

"That was wicked!" Jack squealed, as he turned around to face Mike and Adam.

"And that isn't even the most exciting or scariest roller coaster ride either," Mike countered, as the car came to a stop and they prepared to disembark.

"Really?" Megan gasped, as a look of mild horror washed over her face.

"You'll see," Adam offered, as they made their way out to the concourse again.

"Let's go on one of the scarier rides next," Jack urged, as his body twitched with excitement. Mike and Adam immediately looked at Megan and attempted to gauge her reaction. They were mildly concerned about her, since she'd sounded dubious when they'd mentioned there were even worse rides.

"Is that all right with you?" Adam asked, just to get her approval.

"I guess," she stated, although not convincingly. Mike and Adam were just about ready to suggest something else when Megan spoke again. "I can do it if Jack can, so what ride are we going on now?"

Since Megan seemed agreeable, if only to prove her courage to her brother, the boys guided them toward the 'Anaconda'. This was another roller coaster, but it ran on a corkscrew track that resembled the semi-coiled body of a giant snake. Mike and Adam remembered this ride from their previous visit, because it was the one where the boy puked on his father after being forced to go on it.

Megan gasped when she noticed how high the track went as it made its first ascent, because she realized it would plummet just as far down the other side. Putting up a brave facade, she didn't balk or change her mind. It was possible she had opted to avoid backing down at this point because she feared her brother would tease her about it. Since she wished to avoid that fate, she followed the rest of them forward.

No matter how bravely she had been acting, Megan had a white-knuckle grip on the safety bar as the car started to climb the first, lengthy rise. As expected, she let out an ear-piercing scream when the car dropped down the other side and this continued as they made their way through the many loops that followed. During this portion of the ride, their bodies were tossed from side to side and then turned completely upside down, before they finally reached the end of the line.

"That wasn't so bad, except for the first drop," Megan pointed out as they were walking away from the ride. However, her screams had told a different story.

"Since you didn't like that first drop, you might not want to go on the 'Intimidator 305', because that ride goes up about twice as high as the last one," Mike pointed out as they were walking away.

"You're kidding. Right?" Megan gasped, after hearing him say this.

"No, he's not," Adam confirmed. "It's probably the worst of the roller coasters here."

"Then let's go on that one next!" Jack urged, nearly hopping up and down in excitement.

"No, I think we need to take it easy for a while and give our stomachs a chance to settle back to where they belong first," Adam reasoned playfully, while thinking about Megan. "We'll go on that one a little later."

"Yeah, we'll try a couple of the wooden roller coasters and some of the other rides first, before we go on the 'Intimidator'," Mike chimed in, since he realized what Adam was trying to do.

The boys then guided Jack and Megan over to the 'Rebel Yell', because it was a slightly gentler ride. This time, the dueling wooden roller coasters raced out and back on twin tracks, but they didn't go nearly as high or fast as the metal roller coasters. After that, they took a spin on the 'Americana', a huge Ferris wheel, before going on the 'Avalanche'. That ride was designed to simulate what it would be like to be on an Olympic bobsled team, but they hadn't gone on it with Adam's parents. They also hadn't gone on the next ride they were headed toward, since they had chosen even milder rides for Rita to go on instead. Therefore, they went to take a spin on the 'Bad Apple' next, which was a twisting, rotating ride that made the rider feel as if he were flying.

"Those weren't so bad and kinda fun too," Megan offered, once they'd been on each of those rides. "The Ferris wheel went up kinda high, but I liked the view. It also didn't come down really fast like the roller coasters, so it wasn't as bad."

"Those rides were ok, especially the one that was like being on a bobsled, and I also liked the one that made us feel like we were flying, but I want more excitement," Jack stated, in an effort to convince Mike and Adam to move on to more of the scarier rides.

