"Honey, are you ready?" she hollered up the stairs to her daughter Amanda, "It's time to go and get Sarah and Jeff."
     "I'm coming, just got to put on my other shoe.  There, let's go."
     "Oh man," she pouted, "we have to take the Ford since Dad took the Sienna to work."
     "What, that car might break down on our way to the carnival!"
     "Well, if you want, we can walk instead." she said sarcastically.
     The two of them hurried into the car. It took five tries to get the car started but finally the engine rumbled and it started.  They first went to pick up Sarah. When they got there Amanda went up to the door and knocked.
     You could faintly hear Sarah holler, "I'm coming."  Once she opened the door, she quickly closed it again behind her, and stared wide eyed at the junky car that was in the driveway.
     Unexpectedly she started to laugh, "Are we seriously going to take THAT car?"
     "Unfortunately, yes," Amanda mumbled.  Amanda couldn't figure out why Sarah was laughing so hard but she just ended up laughing with her.
     Then Amanda's mom honked the horn and yelled out the window, "Come on you silly girls we still have to get Jeff."
     As soon as they were in the car and buckled up, they took off to Jeff's.
     When Jeff saw the car he made a joke of it, "Nice car!"
     "Thanks," Amanda replied.
     "Where's your van?"
     "My dad took it to work."
     "Oh, well let's go to the carnival."
     Amanda and Jeff hopped in the car and all of them drove off to the carnival.
     "The first ride that we go on has to be the Ferris Wheel," Sarah demanded.
     "Of course," the other two agreed. "That's the funnest"
     "Most fun," Amanda's mom corrected.
     As soon as they arrived at the carnival, the three children hurried to get in line for the tickets.
     "Slow down you three.  You can't get in without money, and I'm the one with the money, " she hollered.
     Once she caught up with them, Amanda stated, "We were just getting a spot in line so that we can get in quicker."
     It took about ten minutes to get to the front of the line but they finally made it.
     They got in and bought wrist bands so they could go on all the rides they wanted, as many times as they wanted.
     The fair had opened at noon and it seemed like they were some of the first people to enter because it was so big.
     "The line for the Ferris wheel is always so long," Jeff whined.  "I think we should get there right away," he exclaimed in a more excited voice.
     "No, I haven't eaten any lunch yet and I'm getting hungry.  How about we get some food and then go on the Ferris Wheel," Amanda requested.
     "But there might be a lot of people then," Sarah told her.
     "There won't be that many," Amanda argued.  "Most people go on all the big and wild rides first."
     "Oh, come on Amanda, just one time and then we can eat lunch. Just once!"  Jeff urged.
     "Fine," she sighed.
     Walking over to the Ferris wheel, they noticed that there were about 20 people in line.
    "Good, it's not that long," Jeff announced, "I hope we get that one up there."
  Jeff was pointing to a light green cart.  The only light green cart on the Ferris wheel, and it was at the top.
     When they got to the end of the line, Amanda's mom told them, "I’ll wait right here while you guys go on the Ferris wheel."
    "Ok, Mom," Amanda replied.
    "Lets go," Sarah urged.
    "I'm coming."
    Once they were all in line the man carnie shouted, "We're going to start the Ferris wheel now."
    The three of them couldn't really see him in all detail, but they knew that he was a little weird.
As they were walking up to the next spaces in line, Jeff blurted out excitedly, "We're going to get the green one.  I think I'm having a good day."
    When they got to the front of the line they could really see the weird man operating the Ferris Wheel.
    "Hello, you guys.  I'm Bud.  Are you ready to go on the Ferris wheel?  Now aren't you luck, you get the only green one."
    "Yeah, very," Amanda answered.
    Bud was indeed was a little freaky.  He had hair that went to his shoulders and pants that were about three inches below his waist.  His two top front teeth were missing and you could see he had lots of gold and silver fillings.  He had kind of droopy eyes and the worst breath.
    "Hop in and enjoy the ride.  It's the scariest one," he joshed in a creepy voice and then started laughing until he choked and started coughing.
    The three of them got in and Bud closed the two swinging little doors and locked them.
     When the Ferris wheel moved to let the next group on, Sarah whispered, "I don't like that guy.  He gives me the creeps."
    "Yeah, he is a little scary," Jeff agreed.
    "Did you see the way he looked at me?" Amanda asked, "It was as if he was going to suddenly do something awful."
    "That's one thing bad about carnivals.  The people that work at them aren't very well groomed and they look scary," Jeff stated.
    Right then the Ferris wheel started to move.
    "Yes, its starting!" Sarah shouted.
    Whenever they went on the Ferris wheel they would sit on their knees with their stomach near the outside and look down at the people on the ground.  When their cart got near the bottom they would sit back the way they were supposed to be sitting until it went up again.
    The first time they went by Bud at the bottom, he called out, "Hey, you kids havin’ fun?"’
    None of them really answered, they just smiled.
    "I wish that we wouldn't have to go sweeping by him every time around," Amanda noted.
