the O by Michael Melhorn

"the O" by Michael Melhorn

The “Age of the Aardvark” was upon us. He had invaded our homes, brainwashed our children, and controlled our wallets for far too long. Not only was Anthony Aardvark the biggest thing since slap bracelets[i] , but so was the world he created. Theme parks on every coast, movies every month, and his own television station turned this cute little critter into a colossal titan in the economic world. At one point in my life he was the center of my universe, the focus of my day, and the meaning of my life. He was my boss.

Ever since I was old enough to remember, I have lived next door to heaven. Ten Pennants Adventure Park was my holy land and Anthony Aardvark was my God. Not only was Ten Pennants the most popular, top rated and number one theme park in the nation, but it was literally 45.7 steps away from my front door. I grew up living the high life, calling home to what others considered a vacation destination. Through my years I had come to admire more and more of the theme park world. I analyzed the tourists enough to be able to tell you what state they were from and what hotel they stayed at the night before. I had ridden the rides enough times to quote the safety warnings in both English and Spanish. I even knew the obscure facts, like how much fiberglass it took to build Anthony’s Dirt Mound Castle, and how long each ride takes, to the millisecond. It had consumed my life, and yet I loved every bit of it.

As soon as they hit sixteen, most teenagers rush out to get their driver’s licenses, but not me. As soon as Ten Pennants opened on my birthday, 9 am to be exact, I charged the gates and ran full speed to the employment offices to get an application. For years I had awaited getting a job and being able to work for my favorite cartoon icon, so when the day came that I was actually hired on staff, I died from enthusiasm. I was finally part of Team Anthony[ii] , the carefully selected and cheerful workforce that ran the park. I had the privilege of being a cleansing technician, or as some call it, a janitor. I was more than lucky, I was blessed.

As if my day wasn’t already perfect, something incredible and unbelievable happened when I got home. As I nibbled on my third piece of birthday cake and watched the 11 o’clock news, I was flabbergasted when a news bulletin about the park came on. I froze and focused intently on the cute blonde reporter as she revealed that “The O” was planning on having its grand opening the next day. “How could that be?” I questioned as I sat in awe staring at the TV screen. “The O” was only the parks most secret and most recent roller coaster, which according to the message boards of the Anthony Underground[iii] , wasn’t expected to open for another two to three years. No one quite knew what it was, but rumors bounced all over the web about it being the world’s fastest and most terrifying indoor roller coaster. It was rumored to be so mammoth and hair-raising, that it was unworthy of a long cheesy name and can only be given the letter O. I shook with excitement. Not only was the next day going to be my first day on the job, but it was the grand opening of what could be the best thrill ride ever. I was determined to ride “The O.”

Work the next day was kind of like the first day of school. When I entered the back lot of the park though, I was a little taken back. I examined what seemed like an endless row of warehouses, buildings, and construction. I’d call it a metropolis or business center, but it looked more like a New York City ghetto than anything else [iv] . Oh well, to me it was still the same magical place, even if behind the scenes lay a mafia underworld. I barely took steps inside before I was handed a uniform and walkie-talkie and told to get to work. “Welcome aboard” my boss said sarcastically as he led me into the park through a hidden gate[v] . For some reason I wasn’t getting that warm fuzzy feeling anymore, it wasn’t the same.

I spent most of my first day answering requests on my walkie-talkie and cleaning bathrooms and sidewalks. Occasionally I would get lucky and someone would puke at the exit of the “Buccaneers of the Bahamas” ride. I never understood that either, I mean “Buccaneers of the Bahamas” was a gentle little flume ride with one small pint sized dip at the end. I had been riding it since I was four, and yet some tourist would get sick at least every hour. After a while, you could almost set your clock to it. Call after call, my day went on until finally it was my lunch break. Due to my priorities, I had planned to skip lunch and go straight to dessert. “The O” was calling my name.

I changed into my civilian clothes and made it to the front of the line. As I waited, the themed pre-show built up the ride even more. Set in what appeared to be an ancient Greek temple on the tops of Mt. Olympus, “The O” was some sort of god, or something. I was too giddy to focus on the plot because I saw the station in plain view. I watched as scared passengers ahead of me harnessed themselves in and prepared for what seemed like a trip into outer space. A seatbelt here and a buckle there, and another strap over here, all that was missing was a helmet. I was so adrenaline-pumped I didn’t know what to look at. I watched the operator as she robotically pressed the green button and red button on her console. Green sent the cars moving and red stopped the next train coming into the station. Even thought it was my first day I set a goal to someday become experienced enough to be an operator myself. Five minutes later, at exactly 12:47 pm, I rode “The O.” Now, I could tell you it was the best ride in the park and go on for days and days about its greatness, but that would be lying. It isn’t the best ride in the park; it’s the best ride in the UNIVERSE! The creators were right, no word on earth could describe the sensation of such a coaster. It was dark, fast, and scary all at the same time. It was by far my newest favorite ride.

As I sat there at the exit, catching my breath and looking back on what happened, a voice boomed over the intercom.

“Excuse me guests, Anthony is sorry inform you that we are having some minor technical difficulties[vi] . We should be up and running shortly. Thank you for waiting.”

As I wandered around the exit, wondering what technical difficulties even meant, I heard the hum of motors and turned around to watch the next train[vii] come in. As the car’s rolled into the station, I noticed worried looks on the passengers’ faces. Something was definitely wrong. As soon as the harnesses released, the confused crowd was ushered towards the exits by ride attendants who were constantly assuring them things were going to be alright. That’s when I looked back at the train and noticed the body. A grown middle-aged man lay limp and keeled over his harness, the only one still on the train. Being alone at the station, I jolted toward him hoping there might be something I could do, but it was too late. There was no pulse or breathing. The man was dead. Hearing voices from the exits, I ran scared and confused and squatted low behind a trash can, as a team of 5 nicely dressed men entered the room. They wore expensive black suits, dark sunglasses, and high tech earpieces, which they mumbled into. The leader walked up to the body and checked for a pulse. After waiting a second he turned to his partners.

“Alright, Bravo team, I need a quick clean up. Get this man to the morgue and mark him off as another heart attack. Alert his family and loved ones of the incident and keep it low profile. It was a heart failure that had nothing to do with the ride whatsoever. Hell, throw in some heart complications into his medical records if you have to, anything to get this off our hands. Alpha team keep witnesses informed that Mr. Deston here is conscious and doing great now. They should continue the rest of their day normal as can be. Use ticket bribes[viii] only when necessary. Also, I don’t want to see anything about “The O” on Ch. 6 tonight. Just good old-fashioned city crime, nothing special. Lets do this quick and simple, and follow regulations. Now break!”

That was that, ten minutes passed and they were in and out, not one attempt to fix the ride or shut it down. I stayed hidden there for quite a while in pure shock of what had just happened. An innocent man just died on Ten Pennant’s newest ride and no one was going to hear about it. How could it be that everyone’s favorite Aardvark was about to continue running a death trap and keep the fatality of a guest so low profile? I went home sick the rest of the day hoping I would snap out of this nightmare, but it only got worse.

I couldn’t sleep that night. Millions of thoughts raced through my head about what had happened. It had all seemed so formal and the suits were so nonchalant about it. It made me wonder how often these accidents actually happen[ix] . Never once had I heard anything in the news about a death at Ten Pennants. Actually, I don’t remember hearing about any sort of accident at the park. It was the perfect, too perfect. Initially, I planned on telling the authorities the next day of everything I saw, but it would be no use. These big shots in the suits were way smarter than that. I was stuck. Nowhere to go, no one to tell. All I could do was go to sleep and go on with work the next day in hopes of finding out more.

It’s very hard to go to work knowing your boss and the light of your world is a criminal, but somehow I did it. After a normal day at Carver High School, I clocked in for my afternoon shift with intentions of finding out more. I needed answers. Somewhere in the back of mind I hoped that maybe there was a purpose behind all this, and that Anthony was covering up these deaths for a reason, but I was still so unsure. Upon opening my locker and changing my uniform, I noticed a small note buried deep beneath my gym socks. Addressed directly to me I opened it excitedly and read it quietly under my breath.

