World 101 /Chapter 1 - Where Am I?

World 101
A Short Story by: Jennie Bean

Chapter 1 - Where Am I?

It feels like I have been asleep for a very long time.   I open my eyes in a panic.  Surrounding me are trees and flowers with bright colors.  I feel like I should be somewhere else now – work, home, at a family gathering?  I cannot remember the last thing that happened before I woke up here.  I have a feeling that I am putting off something important.  When did I last eat?  Did I have lunch today?  It looks mid-day, though I don’t know which direction the sun is.

Why am I in this nature setting?  It is eerily quiet with no one in sight.  There are also no bugs or birds around either.  Having an insectophobia, I am relieved I have no bugs to deal with. I look down and I am wearing a red dress.  I cannot remember ever buying a red dress.  I also have a tan bag around my shoulder with two tiny strange stones inside.  My hair is pulled back with one of those scrunchies I used back in the day.  The temperature is just right with no wind whatsoever.

“Hello?” I call out, “Is anyone there?” There is no answer, so I start walking around, on what seems to be a small island.  The ground is made of very full grass, and I’ve never seen it so green.  As I keep walking I get to some shallow water.  I wade through and reach another small island with a big hill and a tree on top.  I start walking up, so I can have a view of where I am, and see if there is anything else around.  Halfway up, there is a blue brochure lying on the ground.  I pick it up to find it being instructions on how to make an iron shovel from scratch.  I begin to think that these clusters of islands must be deserted and the brochure left here by someone who had to make tools to survive.  So where is that survivor?  I fold the blue instructions and notice an arrow emblem on the opposite side of the paper. I pocket it and continue up the hill.

At the very top, I can see about six islands around me with small lakes in between.  Red and yellow flowers are in bloom everywhere. There is a strange path and hill to my right that looks like it just stops in the middle of the water and then opens to a wide area of water.  An ocean?  I walk down the hill towards this area to check it out.  I walk down the thin path and then up a tiny hill.  I look down and out.   Inching out to the edge of the dirt, an invisible wall knocks my head hard. "Damn-it!" I yell, holding my head.  I put my right hand out in front of me, and there clearly is a barrier.  I now notice it is cut through an island about 100 meters away from me too.  I follow the clear wall, running my hand against it all the way down to that second island by wading in and out of the water.  I keep going past the second island to see if there is an opening out to the ocean.  I could possibly make a boat and sail out...

Thunk! "Oww!" I scream.  There is another barrier perpendicular to the other wall.  I follow that one around and catch myself with my other hand for a third and fourth wall.  Recognizing the weird path and small hill, I find that I am squared in by this weird boundary.

I sadly sigh. Why am I being kept here?  Who is doing this to me?  I travel back to the middle of the square where I woke up. 

In a rage of confusion, I throw one of my strange stones on the ground. It grows instantly to about 4ft x 4ft, and a weird purple glow shoots up from it.  I put my finger on the top edge of the stone, and I feel a tingling sensation.  I get scared and pull my hand from it.  What is this place?

There are two clunky computers stationed here on some very hard stone that I didn’t notice before.  I spot something glistening on the ground to my left, so I head over there, but I remind myself to check out the computers soon after.

The sparkle I saw is a similar scrap of paper to the iron shovel instructions.  It's yellow and a lot smaller with a big 'W' on it. I pick it up and turn it over. It reads: 

'Wisdom: Only you can find a way.'

"Nice," I roll my eyes.
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Stay tuned for Chapter 2 - What do I do?

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Thank you to Total Miner for being the inspiration to my story.  Thank you to the bf who motivates me to actually do things.

Roller Coasters

How can I be afraid of heights and love roller coasters?  Amusement park season is here, so journey with me through my list of coasters!

- Six Flags Great Adventure - Jackson, NJ -

The Chiller - Batman and Robin - RIP!  I loved this ride and was only able to ride the Robin side.  The cars were tiny and you'd get bumped around, but it was so worth it. The controller would say one last thing in his microphone and then release!  For example, "To the Bat Cave!" or "You are the weakest link: Good-bye!"  You would be plastered to the back of the seat with ridiculous speed straight ahead.  I miss this!



Nitro - Waiting for the front seat everytime is a must.  There is an individual restraint at your lap. Your feet dangle if you are short, but there is a floor there.  On the way up the hill, there used to be signs saying how high up you are.  It compared the height to what it was equivalent to, for example, Niagra Falls.  After the hill, it seems like it takes you not only straight down, but tilted backwards by the look and feel of it.  This ride does not go upside down, but has a high thrill of turns and hills. I always feel like I've eaten fifty bugs screaming going through the open air. It is over two minutes long and is very relaxing toward the end of the ride with smooth humps! My favorite of its kind.

El Toro - I'm not a fan of the rickety wooden coasters, but this is in a league all its own.  On a hot summer day, the line seemed to move extremely fast, and as soon as I knew it, I was strapped in one of the middle cars.  I was not ready for what came next.  It started out so fast and continued to take my breath away.  The hill was so high, and the only thing higher seemed like Kingda Ka.  It was the nice roar of the wooden coaster combined with outrageous speed that made it so exciting.  My favorite of its kind.

