Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:54:11 -0500 (EST)
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Next Generation, chapter 42

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - by BW
Copyright 2011 by billwstories
Chapter 42 -- Having Some Fun With the Boys.

After spending all day Monday at the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, I thought it might be good to do something totally
different today.  With that in mind, I opted to take the
boys to Cedar Point Amusement Park on Tuesday.  For
thirteen straight years, 'Amusement Today' has deemed
Cedar Point the 'Best Amusement Park in the World,' so I
knew we couldn't visit the Cleveland area and not check it
out.

This place is also referred to as the 'Roller Coaster Capital
of the World' and for good reason.  It has seventeen
different roller coasters in all, three of which are geared
toward the younger and less adventurous riders.  It is also
the only park in the world to have four roller coasters that
are taller than 200 feet (61 m).  Since I already knew these
facts, I realized my stomach is going to be in for one wild
experience, but I felt it was going to be worth it.  I was
willing to suffer a little, in order to make sure the boys
have a blast.

I tried to get the boys to start off on some of the less
frightening roller coasters and thrill rides, and then
gradually build up to the ones on which I might need to
buy some Depends before I went on them, but I had
trouble convincing them.   After haranguing them a little
longer, I finally succeeded in getting them to agree this
might be a wise move.  For that reason, our first hour at
the park was fairly tame, as we rode on some of the water
rides and tamer thrill rides, which didn't attempt to
rearrange our internal organs.

We went on the Dodgem next, which is basically a bumper
car ride.  I won't claim I was surprised when all of the boys
began to target me much of the time, but I gave back as
good as I got.  They also went after each other, so I wasn't
their only target, just the primary one.  I'm glad I didn't
have to get back into the Suburban and go somewhere
after finishing this ride, because I might have been
tempted to crash into some of the other drivers along the
way.  Once you get in the mindset of smashing into the
other vehicles, it's kind of hard to break that urge
afterward.  I wonder if demolition derby drivers have that
same problem.

After we left there, we went on the Scrambler next.  You're
probably familiar with this type of ride, because it seems
there is something similar in every amusement park.  This
ride spins clockwise, but your car spins counter-clockwise
and gets your insides all scrambled up -- hence the name.
My first memory of riding a similar ride was back when I
was about eight years old, so this type of ride has been
around for a while.

If that didn't do enough to get my internal organs in an
uproar, once we got off of that ride, we went over and rode
on the Troika next.  This is a ride similar to the
Scrambler, but this time your car rises 25 feet (7.5 m)
above the ground as it's spins you around.  Now, you're
not only going around and around, but you're also going
up and down, so it did wonders for my stomach.

When that ride ended, we hit two of the milder roller
coasters next.  The first was the Blue Streak, which is a
traditional wooden roller coaster, and we followed that
with a spin around the Cedar Creek Mine Ride.  This one
simulates a runaway mine train adventure and made me
think of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie,
where the main character and his companions were
involved in a wild chase scene that took place in mining
cars.

>From there, we returned to some of the other rides that
merely spin you around in circles or swing back and forth,
as they lift you higher into the air.  It was a nice change of
pace, but I knew it wouldn't last for very long.  I was
correct in my assessment and my little reprieve ended
when the boys dragged me off to take on one of the big
guns.

This time, they ushered me over to the Millennium Force
roller coaster, which rises to a dizzying height of 310 feet
(94.5 m).  When I agreed, Elliot said he wanted to ride next
to me.  I was a little surprised by his announcement, since
he had ridden with me on the ride just before the last one
we were on, but I didn't push the issue.  Since there's an
uneven number in our group (five) and the ride seats two
across, Jesse offered to be the odd man out and ride next
to a stranger.

As the roller coaster started out, I noticed that Elliot had
a firm grip on his safety harness.  I looked over at him
again a little while later, as we started up one of the first
really high inclines, and noticed that his knuckles were
totally white from his death grip on the safety bars.  When
I looked at his face, I noticed his complexion was
completely pale, so I knew he was doing all he could to
keep from losing it.

