I stood outside a lively theme park and waited for my girlfriend. I was there about twenty minutes earlier than the appointed time but that didn’t matter. I was really looking forward to tonight. A few minutes later, I saw her walking towards me and frowning. “Oh, come on! Let me be the early one for once,” she said jokingly before winking at me. She strolled over to my side and held my hand. “Shall we?” she said and I did a slight bow before leading her inside.

My girlfriend and I went for a date together. We strolled around the amusement park and talked jovially with each other. We sat on many rides together like the roller coasters and the thrill houses. I even won a doll for her. I wished that time would have just stopped then and there, having her smiling face right beside mine as we ate ice cream, sat down on a bench and looked at the night sky. As time passed and slowly edged into midnight, I suggested we go on the Ferris wheel for our last ride before calling it a night and going back.

We entered the gondola of the Ferris wheel in silence. We both knew what it meant when I said ‘our last ride’, for I was going overseas the next day to further my studies and I didn’t know how long it would be before I could see her again. She sat down beside me and gripped my hand tightly. She leaned her head on my shoulder and she started sobbing silently. I caressed her hair gently, wishing more than ever for time to freeze. “I wish we could always be together,” she mumbled. We sat in cold silence except for her occasional weep as the capsule started to move up slowly. We were alone in the gondola and I had a strong urge to just break down into tears myself.

Just as we were at the apex of the Ferris wheel there was a strong jerk and a loud snapping sound. The gondola stopped moving and swayed in place. I peeped outside and regretted doing so. We were falling down; rather, the whole Ferris wheel was falling down sideways. A sudden feeling of vertigo overtook me and I brought my gaze away from the outside. I hugged my companion tightly and braced for impact. Within seconds, we crashed into a nearby tower and we stopped falling for a while. It seemed like we were safe for the time being. We were afraid; both of us were shivering. The Ferris wheel could crash at any moment and it would take at least a few hours for help to reach us since we were at the highest point.

Suddenly I just felt very nostalgic. I started talking to her about how we met, about all the time we spent together, and about the small things we shared. I could feel a tear sliding down the side of my face. My voice quivered as I spoke. She listened to me as I talked for what seemed like hours. I needed to be strong, for she was already in tears herself. “Don’t say that,” she choked through her tears. “We’ll survive this together, right?”

I could only nod my head as there was another loud jerk again. There was simply no way for us to escape. Staying inside would lead us to our doom, jumping out would also lead us to our doom. I saw the lights from the fire and rescue team; they were nearby. The Ferris wheel shook violently again this time and for the last time I hugged her. We began to slowly accelerate downwards, aided by gravity and the weight of the ride. “Now we’ll always be together,” she said again suddenly. We were finally falling down.

“Hang on kids! We’re coming!” shouted one of the fire and rescue personnel. Suddenly my whole body sprang to life again. Within a second, I picked my girlfriend up in my arms, much to her surprise. She was as light as a feather to me. “I’m sorry,” I said. I kicked open the door with my leg and jumped out. At the furthest distance, I tossed her with all my strength to the man who was trying to rescue us. He managed to catch her. I saw her eyes widen as she screamed my name. The distance between us grew as I was plummeting downwards. I was free falling down a 14-storey high Ferris wheel and the chance of my survival from the fall was completely nil. I was quite at peace, as I could only look up to see the fire and rescue personnel holding her back from jumping down after me.

I started to shout, “I’m sorry. I really wish we could be together forever. I really do. Thank you for spending all those times with me. You really brought back colour and meaning to my life again. I love-“

My brain perceived me hitting the ground. My voice was cut off mid-sentence as I felt my whole body become limp; or rather I couldn’t feel my body at all. Red colour overtook my vision, and I couldn’t see anything anymore. The last thing I saw with my mind’s eye was the smiling face of my girlfriend. Then, everything went black.

-Terence