Full Circle

Breathe. Just breathe. And don’t look down.

“What’s the matter, Daddy?”

“Nothing, sweetie,” Chris said. He was trying not to hyperventilate as they pushed through the squeaky door of the Ferris wheel pod. He sat quickly and tightly gripped the bench.

Macy peered out the panel of clear plastic with a smile plastered to her face.

The upward lifting sensation threatened to send Chris into a panic. While Macy giggled with glee, he was assaulted by anxiety.

Why would anyone enjoy this? Why would anyone willingly dangle themselves from such a height? What had he been thinking? But what other option had there been? How could he have admitted to his seven year old daughter that she couldn’t ride the ride she’d talked about incessantly because he was too afraid? But as the pod lurched he imagined how terrible it would be to fall and wished they had stayed on the ground.

“Look, daddy! Look!” Macy exclaimed as she pressed her finger to the window. When Chris didn’t move or respond she turned and looked at him expectantly. No trace of fear in her eyes, only wonder. He couldn’t remember what it was like to be so dauntless.

There were many lessons Chris hoped to impart to his daughter, but being needlessly afraid was not one of them. Gathering courage, he leaned forward to peek out the window. The fair was a spectacle of lights below. In the spreading twilight the scene was dazzling. Breathtaking, but in a good way.

Author's Note: I'm following the example set by fellow creator, Matthew Fromm, to write to the word count. Check out his suggestions in his Self-Critique piece below. I'm trying to get some practice on 500, 250, and 100 word micros before some upcoming challenges. This one was inspired by the featured Unsplash image.