"One more ride first, before we do that," Adam responded, as he led them over to the 'Dodgem', which was a traditional bumper car ride. Jack seemed satisfied with this choice and he and Megan took particular delight in targeting Mike and Adam, as they eagerly chased the boys' cars around and crashed into them. Although the boys put on a good show of trying to avoid them, they were actually allowing the younger pair to ram into them as often as they wanted. Jack and Megan thought this was great fun, so they were satisfied with having taken the time to do it.

Unlike the time when Mike and Adam came with Adam's parents, there were hardly any breaks or lulls in between the rides today. It was non-stop action, because they had come on a weekday this time and the lines weren't nearly as long as on their previous visit. Not only that, but the kids also moved a little faster than Adam's parents as they went from one ride to another, and they didn't have to sit down for breathers in between.

Even though the boys made Jack and Megan switch from the more exciting rides to some of the tamer attractions every now and then, there wasn't nearly as much downtime in between. Today, they went directly from one ride to another. Just as soon as they got off one attraction, they went over to get in line for the next one, so when they finished up on the 'Dodgem', Mike and Adam kept their promise and took everyone over to the 'Intimidator 305' next.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adam asked Megan, since he knew she had some reservations. "This one goes up over twice as high as the 'Anaconda' and I noticed you weren't very excited about being on that ride."

"No, I'll be ok," Megan assured him, although she wasn't overly enthusiastic when giving her reply.

Even though he still had his doubts, Adam didn't want to tell her she couldn't do it, so he gave in. The only exception he made to what they'd done previously was that this time he had Megan ride with him, while Mike and Jack sat directly in front of them. This way, Jack wouldn't be as likely to notice his sister's reaction and then be able to pick on her about it later, in case she had a truly bad experience.

Adam watched Megan closely as the ride started out and noticed that the blood seemed to be draining from her face as the car began to climb higher and higher, so he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. Just before they reached the crest and started down the other side, he saw Megan close her eyes and latch onto the safety bar with a death grip. However, she opened her eyes again about halfway down the steep, vertical drop and no longer seemed to mind it. Once she got past that obstacle, she appeared to relax slightly and managed to enjoy the rest of the ride.

"That was amazing," Jack squealed, once they came to a stop. "Can we do it again?"

"Maybe later, but there are a bunch of other rides to try first," Mike quickly responded. "I think we should go on something a little gentler next and give our hearts a chance to calm down."

As soon as he got Jack to agree, they went over and got in line for the 'Grizzly'. This was another wooden roller coaster, but this one followed a double-figure-eight track through a fairly dense wooded area. Adam remembered his mother had enjoyed this ride, so he felt Megan probably would too.

"That was nice," Megan told Adam after the ride ended and they were walking away. "It had some scary parts, but the area around it was so nice, kinda like on our walks at the lake, so it didn't seem to bother me as much."

"I had a feeling you'd like that," Adam agreed.

After leaving there, they went on a couple of water rides next. First, they tried the 'White Water Canyon' ride, which took place on a circular raft, and then they went over to the 'Shenandoah Lumber Company' ride. There, they sat in a hollowed out plastic log that cascaded down a watery chute.

"Those were fun," Megan offered, once they'd been on both. "And I got cooled off, when the water splashed up on me."

"But they weren't scary enough," Jack pouted, since he wasn't as thrilled with them as his sister.

"Maybe this next one will be more to your liking then," Adam pointed out. "It's not a scary ride, but I think you'll have fun doing it." After saying this, Adam led them over to try their hand on the 'Grand Prix Raceway', a rather classy go-cart track. Adam felt Jack's masculine attraction to driving and racing would do the trick and keep him satisfied.

When they got to the front of the line, the gentleman running this attraction eyed Megan suspiciously, since there was a height requirement for drivers. Adam saw what was happening and became worried the guy was going to let her on, but not let her drive, although Adam felt she was tall enough to handle this. To make sure she didn't have any trouble getting her own cart, Adam decided to send the man a mental message.

'She's tall enough for this ride,' Adam advised him. 'You're going to let her in and allow her to drive one of the go-carts. Don't worry. There won't be any problems.'

