What I did well on : My ending statement and some of my word plays.

What I would like to improve on : Trying to show the story instead of telling it.

The Foreign Fearful Ride

What is he saying? Oh my gosh. Am I going to die?

Well, let’s start from the beginning. It’s a gorgeous day in Costa Rica: the sun is shining, birds are chirping and it’s just the right temperature. A wonderful day to go, I must say. My mom, my friend Daniel, and myself hail a taxi.

The taxi that drives up near the hotel lobby is not what I expect. The taxi is absolutely disgusting, horrific, and some could say frightful. Not a good first impression. The taxi driver rolls down his window ever so slightly, and I see a creepy old man with one hand on the wheel yelling, “Get in the car now” in his Spanish accent. Its going to be an interesting ride.

My mom gets in the front and me and Daniel in the back. Surprisingly, the inside of this car looks better than the outside. With Spanish music playing in the background and comfortable cushions, this ride could possibly be enjoyable. Daniel and I talk to each other like there’s no one around; our conversations could go on forever.

Mid-conversation, I feel my body shifting to the other side of the car. No, we didn’t get into a car accident, but the taxi driver did make a sharp right turn. In sudden panic, I realize we aren’t going where we said he had to take us. We’re now driving down an alley and the sky is dark. Is that a sign something bad is going to happen? My eyes are looking back and fourth, from window to window, from my mom to Daniel. Where were we going? I must say something: “Um, excuse me sir, where are you taking us? I thought we were going to the park?” I said in a nervous voice. He turned his head 180 degrees like a demonic creature in a horror movie and smirked at me. He did not answer, I only got one spine-chilling smirk.

He continued to drive down the never-ending alley but it was only seconds until he started to slow down. The man rolls down his window to find a few men outside. They communicate in Spanish, which none of us understands. Also, did I mention that we didn’t have our phones? Yes, another smart idea. This is the most unnerving feeling I’ve ever had. He keeps pointing at me and Daniel. What is he saying? Oh my gosh. Am I going to die? It might be an exaggeration but there are so many things that could happen to me right now: I could get kidnapped, robbed, killed, someone could even cut me up and sell my organs. But that’s too gruesome, and probably won’t happen. But imagine being in a foreign country, down an alley in a taxi with a creepy old man who can barely speak English. I stay calm though, and Daniel does as well because he’s feeling the exact same fear as I am. It’s the feeling when your riding a rollercoaster and it finally goes down, your stomach drops. Meanwhile, my mom is intrigued by what’s happening, but keeping calm.

The taxi driver finishes talking with those men. Are they initiation their plan now? The wait is finally over, I can see where this nasty old man will take me. He starts up his engine and starts to drive away. We go further down into the alley, I’ve had enough and I scream, “Where are you taking us? Take us back to our hotel right now!”.

“Okay”, he grunted in his creepy voice.

Was it that easy? Did I only have to scream?

A few minutes later we are back at our hotel, its so humid and hot, but not as heated as I am. I jump out of the car as soon as I can, I am not giving him any money. Standing in the lobby, I’m still wondering what those men talking about and if they had any plans to do anything to us. What if we were lucky and their next victim isn’t? The lesson I learned here is always be prepared if anything suspicious happens, always have your phone, and always speak up when you need. (Who knows? I could’ve been their little foreign treat.)