On top of the roller coaster, Sammy’s priority had not been looking for a way out of the park. It would have hardly mattered if she couldn’t find a way off the death-trap ride in the first place. She wasn’t kicking herself for that decision now that they were on the ground either. When it came to matters of life and death, she found that it was important to stay alert and present in the here and now; letting your mind linger on things you could have done would only lead you to another dangerous situation – one where there might be no out at all. Sammy took a deep breath as they began to run in the direction of shelter to block out the pain of her throbbing wrist. She made a conscious effort to keep it straight; an assessment of the wound would have to come later, when they had a moment to breathe.
Sammy felt a growing nervousness inside her as they entered the building that she wasn’t entirely convinced was only coming from the others. Working with a group meant making several decisions that she otherwise wouldn’t have made on her own. For one, she would not have chosen a building with no visible second exit. There was every chance that they were going to get cornered and be forced to fight their way out. It was questionable whether or not Sammy would make it out of direct confrontation, let alone the others. But she followed the group despite her reservations. At the end of the day, Sammy knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she abandoned the others.
No sooner had she set foot through the door, Sammy began looking for two things: a splint and a weapon. She was by no means an expert in first aid, but she had watched her mom field dress wounds a time or two. Grabbing four thick, oversized pencils, she lined them going down her forearm, two on either side of her wrist. To hold them in place, she began wrapping a pair of knee-high socks around her arm tight enough to keep it from moving. The trouble came when it was time to tie it off. She looked up from her work and approached the nearest person: the other brunette girl. “Tie this off for me? Don’t be afraid to make it tight.” Once it was tied, Sammy tested it by trying to bend her wrist; nothing happened, which was exactly what she wanted. Now, to find a weapon.