The guy looked at Megan again, rolled his eyes and then waved her through. Fortunately, she did very well and there were no incidents concerning her driving, although the operator had to step in and warn one of the other drivers before their time on the track was over. In the end, they all had a great time.

From there, Adam and Mike decided to try something a little more exciting for Jack's benefit, so they took the kids over to 'Volcano: the Blast Coaster' next. This ride rocketed along the track and through the dark interior of the volcano at speeds up to 75 m.p.h. (121 k.p.h.), before exploding out of the top of the crater. Once out in the open, it took them through a dramatic and heart-pounding inversion, where they were momentarily left standing on their heads.

"Now that was more like it," Jack crowed, as they walked away from the ride.

When they finished up there, Mike and Adam quickly agreed it was time to take a break, so they could grab something to eat. As soon as they all agreed on where they wanted to chow down, Jack made an announcement.

"I'm paying for lunch," he stated, while looking first at Mike and then Adam.

"Why don't you save your money and spend it on souvenirs or something else before we go home," Adam suggested. "I'm using the extra money I got from the wealthy men I talked into paying for your mother's new wheelchair, so we're not actually paying for this out of our money either. Use what your father gave you for what you and your sister want."

Since Adam put it that way, Jack agreed to do as he suggested. Now, they sat down and ordered what sounded good to them and then they talked about all of the rides they'd been on so far, as they waited for their food. Later, after they'd finished filling their bellies, Adam made an announcement.

"There's a dinosaur exhibit that we'll go to next. It will give our meals time to digest before we go on the rides and shake up our stomachs again. I don't want anyone barfing on me and I really think you'll like that area, because it's quite interesting."

The kids laughed after Adam said that, but they still seemed fairly anxious to go there next, so they quickly made their way over to the 'Dinosaurs Alive' area and started following the path. Jack and Megan were amazed by how realistic the various dinosaur displays looked, but Megan got a big thrill out of playing with the various interactive displays. She was having a great deal of fun controlling the dinosaurs' actions and didn't want to stop, so Mike and Adam practically had to drag her away from those areas. If they hadn't done this, the other kids would never have had a chance to try any of those devices too.

"Wow, I knew dinosaurs were big," Jack gushed after coming to one of the more impressive replicas, "but seeing them up close like this, they seem even bigger than I imagined. Are these life-size?"

"Yes, they definitely are," Mike agreed.

"Dang, I thought they would be three or maybe four times larger than an elephant," Jack observed, "but this thing is eight or ten times as big." He was referring to the Ruyangosaurus, a 99-foot long (30 m), 30-foot tall (9 m), four legged plant eater.

"Dinosaurs came in a variety of sizes, from about the size of an average dog and on up from there, but the largest ones were really massive," Adam explained. "I know I wouldn't have wanted to run into one of them, even a plant eater, because they still might have accidentally stepped on me. I could have ended up as prehistoric pancake road kill."

The kids chuckled over that comment, but they understood what he meant. It even made them wonder how many baby dinosaurs might have suffered that same fate.

Just across from the Ruyangosaurus was the archeological dig site where the kids could uncover a full-size dinosaur skeleton. Mike and Adam decided to encourage Jack and Megan to give it a try and see what it was like.

"That looks like fun," Mike announced, as he pointed toward the pit.

"Yeah, why don't you two go do that next," Adam added. "You don't know what you might find there or how much fun it will be unless you give it a shot."

"Only if you guys will do it with us," Jack challenged, since he didn't want to appear to be the only one doing this with his sister.

"I think it's designed for younger participants, like you two, not us old guys," Mike quipped.

"If you're not going to do it, then neither am I," Jack stated, while taking up a defiant pose. This caused Mike and Adam to look at each other, before responding.

"Ok, as long as no one complains about us being too old for this activity," Adam hesitantly agreed.