FOLLOW THE TURTLE TO FIND THE TRUTH.

It was so simple and yet mind-boggling at the same time. Obviously someone was willing to explain to me the secrets of the park, but what that had to do with a turtle I did not know. I walked out of the dressing room and strolled through the back lot heading for my first assignment when a small shimmer of green caught my eye. It was a turtle, and not just any turtle, Tommy Turtle, Anthony’s cartoon companion and best friend. The character[x] strolled by me and then quickly started running for the park. There he was, the one I was going to get all the answers from. I followed in hot pursuit, and let me tell you, whoever said turtles are slow and steady obviously hasn’t met Tommy. He led me behind the food service building and around another warehouse until we made it to the back entry to the “It’s a Little Planet” ride. Out of all the rides in the park, Tommy led me to the one I despised of most. Nothing against Anthony Aardvark or anything, but I had heard the theme song to “It’s a Little Planet” so many times I would rather break-dance on shards of broken glass than sing-along. I chased him deeper and deeper into a maze of animatronic[xi] demons and multicultural robots until finally he stopped inside a dimly lit maintenance room and turned to me.

Out of breath from our lap around the park, I looked up and stared the turtle in the face. He took his mask off, revealing a sweaty elderly gentleman who should have been long gone and retired by now. He seemed hurried and started fumbling with the rest of his costume, trying to get out of the sweat box he zipped himself into.

“Look we don’t have much time,” he said rushed “I shouldn’t even be here. The name is Herbert Peedle, my friends call me Herb, and I’ve been working here at Ten Pennants for years. I know every single thing that goes on here, including the clean up you saw yesterday at ‘The O.’”

I looked at him puzzled. “Yea, the accident where that guy died and the park covered it up. Whats going on? Why are they doing this?”

“First of all, that was no accident kiddo, Mr. Deston was a target. He was meant to die.”

“You mean it was a murder?” I said confused.

“Among other things, yes. Payton Sheffield decided to get rid of Mr. Deston and so he gave the orders, they led him onto the ride, the button was pressed and BINGO, you’re fired. Forget pink slips, The Aardvark used the hot seat.”

It was all too much to handle. Something didn’t make sense. Payton Sheffield was the founder and creator of the Anthony Aardvark franchise. Anyone who knows anything about the park knows that in 1928 Payton made a cartoon about Anthony that would later spawn the whole corporation. So why would he be behind the slaughter and killing of innocent guests. Herb must have noticed the puzzled look on my face, so he tried again.

“You know who Payton Sheffield is? Well, he has been in charge of Anthony Aardvark since day one and has refused to give up his position as CEO. For years employees have made their way to the top of the business ladder only to quit or randomly die of a heart attack. Coincidence? I think not. Payton won’t let anyone steal or ruin his vision of the park. He only wants the best for his guests. That’s why over the years, he has altered some of the rides in the park to become death traps. A quick, and silent way to get rid of those who were against him.”

“Time out! Did you say rides? As in the plural?” I asked.

“Yea, you didn’t think “The O” was the first do you? Payton has hot seats planted in rides all over the park.”

“Wait, hot seats?”

“Wow, you don’t know anything do you? Yea, hot seats. Every ride in the park has one. The one seat that you don’t want to get. It’s quite simple really. A small injection needle hidden in the backs of the chairs, that when triggered can puncture straight into the heart of the target, causing what looks like a heart attack. Easy death, without the mess, that’s what I always used to say.”

“How do you know all of this? About how it works and all?” I interrogated.

“Because I created it of course. I invented the hot seat. It wasn’t meant to go this far though. It was a prototype that was supposed to be used for a couple of people and then destroyed when it was finished, but Payton doesn’t know when to stop. He will take out anyone he pleases. Employees that get too close, stockholders that want to merge with another company, snooping investigators, he will just about kill anyone to keep his park at number one.”

“Guests?” I asked curiously.

“Oh no, never the guests. He thrives off the happy faces of the guests. He would never hurt them, just anyone that could potentially break their spirit. He is one crazed lunatic that will do anything for a cheerful park, even if it means murder.”

It all started coming together now. Slowly, piece by piece, it made more and more sense. The Aardvark went from being the happy go lucky king of my dreams to being the communistic killing spree dictator of reality. It me took a minute to process it out fully. Payton Sheffield was in charge. He wanted to stay in charge so he led his employees to get on one of the rides in the park. He got them to sit in the hot seat, and then he would take them out of the picture for good with the technical difficulties bull shit. Since Payton owned most of the town as well, the morgue overlooked the puncture wounds in the back and the news never reported on any of it. It had been going on for years and the outside world had no clue. I mean, how would they have known? The employees here that do know feel threatened by Sheffield and if anyone tried to stand up to him or reveal the secrets of the park, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Even though I understood it, I was still in shock of what was actually going on. My favorite theme park and second home was suddenly the execution chair for innocent employees. Workers who had families and kids, workers who had goals and aspirations, and workers who had no chance at survival, all dead at the hands of one man. One demented and emotion driven psychopath. Suddenly, I started feeling faint and my head throbbed in pain as the annoying tune of “It’s a Little Planet” rang on in my ears. I quickly thanked Herb for all his help and started heading home in a hurry. I could feel another sick day coming on. I collapsed on my bed, swarmed with information. My last thoughts before I feel asleep; wondering how I would reveal the Aardvarks motives without becoming a target myself.

Walking into the park the next day was a terrifying experience. The park had gone from being light to dark in a matter of days. Every ride in view calmly waited for its next target, as the witnesses went on with their normal lives. The queue lines looked more and more like death row, and the operators like executioners. Not only did the thrill rides look terrifying, but even the gentle family friendly rides like “The Hall of Government Officials” reeked with assassination. As long as I kept my focus, everything would be all right. I started out my shift by raising as much awareness as possible, purposefully getting attention drawn towards me. I would even preach to guests about the horrors of the park, while other employees looked on and laughed. It worked, within the hour I was called to the “The O” for a meeting with Mr. Sheffield. Everything was going as planned.

When I got there, it was just as I expected. I stood at the loading gate as Mr. Sheffield went on with his well-practiced speech.

“I love roller coasters. Don’t you? I know this is a weird place to be having a board meeting of sorts, but I like to loosen up my employees a little bit before we actually get done with talking. A quick roller coaster ride can be entertaining and relaxing. So go ahead and get on and I’ll meet you at the exit, where we can discuss the park further.”

It was so simple and child-like it made me sick, but needless to say I did as followed and nodded my head in agreement. I moved into my row and sat in the seat I was directed to sit in without fuss. It was from this seat that I watched as Payton Sheffield flipped a small switch that lay hidden underneath the console. The hot seat was activated. It was at this moment that I knew I had to move fast. I smiled and looked around at the tourists on all sides of me. A cute little red headed girl sat eager and ready to ride

“I hear you can see the ride better sitting in this seat,” I said happily “Do you want to trade?”

She excitedly said yes and we quickly traded seats just in time for the harnesses to come down and lock into place. Payton looked up in amusement and then realized that the switch took place. A look of fear went across his face as the train slowly pulled out of the station, the little red headed girl happily sitting in the hot seat.

“WAIT! STOP!” he yelled at the operators, but it was too late the ride had already started.

The ride was just as exciting as it was before, but this time I couldn’t wait to get to the end. As we pulled into the station I saw him at the exit. He walked over to the train noticed the limp little girl and fell to his knees. All his life he had done everything possible to make his guests happy and now he had accidentally killed one. He trembled with emotion, screaming at the top of his lungs. He confessed everything right there, just as we knew he would. He cursed the whole hot seat idea and admitted to it all as the authorities stood by at the exit, handcuffs ready.

“I never meant to kill the guests. It was all for them. It was all for Anthony!” he cried.

The police cuffed him and brought him back to the station where he would later give the names of every employee involved in his scam. He explained every detail of his plan and when the police found the records for the dead employees, admitted to it all. The CEO to Anthony Aardvark was fired and the evils of Ten Pennants were exterminated.