I continued to keep an eye on him as we went around the
track, just to make certain he didn't pass out.  I was also
hoping he wasn't going to vomit, because it would fly back
on him, as well as end up hitting Jordan and Nicky, who
were seated immediately behind us.  After seeing his
reaction, I concluded Elliot must suffer from acrophobia,
since he didn't exhibit any other signs of distress until we
went on this very high roller coaster.

Even though I knew it wasn't possible, it still made me
wonder if he might have inherited this problem from
Brandon.  If you remember our trip to Arizona when the
boys were younger, Brandon experienced a similar
situation when we rode the mules down into the Grand
Canyon.  He ended up doing all right, but it was a struggle
for him and he admitted to me later that he had a definite
problem with heights.  It appears that Elliot suffers from
that same condition.

When the ride ended, I pulled Elliot aside, so I could speak
to him privately and see how he was doing.

"Are you all right?" I asked.  "I take it you don't like
heights, huh."

"Not really, but I'm able to handle things like roller
coasters," he agreed, "as long as I concentrate on what's
happening."

"Hey, as long as you're sure," I told him, "but just let me
know if there's any ride you're not comfortable with.
Don't worry about what the other boys might say or do,
because I'll take care of them."

"It's okay," Elliot replied.  "I can deal with anything they
have to dish out."

We did a couple of easier rides next and then the boys
wanted to try the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster.  This
is one of the tallest (410 feet / 125 m) and fastest (120
m.p.h. / 193 k.p.h.) roller coasters in the world.  I quickly
looked toward Elliot and asked him very quietly if he
wanted to do this and he told me he would be fine.

"I want to go with Papa on this one.  Okay?" Elliot
announced.

The others said that would be fine and I was glad he had
done this.  Otherwise, I'd be very worried about how he
was doing.

Once again, it was another white-knuckle ride for him and
I noticed that he had his eyes screwed shut most of the
time.  I was worried this was too much for him, but then
remembered that he was the one who said he wanted to do
it and hoped he knew his limitations better than I did.

Elliot's legs seemed to be a little wobbly, once we got off
that ride and began to make our way to the next one, but
otherwise he appeared no worse for wear, or so I thought.
Elliot and Nicky were a few steps behind the rest of us, as
we made our way through the crowd, when I heard Nicky
tell Elliot that he didn't look good.  I turned just in time
to see Elliot double over and throw up, right on Nicky's
shoes.

"Oh gross," Nicky moaned.

Jesse and Jordan couldn't contain their laughter, but
Elliot looked absolutely miserable.  He not only felt
terrible for vomiting on Nicky, but he was also totally
embarrassed about the way the passersby were looking at
him.

Noting Elliot's discomfort, I suggested we sit down for a
minute.  When we stopped, Nicky ran off to the restroom
to clean his shoes and I sent Jordan and Jesse to get a
bottle of water for Elliot.  Once the boys came back, Elliot
rinsed out his mouth and apologized profusely to Nicky for
what had happened.

For his part, Nicky was very sympathetic and told Elliot
he wasn't mad, because accidents happen.  I could tell
that Elliot still felt a little embarrassed, so I explained
that he probably just had too much adrenaline in his
system after the ride and that had been responsible for
what we would later refer to as 'the incident.'

This seemed to make him feel better, and when he was
ready, I told the boys I thought Elliot would appreciate it
if they would select an easier ride next.  They quickly
agreed, but the break was short lived.  After that ride
ended, the other three began pleading for me to let them
go on the Power Tower next.

This is a ride that definitely appeared as if it was going to
be something Elliot might have difficulty with.  You see,
there are four towers to this ride and two of them are used
to first shoot the riders up into the air a total of 240 feet
(73 m) until they reach the top.  Then it then gives you a
fairly gentle trip back to the ground.

The other two towers are used for the second part of the
ride.  This time the riders are taken up gradually and then
it thrusts them back down to the ground in a faster-than-
free-fall plunge.  Of course, three of the boys were very
eager to try both of these rides, while the remaining one
was conspicuously silent.

