A Day of Fun and Sun
The salty tang of the Irish sea drifted across the seaside town of Blackpool, blending with the sweet aroma of sugary candyfloss and the other sweet snack foods – the sun, high above felt unusually warmer that Saturday.
Raven and her girlfriend; Yasmin had taken that day for an escape, less about the thrill of the rollercoaster and more of a simply, delicate thrill of simply being
They had arrived with the purposeful intent to carve out some joy after a difficult week – Raven, a delicate teen with an innocent and angelic appearance with an olive complexion, with her long dark hair pulled into the signature sideways ponytail and silvery-grey eyes, she usually radiated a quiet stillness; that very Saturday however, it was barely contained excitement no longer hidden beneath her usually placid surface.
She had moved close to her Yasmin who was a few inches taller – her own long dark hair and vivid blue eyes that brightened like the ocean under the sun; typically, she was the complete opposite of Raven; a chaotic and boisterous nature forged from the difficulties of her home life and had been deliberately channelled into a boundless devotion for her partner who was a year younger.
As their hands found each other naturally, fingers interlacing as they strolled through the bustling entrance, they found their way through a bustling cacophony of shrieks and laughter, the rattling echo from wheels on metal from the various rollercoasters as more screams of excitement erupted.
Yasmin gently drew Raven directly in front of her, her left hand raising upwards to trace the Velvet choker adorning Raven’s slender neck – a quiet testament of their relationship that had originally been simply a joke by Yasmin, but claimed by Raven who cherished it, turning it into the marker of their relationship.
Their first stop was the famous ‘Big One’ not to ride it, but to stand beneath its towering mental frame listening to those loud rattles as the carriages climbed the steep incline of its structure before plummeting down, listening to the screams erupting eliciting their smiles “Think of all the worries dropping away from them Raven” Yasmin commented, eliciting Raven’s giggle, a soft, melodious sound “Might just be for a moment, but it’ll be a good moment” Yasmin added before purposely kissing the top of Raven’s head
As they began their adventure for the day; they would find themselves riding the Ghost Train, a delightful excuse for Yasmin to pull Raven close, feigning an exaggerated fear that Raven saw through easily, simply giggling along.
From the Ghost Train they would enjoy the cheerful collisions of Dodgems, navigating bumper-cars into playful collisions.
Later they would find themselves queuing at the Grand National; a classical wooden roller coaster that proved to have a long line – slowly, they would move along, Yasmin’s arms wrapped around Raven, her chin resting against the top of her head as the moved along slowly.
Raven was careful with her head movement, as her eyes found the sky “It’s so bright today” her voice was a low murmur, barely audible over the excitement of the park and its rattling roller coasters “Like the sun itself decided to make an effort for us”
Yasmin purposely moved her head, lifting her chin from the top of Raven’s head, and lowering her head down beside Raven, her chin resting on her shoulder, her breath warm against her neck “Or…” she began, her voice husky with affection “It’s mirroring you; Bright and Warm”
Raven gently turned her head, her eyes drifting sideways to meet Yasmin’s blue gaze, a blush rising in her cheeks; her words usually had a way of eliciting that wider, genuine smile from Raven, it dissolved that characteristic shyness for a precious moment – smiles that Yasmin lived for; pure, unadulterated expression of joy
As they eased forwards slowly – Raven’s gaze found a familiar, and most unwelcoming sight; she had spotted one of the girls; Laura, that had usually been a bully in school since her relationship with Yasmin began; their eyes met – but it wasn’t the usual narrowed, hateful stare that found Raven, it became clear when Raven realised Laura was not with the usual clique of her friends; but, family – she recognised the parents, the younger brother, the one she didn’t recognise was the second girl though.
Upon spotting Raven, Laura’s confident smirk had faltered immediately – her eyes, usually sharp with judgement; her gaze instead looked like a dear caught in headlights – it was no mere friend, it was very clearly a partner, as the girl purposely interlaced their fingers, unaware of Laura’s gaze and had not noticed the sudden silence.
Raven tilted her head as she kept her gaze locked, being the gentle soul she was though; she offered just a faint, polite smile and an almost imperceptible wave, she made no judgemental gaze, treating the sighting as just any other day – Yasmin, she had not taken notice, her eyes were locked on a stand further away considering if she and Raven should get something to eat once they had experience the Grand National, Yasmin’s arms tightened lovingly around Raven’s waist.
As the line snaked around a corner, Raven and Yasmin were no longer within Laura’s line of sight – Raven, purposely turning, rotated her body within Yasmin’s embrace, now reliant on Yasmin to guide her movement as she purposely put her arms around Yasmin’s waist, during a moment of stillness, she rose up onto the tips of her toes; her lips finding Yasmin’s, planting a soft, tender kiss deliberate and lingering, as she settled back she smiled “I think I know what your thinking” she murmured eliciting a curious ‘hm’ from Yasmin “Let’s get something to eat once we’ve been on this one” she smiled
When they would finally reach the end of the queue, they would soon find themselves embarking on a thrilling enjoyment of the Grand National; while it may not be the fastest or tallest, its wooden framework groaned and creaked with a delightful, nostalgic charm – the climb a slow, rhythmic ‘Clank-Clank-Clank’ that building the anticipation before they would plummet eliciting the joyous screams from Yasmin’s throat and the lighter, melodic cry from Raven.
Following the ride, flushed and exhilarated, they would wander to the nearest stand to buy something to eat before finding a bench to enjoy – within that quiet contentment though, Raven’s gaze spotted something unusual – a figure stood some distance, it brought a moment of recognition, the figure watching her was tall, quite well built with an intimidating aura about them, a subtle crimson hue to their gaze.
The air itself seemed to grow colder…, icy, misting the breath – a radiating sense of dread struck various people – the figures features seemed to twist, a sinister smirk darkening their features before simply turning away, disappearing from Raven’s line of sight.
She was certain it was the same figure she encountered in Tossa de Mar, the stranger that was sat with her mother; the one who had some kind of hypnotic – an effect that impacted her mother, but yet had no impact on her, her breath hitched at the realisation of the danger she remembered during the final days of that horrifying holiday – they never completed the week, an assault on her mother Jenna had forced them to abandon the holiday entirely, a decision made not by Jenna or the absentee father; Philip; but by her grandfather and Grandmother; Ralph and Barbara.
She remembered her mothers physical state when she had been brought back to the hotel room after being found; Jenna had no memory of what had happened, just that lingering sense of terror and the aftereffects of an assault.
No, there wasn’t any mistaking – it was the same mysterious figure “Y-Yasmin” she stuttered “That man is back” she whispered
Yasmin’s attention snapped to Raven, recognising her sudden shift to panic “What man?”
“That man I told you about…, the one that came to visit our table in the hotel restaurant that invited my mum to find him” she said, her gaze no moving from the spot she had seen him “He’s here, I just saw him watching us”
Yasmin’s eyes found the empty spot Raven was staring at – the subtle shift in the atmosphere, a shift accompanied by a change within the breeze, a gentle, pleasant thing initially, now began to pick up, the sky no longer as bright “Are you certain?”
Raven nodded quickly “Positive” she whispered
Outside of the Pleasure Beach, the figure would continue his slow departure, his features hidden beneath a hood, but, his grin twisted those hidden features within the shadow of his hood – he’d found them, now, he thought; the real observation could begin.
Written By: Westley H.
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