I waited for him to leave before I got off the ride and helped the little girl out of her harness. Funny how a well-talented child actor, the creator of the hot seat, and a well thought out plan could reveal so much about a company. It was the perfect set up. Disable the seat and get Payton to think he killed a child guest, thereby breaking down and revealing everything. I was hailed throughout the park as the teenager who saved Ten Pennants, and on what was only my third day of work was promoted to CEO of Aardvark International. I had a vision to fix the park and plenty of my own views, but I limited myself to a satisfying four-year term upon signing the contract. It was going to be a new start. It may not be the same old Anthony that I remember as a kid, but it was definitely time for a change. My first objective, renaming the “The O.” I decided to change it to “The Omega,”[xii] because I planned for this to be the end of the theme park’s death traps and the start of something great.

 

Works Cited

Business Reference: NAARSO Member (352)-242-9223 Mehlhorn, Michael R. Telephone Interview.

“National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials.” NAARSO. 06 Apr. 2006 www.naarso.com

“Ride Safety.” Amusement Park Physics. 06 Apr. 2006www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/ridesafety.html

“Ride Accidents.” Ride Accidents.com. 06 Apr. 2006 www.rideaccidents.com

“Safer Parks.” Saferparks.com. 06 Apr. 2006 www.saferparks.com

Hiaasen, Carl. Team Rodent : Ballentine Books, 1998.

 

[i] Slap Bracelets- A popular apparel/trend in the early 90’s

[ii] Team Anthony- Most Theme Parks give their employees some sort of team name or title. Disney for example calls their staff “Cast Members.”

[iii] Most big name theme parks have at least one, if not more, Underground websites where fans of the industry and brand can chat or discuss their love for the park. These sites usually aren’t official and are rarely regulated.

[iv] There are more to theme parks than just the rides and restaurants. Many behind the stage buildings include, offices, costuming, maintenance shops, sound stages, cafeteria’s and sometimes even temporary lodging.

[v] Most parks have hidden entrances throughout he perimeter to ensure safe and easy routes for tech service and emergency vehicles.

[vi] Employees are usually asked to use the term technical difficulties to describe any stop in the flow of guests. They are prohibited from developing further or revealing what the malfunction may be.

[vii] Train usually refers to a group of rollercoaster cars that are hooked together. Just as train enters its station literally, a rollercoaster train enters its loading dock or station.

[viii] Ticket bribes, usually referred to as coupons, are a last resort to keep up guest approval and customer satisfaction.

[ix] Theme parks are required to submit written documentation as far as accidents go to the government as a safety precaution. There are also standards on the rides themselves and any violation could potentially be one step closer to the shut down of the park.

[x] Character is a common theme park term for costumed entertainer. These employees usually wear a full body suit and a head unit.

[xi] A form of robotic character, originally created by a Disney team of engineers, to be used as a themed tool for rides and shows.

[xii] Greek letter meaning the End or conclusion.

 

the O - Assignment

Paper 3: Open Researched Piece
(Choosing a form, and supporting it with researched information) 8-10 pp

The climax of these papers is an Open Researched Piece. First presenting proposals to me about people, places, or events you wish to work with, you’ll begin to investigate your material early on, using The Curious Researcher for guidance. We’ll make sure that your subject matter is researchable, there are certainly topics out there that are hard to research – you’ll want to avoid those. During this process, we work together to determine the best medium for your subject: genre fiction, creative non-fiction, exposé, magazine article, or article collection. Whichever you choose, even a short story, your writing must reflect the extent of your Works Cited, i.e. you’ve got to use the material listed in your sources. A total of 5 varied sources are required, but you may have more. You’ll keep a running annotated bibliography of sources, and will turn-in a Works Cited page with the final. MLA Format.

 

the O - Draft 1

The “Age of the Aardvark” is upon us. He has invaded our homes, brainwashed our children, and controlled our wallets for far too long. Not only is Anthony Aardvark the biggest thing since slap bracelets, but so is the world he has created. Theme parks on every coast, movies every month, and his own television station has turned this cute little critter into a colossal titan in the economic world. At one point in my life he was the center of my universe, the focus of my day, and the meaning of my life. He was my boss.

Ever since I was old enough to remember, I have lived next door to heaven. Ten Pennants Adventure Park was my holy land and Anthony Aardvark was my God. Not only was Ten Pennants the most popular, top rated and number one theme park in the nation, but it was literally 45.7 steps away from my front door. I grew up living the high life, calling home to what others considered a vacation destination. Through my years I had come to admire more and more of the theme park world. I had analyzed the tourists enough to be able to tell you what state they were from and what hotel they stayed at the night before and I had ridden the rides enough times to quote the safety warnings in both English and Spanish. I even knew the obscure facts, like how much fiberglass it took to build Anthony’s Dirt Mound Castle, and how long each ride takes, to the millisecond. It had consumed my life, and yet I loved every bit of it.

As soon as they hit sixteen, most teenagers rush out to get their driver’s licenses, but not me. As soon as Ten Pennants opened on my birthday, 9 am to be exact, I charged the gates and ran full speed to the employment offices to get an application. For years I had awaited getting a job and being able to work for my favorite cartoon icon, so when the day came that I was actually hired on staff, I died in enthusiasm. I was finally part of Team Anthony, the carefully selected and cheerful workforce that ran the park. I had the privilege of being a janitor and being able to clean up after the happy families that visited my paradise. I was more than lucky, I was blessed.

As if my day wasn’t already perfect, something incredible and unbelievable happened when I got home. As I nibbled on my third piece of birthday cake and watched the 11 o’clock news, I was flabbergasted when a new bulletin about the park came on. I froze and focused intently on the cute blonde reporter as she revealed that “The O” was planning on having its grand opening the next day. “How could that be?” I questioned as I sat in awe staring at the TV screen. “The O” was only the parks most secret and most recent roller coaster, which according to the message boards of the Anthony Underground, wasn’t expected to open for another two to three years. No one quite knew what it was, but rumors bounced all over the web about it being the world’s fastest and most terrifying indoor roller coaster. It is said that it is so mammoth and hair-raising, that it was unworthy of a long cheesy name and can only be given the letter O. I shook with excitement. Not only was the next day going to be my first day on the job, but it was the grand opening of what could be the best thrill ride ever. I lay awake that night in bed, wrapped tight in my Anthony Aardvark sheets, planning the next day perfectly. I was determined to ride “The O.”

Work the next day was kind of like the first day of school, only better. When I entered the back lot of the park though I was a little taken back. I examined what seemed like an endless row of warehouses, building, and construction. I’d call it a metropolis or business center, but it looked more like a New York City ghetto than anything else. It’s kind of funny how the park can be so double sided. Oh well, to me it was still the same magical place, even if behind the scenes lie a mafia underworld. I barely took several steps inside, when suddenly I was given a uniform and walkie-talkie and told to get to work. “Welcome aboard” my boss said sarcastically as he led me into the park through a hidden gate. For some reason I wasn’t getting that warm fuzzy feeling anymore, it wasn’t the same.

I spent most of my first day answering requests on my walkie talkie and cleaning bathrooms and sidewalks. Occasionally I would get lucky and someone would puke at the exit of the Buccaneers of the Bahamas ride. I never understood that either, I mean Buccaneers of the Bahamas was a gentle little flume ride with one small pint sized dip at the end. I had been riding it since I was four, and yet a tourist would get sick at least every hour. After a while, you could almost set your clock to it. Call after call, my day went on until finally it was my lunch break. Due to my priorities, I had planned to skip lunch and go straight to dessert. “The O” was calling my name.

I changed into my civilian clothes and made my way into the front of the line. As I waited the themed pre-show built up the ride even more. Set in what appeared to be an ancient Greek temple on the tops of Mt. Olympus, and “The O” was supposedly some sort of god, or something. I was too giddy to focus on the plot because I saw the station in plain view. I watched as scared passengers ahead of me harnessed themselves in and prepared for what seemed like a trip into outer space. A seatbelt here and a buckle there, and another strap over here, all that was missing was a helmet. I was so adrenalized I didn’t know what to look at. I watched the operator as she robotically pressed the green button and red button on her console. Green sent the cars moving and red stopped the next train coming into the station. Even thought it was my first day I set a goal to someday become experienced enough to be an operator myself. Five minutes later, at exactly 12:47 pm, I rode “The O.” Now I could tell you it was the best ride in the park and go on for days and days about its greatness, but that would be lying. It isn’t the best ride in the park; it’s the best ride in the UNIVERSE! The creators were right, no word on earth could describe the sensation of such a coaster. It was dark and fast and scary all at the same time. It was by far my newest favorite ride.