Mike and Adam worked closely with Jack and Megan, so no one would think they'd merely decided to do this on their own. After they began to uncover some bones, the younger pair began to get even more excited about doing this, even though Jack tried not to let it show. Before long they had uncovered some rib bones and were working on uncovering the skull.

"Whoa, we've found the head!" Megan exclaimed, as her chest swelled out in pride. "This is pretty neat and more fun than I thought it would be."

"Yeah, it is," Jack added, meekly.

Mike and Adam agreed in silence, as they finished uncovering the skull. After admiring it for a little while, they decided to call it quits, so they could finish the tour and get back to the rides. Before they left the 'Dinosaurs Alive' area, however, Jack and Megan spent some of their father's money in the gift shop and bought a couple of souvenirs to remind them of their time there.

Once they were out on the concourse again, the four of them quickly agreed to go on the 'Ricochet' next, which was a fast-paced ride with a variety of twists, sharp turns and breathtaking drops. After that, they went on the 'Shockwave', which was a stand-up roller coaster with an exciting 360-degree horizontal loop that ran perpendicular to the ground.

"Whoa! That was more like it," Jack gushed, enthusiastically. "I want to go on more rides like those."

After assuring him they would eventually, Mike and Adam took them over for a spin on the 'Scrambler' next. That's a classic midway ride that spins the riders in two opposing directions at the same time. After that, they went over to the 'Blue Ridge Tollway', where they drove classic, gas-powered antique cars along a route through a forested area. Since both Jack and Megan were big enough to drive, Mike and Adam merely rode beside them and gave occasional advice as they enjoyed the leisurely, scenic journey.

"Even though those last two rides were kinda lame, it was fun being able to the drive on the last one," Jack offered, as they were walking away from the area.

"I'm glad you approved," Mike teased, as Jack shot him a disgusted look.

From there, they took a quick ride on the 'Woodstock Express' next, which was another wooden roller coaster and the very first one built at the park. Mike, Adam and the two kids were at the front of the line this time, since the cars had filled up before they got a chance to board for the last ride, so they agreed they'd sit in the very back. Once they were underway, Adam noticed a young guy and girl a couple of cars ahead of them trying to wiggle out from under the safety bar so they could stand up. Concerned about what might happen if they succeeded, Adam sent them a mental message.

'You idiots may not be worried about getting injured by attempting something this foolish, but those safety bars are there for a reason,' he warned them. 'Not only could you fall out of the car and get hurt, but you could wind up crashing into those behind you and injuring them too. SO SIT DOWN AND STOP ACTING STUPID! Besides, if you get caught doing this, you'll be kicked out of the park and not allowed to return - EVER.'

After hurriedly glancing around to see who was telling them this, the two crazy adolescents gave up their thrill-seeking idea and complied with Adam's not so subtle suggestion.

When the ride ended, Adam talked the others into trying out the 'WindSeeker' next. This was a swinging ride that propelled the participants out in giant circles, as it gradually climbed 30-stories into the air.

"It was a little scary for me, because we went up so high, but the view was amazing," Megan stated, although she also looked relieved to be back on the ground again.

"Yes, that ride certainly provided some breathtaking views of the park and surrounding area," Mike readily agreed.

"It seemed like I could see everything for miles," Megan added, wistfully.

"And you probably did," Mike concurred while smiling at her.

Once they left that ride, they got in line for the 'Hurler' next, which was another wooden roller coaster, but then they followed it up with a trip to the 'Drop Tower'. This ride lifted them up over 300 feet (91.5 m) into the air, before dropping them 27-stories, at speeds up to 72 m.p.h. (116 k.p.h.).

"Man, did you hear all the screaming when we began to fall?" Jack asked with a sly grin.

"Yeah, but I'm surprised you could," Adam joked, "since you were screaming too."

"I was not," Jack shot back before he realized Adam was only teasing him.

