Three Finger Cove: Charles ~ Book Three

Chapter Fifty~Four

When Charles woke up the next morning it was then he realized he missed his phone call from his 'dad'. He quickly found his cell phone and checked it for phone calls or messages. He was disappointed that he missed the call from his 'dad'.

Charles looked at the time wondering what time it was where his 'dad' and 'brothers' were. He saw it was 8:30 AM and knowing they were headed to Georgia he figured it was now 9:30 AM their time and it wasn't too early to call him, so he did.

The cell phone rang a few times before it was answered. As soon as Charles heard his dad's voice, he yelled, "'Dad, 'dad', I'm sorry I missed your call last night, but Mr. Dan had me and Charles and James and Todd and we all went swimming and then he took us all out to dinner. After that he took James and Camm home and then he took Todd home last. I'm sorry I missed your call 'dad'."

"That's okay 'son', I figured Mr. Dan would keep you busy and I guess he has. He's a good man and I knew he would take good care of you. So what else is new?" asked 'dad' Ken.

"'Dad', we had a big storm come through here yesterday afternoon. Mr. Dan had taken me and Camm to ride the go-karts and play some miniature golf. When we were in the go-kart line I got to meet six new boys who I'll be going to school with in two weeks," offered Charles.

"That sounds wonderful 'son', I'm glad you're getting to meet more and more of the boys you will be going to school with. Were there any problems due to the storm?" asked 'dad' Ken.

"Not really, 'dad', the only thing at the house was Todd got caught out in the rain and we didn't know it. It wasn't until we got home that we couldn't find Chief. When we went looking for her we found her huddled up with Todd who was outside soaking wet and shivering. Mr. Dan got me and Camm to help get Todd to the locker room and while Mr. Dan went looking for some towels. He then asked us to help Todd take his clothes off and get in the warm shower," replied Charles.

"Is Todd going to be okay?" asked Mr. Ken.

"Yes, 'dad', Todd's going to be okay. After a warm shower he was good as new. Then James and his mom came by and James talked his mom into letting him stay so he, Camm, Todd, me, and Mr. Dan all swam and after that we all went out to dinner," explained Charles.

"What else did you do Charles?" asked 'dad' Ken.

Charles thought for a moment and then replied, "After you left, I went back up to bed and didn't get up until it was 10 o'clock. After Camm and I had breakfast it was then Mr. Dan asked if we wanted to go to the go-karts and then play some miniature golf. We had lots of fun on the go-kart track dad. Mr. Dan said he was surprised how well me and Camm could handle the go-karts and drive them. He told us he thought because he had all that driver training he would be able to beat us but we fooled him."

Charles could hear his dad chuckling over the phone after hearing what his son just said about Mr. Dan who then had to relay it to Robert and Eric.

"'Dad', did you get to go to any of the amusement parks yet?" asked Charles eagerly.

"Yes, 'son', we got here late yesterday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and went out to visit the park. They knew we were coming, which was okay with me, and all we did was walk around and look. We did ride some of their roller coasters and some of the other rides before we left for the night. I'm glad you called when you did because we are supposed to go back to the park and meet with my operator at 12 noon and I will get a better look at the park during daylight hours." explained Mr. Ken.

"That sounds real good, 'dad', I just wish I was there," stated Charles.

"Yes, Charles, I understand, but as I told you the foster parent rules won't allow me to take you out of the state until you've been with me for at least three months. I know you understand that Charles. It's unfortunate that that's the way it is but I really did need to visit my amusement parks before the end of the summer," explained Mr. Ken.

"I understand 'dad' I really do understand I just wish I could have gone anyway," said a tearful Charles.

Robert then took the phone from his dad and told Charles that the flight was long and neither he nor Eric got the chance to sit in the copilot seat to help fly the plane. He told his brother he was disappointed but that they did get to see a lot of what was below them while they flew to Georgia. He told his 'brother' that he loved him and he would see him hopefully Saturday night but was sure they would be talking before then.