    After a few more times around, the Ferris wheel started to creak.  Bud didn't do anything, or show any concern.  When Amanda's Mom started to hear it she walked up to Bud and called, "Excuse me, sir."
    "What ma'am?"
    "Why is the Ferris wheel creaking?"
    "It's just old, but it's fine."
    All of a sudden the Ferris wheel stopped without anyone touching the lever that makes the Ferris wheel move.  Amanda, Sarah, and Jeff were at the very top.
    "If it's so fine, than why has the Ferris wheel stopped on its own?"
    "Oh."
    When Amanda, Sarah, and Jeff felt the jerk of the Ferris wheel stop, all of their eyes widened and they all looked at each other.
    "What's going on?" Amanda panicked.
    "Why has it stopped?" Sarah exclaimed.
    While Jeff was looking down from the Ferris Wheel he yelled, "Bud is rushing to the emergency phone and..."
    "What?" Sarah shouted.
    "Amanda, it looks like your mom is trying to say something to us.  I can't really hear her." Jeff said.
    As soon as Jeff said that, Amanda came over to where Jeff was sitting.
    "Mom, we can't hear you.  What's happening?"
    Looking down at the people who were shouting and looking up at them, Sarah heard sirens coming from the other side of the carnival.
    "Guys, a fire truck is coming.  Can you hear the sirens?" Sarah asked.
    "Where is it?" Amanda panicked.
    Sarah pointed toward the entrance of the carnival.
    "Are they going to get us down?" Jeff asked with a concerned look on his face.
    "The fire truck is coming through the carnival.  Look at all the people running to the sides," Sarah cried.
    "The people near the bottom are jumping out of their carts.  I really hope we can get off soon.  I'm getting scared," Amanda whined.
    Jeff went over to another side of the cart and shouted to the people in the cart below them, "Hey, you guys down there, do you know what's happening?"
    The lady in that cart looked up at Jeff and yelled back, "It looks like the Ferris wheel is stuck and the firemen are coming to get us down."
    Right then, Bud yelled through a bullhorn up to the people on the Ferris wheel, "Don't worry.  The firemen are here, and they are going to get you down with the ladder."
    "Hey, Jeff, are you still having a good day?" Amanda asked sarcastically.
    "No.  I don't think I can climb down a ladder."
    "We are so high up here, and climbing down is way over my limit.  I will probably die just from being scared."  Sarah exclaimed.
    The three of them watched as the firemen lifted their ladders and helped the first people down.  The firemen were going from the bottom around to the top and back down to the people on the other side.  Once they got everyone on the left side down the firemen raised the ladder to get Amanda, Sarah, and Jeff down.  There was a pause for a little while and the people on the ground were talking and moving around.  Sarah then saw one of the firemen take the bullhorn from Bud.
    "The ladder doesn't go any further." he yelled, "We have decided to call a helicopter to come and get you three at the top."
    "A helicopter?" Sarah yelled, "How are we supposed to get in a helicopter from here?"
    Seeing Amanda's mom frantically crying and looking up at them made Amanda start to cry.
    "What if we fall, or the Ferris Wheel falls with us still in it?" Amanda wailed.
    "Don't think like that Amanda," Jeff demanded, "none of that will happen."  But of course he knew there always was a chance of something like that happening, but he didn't want to show that he was as worried as the two girls.
    While the firemen moved the ladder to help the other people down, Sarah comforted Amanda.  Jeff watched the people on the ground and told the girls if anything important had happened that they might want to know about.
    "Cccreeeakk," the Ferris Wheel kept creaking, and the firemen were on the last cart.
    "Gosh it's taking a long time for the helicopter to come," Sarah complained.
    "They'll come, they'll come," Jeff reassured.
    After a few more minutes, sure enough, the helicopter came into view and everyone could hear the cheering.
    "Finally we get to get off this thing!" Jeff sighed.
    When the helicopter was above them but not directly overhead, someone was lowered into their cart from a body basket.
    "Who is going to go first?" he asked.
    "Sarah, how about you go first, than Amanda, than me," Jeff requested, "Sound good?"
    Amanda and Sarah nodded their heads and Sarah stepped forward.
    "Just lay down in there and the other people in the helicopter will pull you up."
Sarah got in and the man slid the metal lock over to keep her safely in.  They brought her up, let her out and lowered the basket again for the next person.  Every time the person was safe in the helicopter the people on the ground would cheer.  When Amanda was being lifted, the basket jerked and everyone gasped, but she and Jeff made it up safely.  The man who helped them, got in, secured himself, and was lifted into the helicopter.  Once everyone was safe in the helicopter, they flew to the widest area, which was the large stage, where they landed.  One of the men opened the door of the helicopter and let them out.  Immediately Amanda ran to her mother and hugged her.
    "Are you ok?" Amanda's mom cried, "I was so scared."
    Sarah and Jeff came walking over to where Amanda and her mom were.
    "Come here you two.  I was scared for you also."
    The four of them all hugged each other, smiling and crying at the same time.
    "Can we go home to our parents now?" Sarah asked.
    "Of course!"