Land of Joy

The sun began its descent as Jackson entered the amusement park. As he approached the park, he was enamored with the kaleidoscope of colors.

"Welcome to the Land of Joy! For how many?" asked the ticket seller in front of Jackson.

"Just one, please," Jackson answered while looking up at the sight of the rides.

"Here you go! We hope you have a great time!" the ticket seller smiled as they handed over Jackson's ticket.

Upon entering it, he wandered through the park as if it were a labyrinth. Each adjacent pathway leads to different destinations.

One led to the thrilling rollercoaster, and another led to the packed food court. One even led to the massive public bathrooms.

In the amusement park, you can see children running around without worries. Meanwhile, the adults are busy chasing after them. Ensuring their safety.

Jackson's legs moved like an autopilot would. It guided him to the nearest ride, which was a classic carousel.

The cheerful tunes that emanated from it drew him closer to it. While the staff stopped the carousel momentarily, Jackson hopped on a majestic white horse, gripping the brass pole.

"Mommy! The brown one!" a little girl shouted from in front of him.

"Up you go," her mother said as she lifted her onto the brown horse in front of Jackson.

When the ride started, the mother-daughter duo started giggling away. Their infectious laughter got to Jackson.

After the ride ended, Jackson couldn't help but be dejected. But those kinds of emotions would wash away as he glanced at the mother-daughter pairing.

"Wasn't that fantastic?" asked the mother to her daughter as she unloaded her off the horse.

"I was flying, mommy!" exclaimed the daughter.

With his inner child fulfilled, he wanted to feel like a macho man. He gulped down his nervousness and turned it into enthusiasm to ride the roller coaster.

"How many more steps?" he mumbled to himself.

Jackson was exhausted from the intense waiting time. So much so that his nervousness was surging back up.

"You're not going to back out now, are you?" said a girl to what seemed like her boyfriend.

"Of course not!" the boyfriend said with his chest out.

After waiting for a few more minutes, Jackson and the couple were finally in front. When it was their turn to ride, Jackson noticed the quivering legs of the boyfriend. He chuckled.

"Sit tight and enjoy the ride!" said the staff member as they secured the belts of the passengers.

As they strapped Jackson, he noticed the person next to him was also a solo rider. He was very quiet and wasn't talking to anyone present.

For a few moments before the ride took off, they looked at each other. Without saying a single word, they merely exchanged smiles.

"Here we go~!" said the ride operator as they pulled down on a giant lever.

Everybody's screams could be heard from miles away. It was further intensified when the coaster would go downhill or through loops and twists.

"Why did we do this…!" said the rider next to Jackson.

"I know, right?!" responded Jackson, with his jaw pulled back from the air tension.

"This is incredible!" yelled out the rider next to him with a huge smile on their face.

As the roller coaster subsided, both looked at each other and then shared a triumphant high-five. They would never meet again after that.

After the crazy roller coaster ride, Jackson decided it was time to take a break. He scoured the park and then found a cozy little corner with a vendor that was selling hot dogs and soda.

"One of each, please," Jackson ordered as he sat down on the bench.

"Sure thing," replied the vendor.

While he waited for his order, he observed his surroundings. It was a delight, no matter where he looked.

Families were sharing moments, friends laughing along, and couples holding hands. Everyone was enjoying the park in their way.

"Here you go," the vendor smiled as he handed Jackson his meal.

"Is every day always this wonderful?" said Jackson, his eyes gleaming.

The vendor sat down with him and answered. "Of course, and I get to witness this sight every time."

Jackson smiled along before gobbling down his hot dog and soda. He sat there, enjoying his food, and was accompanied by the glimmering atmosphere.

As the sunlight started to disappear, Jackson headed to the Ferris wheel that was looming from a distance. Its shadow was cast throughout the park.

Since he was young, the Ferris wheel has always been his favorite ride. It had an allure that he couldn't resist.

When he arrived at the back of the line, he was astonished. He expected that there'd be more people waiting in line, especially at this time of the day.

Without waiting for long, he arrived at the front of the line. The attendant ushered him into the Ferris wheel cabin.

As he slowly got to the peak, he gazed out at the stars that were beginning to appear. He was frozen in place by the beauty in front of him.

The rhythmic creaking provided an unusual sense of ease for him. In these simple moments, he felt nothing but gratitude for the life he had lived.

"I love this job," said the operator as they gazed out the park's lights as it turned into night.

The park shows its true color at night. Even the once-lifeless bushes would resurrect when the lights were turned on.

As the ride slowly descended, Jackson had a grin of satisfaction on his face. He relearned the joy of being in the moment.

He appreciated the beauty of the world. Along with the confirmation that even alone, happiness can be found, even the simplest of things can make others happy.

"Thanks for the ride," said Jackson.

"You're welcome. Enjoy your evening," said the operator as they waved to Jackson.

However, as Jackson walked out of the park, he felt a powerful knock against his body. When he turned around, he found his classmate had fallen to the ground.

"Are you okay?" asked Jackson as he extended his hand.

"Yeah, sorry for bumping into you," his classmate said, taking his hand and getting up from the ground.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Jackson asked another question.

"To the forest," answered his classmate as he wiped away specks of dust from his clothes.

"This late in the day?" asked Jackson.

"Now is the best time," said his classmate with unwavering eyes.