"I think I'm just gonna sit down here and watch you guys
this time," Elliot stated.

"You've gotta come on this one," Jesse pleaded.  "Come
on.  Don't be a wuss."

"Leave him alone," Nicky chastised Jesse, "unless you
want to wear the rest of his breakfast."

"I think Elliot should sit this one out and let his stomach
rest a bit, before he goes on another aggressive ride like
this," I interjected, in an effort to take the pressure off of
Elliot.

The boys didn't say anything more after I'd said my piece,
but I could see Jesse and Jordan's expressions pleading
with Elliot to reconsider and give in.  I was glad he stuck
to his guns about this and I elected to sit out this ride as
well.  When Elliot saw I wasn't going with the others, he
told me he didn't need for me to stay behind with him.  I
assured him it wasn't a big deal, but he insisted I go on
the ride with the others.  After trying to convince him
otherwise, his continued persistence finally convinced me
to give in.  It seemed important to him that I not sit this
ride out, so I went off to catch up with the other three
boys.

Once I was on the Power Tower with them, I didn't
actually think the rate of ascent or descent was too bad,
but I could see where Elliot would have difficulty with how
high it went and how quickly it came down.  I think he
might have been able to handle it, if it took place in a
closed car, but since we had to sit in a harness with our
legs dangling below, it didn't give us that added feeling of
support that being in an enclosed car might.  I'm fairly
certain this ride would probably have affected him, so it
was good that he'd decided not to try it.

Once we'd tried both sides, I suggested we take a short
break and grab something to eat.  I advised them not to
stuff themselves, because I didn't want one of them to
puke his guts out on the rides later, when we continued to
make our way around the park.  Elliot seemed particularly
cautious after the earlier incident and merely picked at
his food.  In fact, Jordan ended up wolfing down most of
Elliot's lunch for him.

Since I thought it might be wise to take it easy right after
we'd eaten, I suggested we should head over to Challenge
Park next.  This is a separate area of the park, but it also
has some activities that will provide us the needed time
for our lunch to settle.  I suggested we start off on one of
the two miniature golf courses, but I let the boys check
them out first and then choose which one they wanted to
try.

Damn!  I don't know if the other course was as difficult as
this one, but it was not an easy course.  It was eighteen
very challenging holes with extremely sloped hills and
difficult water hazards, along with a variety of caves,
ramps and other obstacles we had to overcome to score
well.  I'm not really a golfer, but I usually do fairly well on
a miniature golf course.  However, this one was definitely
the exception to that rule.

I was happy to finish this activity and leave the area.  I'll
admit I didn't do as well as the boys, so I guess being
younger and more agile might have made some of the
shots a little easier for them to make.  However, there
were exceptions to that rule too.  Even though he was
doing better than I was, Jesse lost his balance taking one
of his shots and fell to his knee in one of the water
hazards.  Fortunately, he was wearing shorts, so there
wasn't a lot of fabric to get wet, but it did sort of look like
he'd pissed himself.  I'm fairly confident that more than
one passerby also came to that conclusion when they saw
him.

Another time, Nicky went to take his shot and knocked
the golf ball completely over the restraining devices that
where meant to keep the golf balls on the course.  When
he ran to retrieve his ball, he slipped and did a nosedive
into the turf.  Needless to say, the other three razed him
for a while about his coordination and gracefulness.

In the end though, Jesse and Jordan finished with
identical low scores, so I just declared them co-champions
and then urged them to move on to the next ride.  The
others seemed fine with this, since I think they were also
mildly frustrated by the difficulty of the course.

>From here, we went to the Challenger Racing area, where
two go-kart tracks are located.  The first is the Sprint
track, with tight turns and fast straight-aways, and the
other is the Grand Prix track, which is designed primarily
with speed in mind.  Since you have to be sixteen to go on
the Grand Prix course and Nicky and Elliot are only
fifteen, we all opted to go on the Sprint karts instead.  The
boys had argued we could sneak the other two in to the
Grand Prix area and claim they were sixteen, but the sign
stated that valid identification was required.  Once they
realized this, the boys gave up their protest, because
Jordan didn't have a valid ID with him either.

