Hotel of Horror
Zachary,
Age 12
Cotswald
Academy – Homeschool
Bob stood nervously at the base of the Hotel of Horror. He wondered whether during this vacation he would try the ride.
He had been to this amusement park a couple of times before and he had even stood in this exact spot many times before, but
he had never dared to try this ride. He hadn’t even been able to work up the nerve to walk over to the entrance. He
couldn’t believe this because his friends had told him it was no big deal. Actually, it was a lot of fun. Bob could
see people coming from the ride. Some were younger than him and everyone looked happy and excited.
He almost convinced himself that he was being foolish and started to walk to the entrance when Bob remembered the advertisement
he had seen on TV. It showed the outside of the Hotel of Horror with shattered windows and blackened bricks. Then it showed
a line of people waiting on the inside in a dark and dusty hallway. That part didn’t seem too scary, but the part that
showed people getting into the elevator and the motors zapping with electricity right next to them made him feel uneasy. When
the screen went black, all you could hear was high pitched screaming. Bob was sure that this was not the ride for him. The
people on the elevator would speed up to the first floor then drop suddenly with a jolt – over and over. Bob had a
feeling his stomach wouldn’t survive the excitement.
His thoughts returned to what his friends had said- how you get into a cart and ride around different hallways in the hotel
and see images of ghosts appear and disappear. He remembered how they described the amazing feeling of weightlessness when
you dropped. Sometimes you could feel yourself lifting right out of your seat and your hair would be floating above your
head. That sounded like alot of fun and something Bob thought he’d like to try. So if it all sounded fun and his friends
had all tried it and liked it, why wouldn’t his feet move toward the entrance gate?
Bob was worried that the ride would make him throw up. He was also scared that the ride would last a long time and would
make him dizzy for the rest of the day. He was embarrassed to think that he might scream out loud in front of strangers.
His mind was imagining the worst that could happen. He was making himself so nervous that he began to tremble. With his
heart beating fast, Bob wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts and was about to turn and walk away once again, when he saw a
small girl coming out of the exit. She must have been about six years old and she was skipping as she held her Dad’s
hand. When she passed Bob she smiled and said, “That was great, Dad! Can we go again?”
Bob changed his mind immediately. He marched to the entrance gate and entered the Hotel of Horror determined to be brave.
A few minutes later, he walked out of the exit smiling. Bob had trouble holding himself back from skipping. He had completely
forgotten what had made him so afraid to try the ride before. It was much better than he had imagined, and his friends had
been right. It was lots of fun.
Bob noticed a boy his age standing by the gate looking a little panicked. Bob walked up to him and said, “It’s
a great ride and there’s nothing to worry about. I was scared to try it too, but now I’m going to go again.
Want to come with me?”
