While walking around a fair with some other people, I saw before me the largest roller coaster I had ever seen. Its shape was also the strangest I had ever seen. First, the tracks rose vertically about 100 meters, then turned horizontally to the right for about 100 meters. The amazing part was that on the horizontal section, the roller coaster traveled on the underside of the tracks so the riders were upside down. The tracks then made a loop back, and continued in several twists and loops back to the ground. As I watched one set of riders go around the track, I was astonished that in two places the cars actually left the track, spiraled into mid-air, and finally pulled back to the track by magnetism or centrifugal forces. I decided immediately and told my companions that I definitely wasn't getting on that roller coaster.

As we continued to watch, we were suddenly shocked to see one car fly off the top of the track, and fail to return to the track as it was supposed to. The car plummeted off the right side of the track, obviously headed to a disastrous crash. But suddenly, when it was perhaps 20 meters from the ground, the car stopped in mid air, held by a metal cable which obviously was attached for safety measures.

It looked as if everyone at the fair had seen the accident, and a crowd surged toward the roller coaster. I also pushed my way through to where the car was hanging.

***

I had climbed up the girders of the roller coaster to try to rescue the people in the dangling car. It looked as if four or five people were inside. Another man was already above me, and he signaled to me to grab a white rope hanging near me. I grabbed the rope and both he and I began pulling on it. As we pulled, the dangling car began to descend. The man climbed down and I was left to pull the rope by myself. It wasn't difficult, and I soon had pulled the rope enough to lower the car to the ground. I was happy I had been able to help.

***

I was on the ground where people were scurrying about in effort to get the other cars down from the roller coaster track. When the one car had flown off, all of the other cars had stopped in their tracks. Tools being used in the effort were scattered around the ground. Several nice knives with wooden handles were lying on the ground. Thinking I would like to have some of the knives, I picked up a few and hid them on the ground by covering them with some loosed sod. Since the rescue operation was almost at an end, I didn't think the knives would be needed, and I would return for them later.

***

Once the rescue was completed, everyone seemed to disappear, except for me and the man responsible for the roller coaster. He was cleaning up the tools from the area, and began giving me orders to help. I knew I didn't have to help, since I didn't work for him, but I thought I would anyway. Mostly I saw plates and dishes scattered around on the ground, and I began picking them up. I felt a little guilty about the knives, since I was now helping the man, but I still didn't uncover them.

As I worked, I recalled that I had been to the fair the year before, and had met a swarthy boy (about 10 years old) who had been working for the man. I asked the man if he knew what had happened to the boy, but he didn't. Like so many other people in my life, the boy had come and gone, probably never to be seen again.

***

Once our job was done, I left with the man in his car. He looked Hispanic, probably in his mid 30s. He soon pulled into a small cafe, and we both walked inside. We sat down at the counter and he told me I could eat whatever I wanted. I figured he was trying to repay me for my help. He ordered some breakfast and I did the same – only I ordered three portions of each item. When my food came and I began eating, I realized I had ordered too much, and I could hardly finish the first portion. I saw no way I was going to be able to eat the second and third portions, and I didn't know why I had ordered so much.

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