I knew the boys would want to challenge me on the track,
but I didn't want to risk them getting too competitive and
then take crazy chances that might end up putting them
in a bad wreck.  However, I quickly became aware that
they weren't going to let me do this and I had little option
but to teach them this old man was no slouch.  I think
they were a little surprised when I finally gunned it and
quickly left them in the dust.  Once the ride ended, they
claimed I had cheated, because they'd been holding back
until I agreed to race them.  Oh, well.  Live and learn, I
guess.

Once we left this area, three of the boys selected the next
two rides they wanted to go on, but I could tell that Elliot
didn't want to go with them.  Therefore, I told the other
three boys they could go on those rides together, while
Elliot and I went back for another spin on the Sprint
track.  I even made an exception to my previous rule and
raced Elliot from the start.  I must admit he put up a good
battle, but being an experienced driver I was able to out
maneuver him and won our little competition.

While Elliot and I were racing, the others went to the first
of the new rides they wanted to try.  It was called The
Ripcord and I think the name gives you a pretty good idea
about what it is.  Actually, it hooks together three flight-
suited riders at a time and hoists them into the air on a
stainless steel cable, which takes them to the top of a 15-
story (150 feet / 45.5 m) tower.  Once they come to a
stop, the designated person is instructed to pull the
ripcord.  When this is done, all three riders began
plummeting toward the ground at 65 m.p.h. (104.5 k.p.h.),
until they come to a stop just six-feet (2 m) above the
ground.

You would think that would have been the end of the ride,
but it wasn't.  Once they were dangling at the bottom, the
next part of the ride kicked in.   At this point, the
suspended riders began to move again and were soon
gliding through the 310-foot (94.5 m) long 'zoom zone' and
experiencing the sensation of flight, before being returned
to the launch pad.  I'm certainly glad Elliot was wise
enough not to try this, because I think the free-fall would
have done him in.

Once the other three got off the ride, they were all eager
to inform me that Nicky started screaming like a little girl
just as soon as the ripcord was pulled and they started
their dive toward the earth.  Needless to say, he received
more than a little razzing over that too.

Once they calmed down again, they walked over to get in
line for the Skyscraper next.  Elliot and I watched as they
studied the ride and chatted with each other.  Then, they
suddenly came racing back to where we were.

"Papa, this ride takes four people at a time and we all
what you to go on it with us, rather than have one of us
ride next to a stranger," Jordan told me.  "Won't you
please do this for us?"

"Guys, I think I'm going to sit this one out..." I began, but
Elliot cut me off.

"Go with them," he urged.  "You don't need to stay with
me.  I'll be fine.  Please, go with the rest of them and
enjoy the ride.  I'll feel badly if you don't do it, because I'll
know you're not going on it just because of me."

"Elliot, are you sure?" I pressed.  "I've been to a bunch of
amusement parks and ridden tons of rides, so missing one
of them isn't going to deprive me of anything."

"Maybe not, but they want you to go with them," he
countered.  "Just do it for me.  Okay?"

"If that's what you want," I replied.

For some reason, this seemed very important to Elliot and
I didn't want to make him feel badly by staying behind.  I
also didn't want to make him feel responsible for my
missing out on this experience.  After making certain he
would be all right by himself, I went and joined the other
three.

This ride is basically a huge propeller, consisting of two
arms, and you sit in open-carts, with your feet dangling, as
it spins you around in a full circle.  Each arm of the
propeller takes two riders, so there is room for four in
total.  I suggested that Nicky ride with me on the one side,
which was my attempt to balance the weight distribution
with the two on the other side.  I was positive Nicky and I
would still weigh more than Jordan and Jesse, but it would
be the least amount of difference than any other
combination.