As I sit there at the exit, catching my breath and looking back on what happened, a voice boomed over the intercom.
“Excuse me guests, Anthony is sorry inform you that we are having some minor technical difficulties. We should be up and running shortly. Thank you for waiting.”

As I waited at the exit, wondering what could have gone wrong, I heard the hum of motors and turned around to watch the next train come in. As the car’s rolled into the station, I noticed most of them were empty. Then I saw the bodies. I counted them, 7 total, the only passengers on the train, all hanging limp and lifeless. Thoughts raced through my head as to what could have happened. Obviously there was some sort of accident. They couldn’t all be dead, could they? I heard the slight mumble of voices coming from the exit line so my immediate reaction was to hide. Not only was I breaking rules by riding rides on my lunch break, but I definitely didn’t want to get pinned with having any involvement with this. I squatted low behind a trash can, as a team of 10 nicely dressed men entered the room. They wore expensive black suits and dark sunglasses and they all had earpieces, which they mumbled into. The leader walked up to a body and checked for a pulse. After waiting a second he turned to his partners.

“Alright, Bravo team, I need a quick clean up. I don’t want to see any trace of these people. That means all credit records, social security numbers, and anything that relates them to the Aardvark. These people should be announced missing within a few days and there should be no trace that they even came here. Alpha team clear this up and make sure the news gets nothing. I don’t want to see anything about “The O” on Ch. 6 tonight. Just good old-fashioned city crime, nothing special. Lets do this quick and simple, and follow the regulations. I don’t want another slip up like last time. Now break!”

That was that, fifteen minutes passed and they were in and out, no trace of the seven dead victims. I stayed hidden there for quite a while in pure shock of what had just happened. Innocent people just died on Ten Pennant’s newest ride and no one was going to hear about it. How could it be that everyone’s favorite Aardvark was about to cover up the deaths of so many people? I went home sick the rest of the day hoping I would snap out of this nightmare, but that never happened.

 

the O - Draft 2

The “Age of the Aardvark” is upon us. He has invaded our homes, brainwashed our children, and controlled our wallets for far too long. Not only is Anthony Aardvark the biggest thing since slap bracelets, but so is the world he has created. Theme parks on every coast, movies every month, and his own television station has turned this cute little critter into a colossal titan in the economic world. At one point in my life he was the center of my universe, the focus of my day, and the meaning of my life. He was my boss.

Ever since I was old enough to remember, I have lived next door to heaven. Ten Pennants Adventure Park was my holy land and Anthony Aardvark was my God. Not only was Ten Pennants the most popular, top rated and number one theme park in the nation, but it was literally 45.7 steps away from my front door. I grew up living the high life, calling home to what others considered a vacation destination. Through my years I had come to admire more and more of the theme park world. I had analyzed the tourists enough to be able to tell you what state they were from and what hotel they stayed at the night before and I had ridden the rides enough times to quote the safety warnings in both English and Spanish. I even knew the obscure facts, like how much fiberglass it took to build Anthony’s Dirt Mound Castle, and how long each ride takes, to the millisecond. It had consumed my life, and yet I loved every bit of it.

As soon as they hit sixteen, most teenagers rush out to get their driver’s licenses, but not me. As soon as Ten Pennants opened on my birthday, 9 am to be exact, I charged the gates and ran full speed to the employment offices to get an application. For years I had awaited getting a job and being able to work for my favorite cartoon icon, so when the day came that I was actually hired on staff, I died in enthusiasm. I was finally part of Team Anthony, the carefully selected and cheerful workforce that ran the park. I had the privilege of being a janitor and being able to clean up after the happy families that visited my paradise. I was more than lucky, I was blessed.

As if my day wasn’t already perfect, something incredible and unbelievable happened when I got home. As I nibbled on my third piece of birthday cake and watched the 11 o’clock news, I was flabbergasted when a new bulletin about the park came on. I froze and focused intently on the cute blonde reporter as she revealed that “The O” was planning on having its grand opening the next day. “How could that be?” I questioned as I sat in awe staring at the TV screen. “The O” was only the parks most secret and most recent roller coaster, which according to the message boards of the Anthony Underground, wasn’t expected to open for another two to three years. No one quite knew what it was, but rumors bounced all over the web about it being the world’s fastest and most terrifying indoor roller coaster. It is said that it is so mammoth and hair-raising, that it was unworthy of a long cheesy name and can only be given the letter O. I shook with excitement. Not only was the next day going to be my first day on the job, but it was the grand opening of what could be the best thrill ride ever. I lay awake that night in bed, wrapped tight in my Anthony Aardvark sheets, planning the next day perfectly. I was determined to ride “The O.”

Work the next day was kind of like the first day of school, only better. When I entered the back lot of the park though I was a little taken back. I examined what seemed like an endless row of warehouses, building, and construction. I’d call it a metropolis or business center, but it looked more like a New York City ghetto than anything else. It’s kind of funny how the park can be so double sided. Oh well, to me it was still the same magical place, even if behind the scenes lie a mafia underworld. I barely took several steps inside, when suddenly I was given a uniform and walkie-talkie and told to get to work. “Welcome aboard” my boss said sarcastically as he led me into the park through a hidden gate. For some reason I wasn’t getting that warm fuzzy feeling anymore, it wasn’t the same.

I spent most of my first day answering requests on my walkie talkie and cleaning bathrooms and sidewalks. Occasionally I would get lucky and someone would puke at the exit of the Buccaneers of the Bahamas ride. I never understood that either, I mean Buccaneers of the Bahamas was a gentle little flume ride with one small pint sized dip at the end. I had been riding it since I was four, and yet a tourist would get sick at least every hour. After a while, you could almost set your clock to it. Call after call, my day went on until finally it was my lunch break. Due to my priorities, I had planned to skip lunch and go straight to dessert. “The O” was calling my name.

I changed into my civilian clothes and made my way into the front of the line. As I waited the themed pre-show built up the ride even more. Set in what appeared to be an ancient Greek temple on the tops of Mt. Olympus, and “The O” was supposedly some sort of god, or something. I was too giddy to focus on the plot because I saw the station in plain view. I watched as scared passengers ahead of me harnessed themselves in and prepared for what seemed like a trip into outer space. A seatbelt here and a buckle there, and another strap over here, all that was missing was a helmet. I was so adrenalized I didn’t know what to look at. I watched the operator as she robotically pressed the green button and red button on her console. Green sent the cars moving and red stopped the next train coming into the station. Even thought it was my first day I set a goal to someday become experienced enough to be an operator myself. Five minutes later, at exactly 12:47 pm, I rode “The O.” Now I could tell you it was the best ride in the park and go on for days and days about its greatness, but that would be lying. It isn’t the best ride in the park; it’s the best ride in the UNIVERSE! The creators were right, no word on earth could describe the sensation of such a coaster. It was dark and fast and scary all at the same time. It was by far my newest favorite ride.

As I sit there at the exit, catching my breath and looking back on what happened, a voice boomed over the intercom.
“Excuse me guests, Anthony is sorry inform you that we are having some minor technical difficulties. We should be up and running shortly. Thank you for waiting.”

As I wandered around the exit, wondering what technical difficulties even meant, I heard the hum of motors and turned around to watch the next train come in. As the car’s rolled into the station, I noticed worried looks on the passengers’ faces. Something was definitely wrong. As soon as the harnesses released, the confused crowd was ushered towards the exits by ride attendants who were constantly assuring them things were going to be alright. That’s when I looked back at the train and noticed the body. A grown middle-aged man lay limp and keeled over his harness, the only one still on the train. Being alone at the station, I jolted toward him hoping there might be something I could do, but it was too late. There was no pulse or breathing, the man was dead. Hearing voices coming from the exits, I ran scared and confused and squatted low behind a trash can, as a team of 5 nicely dressed men entered the room. They wore expensive black suits, dark sunglasses, and high tech earpieces, which they mumbled into. The leader walked up to the body and checked for a pulse. After waiting a second he turned to his partners.

