“Why did they leave her alone?”
“Why did they leave who alone?”
“Belinda. Why did they leave her alone? While she was distraught. Over accidentally killing her twin sister. Why did they all go to a soccer game and allow her to be alone at the house with no one watching her?”
“ ‘Cause..our family is fucked up. You and I would understand something like that, but people 20 years older than us didn’t go to suicide prevention workshops in elementary school. They wouldn’t assume Belinda was suicidal. We’ve been trained to look for the signs. They just figured they were doing her a favor by giving her some time to herself..I don’t know..it’s fucked up.”
“It’s extremely fucked up.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.”
“How old were they?”
“Fourteen.”
“Fuck. You. Why would you tell me that shit?”
“It seemed to fit..the conversational..flow.”
“No it did not fit the conversational flow.”
“Well it seemed to me that it did.”
Clarity shakes her head.
“Give me another one.”
“Another one what?”
“One of those crazy..an amusement park death..quick! I need one.”
I get out my phone.
“Ok, uh, in 2006 a man swallowed too much water at Typhoon Lagoon in Disney World.”
“Did he die??”
“I don’t know.”
“Give me one where they died,” Clarity says.
“Uh..ok..Six Flags America..Two Face: Flip Side, the ride: the train was stuck on the lift because of a failed mechanism of some sort. Once the train returned to the station, the hydraulic line was severed, causing hydraulic fluid to spray on several riders. Twelve people needed medical attention..two were taken to the hospital to be treated. The riders only suffered minor injuries.”
“I want one where people died.”
“Ok..hold on..this is good..Disneyland, 1974. An 18-year-old employee was crushed to death between a revolving wall and a stationary platform inside the America Sings attraction.”
“Read that one.”
“She was in the wrong place during a ride intermission; it was unclear whether this was due to inadequate training or a misstep as the ride had been open for only two weeks by this time.”
“So she died?”
“Yeah, she died! She was crushed to death between a revolving wall and a stationary platform so I’d say she’s dead. The ride closed for two days and was subsequently refitted with breakaway walls.”
“Give me another one.”
“Ok, ok, Disney..this is good. March 10, 1998. A 5-year-old boy was seriously injured when his foot became wedged between the passenger car’s running board and the edge of the platform—”
“Did he die?”
“No but they had to amputate all the toes on his left foot!”
“Read me ones where people died!”
“September 5, 2003. A 22-year-old man died after suffering severe blunt force trauma and extensive internal bleeding in a derailment of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster that also injured 10 other riders.”
“Thank you,” Clarity says.
She appeared calmed so I continued.
“As the train entered a tunnel, the axle came loose and jammed against a brake section, causing the locomotive to become airborne and hit the ceiling of the tunnel. The locomotive then fell on top of the first passenger car, crushing the victim.”
Clarity’s whole body relaxes.
I read her more.
“On December 24, 1998—more Disneyland—a heavy metal cleat fastened to the hull of the Sailing Ship Columbia tore loose, striking one employee and two park guests. One of the guests, a 33-year-old man, died of a head injury. The normal tie line, an inelastic hemp rope designed to break easily, was improperly replaced for financial reasons by an elastic nylon rope which stretched and tore the cleat from the ship’s wooden hull. Disney received much criticism for this incident due to its alleged policy of restricting outside medical personnel from the park to avoid frightening visitors!”
“Fuckers.”
“May 15, 1964. Disneyland’s first fatality. A 15-year-old boy was injured after he stood up in the Matterhorn Bobsleds and fell out. His restraint was undone by his ride companion.”
“Good friend.”
“Yeah. The boy died three days later as a result of his injuries. In 1972, four teenage girls were riding the people mover when one teenager lost her mouse ears cap.”
“Aww.”
“She and her cousin jumped onto the track to retrieve it. Realizing they’d have to get on a different people mover car, the first girl successfully got into a car, while the second girl ran through a tunnel—”
“Smart.”
I laugh.
“—and out the exit where she fell over a guard rail and onto the concrete 30 feet below.”
“Did she die?”
“No, but I thought you’d like the part about the mouse ears cap.”
“I do. You’re starting to know me. We’re bonding!”
Clarity leans over and punches me in the arm.
“I think you’ll like this one. Disneyland. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. On September 22, 2000, a four-year-old boy—”
“Oh, I love it already. This one’s making my pussy wet.”
“—a four-year-old boy fell out of the ride vehicle and was dragged underneath the car, causing serious internal injuries, cardiac arrest and brain damage.”
“Did he die?”
“Yes he died nine years later after almost a decade of suffering.”
“Are there more?”
“Well, there’s a lot of suicides, there’s the fact that if you lose a finger while shooting a fake rifle at one of the carnival games these parks don’t even have to report it because the safety commission only regulates what happens on rides. But this one..this one is choice..and I’ve saved it for the end..because I am not reading you Disneyland injuries all day—”
“So this is Disneyland?”
Clarity scoots up like she’s trying to get a better look at a television.
“I’m on a Disneyland page.”
“Fuckin’ sweet,” she says, stuffing a cigarette in her mouth the wrong way, then turning it with the filter in her mouth. It takes her multiple flicks of the lighter to get the thing lit.
“But this is the last one.”
“Is it a fatality?”
I hesitate.
“No. But it’s worth it,” I say.
“Better be or I’m making you read me a fatality.”
“Don’t worry. Are you ready?”
She blows out some smoke and says, “Yes.”
“Quoting Wikipedia. A 1981 case tried an employee who was playing Winnie the Pooh. It was alleged that this costumed employee slapped a child and caused bruising, recurring headaches and possible brain damage. The worker testified that the girl was tugging at his costume from behind. When he turned around, he accidentally struck the girl in her ear.”
“In her ear?”
“It says in her ear. At one point, the employee entered the courtroom after recess in the Pooh costume and responded to questions while appearing on the witness stand as Pooh would, including dancing a jig! Appearing as Pooh he showed the jury that the costume’s arms were too low to the ground to slap a girl of the victim’s height.”
Clarity is cracking up by now.
“The jury acquitted the worker after deliberating for 21 minutes. Now, can we go ride a rollercoaster and get our heads chopped off or something?”
“You’re not bad, Matthew. You’re not bad.”
And Clarity grabs her things to go.