The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Edge Off

LUC

I CUT THE ENGINE in front of the amusement park and reached to open my door. 

"The park's closed," Riley pointed out dryly. She sounded rather bothered that I'd had her get into the car when I learned that she had nothing planned tonight. A lot of texting and tapping at the window had been involved. 

"I can see that." I hopped out and hauled my backpack over my shoulder, waiting for her to join me. My boots struck a mix of snow and petrels of rock salt, most likely spread out by maintenance in the morning. Swirls of stars dusted across the sky like clusters of mini-galaxies far beyond us, winking brightly. School was out and we were on a blessed Saturday.

Riley trudged ahead, eyeing me sideways. The wind blew long wisps of tawny hair away from her face, the knitted beanie I'd bought for her weeks ago hanging crooked on her head. She'd rolled the brim over to hide the lettering, which was the best part of the gift, if you ask me.

"Come on," I encouraged, stepping towards the gated entry.

She followed suit, question marks almost floating in her gaze. I laid a palm over the lock and the large wrought-iron gate parted at my silent command, clanking off towards the fence.

"Luc, we could get into serious trouble for this!" she exclaimed, feet rooted in the snow. "What are you thinking?"

"Relax, I've done this so often I stopped counting. People always think the park stayed open late for some private evening party." It was even more practical in the winter when the park was known to be closed for the season. Nobody kept an eye out for this. But Riley stuck out a leg to mark her refusal. I tilted my head, marching past the gate alone.

"You made it all this way, it'd be a shame to turn back. It's not like we haven't broken the law together before. Remember the private property in Huntington?"

With a petulant groan, she hurried next to me, and we ventured out towards shuttered booths interspersed through the lane and closed souvenir stores, approaching the rides. 

Stripped from the flood of clients and lively summer days, the site looked like a run-down, dilapidated park that hadn't been used in years. I hadn't explained to her why we came here and hadn't even warned her that we'd use this place. It was a bona fide surprise—one I hoped would pass smoothly.

"Which one do you want to start with?" I asked.

The rides have lost their appeal to me personally a long time ago, but this was like a rite of passage. She needed to discover this area, and I think she was the type to appreciate it for its worth.

"I don't know, that one, I guess?" She pointed a finger at a snakelike track that winded upwards at a steep incline, the longest one in the park.

I ushered her to it, climbing the dim metal staircase from the waiting line first and straddling over the security barrier. Her voice kept resonating in the muted surroundings, hammering me about what the hell we were doing here. 

When she realized that I wouldn't give her an answer, she snapped out of her hesitation and seated herself at the front while I settled next to her.

I stuck a charged, crackling hand to the flank of the cart, and power vibrated through the awakening track, reaching all the way to the little lamp at the control station that started to flicker. Riley jerked, an involuntary grin cracking her face.

"Whoa."

The cart lurched and dithered. "I can control the speed, too. How fast do you want it?"

She challenged me with her gaze. "Set it on nitro. Make me scream for dear life."