“Alright, Bravo team, I need a quick clean up. Get this man to the morgue and mark him off as another heart attack. Alert his family and loved ones of the incident and keep it low profile. It was a heart failure that had nothing to do with the ride whatsoever. Hell, throw in some heart complications into his medical records if you have to, anything to get this off our hands. Alpha team keep witnesses informed that Mr. Deston here is conscious and doing great now. They should continue the rest of their day normal as can be. Use ticket bribes only when necessary. Also, I don’t want to see anything about “The O” on Ch. 6 tonight. Just good old-fashioned city crime, nothing special. Lets do this quick and simple, and follow the regulations. Now break!”

That was that, ten minutes passed and they were in and out, not one attempt to fix the ride or shut it down. I stayed hidden there for quite a while in pure shock of what had just happened. An innocent man just died on Ten Pennant’s newest ride and no one was going to hear about it. How could it be that everyone’s favorite Aardvark was about to continue running a death trap and keep the fatality of a guest so low profile? I went home sick the rest of the day hoping I would snap out of this nightmare, but it only got worse.

I couldn’t sleep that night. Millions of thoughts raced through my head about what had happened. It had all seemed so formal and the suits were so nonchalant about it. It made me wonder how often these accidents actually happen. Never once had I heard anything in the news about a death at Ten Pennants. Actually, I don’t remember hearing about any sort of accident at the park. It was the perfect, too perfect. Initially I planned on telling the authorities the next day of everything I saw, but it would be no use. These big shots in the suits were way smarter than that. I was stuck. No where to go, no one to tell. All I could do was go to sleep and go on with work the next day in hopes of finding out more.

It’s very hard to go to work, knowing your boss and the light of your world is a criminal, but somehow I did it. After a normal day at Carver High School, I clocked in for my afternoon shift with intentions of finding out more. I needed answers. Somewhere in the back of mind I hoped that maybe there was a purpose behind all this, and that Anthony was covering up these deaths for a reason, but I was still so unsure. Upon opening my locker and changing my uniform, I noticed a small note buried deep beneath my gym socks. Addressed directly to me I opened it excitedly and read it quietly under my breath.

FOLLOW THE TURTLE TO FIND THE TRUTH.

It was so simple and yet mind-boggling at the same time. Obviously someone was willing to explain to me the secrets of the park, but what that had to do with a turtle I did not know. I walked out of the dressing room and strolled through the back lot heading for my first assignment when a small shimmer of green caught my eye. It was a turtle, and not just any turtle, Tommy Turtle, Anthony’s cartoon companion and best friend. The character strolled by me and then quickly started running for the park. There he was, the one I was going to get all the answers from. I followed in hot pursuit. Let me tell you, whoever said turtles are slow and steady obviously hasn’t met Tommy. He led me behind the food service building and around another warehouse until we got to the back entry to the “It’s a Little Planet” ride. Out of all the rides in the park, Tommy led me here to the one I despised of the most. Nothing against Anthony Aardvark or anything, but I had heard the theme song to “It’s a Little Planet” so many times I would rather break-dance on shards of broken glass than sing-along. I chased him deeper and deeper into a maze of animatronic demons and multicultural robots until finally he stopped inside a dimly lit maintenance room and turned to me.

Out of breath and exhausted from out lap around the park, I looked up and stared the turtle in the face. He took his mask off, revealing a sweaty elderly gentleman who should have been long gone and retired by now. He seemed hurried and started fumbling with the rest of his costume, trying to get out of the sweat box he zipped himself into.
“Look we don’t have much time,” he said rushed “I shouldn’t even be here. The name is Herbert Peedle, my friends call me Herb, and I’ve been working here at Ten Pennants for years. I know every single thing that goes on here, including the clean up you saw yesterday at “The O.”

I looked at him puzzled. “Yea the accident where that guy died and the park covered it up. Whats going on? Why are they doing this?”
“First of all, that was no accident kiddo, Mr. Deston was a target. He was meant to die.”
“You mean it was a murder?” I said confused.
“Among other things, yes. Payton Sheffield decided to get rid of Mr. Deston and so he gave the orders, they led him onto the ride, the button was pressed and BINGO, the you’re fired. Forget pink slips, The Aardvark used the hot seat”

It was all too much to handle. Something didn’t make sense. Payton Sheffield was the founder and creator of the Anthony Aardvark franchise. Anyone who knows anything about the park knows that in 1928 Payton made a cartoon about Anthony that would later spawn the whole corporation. So why would he be behind the slaughter and killing of innocent guests. Herb must have noticed the puzzled look on my face, so he tried again.
“You know who Payton Sheffield is? Well he has been in charge of Anthony Aardvark since day one and has refused to give up his position as CEO. For years employees have made their way to the top of the business ladder only to quit or randomly die of a heart attack. Coincidence? I think not. Payton won’t let anyone steal or ruin his vision of the park. He only wants the best for his guests. That’s why over the years, he has altered some of the rides in the park to become death traps. A quick, and silent way to get rid of those who were against him.”

“Time out! Did you say rides? As in the plural?” I asked.
“Yea, you didn’t think “The O” was the first do you? Payton has hot seats planted in rides all over the park.”
“Wait, hot seats?”
“Wow you don’t know anything do you? Yea, hot seats. Every ride in the park has one. The one seat that you don’t want to get. It’s quite simple really. A small injection needle hidden in the backs of the chairs, that when triggered can puncture straight into the heart of the target, causing what looks like a heart attack. Easy death, without the mess, that’s what I always used to say.”
“How do you know all of this? About how it works and all?” I interrogated.
“Because I created it of course. I invented the hot seat. It wasn’t meant to go this far though. It was a prototype that was supposed to be used for a couple of people and then destroyed when it was finished, but Payton doesn’t know when to stop. He will take out anyone he pleases. Employees that get too close, stockholders that want to merge with another company, snooping investigators, he will just about kill anyone to keep his the park at number one.”
“Guests?” I asked curiously.
“Oh no, never the guests. He thrives off the happy faces of the guests. He would never hurt them, just anyone that could potentially break their spirit. He is one crazed lunatic that will do anything for a cheerful park, even if it means murder.”

It all started coming together now. Slowly piece by piece it made more and more sense. The Aardvark went from being the happy go lucky king of my dreams to being the communistic killing spree dictator of reality. I took about a minute to process it out fully, but I think I finally got the flow of things. Payton Sheffield was in charge. He wanted to stay in charge so he led his employees to get on one of the rides in the park. He got them to sit in the hot seat, and then he would take them out of the picture for good with the technical difficulties bull shit. Since Payton owned most of the town as well, the morgue never realized the puncture wounds in the back and the news never reported on any of it. It had been going on for years and the outside world had no clue. I mean, how would they have known? The employees here that do know feel threatened by Sheffield and if anyone tried to stand up to him or reveal the secrets of the park, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Even though I understood it, I was still in shock of what was actually going on. My favorite theme park and second home was suddenly the execution chair for innocent employees. Workers who had families and kids, workers who had goals and aspirations, and workers who had no chance at survival, all dead at the hands of one man. One demented and emotion driven psychopath. Suddenly I started feeling faint and my head throbbed in pain as the annoying tune of “Tiny Planet” rang on in my ears. I quickly thanked Herb for all his help and started heading home in a hurry. I could feel another sick day coming on. I collapsed on my bed, swarmed with information. My last thoughts before I feel asleep; wondering how I would reveal the Aardvarks motives without becoming a target myself.

Walking into the park the next day was a terrifying experience. The park had gone from being light to dark in a matter of days. Every ride in view calmly waited for its next target, as the witnesses went on with their normal lives. The queue lines looked more and more like death row, and the operators like executioners. Not only did the thrill rides look terrifying, but even the gentle family friendly rides like “The Hall of Government Officials” reeked with assassination. As long as I kept my focus everything would be all right. I started out my shift by raising as much awareness as possible, purposefully getting attention drawn towards me. I would even preach to guests about the horrors of the park while other employees looked on and laughed. It worked, within the hour I was called to the “The O” for a meeting with Mr. Sheffield. Everything was going as planned.