'Dad' Ken took back his phone and told his son, Charles, "After we finish our inspection today, Charles, we will be flying out to our next amusement park this evening. I will have to wait and it will be at least tomorrow before I talk to you again; if not, I'll catch up with you on Tuesday. Will that be okay with you, 'son'?" said Mr. Ken.

"Yes, 'dad'. I love you 'dad'!" said Charles.

"I love you too, 'son' and I want you to do everything that Mr. Dan wants you to do and you and your friends have fun because before long you will be back in school," now laughed Mr. Ken.

"Yes, 'dad', I hear you, and if I get a chance I'm going to ask my new friends to come over if it will be okay with Mr. Dan," replied Charles.

'Dad' and 'son' talked for another five minutes or so but Mr. Ken told Charles he needed to get going. They said their good-byes and promised each other they would talk soon. When Charles hung up the phone he had tears running down his face. It took him a while to recover from the sadness he was feeling, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it and he understood the reason why his dad could not take him on this trip. He then figured since he was already up and it was now a little past 9 AM he would get cleaned up and go down for breakfast.

Mr. Dan was sitting there reading Mr. Ken's Sunday morning newspaper when Charles entered the Kitchen Nook. The lad smiled at the man and he said 'Good Morning' to the man and then went looking for breakfast tacos.

"Hey, Charles, what say we go out for breakfast?" mentioned Mr. Dan.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Momma Maria's breakfast tacos are great, but it is nice when someone cooks breakfast for you, though. We going to Four Corners?" replayed Charles.

"Naw, I was thinking we could go to Mickey D's. or IHOP, or Denny's or someplace else you probably haven't eaten breakfast at," smiled Mr. Dan.

"Sure, I've never eaten at any of those places, and it would be fun to try something different," answered Charles.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Mr. Dan.

"Yep, I got my shower and brushed my teeth, so I am ready to go," eagerly replied Charles.

The two headed out for places unknown. Four Corners was the closest Diner to them and since they had eaten there a few times already they wanted to find someplace different and to do that they had to drive a bit further. It was Sunday and there weren't that many vehicles out yet so traffic was light. They passed Taco Bell, Carl's, Subway, Wendy's, Denny's, Sonic and IHOP. Then they came up to a Taco Cabana. Mr. Dan asked Charles if he wanted Mexican but the lad said he gets that from Momma Maria so he wanted something special or unique.

The two drove for a few more minutes when Charles asked about IHOP and what that place was like. Mr. Dan explained it was a sit-down restaurant that offered breakfast, lunch and dinner and you could get it almost any time of the day. Charles asked if they could try that since he'd never been in one. Mr. Dan turned the car around and they headed back to IHOP.

Charles was surprised by what he saw inside IHOP. It was bright and cheery and they had booths or tables to choose from. Charles picked a booth. Their waitress greeted them and presented them with a menu and asked if they knew what they wanted to drink while they looked at the menu. Mr. Dan got coffee and Charles got orange juice.

As the two looked through the menu, Charles asked Mr. Dan what an Omelet was. He then asked what Sampler meant. Charles was mesmerized over the extensive offerings and he had a difficult time trying to decide what he wanted for breakfast.

"Charles, when was the last time you had pancakes, or waffles?" asked Mr. Dan.

"Well, I had a waffle up in Dallas one morning. The last time I had pancakes Was when we had a big sleepover and Momma Maria made them for us instead of breakfast tacos," replied Charles.

Mr. Dan explained all the pancake options and after hearing what he could have Charles decided on pancakes with strawberries and blueberries along with hash browns and bacon.

Mr. Dan ordered the Create Your Own Omelet with three eggs, tomatoes, cheese, green peppers and ham accompanied with bacon and hash browns.

It didn't' take long for their food to arrive after they ordered and their conversation was practically nonexistent while they ate. When they were done they both had larger stomachs.

It was closer to 12:30 in the afternoon when the man and preteen arrived back at The Cove. The sun was shining and Camm and James were already there. Charles hurried over to them and thanked them for coming over and told them he needed to change before he could ride the ramps. Charles hurried to change and was back to the ramps in about ten minutes.