Once the ride started, we were spun around at speeds of
up to 55 m.p.h. (88.5 k.p.h.) and the propeller rose up 16
stories (160 feet / 48.5 m) in the air.  We continued going
around, as well as up, so it was quite a thrilling
experience.  When the ride ended, we went back to join up
with Elliot again and he had a huge grin on his face as we
approached.

"What are you smiling about?" Jesse challenged.

"I was watching you on the giant screen and the looks on
your faces told me I was glad I didn't go on that ride with
you," Elliot stated, when we were close enough that he
didn't have to shout.  "Papa didn't look too bad, and I
guess Jesse didn't either, but Nicky and Jordan looked
like they were about to crap their pants."

"Hey, at least I went on it," Jordan shot back, defensively.

"I know I chickened out, but I'm willing to bet none of you
would have wanted to sit by me, after what happened to
Nicky," Elliot chuckled.

The others conceded this point and we started off for the
next ride.

"I wasn't worried about crapping my pants," Nicky
announced, "but I do think I might have wet myself a
little."

This caused us all to laugh, even Nicky.  When we finally
stopped giggling, Jordan spoke next.

"Okay, I wasn't so brave either," he confessed, "I
screamed like one of those chicks in a horror film, but I
wasn't worried about Jesse saying anything about me
doing that.  I don't think he could hear me over his own
screams."

We were all laughing again, as Jesse punched Jordan in
the shoulder, although he did so lightly.

"Yeah, I think my dad was the only one who was able to
handle the ride fairly well," Jesse confessed.  "I'll admit
I've never been on a ride quite like that before."

"I appreciate your confidence in me," I responded, "even
though your statement isn't quite accurate.  Let me just
say that I'm glad I remembered to wear my Depends."

"No way!" Nicky shouted.  "You're really wearing one of
those adult diapers?"

"No, Nicky," I confessed, "but just because I'm not wearing
one is no indication that it wasn't needed."

This comment sent the boys into another fit of laughter.

After they calmed down again, we returned to the main
part of the park, so we could go on more of the rides.  We
did stop for a while to fill our bellies at dinnertime and
then we stayed at the park until closing.  Each of the boys
told me he really had a great time, even Elliot, and then
each one thanked me for bringing them here.

Jesse hopped in the front passenger seat and the others
got in back, with Nicky in the middle.  Sometime during
the drive back, Jordan's stomach decided to pay him back
for the large lunch he'd eaten and the later dinner he'd
filled up on.  When I pulled into the parking space, the tire
hit the parking bumper and that was enough of a jolt to
cause Jordan to toss his cookies all over poor Nicky.

Jesse, Elliot bolted from the car as fast as they could and
ran a few feet away to clear out of the danger zone.  The
smell was horrendous and I think they were afraid that
inhaling the foul odor would cause us to blow chunks too.
For that reason, they didn't come near the Suburban
again.

At this point, Jordan was looking a little sheepish, yet
relieved that everything that had been building up in his
stomach was no longer causing him discomfort.  When I
looked in the backseat, I discovered Nicky was covered in
vomit, a shocked expression on his face.

"Nicky, are you okay?" I asked.

"AHHHHHH," he screamed.

I could hear the others busting up with laughter, as I
gently coaxed Nicky out of the car.  I hate to say it, but
I've never seen a more pathetic sight, and that doesn't
even begin to take into account the smell.  Fortunately, I
was able to have the motel's handyman hook up a hose, so
I could hose Nicky down first, and then I sent him and the
others to shower and hop in bed.

While they were doing that, I attempted to clean out the
back seat.  It was not an easy job and I found myself
gagging and having to fight back the impulses that would
have made an even bigger mess.  Needless to say, I left the
windows open about an inch, so it could air out overnight.
I certainly wasn't worried about anyone stealing the
Suburban, because the smell alone would have driven
them off.  What I was concerned about was that it might
rain before morning and drench the interior.  Otherwise, I
would have left the windows all the way down.