When I got there, it was just as I expected. I stood at the loading gate as Mr. Sheffield went on with his well-practiced speech.
“I love roller coasters. Don’t you? I know this is a weird place to be having a board meeting of sorts, but I like to loosen up my employees a little bit before we actually get done with talking. A quick roller coaster ride can be entertaining and relaxing. So go ahead and get on and I’ll meet you at the exit, where we can discuss the park further.”

It was so simple and child like it made me sick, but needless to say I did as followed and nodded my head in agreement. I moved into my row and sat in the seat I was directed to sit in without fuss. It was from this seat that I watched as Payton Sheffield flipped a small switch that lay hidden underneath the console. The hot seat was activated. It was at this moment that I knew I had to move fast. I smiled and looked around at the tourists on all sides of me. A cute little red headed girl sit eager and ready to ride on my right.
“I hear you can see the ride better sitting in this seat,” I said happily “Do you want to trade?”

She excitedly said yes and we quickly traded seats just in time for the harnesses to come down and lock into place. Payton looked up in amusement and then realized that the switch took place. A look of fear went across his face as the train slowly pulled out of the station, the little red headed girl happily sitting in the hot seat.
“WAIT! STOP!” he yelled at the operators, but it was too late the ride had already started.

The ride was just as exciting as it was before, but this time I couldn’t wait to get to the end. As we pulled into the station I saw him at the exit. He walked over to the train noticed the limp little girl and fell to his knees. All his life he had done everything possible to make his guests happy and now he had accidentally killed one. He trembled and shook with emotion, yelling out at the top of his lungs. He confessed everything right there, just as we knew he would. He cursed the whole hot seat idea and admitted to it all as the authorities stood by at the exit, handcuffs ready.
“I never meant to kill the guests. It was all for them. It was all for Anthony!” he cried.

The police cuffed him and brought him back to the station where he would later give the names of every employee involved in his scam. He explained every detail of his plan and when the police found the records for the dead employees, admitted to it all. The CEO to Anthony Aardvark was fired and the evils of Ten Pennants were exterminated.

I waited for him to leave before I got off the ride and helped the little girl out of her harness. Funny how a well-talented child actor, the creator of the hot seat, and a well thought out plan could reveal so much about a company. It was the perfect set up. Disable the seat and get Payton to think he killed a child guest, thereby breaking down and revealing everything. I was hailed through out the park as the teenager who saved Ten Pennants, and on what was only my third day of work was promoted to CEO of Aardvark International. I had a vision to fix the park and I had plenty of my own views, but I limited myself to a satisfying four-year term upon signing the contract. It was going to be a new start. It may not be the same old Anthony that I remember as a kid, but it was definitely time for a change. My first objective, naming the “The O.” I decided to called it The Omega, because I planned for this to be the end of the theme park’s death traps and the start of something great.

 

the O - Draft 3

The “Age of the Aardvark” was upon us. He had invaded our homes, brainwashed our children, and controlled our wallets for far too long. Not only was Anthony Aardvark the biggest thing since slap bracelets, but so was the world he created. Theme parks on every coast, movies every month, and his own television station turned this cute little critter into a colossal titan in the economic world. At one point in my life he was the center of my universe, the focus of my day, and the meaning of my life. He was my boss.

Ever since I was old enough to remember, I have lived next door to heaven. Ten Pennants Adventure Park was my holy land and Anthony Aardvark was my God. Not only was Ten Pennants the most popular, top rated and number one theme park in the nation, but it was literally 45.7 steps away from my front door. I grew up living the high life, calling home to what others considered a vacation destination. Through my years I had come to admire more and more of the theme park world. I analyzed the tourists enough to be able to tell you what state they were from and what hotel they stayed at the night before. I had ridden the rides enough times to quote the safety warnings in both English and Spanish. I even knew the obscure facts, like how much fiberglass it took to build Anthony’s Dirt Mound Castle, and how long each ride takes, to the millisecond. It had consumed my life, and yet I loved every bit of it.

As soon as they hit sixteen, most teenagers rush out to get their driver’s licenses, but not me. As soon as Ten Pennants opened on my birthday, 9 am to be exact, I charged the gates and ran full speed to the employment offices to get an application. For years I had awaited getting a job and being able to work for my favorite cartoon icon, so when the day came that I was actually hired on staff, I died from enthusiasm. I was finally part of Team Anthony, the carefully selected and cheerful workforce that ran the park. I had the privilege of being a cleansing technician, or as some call it, a janitor. I was more than lucky, I was blessed.

As if my day wasn’t already perfect, something incredible and unbelievable happened when I got home. As I nibbled on my third piece of birthday cake and watched the 11 o’clock news, I was flabbergasted when a news bulletin about the park came on. I froze and focused intently on the cute blonde reporter as she revealed that “The O” was planning on having its grand opening the next day. “How could that be?” I questioned as I sat in awe staring at the TV screen. “The O” was only the parks most secret and most recent roller coaster, which according to the message boards of the Anthony Underground, wasn’t expected to open for another two to three years. No one quite knew what it was, but rumors bounced all over the web about it being the world’s fastest and most terrifying indoor roller coaster. It was rumored to be so mammoth and hair-raising, that it was unworthy of a long cheesy name and can only be given the letter O. I shook with excitement. Not only was the next day going to be my first day on the job, but it was the grand opening of what could be the best thrill ride ever. I was determined to ride “The O.”

Work the next day was kind of like the first day of school. When I entered the back lot of the park though, I was a little taken back. I examined what seemed like an endless row of warehouses, buildings, and construction. I’d call it a metropolis or business center, but it looked more like a New York City ghetto than anything else. It’s kind of funny how the park can be so double sided. Oh well, to me it was still the same magical place, even if behind the scenes lie a mafia underworld. I barely took several steps inside, when suddenly I was given a uniform and walkie-talkie and told to get to work. “Welcome aboard” my boss said sarcastically as he led me into the park through a hidden gate. For some reason I wasn’t getting that warm fuzzy feeling anymore, it wasn’t the same.

I spent most of my first day answering requests on my walkie-talkie and cleaning bathrooms and sidewalks. Occasionally I would get lucky and someone would puke at the exit of the “Buccaneers of the Bahamas” ride. I never understood that either, I mean “Buccaneers of the Bahamas” was a gentle little flume ride with one small pint sized dip at the end. I had been riding it since I was four, and yet some tourist would get sick at least every hour. After a while, you could almost set your clock to it. Call after call, my day went on until finally it was my lunch break. Due to my priorities, I had planned to skip lunch and go straight to dessert. “The O” was calling my name.

I changed into my civilian clothes and made it to the front of the line. As I waited, the themed pre-show built up the ride even more. Set in what appeared to be an ancient Greek temple on the tops of Mt. Olympus, “The O” was some sort of god, or something. I was too giddy to focus on the plot because I saw the station in plain view. I watched as scared passengers ahead of me harnessed themselves in and prepared for what seemed like a trip into outer space. A seatbelt here and a buckle there, and another strap over here, all that was missing was a helmet. I was so adrenaline-pumped I didn’t know what to look at. I watched the operator as she robotically pressed the green button and red button on her console. Green sent the cars moving and red stopped the next train coming into the station. Even thought it was my first day I set a goal to someday become experienced enough to be an operator myself. Five minutes later, at exactly 12:47 pm, I rode “The O.” Now, I could tell you it was the best ride in the park and go on for days and days about its greatness, but that would be lying. It isn’t the best ride in the park; it’s the best ride in the UNIVERSE! The creators were right, no word on earth could describe the sensation of such a coaster. It was dark and fast and scary all at the same time. It was by far my newest favorite ride.

As I sit there at the exit, catching my breath and looking back on what happened, a voice boomed over the intercom. “Excuse me guests, Anthony is sorry inform you that we are having some minor technical difficulties. We should be up and running shortly. Thank you for waiting.”