"I hear you met some more of the guys you'll be going to school with," said James.

"Yes, we met them in line yesterday. At first I didn't know how to take them, but I didn't know who they were and Camm didn't give me any hints," replied Charles, while he lightly smacked Camm on the shoulder. "After we talked some, I think they are alright and I'm going to try to invite them over during the week."

Just then Brad and Gordon showed up and a few minutes later so did Asher and Mason. The seven friends began to ride the ramps and before long Logan and Cody appeared and joined them. As they rode they talked about yesterday's storm. It was then Charles apologized for not calling them to tell them he would not be there. Logan, Cody, Ash and Mason said the guards let them in so they rode the ramps until the storm started coming in. They also told Charles they figured he'd gone somewhere when he never showed up. The guys laughed at that.

Just like yesterday, Mr. Dan came out and asked the boys if they wanted to ride the PWCs and swim. They did. This time they checked the gas levels in the Wave Runner's before heading out. Mr. Dan told the lads to stay close as he wanted to give them more time on the tube that day. As they were out there, Todd showed up. The teen put his suit on and joined them out on the water toys while he waited his turn on the tube and the WaveRunner. As the boys got in and out of the water they mentioned to each other that it felt a little cooler than the other day. It wasn't so cold they needed the wet suits, but they felt there seemed to be a change to the water temperature.

They played for about two hours when Mr. Dan said he'd had enough. With Mr. Dan watching, Brad, Gordon and Todd rode the PWCs back and forth on the lake. The rest of the boys played on the water toys.

Mr. Dan went inside to change and when he put his shorts on he pulled out a coupon the cashier gave him when they left IHOP earlier. The man read what it said and he wondered if he could make what it said happen. His first thought was of Todd and how he really never got to do many things. He liked the lad so the first thing he did was call Todd's mom to ask her if he could take her son to Six Flags Fiesta Texas the next day. He knew he'd have no problem taking Charles but he had to think who he would want to take with him. Mr. Dan knew he couldn't take the whole crew.

When it was time for the lads to leave for the day, Mr. Dan pulled Todd aside and asked him if he would like to go to Fiesta Texas tomorrow. He told the teenager he'd already talked to his mom and she said it was be OK. Todd smiled and then asked who else would go. Mr. Dan said Charles for sure but he didn't know who he'd want to take. The man sought out the preteen.

"Charles … I have a proposition for you. If you could take one, and only one, of your friends to a really cool place who would it be?" asked Dan Fischer.

Charles had to think about it for a moment, but then he said it would have to be Camm. He told the man that he really only had four friends his age, Camm, James, Asher and Mason and James had football practice which was why he said Camm. Mr. Dan quickly called Ms. Cambelle and learning she was still up at the Main Gate he asked her to stay until he got there.

Joyce Cambelle knew that Dan Fischer was staying at The Cove and learning he wanted to talk to her made her insides tingle. She felt if she couldn't get Mr. Ken to notice her then she'd have to work on the next best thing, Dan.

Ms. Cambelle was disappointed the man only wanted to talk to her about taking Camm along with him, Charles and Todd to Six Flags Fiesta the next day. She wasn't going to allow Camm to go, but then she figured it would be a way of maintaining contact with the man after her son came home. Mr. Dan was happy that the lad could go along.

Mr. Dan and Charles went out to eat that night and when they got home the man checked Google Maps and decided on the best way to get to the amusement park. He also called Todd and Camm and told them he'd pick them up at 8:30 the next morning telling them that would give him enough time to get there by the time it opened.

Charles and Camm got on their computers while they talked. They both called up Six Flags Fiesta Texas to check out what the park was like and what they could do there. Charles liked what he saw and he had to convince Camm that the rides will be a lot of fun and he'll have a good time. They talked and checked out the website for almost two hours before they both decided they needed to get to sleep.

