Splashdown!

It felt like it would never come, but today was finally the day... Splashdown Adventure Park day! Chase and Miles had been hyping up the visit to the water park for weeks. It had become like an annual pilgrimage for the best friends, with Miles' parents even splashing out for a private cabana to relax as the boys were set free on the water slides. The two of them could practically track their growth spurts as they evolved from toddler splash pools to family raft rides to solo body slides. And now they had their eyes on the real big kid slides they'd previously been too short to ride, with the thrills and spills that came with them.

As soon as they arrived and dumped their belongings in the cabana, they ran straight for the newest, coolest ride of all - The Big Dipper. It was the fastest, tallest, longest, and coincidentally, the only water-coaster slide in the state. It was still under construction when they visited last year, so it was kind of a big deal. It also had the tallest height restriction in the park. The air was tense as Miles stepped up first. The park employee measured him against the height chart, but it wasn't even needed. He passed the 48 inch requirement and then some. No surprises there.

Next up was Chase, his heart beating hard. His head just about grazed the bottom of the bar. He almost jumped for joy, until the employee looked down. "No footwear allowed," he said a little too cheerfully. Chase gulped as he removed his sandals, along with a half-inch of his height, and any hope of riding the Big Dipper that year.

"I don't have to go on without you," Miles said, obvious disappointment in his voice. "I bet it's dumb anyway. You're supposed to go down slides, not up them."

"No, no," Chase sighed. "It wouldn't be fair of me to stop you, it's all you talked about in the car up here... Go ride it, and I'll meet you back at the wave pool."

So Chase left his best friend to join the twenty minute queue alone, deciding instead to pull up a rubber tube and unwind on the lazy river for a couple of loops before it got too busy. Then he hopped in line for the Orca Run speed chutes, at least he was tall enough to do those, before walking back past the Big Dipper. The line had shortened considerably. In fact, it was practically non-existent. It must have been the early lunch lull. He was tempted to try his luck again, but that same employee was posted outside the entrance. He sighed, and walked back to the cabana where Miles' parents were waiting for the duo to return.

Except they weren't there... It was a good thing Chase turned up. All of their belongings were left unattended. Even one of their phones was abandoned on a lounge chair. It was like they'd left in a hurry. They didn't have to worry about beating the lunch rush since they could order directly to the cabana. So where did they go? Something weird was going on... 

Take Your Pick

This was supposed to be a weekend of fun for the Cohen family. Little Rafael was supposed to be at home with his chill babysitter while his parents went on a romantic getaway to a special hotel for adults only. He was going to order takeout, and stay up all night watching the R rated films he wasn't allowed to. That is, until the babysitter got some severe food poisoning, and there wasn't anyone who could care for the young boy at the last minute. It was also too late to cancel the trip to get a refund. So here he was, bored out of his wits while his parents stood at the front desk doing everything they could to convince the hotel to let him stay.

After what felt like forever, they finally convinced the employee manning the front desk to take it up to the manager, who took one look at Rafael playing on his Switch Lite, and smirked. "Don't worry," he told his parents. "You're not the first couple to end up in this predicament here. We have a special procedure for moments like this." 

He then nodded to the concierge, who nodded back and left her post. The woman held a hand out to Rafael with a warm smile. "Come on," she said. "I'll take you to a super special room while your parents work out all the boring stuff."

Rafael followed her as she led them through an unmarked door. As they left, he heard the manager say, "how would you like an upgrade for your troubles? A cute couple like you should love our hon-" before the door closed on him.

A few twisty corridors later, and Rafael found himself inside a sterile room with dark walls, and modern furniture. Off to the side, he could see a small bathroom that was just as bland. It looked more like a doctor's office than a playroom. Why they thought this was a good place to wait was beyond him. At least the lobby had that cool water fountain and a few plants to brighten up the room.

The woman hadn't followed him inside, so he made himself uncomfortable on one of the dull chairs until she burst through the door carrying a cumbersome cardboard box. She stopped in the center and carefully tipped its contents out onto the floor. Rafael's eyes widened, it was a bunch of toys! A very weird selection of toys. Cuddly toys, action figures, board games, trading cards, even a few game consoles. He could feel his hands twitching as he wanted to rummage through himself, but the concierge lady stopped him.

"Ah-ah-ah," she chided. "You're only allowed to choose one toy. Then we'll begin the process."

Only one toy!? Rafael frowned. That was hardly fair when there were dozens to choose from. And he had to be the only kid at the resort, it wasn't like he had to share! Still, there was a sense that this was an important decision. He quickly discarded the girls toys like the plushies and the dolls from the equation, not wanting to even touch them. Then he reluctantly discarded the video game consoles, since there was no TV to connect them to. In the end, from the meager selection left, he reached out and grabbed a colorful 9x9 square cube. 

The woman nodded her head in approval. "Ah, the Rubik's Cube. An interesting choice. The most popular Christmas gift in 1980, if you didn't know. Not too old, but still a little retro." She ruffled his hair with a smile, and pointed back to the chairs. "Now go and sit down while the grown ups work out this little mess you've managed to put us in."

Vignettes - I'm Back

Yes, I'm back. I've had a major case of writer's block. So to shake it off, I've written a few shorter stories. I can't say it's majorly helped, but I'd like to think (and hope!) that you'll hear from me again much sooner than this last gap!

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Resolution Change Initiative

Asher kicked his legs impatiently as he stared at his book. This was the fourth time he'd read the same sentence over, not even taking it in. This was so boring, how much more did he even have to read? He flipped to the end of the book. 217 pages. He flipped back to where he was. Page 14. He groaned and tossed the book aside. He could finish it later. And if not, there was always the film adaptation. Or he could even ask ChatGPT for a concise summary. Instead, he turned on his computer, opening Steam in the process.

"That doesn't sound like reading to me." As if by magic, his dad entered the room clutching a bundle of dirty laundry. "Come on, you said you were going to get a kickstart on your homework without leaving it to the last minute as usual."

"No, you said that," Asher grumbled. "And I basically read a whole chapter. They're not expecting us to do it all at once."

"What about your new year resolution? Abandoning your work for tomfoolery isn't exactly responsible."

Asher rolled his eyes. Big words coming from a man who's been divorced twice... But he wasn't wrong. There was a new year's resolution website that was trending in the weeks leading up to the new year, New You Resolution, and he wanted to join in. But he didn't want to do the usual lose weight, learn a language, daily assertions crap that all the adults did. In fact, he didn't want to commit to anything, he just wanted the clout from participating. So he chose a very simple goal - to be more responsible. It was an empty gesture, really. Something that sounded meaningful while also being easy to fulfil. He led such a slothful life that by cleaning his room every other week or washing the dishes every now and then, he'd already be on the road to success. If only he hadn't told his dad about the site...

"The year's barely started," Asher whined. "Cut me some slack! Or should I chastise you for not constantly following your resolution. What was it again, to be more chill and laid-back?"

"It was to relax. Stop and smell the roses, thank you very much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a load of your dirty washing to put in the machine." He turned on his heel and left, muttering to himself.