Forces Beyond Her

Nina let the force of the machine press her back against the hot metal. The ride began to spin, whirring loudly as the engines revved and momentum built. They spun faster and faster until Nina felt her muscle control release. Her feet were forced back against the grate. Her legs were locked into straight lines. She held on tightly to the hand rails as the round pen began to tilt, turning onto its side as its passengers shrieked and laughed. She'd been waiting for this.

Nina let the weight of her body rest against the bars behind her as physics took over. She could turn her head to the side, but not forward. Forces were against her. She let go of the bars and let gravity play. They were perpendicular to the ground now. She swayed with the movement as her body swirled to the top of the rotation, then was slammed back as they circled toward ground.

Nina watched the little girl across from her. A diametric opposite. Just as Nina felt involuntarily trapped in place, the little girl was in the midst of free movement; laughing, giggling, trying to raise her feet off the ground and let her knees form a triangle in space. Nina had no such urge.

She closed her eyes and let the white noise of being vacuum-packed fill her head. The play of sunshine and darkness filtered through her eyelids. The other passengers continued their intermingling laughter and screams while Nina surrendered to the forces pressing her against the metal cage behind her. Everything was beyond her control right now; she couldn't free herself even if she tried. She smiled. Finally, release.