Spinster – A tale spun

I was really excited. This was going to be our last time out before the wedding. My fiancé and I wanted it to be memorable. Being the adventurous kind, we chose to go to WaterWhirled - a theme park. Our friends warned us that horrid things happened to people there, and tried to stop us from going. They even narrated incidents that they had either heard about or someone they had known had experienced. And to be quite honest, it did freak me out a bit. But I convinced myself that they must only be rumours. Furthermore, not many people were daring like us.

WaterWhirled was nothing like I had imagined. It was a magical place. There were all sorts of rides. First, we went on a ride where we sat in this huge boat-like structure, and it swayed from side to side and went up and down. We both got off the ride feeling a little dizzy but exhilarated. “What a great story to tell our kids”, I exclaimed.

All of a sudden my fiancé stopped in his tracks. I followed his gaze to see what had made him do so. There, in front of us, was this gigantic ride. It stood out from all the other rides in the park, not just because of its size, but because of the huge number of people lined up to enter it. I could see my fiancé was thrilled and he tugged at my arm, “Let’s go line up!” But something about the ride looked sinister to me. “Do you think this could be the ride that is the root of all those scary stories?” I asked. “Oh don’t be silly, dear. Crazy things only happen in the Bermuda Triangle”, he replied with a scoff. Not wanting to look like a sissy in front of him, I went along.

Once in the line, all my fears evaporated. The energy in the atmosphere was contagious. I looked around in awe. There were people of all shapes, sizes and colours. A sign outside the entrance to the ride read “Do not panic. It’s dark inside and you may think you’re lost. But once the ride is over and you step out, you’ll be fine.” I held on tight to my fiancé. I didn’t want to get lost in this mob. When the ride began, I couldn’t remember anymore if I’d come with someone or by myself, because I was having way too much fun. It was the best ride so far, and I could now understand what the hype was all about. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and when the ride was over, I wanted to do it all over again. I waited at the exit for my fiancé, because true to its word, the ride had gotten me lost.

I watched as the people came out, some looking worn out, while others were in high spirits. I waited and waited and waited but there was no sign of him at all. Then I began to panic. I waited till the next round of people came out too, but he still wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I tried to push my friends’ stories out of my head as I looked everywhere for him. But in the crowd, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I rushed into the nearest bathroom and burst into tears. I could hear my father’s words in my head, “There will be times when you will feel like the world has come crashing down upon you. And it will, because that’s what happens to people like us. You will find yourself alone on more than one occasion. But don’t give up hope. Someday you will have somebody who will be by your side for a long time.” I dried my tears and looked up into the mirror in front of me. My white complexion had turned completely red. I couldn’t even recognize myself anymore. “It sure does suck to be a sock.”