The Nightmare Essay, Research Paper

I couldn’t wait for my family and I to take our annual vacation. It was during those times that I enjoyed myself most. I had anticipated this vacation to be the best. After all, I was going to Disney World, which was the greatest place in the world. Little did I know I was about to embark on a journey that would leave a permanent scar in my memory. The incident took place more than twelve years ago, yet I can recall the date and time as if it were yesterday. The date, Saturday, June 20, 1988; the time, 2:00 in the afternoon. The sun was at its peak and felt as if it was hot enough to fry an egg in the middle of the street.

As the large doughy hand reached down to grab mine, I began to panic. My palms began to sweat and I could feel my heart pumping wildly. This giant monstrosity before me was huge. I had never been so frightened. The closer the hand got to mine the more intense my heartbeat. The faster my heart raced the more frightened I became. I could hear my mother’s sweet, faint voice from beside me saying, “Go ahead, honey, shake his hand.” I remember looking at her and then looking at the hand getting closer to me. I couldn?t take it anymore and immediately took off like a bolt of lightening. I was running to save my life. I ran through hordes of people who were talking so loudly I couldn’t hear myself think. I had no idea where I was going. The sweet smell of cotton candy was in the air. I could feel gum underneath my shoes and I could see traces of peanuts on the ground. I continued to run faster and faster. As I continued to run I could hear a song repeating the same words over and over again. The words were simple yet very agitating. ?It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all, it’s a small small world after all.? Those words rang in my mind and I can still hear them today.

There were lots of other kids around that looked to be my age having the time of their lives. Yet I was beyond frustration and was having the worst time of my life. I eventually slowed down to take a closer look at my surroundings. Just when I thought it was safe I saw another giant coming my way. This giant was almost identical to the one that had approached me before, but it wore a dress with polka dots on it and a big red bow was sitting at the top of its head. It appeared as though it was trying to get me too. It’s funny because over the hundreds and thousands of voices in the air I could, again, hear my mother’s voice. The sweet, faint, sound of her voice I had heard once before had changed into a voice of frustration and anger. She had to go through the same crowds of people I was going through to catch me. She was pleading for me to stop. She didn’t understand that my feet were unable to stop running. She didn’t understand that each time I tried to stop another giant quickly approached me with a huge smile, resembling that of the Joker from Batman. She didn’t realize I had to continue my journey into the unknown. I had to run as if I was on some great mission for the FBI. This great mission would decide whether I lived or died.

Something strange happened next. I thought I had lost the giants and that I was safe. I said to myself in a whisper that if I could run up the approaching steps, I would be able to see if the coast was clear. See, I remember the last time I stopped to look around another giant came in my midst. This time I had to be smarter than before. I ran up the steps while hardly breathing. After catching two good breaths, I turned around only to see the face of my mother who looked as if she could use a glass of water. She had sweat popping out from everywhere. She quickly grabbed me and began to ask me why I had run off so far. I tried explaining to her that those giants she wanted me to take pictures with didn’t seem friendly to me at all. They had big ears, big noses, and feet the size of elephants. Well, they had the biggest feet I’d ever seen. She explained to me that they were harmless and that I had nothing to be afraid of. I wanted to believe her, but I couldn’t. I simply asked that we cut our day short and go back to the hotel. She complied if for no other reason than she was pretty tired herself. The rest of my family quickly gathered around me with looks of aggravation as if I was the cause of their entire day being ruined. I didn’t care because I was getting ready to leave the place that brought much turmoil to my life. I was preparing to leave the place that many referred to as the greatest place on earth. I was leaving Disney World, a place where memories are made, nightmares emerge, and dreams turn to disaster.