The park. Finish the Story Contest - Week #59
Picture by @f3nix
Source:https://steemit.com/finishthestory/@bananafish/finish-the-story-contest-week-50
Here is my entry for Finish The Story Contest - Week #59!
You can find the contest at:
https://steemit.com/contest/@bananafish/finish-the-story-contest-week-59
Original Story
Coaster Town
by @zeldacroft
“Carl, I’m not telling you again. No.” The teen shook his head emphatically as he shut his locker. John started to walk away, with Carl close behind. Most of the students had already escaped after the release of the final bell, leaving the two teens mostly alone as they exited the grimy public school halls.
“Aw c’mon, man, my first shift starts tomorrow and I promised you’d be there,” Carl begged.
“I don’t understand, why did you even take the job if you knew you needed another person?”
“Because I knew I could count on you. My oldest, most bestest friend. Buddy, Old Pal?” He nudged John in the ribs, who rolled his eyes and started walking faster out of the building. John could feel his resistance waning under the shallow arguments and incessant prodding. Saturdays were valuable, but it was almost summer and getting a job wouldn’t be so bad if he could do it with a friend. He could still make Carl work for it though.
“I don’t know, I’m not liking all this peer pressure,” he teased. “Mrs. Campbell would be very disappointed in you.”
“Peer pressure doesn’t include perks like Coaster Town has,” Carl clarified.
“What perks?” John questioned.
Carl stopped and faced him, taking a dramatic, deep breath.
“Fifteen percent off park entry!” He exclaimed, inciting an amused eyebrow raise from John and a chuckle from a passing teacher. “Plus a free pass for the Twister of Doom and free hamburgers from the café!”
“Oh, I’m sure unlimited hamburgers won’t get old fast.”
“They pay over minimum wage, too. Seriously, this could be our big opportunity for some cash before summer hits.”
They were nearly outside, the fresh late-spring air drifting in through the open door. It was a nice change from the mustiness and body spray overdoses, and it made John almost look forward to working at a theme park. He felt the call of freedom in the form of sunlight breaching through the school windows. Stepping outside, the afternoon warmth of the sidewalk between the brick institution and the emptying parking lot won him over.
“Did you say we get to work outside?” John asked. Carl’s face lit up with optimism.
“Yep, at least most of the time.” John stepped next to his bike, one of the last few chained nearby. He ignored the eager inquisitiveness emanating from Carl as he unshackled the bicycle and stood up.
“Well, I suppose I could give it a try, anyway,” he conceded. Carl did a strange sort of clapping dance motion as his grin grew its customary vastness.
“Thanks John, you won’t be sorry,” he promised as he proceeded to unhook his own bike. “And don’t worry, they provide our costume and everything.” John halted.
“Wait, our costume? Singular?” John could have sworn he heard the job description as entertainers, plural.
“Yeah, the mascot costume. I haven’t seen it yet but I’m sure we’ll fit.” Carl climbed onto his bike as John filled with horrific regret.
Here is my ending
The next day, they both went to the theme park. Carl introduced the park manager to John. After formalizing the contract, Carl went in search of the costume.
John never imagined what kind of costume they were going to wear.
"Carl, that's not a horse."
"Of course not. It's a mammoth. I'll be the head for being the taller of the both"
The idea of being the butt of the mammoth didn't please John much, however, he remembered the pay and perks of working in the park.
Their job was simple, they had to walk all over the park to promote the park's biggest sponsor.
The summer heat was stifling and it was twice as hot inside the costume.
But Carl was always in the mood to move (dance) to the music of the theme park. Carl sang:
"I'm a big hairy Mammoth"
"A thick and hairy Mammoth"
"And I am singing... I'M MA MA MA Maaammoth"
"NO, NO, NO, NO", said John
"But I'm saying YES, YES, YES... cause we'll be here oh-all day"
"I'M MA MA MA MA Maaammoth"
He made them attract more public to them.
"Oh I'm a thick and hairy Maaammoth"
"I'M MA MA MA MA Maammoth" repeated Carl
Suddenly a little girl asked her mother that she wanted to ride on the singing mammoth.
"That wasn't in the contract, Carl.", said John
"Easy, John, the show must go on. Besides, it's just a little girl"
Carrying the little girl was not a problem as Carl said, but they kept on singing and dancing.
Until the chubby mom also wanted to ride.
"Are you insane Carl? We are not going to carry that hippo! Over my dead body"
The mammoth shook his head, so the lady called the park manager.
"What's going on here?", he asked.
"I paid for all the amusements of this park and if I want to ride on the mammoth, I will ride on the mammoth or I'll sue the facility"
"Do as she says, boys. I'll pay you double," whispered the park manager.
"You heard the boss, John. Let's make the best of it."
The manager helped the fat lady up on the mammoth.
The boys' legs and arms began to tremble
"Dance, mammoth!" shouted the fat one.
The heat and effort made John faint, Carl tried to pull his arms out of the costume to grab the chubby mom. But all he had left was the dress, which was totally torn when the fat lady fell on her butt and rolled behind them several play stands further down in underwear like a snowball.
Laughter was heard all around the amusement park.
Obviously, it was the end of Carl and John's shift and their summer job at the theme park.
@maparari you always, always surprise me, in our rounds dripping in horror, creepiness and suspense, you provide a pool of laughter and light heartedness, and in a round asking for just that, i did not expect this ending.
You had me hooked, I adored the mammoth costume and the dance, i could picture Carl whole-heartedly singing it, and John cringing in the costume unable to do anything about it. It is such a fun image, and then the little girl getting on! But then oh my, I did not see that coming, the sheer humiliation, the poor overweight woman, Carl trying his best to catch her, but only managing her dress - dropped in her underwear and to be laughed at by the whole park. I couldn't help but feel for her, even if she hadn't realized the mammoth wasn't actually a ride she could demand to go on - and was rude and entitled about it, to be accidentally stripped to her knickers in front of a crowd, her weight exaggerated by her rolling, I hurt for her! It's so well written, you had me there for the whole thing! You never disappoint, and I love how in this, you show both sides of fun, and comedy <3
That was so much fun! I couldn't stop giggling imagining a singing mammoth and then you go and give rides too. Absolutely hilarious! I don't feel bad at all for the lady rolling in her underwear. Sometimes people get what they deserve.
Alright, you got a little laugh out of me when you wrote,
That is the time to make the ride as fun as possible so that she will never want to ride on the backs of teens, err a mammoth, again.
I thought being a mammoth was funny, but I lost it at the song! It was so unexpected, but hilarious that Carl putting his all into it with poor John in the back. I felt bad for everyone once the rides started, it was funny and unfortunate for the characters at the same time. Probably for the best they stopped working there!