Charles scratched behind Chief's ears before he turned the lights out. Mr. Dan told him he'd make this a fun week and so far he's kept his promise. Charles couldn't wait until he got to ride those awesome looking rollercoasters.

Charles set his alarm clock for 7:30 AM and when it rang at the selected time he jumped out of bed and headed to get cleaned up and downstairs for a quick breakfast. It was 7:55 when the preteen arrived in the Kitchen Nook only to find Mr. Dan was already there drinking his coffee and reading the morning newspaper. As the two ate a light breakfast, Charles reminded the man he should call Momma Maria to tell her they wouldn't be there and that she could either have the day off or do whatever she needed to do there.

Charles also remembered he needed to call one or two of the guys who've been coming over so they knew he wouldn't be there today at all. He called Brad and Logan and was lucky enough to find them awake enough to recognize who he was and understand what he was telling them. Logan said he'd make sure everyone got called. Silently, he wished he was going along.

It was 8:45 when Mr. Dan and Charles set out to pick up Camm and then Todd. They were only fifteen minutes off schedule but Mr. Dan didn't care as he allowed a thirty minute fudge factor in his schedule. Next stop Six Flags Fiesta Texas San Antonio, Texas at the intersection of I-10 and Loop 1604.

Dan Fischer and the boys talked about what they wanted to do while they were there. Since Charles and Camm both studied the park at length last night, while they talked, they knew the most about the amusement park and so they became the guides for the day.

The four travelers arrived at the parking entrance at 10:10. Dan knew there would be a parking fee but was very surprised when he saw the sign that said it would cost $17.00 to park the car. In Dan's mind he could see the dollars flying out of his wallet faster than he ever put them in. He began to realize that if he actually had kids they would probably put him in the poor house before he was ready to retire. That thought brought a smile to his face. The boys saw the man was smiling so they figured he was okay with paying the parking fee. Little did they know!

Dan was surprised to learn when he paid the parking fee that if he had a Gold Season Pass parking would be included, as well at all the other Six Flags parks across the United States. That piece of information made him feel better about going to the park. He figured the other parks would probably offer the same or similar parking options so he didn't feel bad about paying the high cost of parking his car.

Once they parked, they had to go through a Security Checkpoint where they were looking for contraband items such as guns, knives, marking pens and lots more. Dan now became concerned about going through the metal detectors and having to empty his pockets because he was a police officer, a Sheriff's Deputy, who was required to carry his weapon wherever he went. Before going to the Security Checkpoints he went to a Security guard and told him his situation. The guard called over a San Antonio police officer who was working the park that day. The two talked and when Dan walked away he was very happy.

The boys still had to go through the metal detectors but Dan was allowed to enter between the two machines while the SAPD officer waited on the other side for him to enter. The kids were curious why Mr. Dan was allowed to do what he did, but they weren't the only ones as other park guests' saw what was happening. The guests also saw Dan being led away by two officers and that made them happy that Security was doing their job. What only the officers and Dan Fischer knew was they were taking Dan to lock his weapon up in a secure area until he left for the day.

Mr. Dan met the boys at a ticket kiosk where he used the IHOP coupon that got them all in for less than half price. He then learned if he had a Season Pass it would be paid for after two visits. He again felt that the parks offered good deals but you had to know what they were and how to obtain them.

Once the four intrepid visitors got inside the park they needed to decide where they were going to go to first. Spying park maps and entertainment schedules they all took one so they could look through them and give their own opinion. They decided to go right at the first intersection but before they could make the turn there in front of them was their first roller coaster called Boomerang.

Camm was a bit apprehensive about riding it and asked if they had smaller ones he could practice on. The lad kept making excuses about not wanting to ride the coaster as they all stood in line for the ride. Since it was early in the day, that line was not long at all. Ten minutes later Camm was still telling everyone he was not riding the coaster while he was getting into the seat right next to Charles. Camm didn't realize he was actually on the coaster train until he saw he was going backwards up the launch hill. Then suddenly the train stopped and with a loud metal clank the coaster went down the hill and followed the track to the other end where it went up another hill and then returned the way it came.

