Nobody Knows Your Secret

38

Betsy and Billy were pulling into the parking lot of the MEGA Mountain when Hardy and Willie Mae arrived. Billy was driving Betsy's convertible.

"Hey, Willie Mae," Betsy said.

"Hey, Betsy."

"Dude," Billy said. "I didn't know you two were planning to come. You didn't say anything about it last night. Y'all could 'a ridden over with us. Betsy's car is the bomb. You two wanna keep us com'ny?"

"Nah," Hardy said.

"Come on, Billy," Betsy said.

"'Kay," Billy said. "Check you later. Gotta split."

"Later, man," Hardy said.

Willie Mae nestled close to Hardy.

"Thanks, Hardy," she said.

"I know you. Betsy doesn't cut it. You two mix about as well as fire and TNT," Hardy said. "I think Betsy's a grueller."

"Me, too," said Willie Mae. "You gonna win me a teddy bear, Handsome?"

"You bet," said Hardy, kissing Willie Mae in the ticket line.

That was how the day started. 

Good enough. Hardy could have never known what lay in store for the visitors at MEGAMountain later that afternoon.

They had wandered all over the amusement park. Willie Mae and Hardy had seen Billy and Betsy a couple of times, but the day had gone really well.

 Willie Mae actually enjoyed the rides, and just as he promised, Hardy had won her a teddy bear and an enormous striped tiger.

"Wanna ride The Cyclone?" Hardy asked.

"Not with Teddy and Tony," Willie Mae said, holding up her stuffed animals. You can if you want to, but I'm sittin' this one out."

Hardy wandered to the line. He waved at Cleve and Claire, who were way ahead of him in the line. The cutoff was several people ahead of Hardy. 

Cleve and Claire boarded the coaster.

That was all right with Hardy. He wanted to position himself in the very front car, if possible.

It was going to be a ride to remember. This Blue Cyclone was huge. Hardy had never seen so many twists and turns in his life. As the cars pulled away for the slow ascent for the first drop, Hardy tried to calculate the height of the wooden monster. That first jaw-dropping drop looked to be about 100 feet.

Hardy smiled. Cleve looked a little more than sauced. He wondered if the old guy would spew chunkies before the end of the coaster ride. He glanced behind him. Willie Mae had found a bench near Virgie Winthrop. He smiled Willie Mae's way.

Willie Mae blew him a kiss. 

Hardy heard the crash, but it did not hit him instantly that tragedy had struck the riders on The Blue Cyclone. Willie Mae's face registered shock. Virgie Winthrop looked like death. Hardy was pushed and jostled as people in the line rushed away from the coaster.

Hardy followed the general crush of bystanders toward the far end of the coaster. The cars of the coaster were twisted and tangled. People lay injured on the ground. Hardy ran to see if he could help. He heard a scream.

Claire Winthrop lay crumpled and bleeding at his feet. Hardy took off his belt and made a tourniquet, twisting it around Claire's left arm to staunch the bleeding.