Slide, by Irina Berman, 6th Grade

“ Can we go again?” I yell back at my mom. We walked slowly up the rickety stairs. When we reached the top of the pink slide, looked down into the dark tunnel. Half exhilarated, half scared. The roar of happy voices tuned out, it was just the slide and I. I had an urge to spin around and run back down the rickety stairs. But I didn’t, I plopped down on the double raft. The raft felt wet, and almost sticky from the rubber, I felt as if I would pop it if I sat down. My mom sat behind me, I sat in the front. We were both sitting down facing the Deeping slide. The lifeguard said, “1,2,3… go!” He then pushed us down. With a jolt, we started the deep and winding journey. I screamed and laughed. The dark slide twisted and turned, it was very long and narrow. The water around us swished, I loved the feeling of moving side to side. Then I could see alight at the end of the slide, it made an opening. A few lifeguards waited for us to be pushed out. I was so excited, I laughed, and I leaned back on my mom giggling. We were tossed out of the slide. I felt a force pulling at me. Like arms pulling me down. My body weakened and dropped. My braids floated upward. My body seemed to let itself go. I didn’t move my arms or legs. I couldn’t, it was all so fast.
I felt hands on my arms and legs, they felt real this time. They pulled me up to the surface. I breathed and spit out water. “Had I drowned?” my brother and my mom and two other lifeguards were there. I couldn’t breath, I was spitting uncontrollably. I sat up, hiccupping, and scared. “What happened?” I asked in short breaths. Nobody seemed to know. I searched through my brain but I couldn’t see to find it either. The roar of happy kids surrounded me. I didn’t feel that way, I feel sad…. And scared.