Once they left that ride, the four of them went on the 'Berserker' next, which was a giant Viking ship that swung back and forth like a pendulum. It gradually picked up speed as it rocked back and forth, gradually going higher and higher, until it finally went completely over the top.

"That made me a little sick to my stomach," Megan complained. "At first it was like rocking back and forth on a swing, but when it kept going higher, my stomach would jump into my throat when it dropped down again. It was even worse when it went all the way over the top and came down the other side."

"Maybe we should take a break then," Adam suggested. "We don't want you getting ill."

"She'll be alright," Jack quickly added. "So what are we going on next?"

"Megan?" Adam wondered, as he gave her a chance to state her preference.

"We can keep going," she offered, meekly.

"In that case, if you start to feel sick, turn toward your brother before you vomit, seeing he's the one pushing for us to keep going," Adam added, which earned him a snicker from Megan and a menacing glare from Jack.

Once that was settled, Jack stated that he wanted to try the 'Flight of Fear'. This was another roller coaster, but it went from zero to 54 m.p.h. (87 k.p.h.) in just 4 seconds. It also traveled in total darkness while going through four inversions.

"I think we should do something less exciting before we do that," Mike offered while looking at Megan. Even though he was looking forward to going on that ride too, he didn't want to take any unnecessary chances with her well-being.

"I'll be ok. Really, I will!" she offered when she realized what Mike was doing.

Taking her at her word, they went on the 'Flight of Fear' and Megan completed the ride without incident. Everyone was happy about that, especially Jack.

"I think we've been on just about every ride now," Mike announced, once they staggered away from the 'Flight of Fear'. "Is there anything else you'd like to try?"

"Yeah, I want to go on the 'Intimidator 305' and the 'Anaconda' again," Jack immediately announced.

"Is that all right with you, Megan," Adam asked, since she was looking a little peaked.

"Yeah, I've been on those rides already, so why not?" she replied, while giving him a weak grin.

Since Megan agreed, they made their way back to those two locations and went on each of them one more time.

"Hey! We haven't tried that one yet," Jack offered, while pointing at the 'Dominator'.

He was correct. They hadn't been on that ride, so they went over to get in line. Mike and Adam were surprised they hadn't realized this earlier. It was the longest, floorless roller coaster in the world and traveled at speeds up to 67 m.p.h. (108 k.p.h.), while going around one of the largest vertical loops anywhere.

"I'm glad I spotted this before we left," Jack announced when the ride was over. "It was wicked fun!"

As they walked away from that area, Mike's stomach suddenly growled. It reminded him that they hadn't eaten anything since lunch, which had been quite a while before.

"I know we probably should have stopped to do this earlier, but I feel it's time to eat again," Mike suggested. "What do the rest of you think about that?"

The others quickly agreed that they were hungry too, so they made a quick detour and grabbed a bite to eat. After they'd filled their bellies again, they headed back into the park.

"I suggest we do something easy for a while," Adam stated, "because I don't want either of you blowing chunks and sharing your meal with us. We witnessed that happening the last time we were here."

"Ewww, that's gross!" Megan exclaimed as Jack started laughing.

"That's exactly what I thought when Adam told you to barf on me if you got sick," Jack chimed in, as he made a face at Mike and Adam.

"Well you were the one pushing her to keep going, even though her stomach was queasy at the time," Adam pointed out, as he smirked at Jack.

Once they finally got the kids to agree, Mike and Adam took them over to the replica of the 'Eiffel Tower' and rode it to the top. Then, they followed that up with a quick spin on the 'Carousel' and another go on 'Dodgem', the bumper cars. After that, Mike and Adam let Jack and Megan choose which rides they wanted to try again and did that until the park closed.

"I had a lot of fun today," Jack mused as they were walking back to the car. "Thank you. You two are really super."

"I agree. You two are terrific and I had a wonderful time," Megan added. "Thank you very much for bringing us here."

"Uh, it was just a good excuse for Adam and me to get away so we could pretend to be kids again for the day," Mike quipped, which earned him a couple of strange looks from Jack and Megan.

