ENCHANTED FOREST PLAYLAND

TOLEDO, OHIO 2000–2005

I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember going up that first incline on the roller coaster. I can still hear the clink, clink, clink of the chains pulling the cars upward. As soon as you reached the top, there would be an almost deafening silence, immediately followed by screams and laughter. In those few moments, it was pure bliss.

Years later, I’m here inside the broken remnants of this abandoned amusement park, and I gaze over to where the big roller coaster used to be. I remember riding all these rides and then, later at night, sitting on a blanket by the lake under the stars watching fireworks. I miss it all.

I can’t remember what I did yesterday, but I can remember everything I did here.