Aditi Shekar

Mr. King
English I
28 February 2016
Slithering Fear
What is fear? Is it when you scream at the sight of a tarantula? Or when a giant white
shark goes in for the splash? Thats just a part of fear. There is nothing to fear but fear itself,
stated John F. Kennedy. Not too long ago, this quote applied to me. It was the summer of 2014. I
had just gotten a season pass to Kings Island: an amusement park bigger than a football field. My
youthful innocence was bubbling. I was a 104 degree fever that would never back down. The
Diamondback was waiting for me. She was 300 feet up of roller coaster. I never knew through all
of my ecstasy that soon I would have to face my biggest fear- her.
Nervous tendrils wafted their way up through my spine. They felt like thin needles
pricking against me. I anxiously waited in line. The Diamondback was not any sort of typical
roller coaster. She was a raging beast ready to take flight. I gazed up at her. She was 4,280 feet of
terror. The line was long, but the fear had just started to settle in. Each step closer felt like a ton
weighing against the sides of my flip-flops. Everyone around me looked at leise. My brother
laughed at me ludicrously. My knees were shaking to the point where I looked like a phone
buzzing on a table. I trudged up the stairs with a heavy footprint. If I could just get up the stairs,
then I would be able to conquer the steps of bravery. I decided to sprint up in the hopes that this
wouldnt leave much time for me to ponder this whole scheme. My brother coerced me to the
front of the ride. As the rouge cart approached the waiting line, I silently squirmed. The gates
opened to my fate.

I meticulously buckled myself into the hefty metal and rubber seats. I didnt want to ride
her, but my gut was proving me wrong.
Ready to ride the Diamondback? the ride operator said with a look of anticipation worn
on his face. I tried to say no but my voice could not utter a word. I was a broken mic, unable to
amplify my plea. The wheels started to rumble furiously. I took a huge breath and squeezed the
seat bars to the point where my hands turned scarlet red. The seat inclined, and I closed my eyes,
trying to shut out my fear from entering my miniscule body. Like a curious but afraid toddler, I
opened my eyes to the world. The cart kept getting higher and higher, closer to the azure
vastness. The other rides were just tiny flecks, bothering my vision from seeing the beauty
outside. The colossal beast was making her way towards the top, foot by foot. She stopped at the
top, viewing the hills in front of her. It was time.
The Diamondback descended. The hissing metal started out gradually, but decided that
rapid was the way to go. I shrieked in complete paralysis. She had woven me into a prison of
phobia. It was terrible, but surprisingly, I enjoyed that feeling. The wave of nausea had
disappeared and in its place was thrill. I was a tiger on the chase; alert of my surroundings but
undaunted of what was to come next. The Diamondback glided with ease. I was soaring among
the cloudless skies. For the first time on a ride, I felt relaxed. The cunning snake went in for the
final hill. My hands flew up in the air, and the breeze tickled my fingers. The ride was over. But
my heart was racing. I couldve won the NASCAR race with my swift heart beats. An
overwhelming sensation of happiness consumed my body. I had conquered her.
The Diamondback left me with a wide range of emotions. She had knocked out my fear of her
and replaced it with excitement. This whole experience was life-changing. I never knew that
such a small moment in my life could affect me forever. The Diamondback was not a slithering

fear anymore. She was a wise teacher. I no longer keep my phobias within my petite body. I face
it head on like a bull running for the red. I am engraved with the ability to endure anxiety; to take
risks; but most of all: to face life fearlessly.