Runaway Mine Train & Rolling Thunder- These were the first 'big' roller coasters I went on, so thought they should be mentioned.  I loved them back then.

Bizarro - This over-the-shoulder restraint, feet dangling, inverted steel ride used to be Medusa and painted green.  Now it is blue and has cool (and hot) effects.  The cool mist and flames throughout the ride definitely gave a different twist to this long time enjoyable ride of mine.

Batman - The Ride - This is very similar to Bizarro.  Smooth and exciting!  I always get butterflies when I walk through and hear the Gotham City music before I get on.

Superman - The Ultimate Flight - This unique coaster plays with my height phobia more than any other coaster.  You start out sitting with restraints everywhere, and then you are turned downward.  There is nothing beneath you, and it is meant to feel like you are flying.  It's a neat time going through loops and turns because it is hard to see what is coming next.

The Dark Knight Coaster and Skull Mountain are cheesy, in-the-dark coasters with awesome entrances.

I was able to experience Viper and the Scream Machine, which are now defunct, though they weren't my favorites.  Too much banging my head around!  I have yet to conquer Kingda Ka, but is on my things to do before I die list!

- Dorney Park - Allentown, PA -

Steel Force - This was my number one roller coaster for the longest time before I experienced a few at Six Flags.  I get to the park early and trek to the very edge of the park where this resides.  With no one around, I always claim the front seat for myself.  This is a sit down ride with a lap bar.  There is a huge drop, a tunnel, a spiral, and it feels like it is intertwining with Thunderhawk.  At times, I want it to go faster, so maybe I should try the backseat?

Talon - This is the best over-the-shoulder restraint, feet dangling, inverted steel ride!  The front is the best, but you get the same great feeling anywhere.  As you go up, you read messages on the steel below that say 'No Turning Back', and 'Good-Bye'. The first drop is so exciting. You can feel the release as you twist off to the right and down.  The speed never lets up!  My favorite of its kind.


- Hershey Park - Hershey, PA -

Super Duper Looper - Now spelled SooperDooperLooper, it was the first steel inverted coaster I rode.  I just found out that it was the first looping coaster on the east coast.

Lightning Racer – This is a double track wooden coaster.  We were released at the same time and it was a race to the finish!  It was funny looking over at the people in the other car next to us.

Roller Soaker – You get gallons of water to release below you at any time during the ride.  I waited toward the end because I knew the people were in line waiting there.  I released it, but I couldn’t see what happened and if it happened.  It was fun though, and people from down below got to spray us while on the ride.


- Kennywood - West Mifflin, PA -

SkyRocket - This reminds me of The Chiller - Batman and Robin!  It starts out launching you straight ahead with tremendous speed.  Smooth ride.

Jack Rabbit - This wooden coaster has a double dip drop!  It feels like you are on one of those slides you go down with a potato sack.


- Disney World - Orlando, FL -

Space Mountain - This reminds me of The Dark Knight Coaster or Space Mountain in Great Adventure, except with a space theme.  It has an entertaining entrance.  It is not very fast, but has unexpected turns and drops.

My Blog Poem

A blog that I saw,

Did not use CorelDraw.

There were only 72 pixels -

Graphics looked like tinsel.

In food and travel,

Not even a picture looking like gravel.

I have become a rejecter,

Because they did not use a vector.

Why did this blogger turn to skimping?

It is in need of some primping!

To Life's Peaceful Place

I am taking a meditation class.  Even though meditation is supposed to be a personal process, learning and doing it with seven other people in the room is interesting. 

I admitted to the class that I was extremely nervous in the beginning when the instructor said she was going around the room to hear our thoughts.  I am very bad at keeping composure while talking in public, and I am not great at acting like an extrovert.  However, it was commented that I was doing better in mood and thought by the end of the class.  From the beginning of the second class, I felt more comfortable with the familiar faces, and my heart wasn't beating out of my chest.

Am I supposed to feel emotional during the guided meditation?  I had a wonderful time within those few minutes seeing imaginative trees flowing back and forth under my eyelids.  When the instructor's voice mentioned to picture love, I thought of my partner and family there within the trees, but sort of fuzzy and unattached.  I felt happy with everyone gathered around and smiling at me.  It didn't feel like I was in a high school classroom with the lights off.  I suddenly felt a buildup and tears came out right away. I felt myself smiling, but I did not break out of the joyful peaceful feeling within myself.

I think my eyes need to leak out about a pint a week just to feel normal.  It is not rational that it happens, but I feel better with less stress after doing so.  Most of the time, it's situational, and I am feeling bad about myself for certain events that occur.  It is so good when it is about something happy.  Recently, I am mixing in more happy thoughts and anticipation for future events.

It would seem like a good idea to put aside work and chores to sit with my eyes closed in silence or with soothing music.   However, I feel more stressed at the thought of putting work on hold and prolonging it from getting done.  It is doubly hard to leave games and fun times to meditate.  So where's the time between work and play?

Meditation is so hard to do every day.  I find that just doing tasks, such as reading and walking by myself can bring me to that inner peace that I need during the day.  During the work day, I can think of a tree or a forest of them, and I can get there.  It's not as deep as being in a state of no thought or an out of body experience, but a repetitive, calm atmosphere where stress can slowly decline for me.