As I wandered around the exit, wondering what technical difficulties even meant, I heard the hum of motors and turned around to watch the next train come in. As the car’s rolled into the station, I noticed worried looks on the passengers’ faces. Something was definitely wrong. As soon as the harnesses released, the confused crowd was ushered towards the exits by ride attendants who were constantly assuring them things were going to be alright. That’s when I looked back at the train and noticed the body. A grown middle-aged man lay limp and keeled over his harness, the only one still on the train. Being alone at the station, I jolted toward him hoping there might be something I could do, but it was too late. There was no pulse or breathing. The man was dead. Hearing voices from the exits, I ran scared and confused and squatted low behind a trash can, as a team of 5 nicely dressed men entered the room. They wore expensive black suits, dark sunglasses, and high tech earpieces, which they mumbled into. The leader walked up to the body and checked for a pulse. After waiting a second he turned to his partners.

“Alright, Bravo team, I need a quick clean up. Get this man to the morgue and mark him off as another heart attack. Alert his family and loved ones of the incident and keep it low profile. It was a heart failure that had nothing to do with the ride whatsoever. Hell, throw in some heart complications into his medical records if you have to, anything to get this off our hands. Alpha team keep witnesses informed that Mr. Deston here is conscious and doing great now. They should continue the rest of their day normal as can be. Use ticket bribes only when necessary. Also, I don’t want to see anything about “The O” on Ch. 6 tonight. Just good old-fashioned city crime, nothing special. Lets do this quick and simple, and follow regulations. Now break!”

That was that, ten minutes passed and they were in and out, not one attempt to fix the ride or shut it down. I stayed hidden there for quite a while in pure shock of what had just happened. An innocent man just died on Ten Pennant’s newest ride and no one was going to hear about it. How could it be that everyone’s favorite Aardvark was about to continue running a death trap and keep the fatality of a guest so low profile? I went home sick the rest of the day hoping I would snap out of this nightmare, but it only got worse.

I couldn’t sleep that night. Millions of thoughts raced through my head about what had happened. It had all seemed so formal and the suits were so nonchalant about it. It made me wonder how often these accidents actually happen. Never once had I heard anything in the news about a death at Ten Pennants. Actually, I don’t remember hearing about any sort of accident at the park. It was the perfect, too perfect. Initially, I planned on telling the authorities the next day of everything I saw, but it would be no use. These big shots in the suits were way smarter than that. I was stuck. Nowhere to go, no one to tell. All I could do was go to sleep and go on with work the next day in hopes of finding out more.

It’s very hard to go to work knowing your boss and the light of your world is a criminal, but somehow I did it. After a normal day at Carver High School, I clocked in for my afternoon shift with intentions of finding out more. I needed answers. Somewhere in the back of mind I hoped that maybe there was a purpose behind all this, and that Anthony was covering up these deaths for a reason, but I was still so unsure. Upon opening my locker and changing my uniform, I noticed a small note buried deep beneath my gym socks. Addressed directly to me I opened it excitedly and read it quietly under my breath.

FOLLOW THE TURTLE TO FIND THE TRUTH.

It was so simple and yet mind-boggling at the same time. Obviously someone was willing to explain to me the secrets of the park, but what that had to do with a turtle I did not know. I walked out of the dressing room and strolled through the back lot heading for my first assignment when a small shimmer of green caught my eye. It was a turtle, and not just any turtle, Tommy Turtle, Anthony’s cartoon companion and best friend. The character strolled by me and then quickly started running for the park. There he was, the one I was going to get all the answers from. I followed in hot pursuit. Let me tell you, whoever said turtles are slow and steady obviously hasn’t met Tommy. He led me behind the food service building and around another warehouse until we made it to the back entry to the “It’s a Little Planet” ride. Out of all the rides in the park, Tommy led me to the one I despised of most. Nothing against Anthony Aardvark or anything, but I had heard the theme song to “It’s a Little Planet” so many times I would rather break-dance on shards of broken glass than sing-along. I chased him deeper and deeper into a maze of animatronic demons and multicultural robots until finally he stopped inside a dimly lit maintenance room and turned to me.

Out of breath and exhausted from our lap around the park, I looked up and stared the turtle in the face. He took his mask off, revealing a sweaty elderly gentleman who should have been long gone and retired by now. He seemed hurried and started fumbling with the rest of his costume, trying to get out of the sweat box he zipped himself into.

“Look we don’t have much time,” he said rushed “I shouldn’t even be here. The name is Herbert Peedle, my friends call me Herb, and I’ve been working here at Ten Pennants for years. I know every single thing that goes on here, including the clean up you saw yesterday at ‘The O.’”
I looked at him puzzled. “Yea, the accident where that guy died and the park covered it up. Whats going on? Why are they doing this?”

“First of all, that was no accident kiddo, Mr. Deston was a target. He was meant to die.”

“You mean it was a murder?” I said confused.

“Among other things, yes. Payton Sheffield decided to get rid of Mr. Deston and so he gave the orders, they led him onto the ride, the button was pressed and BINGO, the you’re fired. Forget pink slips, The Aardvark used the hot seat”

It was all too much to handle. Something didn’t make sense. Payton Sheffield was the founder and creator of the Anthony Aardvark franchise. Anyone who knows anything about the park knows that in 1928 Payton made a cartoon about Anthony that would later spawn the whole corporation. So why would he be behind the slaughter and killing of innocent guests. Herb must have noticed the puzzled look on my face, so he tried again.

“You know who Payton Sheffield is? Well, he has been in charge of Anthony Aardvark since day one and has refused to give up his position as CEO. For years employees have made their way to the top of the business ladder only to quit or randomly die of a heart attack. Coincidence? I think not. Payton won’t let anyone steal or ruin his vision of the park. He only wants the best for his guests. That’s why over the years, he has altered some of the rides in the park to become death traps. A quick, and silent way to get rid of those who were against him.”

“Time out! Did you say rides? As in the plural?” I asked.

“Yea, you didn’t think “The O” was the first do you? Payton has hot seats planted in rides all over the park.”

“Wait, hot seats?”

“Wow, you don’t know anything do you? Yea, hot seats. Every ride in the park has one. The one seat that you don’t want to get. It’s quite simple really. A small injection needle hidden in the backs of the chairs, that when triggered can puncture straight into the heart of the target, causing what looks like a heart attack. Easy death, without the mess, that’s what I always used to say.”

“How do you know all of this? About how it works and all?” I interrogated.

“Because I created it of course. I invented the hot seat. It wasn’t meant to go this far though. It was a prototype that was supposed to be used for a couple of people and then destroyed when it was finished, but Payton doesn’t know when to stop. He will take out anyone he pleases. Employees that get too close, stockholders that want to merge with another company, snooping investigators, he will just about kill anyone to keep his the park at number one.”

“Guests?” I asked curiously.

“Oh no, never the guests. He thrives off the happy faces of the guests. He would never hurt them, just anyone that could potentially break their spirit. He is one crazed lunatic that will do anything for a cheerful park, even if it means murder.”

It all started coming together now. Slowly, piece by piece, it made more and more sense. The Aardvark went from being the happy go lucky king of my dreams to being the communistic killing spree dictator of reality. It me took a minute to process it out fully. Payton Sheffield was in charge. He wanted to stay in charge so he led his employees to get on one of the rides in the park. He got them to sit in the hot seat, and then he would take them out of the picture for good with the technical difficulties bull shit. Since Payton owned most of the town as well, the morgue never realized the puncture wounds in the back and the news never reported on any of it. It had been going on for years and the outside world had no clue. I mean, how would they have known? The employees here that do know feel threatened by Sheffield and if anyone tried to stand up to him or reveal the secrets of the park, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Even though I understood it, I was still in shock of what was actually going on. My favorite theme park and second home was suddenly the execution chair for innocent employees. Workers who had families and kids, workers who had goals and aspirations, and workers who had no chance at survival, all dead at the hands of one man. One demented and emotion driven psychopath. Suddenly, I started feeling faint and my head throbbed in pain as the annoying tune of “It’s a Little Planet” rang on in my ears. I quickly thanked Herb for all his help and started heading home in a hurry. I could feel another sick day coming on. I collapsed on my bed, swarmed with information. My last thoughts before I feel asleep; wondering how I would reveal the Aardvarks motives without becoming a target myself.