"That was fun," offered Camm, to no one in particular, as they walked down the exit ramp. "I wasn't scared at all!"

The other three heard Camm and they all laughed at his last comment. Next STOP: Iron Rattler also known as the iRattler to some.

The line there was much longer and it took them 30 minutes to get to the loading area. There they had to select where they were going to sit. Charles had ridden the Texas Giant, which was the first Iron Track coaster, ever, so they relied on his suggestion where to ride. Charles chose the first car and he and Mr. Dan sat together in the first seat while Todd and Camm sat right behind them. Charles told them to tighten their seat belt and pull back as far as they could on the lap bar. Then they were off.

The coaster riders experienced a 171 foot drop with an 81 degree angle followed by a zero-g roll inverted barrel roll, a camelback hill followed by two over banked turns for a total of four over-banked turns. At the end of the ride they went over a fast drop that took their breath away before entering a tunnel complete with fog and strobe lights before it braked. When they came off the ride they were stoked by it. It appeared Camm was now liking rollercoasters.

Camm asked the group to go back the way they came as he wanted to ride the Road Runner Express. The group agreed since it was right there and it was a coaster. The line didn't look bad but it still took twenty minutes before they got to the seat selection lanes. They decided to ride up front and that took another fifteen minutes before they actually rode the coaster because lots of people had the same idea. Since Charles and Mr. Dan rode the first seat, first car on the iRattler, Camm and Todd now got the honor. When they got off the ride they felt disappointed once they compared it to Boomerang and the Iron Rattler. They decided to move along.

Their next big ride they came up to was the SkyScreamer after passing by Gully Washer, a water inner tube ride, since they didn't want to get wet, just yet. The SkyScreamer was advertised as being over 200 feet tall and would give the rider a full 360 degree view of the entire park and beyond.

The SkyScreamer only held 32 people so it took quite some time for them to actually ride. When it was their turn they switched up partners so Todd rode with Charles and Camm rode with Mr. Dan. They all enjoyed the height but were disappointed the ride was over so quick. As they walked to the exit they complained it took longer to seat the people than the ride was long. Next stop, Superman: Krypton Coaster.

Superman was a floorless coaster that went 168 feet high and had a 145 foot vertical loop. Charles was looking forward to riding that coaster. The line was already long by the time they got there. It took them over forty minutes before they even got to the stairs leading up to the launch platform. Once they got to the platform they had to again select where they wanted to sit. If they chose the first row seats they had an additional minimum of twenty more minutes to wait even with two trains working. They chose the third row and were on five minutes later.

"Did you feel how high we were before we dove down that first hill," asked Todd, after their ride was over. "It was awesome!"

"That loop was something else," offered Charles.

"What I didn't like was at the end when we did those back-to-back small loops. It gave me a headache and I still have it," said Camm, in a very light voice that told Mr. Dan the kid was hurting.

"Guys, I think it is time to take a break," called out Mr. Dan. "We've ridden, what five rides one after the other and we haven't had anything to drink which is probably why Camm has his headache. Let's find some bottles of water and drink them down slow and then find some less intense ride for a while? You okay with that?"

Camm spoke up right away and agreed he needed some water. Todd said he could also use some water and he wanted to rest his feet. Charles was the only holdout, but he realized he needed to be a 'team' player so he agreed to Mr. Dan's suggestion. They stopped at the Pretzel Shop and got four bottles of water and a soft pretzel to share and found some shade at Johnny Rockets and sat down.

The four talked about their experiences so far and Mr. Dan asked if he made the right decision to come there. The three lads agreed he did good, real good. They sat around for fifteen minutes when Camm said his headache was gone. Mr. Dan suggested they find a few easier rides to go on until they hit the last of the big coasters. The kids all agreed. Next stop would be a carousel type ride called Amerigoround.

"We're not going to ride that are we?" asked Camm.