Nicky was still furious, but not just because Jordan had
thrown up on him.  He was also pissed at Jesse and Elliot
for laughing about it.  Nicky didn't even take time to stop
before he charged into the bathroom and jumped into the
shower.  He was eager to wash the smell and anything else
off his body, as well as being able to get away from the rest
of them for a while.

After Nicky finished, Jordan went in next, followed by
Jesse.  Elliot was the last to shower and when he came out
of the bathroom, Jesse and Jordan were already sound
asleep.  Seeing that, Elliot slipped into bed behind Nicky
and put his arm around him.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you," Elliot offered.  "I know I
shouldn't have, because I wouldn't have liked it if that had
happened to me, let alone twice in the same day."

Nicky didn't say anything but Elliot could feel the tension
in his shoulders subside a bit.  Sensing this, Elliot leaned
in and kissed Nicky gently on the neck.  Nicky rolled over
and kissed Elliot back, on the lips.  The boys kissed softly
and gently for several minutes and Elliot thought it was
very romantic.  It also gave him the courage to do what he
did next.

"Nicky, I want to tell you something, but I'm afraid if I do
you might not like me anymore," Elliot confessed.

"I didn't get mad when you puked on me, so what could
you say that would make me not like you now?" Nicky
laughed, but stopped when he realized Elliot was being
serious.

"What is it Elliot?  I'm sorry I just made a joke about it,
but you can tell me," Nicky urged.

"I love you, Nicky.  I think I'm IN love with you," Elliot
confessed.

There was total silence after he finished and Elliot felt
that awkward moment lasted for hours.  He held his
breath and waited for Nicky to say something -- anything.

"Elliot, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to
me," Nicky finally responded, as he leaned in and kissed
Elliot on the cheek.

For a moment, Elliot's heart soared, but Nicky's next
comment brought it crashing back to Earth.

"I mean it, Elliot, but well, I'm not gay," Nicky told him.

"Oh, I just thought that with the things we've been doing
and the kissing and stuff that maybe you might, you
know, like me," Elliot blushed.

"I do like you.  I even love you, but just not like that,"
Nicky explained.  "I love you like I love Jordan and Jesse,
you know, like family."

"But you never kiss them," Elliot objected.

"I know, but I just figured that was something special
between us," Nicky confessed.

"Wow.  I'm sorry, Nicky.  I like you a lot and you're so
cute that I guess I just let myself get carried away," Elliot
reasoned.  "I should have realized you weren't gay that
night we first kissed."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," Nicky
admonished.  "I'm glad you told me and I think that was a
really brave thing to do.  I think what I have with you,
Jesse and Jordan is really special, and this won't change
anything between us.

"Do you mean that?  I don't want this to ruin our
friendship, because it means a lot to mean," Elliot
confirmed.

"Does this answer your question?" Nicky asked, as he
pressed his lips against Elliot's and pushed his tongue
gently into his mouth.

The boys kissed for some time, before Nicky rolled onto
his side, snuggled up against Elliot and pulled Elliot's arm
around him.  He had been sincere when he said nothing
would change, because he loved the closeness he had with
his cousins, especially Elliot.  The problem is, he still
couldn't deny or change who he is -- and who he is isn't
gay.

Once it was quiet and he'd had time to think about it,
Elliot eyes welled up a little.  He was heartbroken that he
wouldn't be able to be with Nicky the way he wanted, but
he was also relieved that his confession hadn't ruined
their friendship.  They would continue to be close and
enjoy their sex play, but it would never be more than that.
Elliot dried his eyes and tried to get some sleep, since he
was determined not to let this ruin the rest of his time
with Nicky and they fun they will have.

I didn't arrange a wake-up call for the next morning.  After
the long day we'd had, I thought I'd let the boys sleep in.
However, I did have to get them up and moving around by
lunchtime, because I had something else planned for the
afternoon.

The boys seemed to be in good spirits as they filled their
bellies again.  Nicky even made sure to tease Jordan about
eating such a large breakfast and then insisted that Elliot
sit in the middle this time.  When we left the motel, I took
them to the Ghostly Manor Thrill Center next.  I figured
the boys would get a kick out of going through a
professionally done haunted house, but I also hoped it
would give them some ideas for next Halloween's version
of our own haunted house.