"Oh, I thought you did this for us," Jack stated, as a look of disappointment began to creep over his face.

"We did! Today was just for the two of you and Mike was only joking," Adam clarified, so the kids didn't get the wrong idea. "He's just a clown at heart, although not a very good one."

This time Mike feigned pouting, which got the kids laughing. Then, they climbed into their seats and buckled up.

Megan dozed off on the way back, but Jack stayed wide awake. He talked non-stop as he recounted the things he liked the best about the day and thanked Mike and Adam numerous times for doing this for them.

Shortly after they got off the highway and started back on the dark, country road to the cabin, Adam noticed a car heading directly toward them. Reacting to the threat, he pounded his fist against the horn, as he sent out a mental warning at the same time.

'Watch out! What in the hell do you think you're doing?'

Almost immediately, the car swerved back to its own side of the road and Adam added anther thought.

'Pull over! I want to make sure you're ok and see what was wrong.'

When he looked in his rearview mirror, Adam saw the other car's brake lights come on, as the vehicle slowly pulled onto the shoulder.

"You guys stay in the car while I go talk to the driver who nearly crashed into us," he advised them. "I just want to find out what happened and make sure he's ok."

Jack and Mike agreed to follow his advice, but Megan was still asleep. Adam turned on the 4-way flashers, got out of the driver's seat and slowly walked toward the other vehicle.

"Are you all right and what just happened?" he asked, as the driver stepped out of his car too.

"I'm so sorry about that. I've been working all day and must have started to doze off," he explained, but it was obvious he was still more than a little shaken up by the near miss too. It had caused the blood to drain from his face and he was visibly trembling. "I'm glad you honked your horn though, but a little voice in my head was warning me too, so I guess I wasn't as completely out of it as I first thought."

Adam knew the little voice had been his, but he wasn't about to explain this fact to the guy.

"Do you have far too go?" Adam followed.

"Actually, I do," the man stated. "I'm just coming back from helping my sister and brother-in-law move into their new house in Delaware and was heading back to my place in Charleston, West Virginia."

"That's a long drive and I don't think you're going to make it without getting some sleep first," Adam told him. "There's a motel back by the highway, so why don't you check in there for the night."

"Even though I can't really spare the time, it's probably a good idea," the man agreed. "I'd rather not die like this, so I'll do it."

"Great! I'll turn around and follow you there, just to make sure you make it ok," Adam announced. "It's not that far, but this way I can blast the horn if I see you driving erratically again."

"Thanks, but you won't need to do that," the guy replied, looking embarrassed.

"It's not a big deal and I'd feel better knowing you made it there safely," Adam added.

This time the guy merely nodded as he got in his car. He then waited for Adam to make a quick K-turn, so he was heading back the way he'd just come. After that, Adam followed the guy to the motel, without further incident. Once the man pulled into a parking spot and made his way to the office, Adam gave him a friendly wave. He then pulled out on the road and headed in the direction of the cabin again.

"I don't think we should mention this to anyone," Adam told Jack a couple of minutes later. "I'm afraid your parents might not let you come with us again if they thought we nearly got you killed."

"It wasn't your fault, but I won't say anything if you don't think I should," Jack concurred, as they drove the last leg of the trip.

When they reached the cabins, they gently woke Megan and then Mike and Adam walked the kids to their cabin. Jim met them as they were heading up the steps to the porch.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked his children.

"It was fantastic!" Jack exclaimed. "We went on a whole bunch of really scary and exciting rides, along with doing some other stuff."

"And I went on every one of the rides, even the really scary ones," Megan stated proudly. "It was really, really fun!"

"Thanks for doing this for them," Jim told Mike and Adam after seeing how happy his kids were. "I'm glad they had a chance to get away and just enjoy themselves for a while."

"No problem," Mike replied. "Adam and I had a blast too."

They then said good night and the Kritzers disappeared into their cabin.