"Why not? We're here to enjoy as many rides as we can and this is a fun ride and besides there's no line to speak of. Camm reluctantly got in line with his friends. Two rides later they were choosing their horse. When they got off, Camm apologized for being a wuss. He said he really liked the simple ride.

Charles saw the people standing on the bridge and getting soaked by the large boats coming down a high ramp. He asked if they could try that ride. The group agreed but Mr. Dan told them that if they get real wet he was not buying them dry clothes. The boys laughed and then the four walked down the concrete walkway.

Their wait in line was not a problem as they got right on a Power Surge boat when they arrived at the station. They all agreed to sit in the front seat saying if they are going to get wet then go all the way. The boat raced down the hill and at the bump they were lifted off their seat and by the time they sat down they hit the water and the splash went up and over the bridge. They hardly got wet at all.

Todd took out his map and told the group that the Fiesta Bay Boardwalk had a number of rides and then he described them. They headed there next. They rode the Crow's Nest Ferris wheel first so they could see where everything was. They rode SCOOBY-DOO Ghostblasters next and found out that Sheriff Deputy Dan Fischer wasn't as good a shot as he thought. He didn't get the highest score, Charles did.

They then rode the S.S. Overboard, a pirate ship that swung back and forth, and then they tried the Waverunner. When those were done, Charles asked if they could now go on the red coaster called Pandemonium telling them he rode something like that at Six Flags Over Texas. The other two boys agreed and Mr. Dan said he wanted to try it, too. So, that's where they headed to next

The Pandemonium cars seated four people so the group would all ride at the same time and have the same experience. The coaster cars have the ability to spin as the car travels along the track and no two rides are alike as the ride depends on the placement of the heaviest people and how fast the car goes when it spins. The more the weight is unbalanced the better chance the riders could get dizzy and possibly sick. The group didn't know that information and when they loaded the car. The heavier two, Mr. Dan and Todd, got on one side while lighter two, Charles and Camm, were on the other.

The four totally enjoyed the ride until it got to the end where they had to wait to be sent to the station to off load. It was while the four travelers were waiting that the car continued to spin in place. The four were all very dizzy and Camm was sick to his stomach when they finally got off the ride. They had to sit down for more than fifteen minutes to allow Camm to feel somewhat better. Their next stop was Sangerfest Halle for something simple to eat but nothing greasy.

Camm went to sit down while the other three went to the menu boards. Todd and Mr. Dan quickly decided on a large soft pretzel while Charles said he'd get a big hot dog and share it with Camm. They all got large cokes and took the food back to the table where Camm had laid his head down. The lad picked his head up and Charles told his friend they'd share the hot dog but they'd get another if Camm was still hungry.

As the four sat at a large table that could easily seat twelve a girl came up to them. She stood there looking at them, but then she looked more intently at Camm and said, "Camden … is that you? What are you doing here?"

Camm looked up and saw a girl he knew from school and then looked back down.

"Camden is that really you?" the girl asked again.

Mr. Dan decided to find out what that was all about so he said, "If you mean Camm then that is who he is."

Camm then did look up and said, "Hi, Leah, yeah it's me. Mr. Dan brought us. Who are you here with?"

Leah told Camm she was there with her mom and her friend Keira.

The two soon to be 7th graders talked for a few minutes and then Leah wanted to know who the cute boy he was with was. Camm said it was Mr. Dan and that he was too old for her. The guy's at the table laughed. Leah chuckled and said she meant the boy not the man. Camm then introduced Todd. Leah lightly tapped Camm on his shoulder and said no silly, the other cute boy who is our age. Camm smiled knowing that was who she meant all along and so he introduced Charles to her.

"Hi, Charles … my name is Leah. Are you just visiting or did you move into our area and going go to our school in the fall?" asked the pretty looking lady.

"Hi, Leah, I live in your area now, so I guess I'll be going to your school if you go there with Camm and James," replied Charles.

"Oh, good, so what area did you move into?" asked Leah.

"Oh, I don't know what the area is called, but I live over at Three Finger Cove," answered Charles.