I'm afraid the boys went into this thinking it was going to
be lame, but they humored me and went in without giving
me too much flak.  As we walked along the dimly lit
corridors, some of which were engulfed in a thin fog, we
passed by numerous creatures, while at other times ghosts
and monsters popped up or leaped out in our path.  We
could hear the sounds of recorded thunder, intermixed
with the screams of others going through, either in front
of or behind us.

In fact, we watched the kids directly ahead of us jump and
scream at various times, as something surprised them.  At
one point, it even seemed as if they were too scared to
continue on, so I began to wonder if we might have to pass
them by or even take them with us, so they didn't end up
stuck in this one spot.

Some of the professionally done monsters were very scary
looking and one of them even reminded me of the creature
in the Alien films.  Where the hell is Sigourney Weaver
when we really need her?

I have to admit that I kind of lost it at one point.  It was
when we were going through an area that was designed to
look like a meat locker, filled with plastic covered bodies
hanging from hooks.  We were about halfway through it
when something grabbed my shoulder.  Since the boys
were all in front of me, I instinctively turned and swung.
My fist connected with some guy who was working there
and directed to scare us as we went through.

Of course, I apologized and told him I was just reacting
and didn't mean to hurt him, but he just shrugged it off
and told me to go on.  He also admitted it wasn't the first
time he'd been hit, so he just considered it one of the
hazards of the job.  He confessed that since I appeared
older, he didn't think I'd be as likely to deck him, like a
twenty or thirty-year old might do, so he had singled me
out on purpose and grabbed me.  I merely shrugged and
told him I was sorry to ruin his preconception about the
elderly.

>From there, we went through another area that appeared
to be either a morgue or possibly an illegal operating
room.  It was filled with bloody and cut up corpses lying
on slabs and either fully or partially covered with sheets.
As I was going through this location, I realized it was
probably a good thing that I hadn't decided to become a
doctor or mortician, since the sight of the blood and the
bodies were a bit unsettling.

I think the decomposing corpses in the coffins that
popped up next got to some of the boys, but I could also
tell that each of them had received a bit of a fright on
more than one occasion, as we made our way through the
mansion.  I have to admit that whoever did the makeup on
the live ghouls we saw along the way was very talented
and it was extremely well done.  Some of them were so
gruesome looking that they either made you stop dead in
your tracks or jump back in fright when you came across
them.

After that, we went to the 4-D theater and watched a
couple of movies on the 4-D simulated ride.  As you
watched the screen, you were assaulted by the surround
sound and wind-effects, as well as experiencing up to 2 Gs
of acceleration.  I felt it was very well done.

By the time we'd finished, I think the boys really enjoyed
their time here, and from their conversation in the
Suburban on the ride back to our motel, I think they'd
also come up with a few new ideas for this year's haunted
house.

I'd previously decided that we'd spend another night here
and then begin the drive home early the next morning,
because it's such a long drive and I was kind of tired.   I
didn't want to risk the boys' safety and I was pretty sure
they wouldn't mind spending one more evening here
either.  They might even have enough energy left to fool
around before they went to sleep tonight.

Anyway, after dinner we all went back to our rooms and
settled in.  I watched a little television in my room before
I turned in, but I left the boys to entertain themselves and
each other.  Hell, I've done enough to keep them busy
already, what with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar
Point Amusement Park and the Ghostly Manor Thrill
Center.  That will have to last them until we go on our
vacation with Nicky and Jordan's parents and some of the
other family members.

Speaking of that upcoming event, it reminds me that I will
have to check to make sure that everything is set for the
trip when we get back.  We'll be having quite a crew going
with us and I know the boys will be sharing a room the
entire time again.  That's because their parents will be
happy to get them out of their hair, plus they don't realize
the boys are having some fun during their time alone.  In
fact, I hope their parents never discover this fact, because
it will make life a whole lot easier for all of us if they
don't.