Walking into the park the next day was a terrifying experience. The park had gone from being light to dark in a matter of days. Every ride in view calmly waited for its next target, as the witnesses went on with their normal lives. The queue lines looked more and more like death row, and the operators like executioners. Not only did the thrill rides look terrifying, but even the gentle family friendly rides like “The Hall of Government Officials” reeked with assassination. As long as I kept my focus, everything would be all right. I started out my shift by raising as much awareness as possible, purposefully getting attention drawn towards me. I would even preach to guests about the horrors of the park, while other employees looked on and laughed. It worked, within the hour I was called to the “The O” for a meeting with Mr. Sheffield. Everything was going as planned.

When I got there, it was just as I expected. I stood at the loading gate as Mr. Sheffield went on with his well-practiced speech. “I love roller coasters. Don’t you? I know this is a weird place to be having a board meeting of sorts, but I like to loosen up my employees a little bit before we actually get done with talking. A quick roller coaster ride can be entertaining and relaxing. So go ahead and get on and I’ll meet you at the exit, where we can discuss the park further.”

It was so simple and child-like it made me sick, but needless to say I did as followed and nodded my head in agreement. I moved into my row and sat in the seat I was directed to sit in without fuss. It was from this seat that I watched as Payton Sheffield flipped a small switch that lay hidden underneath the console. The hot seat was activated. It was at this moment that I knew I had to move fast. I smiled and looked around at the tourists on all sides of me. A cute little red headed girl sit eager and ready to ride on my right.

“I hear you can see the ride better sitting in this seat,” I said happily “Do you want to trade?”

She excitedly said yes and we quickly traded seats just in time for the harnesses to come down and lock into place. Payton looked up in amusement and then realized that the switch took place. A look of fear went across his face as the train slowly pulled out of the station, the little red headed girl happily sitting in the hot seat.

“WAIT! STOP!” he yelled at the operators, but it was too late the ride had already started.

The ride was just as exciting as it was before, but this time I couldn’t wait to get to the end. As we pulled into the station I saw him at the exit. He walked over to the train noticed the limp little girl and fell to his knees. All his life he had done everything possible to make his guests happy and now he had accidentally killed one. He trembled with emotion, screaming at the top of his lungs. He confessed everything right there, just as we knew he would. He cursed the whole hot seat idea and admitted to it all as the authorities stood by at the exit, handcuffs ready.

“I never meant to kill the guests. It was all for them. It was all for Anthony!” he cried.

The police cuffed him and brought him back to the station where he would later give the names of every employee involved in his scam. He explained every detail of his plan and when the police found the records for the dead employees, admitted to it all. The CEO to Anthony Aardvark was fired and the evils of Ten Pennants were exterminated.

I waited for him to leave before I got off the ride and helped the little girl out of her harness. Funny how a well-talented child actor, the creator of the hot seat, and a well thought out plan could reveal so much about a company. It was the perfect set up. Disable the seat and get Payton to think he killed a child guest, thereby breaking down and revealing everything. I was hailed throughout the park as the teenager who saved Ten Pennants, and on what was only my third day of work was promoted to CEO of Aardvark International. I had a vision to fix the park and plenty of my own views, but I limited myself to a satisfying four-year term upon signing the contract. It was going to be a new start. It may not be the same old Anthony that I remember as a kid, but it was definitely time for a change. My first objective, renaming the “The O.” I decided to change it to “The Omega,” because I planned for this to be the end of the theme park’s death traps and the start of something great.

 

the O - Process Memo

Process Memo Questions: Open Researched Piece

1. What your most daunting obstacle in this process?
2. In what ways did researching your topic in the early stages affect what you ultimately wrote? Did you decide to discard your topic, modify your focus, change your approach through genre, or perspective? What are your thoughts about research and writing?
3. How did the structure of our drafting process (3 pgs, 5 pgs, Full 1rst D, Full 2nd D, etc) work for your piece? Did you find it easier to rework your approach from the earlier stages, or not? Did you use it as a means of extended experimentation, or did you still feel committed to what you wrote? Would it have been better to conference before the 1rst Full Draft, why or why not?
4. In comparison to our previous papers, how did this project measure up? Specifically as a writer, how would you say YOU have changed, and how has this affected your approach to this process? Do you think our previous work prepared you for it, why or why not? 
5. Give me a context for your paper. What do you think is most important about your topic, and why? How does your choice of genre further your focus? What does form, perspective, and tone allow you to do? Where do you succeed most and why? Where do you seem to struggle? - be specific.
6. Due to a conference in Atlanta, etc., I may have difficult completing the grading before our last class. Please specify whether or not you want your paper back with responses. They will be available to you regardless, however, I will not pen responses unless you request it. IF YOU WANT RESPONSES: please direct my attention to what you’d like me to address.

Thank you all for a wonderful semester! I look forward to reading what
promises to be a collection of excellent work!

Process Memo- Open Researched Piece

The most daunting obstacle in this process was definitely the length of the paper. It’s not so much that I minded the 8 page minimum, but it definitely affected my feedback and critique time. I felt that whenever my paper was read, that because of the length of the paper and the short amount of time in class and conference that it wasn’t looked at fully. I know my paper was long, but that was only due to an attempt to finish my story completely. I wanted to make a full and complete story and I had a hard time compressing it down. I tried condensing the language and repetitive sentences and words, but it seemed like no matter what I took out it wasn’t quite cutting it. I just wanted to leave enough of the story without removing a vital detail or huge plot point.

Researching my paper from the beginning helped greatly. I was able to find plenty of information on my topic and look at all possible options and views before deciding on which route to go with. Having all of the research in front of me, I wrote several different opening paragraphs for each point of view and story and then was able to choose the one that I felt worked best. It was also easier having chose a topic that I personally was interested in, because I found it a lot easier to write about and yet still include vital research. In my opinion this research assignment changed my view a little on how research can be used in writing and as long as you have interest you will have a great paper.

The structure of this assignment was not really a problem in my eyes. Though the paper was long and time consuming as mentioned above, the flow of drafting seemed to be on spot. I had plenty of time to experiment with my paper and my full drafts were worked on quite a bit. I also like how we had the conference after the first draft. It gave me a chance to get an opinion on the paper as a whole, even if it was a little lengthy and you didn’t quite get to the end.

In comparison of our previous assignments this paper definitely takes the cake. It involves more work and requires more regulations, and yet still gives you that creative freedom of choice, research, and format. I know, from personal account, that the previous short story definitely prepared me for this assignment, since I decided to go with another short story. I had been used to articles for so long that I was in need of a change, and the past two papers definitely gave me that. As a writer I am no more open to write in different styles and have become accepting to create papers that don’t follow that 5 paragraph article form.

This paper is definitely something to be looked at and read in full, in order to completely understand it. I think ride safety and the conspiracy that follows is a complex issue and can be seen as a great item of satire. I hope I was able to deliver this exaggeration in a way that brings out the common problems of the theme park industry. I think my genre and point of view most certainly give you an inside look, but even more than that, an inside look from an outsider. The main character, (who was never given a sex of male/female), can be looked at and easily compared to the reader as an outsider looking in. As the story goes on you witness and feel the same emotions as the character’s eyes are opened to a world that was never before seen. I think my major successions of this paper are the situational drama and the way that events and details are revealed. I love being able to tease the audience and give them information at crucial times. I feel at many times in my paper I was able to surprise and shock the audience with the hidden details that keep you sucked in and focused. Where I fall short is definitely the length. I know that there was no maximum page limit, but it is still too long. It’s not a question of whether the story looses interest, because in my opinion, it most certainly doesn’t, its more a problem of having too much happen in the story. I created this world with tons of great pieces and my paper just grew because of connecting it all together, and now when I want to shorten it and take something out, I have the Jenga effect. If I pull out this piece then the tower falls and the story looses crucial details for understanding the big picture.

I understand you will be on your trip, but I do hope that after reading my paper you will be able to put responses and feedback, in hopes that I can better understand my audience’s opinion. I hope now that in reading it in full, your views on my paper have changed and your approval has increased. Thank you for all of your time.