Leah smiled and said, "That's a nice area for sure. Well, we better catch up with my mom. It was good meeting you Charles. Maybe we'll see each other before school starts." Then Leah giggled as she and Keri walked away.

"Well, Charles, it looks like that cute girl thinks you're cute, too" teased Mr. Dan, making Camm and Todd laugh.

"She does seem to be a nice girl. I hope the other girls will be as nice to me when they meet me on that first day," offered Charles.

The four travelers ate slowly and Mr. Dan kept an eye on Camm to make sure he did eat something and didn't get any sicker. After they waited about a half hour before leaving the Halle, Mr. Dan noticed Camm was laughing and didn't complain anymore about being sick to his stomach. Mr. Dan figured the lad was just about back to his normal self.

From Sangerfest Halle the group walked over to Bugs Bunny Water Rapids where they all loaded onto a log flume type car. The log car followed the course set out for it and Mr. Dan wasn't so sure they should have taken that particular ride telling himself water and kids are always trouble in the making. He knew he was right when they passed a water spitting green dragon.

The log then headed up a belt driven hill and when they reached the top the front of the log dipped down into the water and some spilled into the front and Charles and Camm got their feet wet. At the end of the upper trough the log headed down a steep hill where water splashed up and over them all. As they exited, Charles and Camm said their feet got a little wet but it was still hot out and they'll probably dry out. Dan only laughed to himself.

The group then headed over to the bumper cars, called Fender Bender, where the three lads picked on Mr. Dan the entire ride. They then headed over to a tower like ride called Scream. There they were shot up a 205 foot tower and then let free-fall back down. The boys all loved it and hoped they could try it again before they left. It was then Chares told his group how he rode something a bit taller up in Arlington.

The two lads questioned Charles by saying they thought he went to Six Flags in Dallas. Charles told them the amusement park was actually located between Dallas and Fort Worth in Arlington and many people say it is located in Dallas as most people know where that city is.

Their next stop was the Hustler but after seeing the billiard ball like ride cars spun around with the occupants help, Camm decided he didn't want anything more to do with spinning rides.

Charles kept hearing this loud roaring while they rode Scream and the Hustler and when he sought out its source he found it was coming from a rollercoaster called Poltergeist. When their ride was over, Charles dragged Mr. Dan over to the coaster and talked them all into getting in line to ride. When they got on the ride they didn't know it was a linear induction motor launch system that would take them from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 3.5 seconds and that it had four inversions while riding a rare and very interesting spaghetti bowl design. When they got off the ride, Camm told his friends he wasn't sure if he was coming or going but he sure had fun.

By then they figured they had ridden all the best rides but they decided to walk through the park one more time to see if they missed anything. They went back through Crackaxle Canyon and saw only young kid rides. Charles asked, with hopeful eyes if they could ride the Iron Rattler again. Todd and Camm said they'd like to try it again but in different seats. It took them a good forty-five minutes before they loaded onto the train but when they finished they were glad they did as the middle seats were a lot different than the first seats they had on their initial ride.

They continued their walk and stopped to again ride SkyScreamer, Fender Bender, Scream, S.S. Overboard and Scooby-Doo. As they did that all those rides the night began to arrive. The parks lights were now more visible and a new atmosphere descended on Fiesta Texas. The four park visitors stopped to get two more of the large soft pretzels to share and cokes for everyone. When they finished eating, they all visited the Men's restroom and then headed over to where they could watch the fireworks display to end their day.

Four very tired travelers arrived back home close to midnight. Luckily for Mr. Dan he had already got permission for Todd and Camm to spend the night so once they got back to The Cove they all could crash for the night. The three lads thanked Mr. Dan for taking them on that very special day. Charles hugged the man and seeing what he'd done Camm and Todd followed suit.

They said their Good-Nights and the all headed off to bed. . After peeing and getting down to their briefs, Charles shared his bed with Camm and Todd took possession of the extra bed in his room. The three boys fell right to sleep as soon as their heads hit those comfortable pillows. 


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