Riding on Perspective

One of our writing group's exercises included writing the same experience from two different perspectives.  Here's what I came up with...  

Riding on Perspective

HER

She leaned forward in eager anticipation for the wild ride ahead.  The little car that they were safely strapped into took them slowly up, up, up the clicking track giving her time to admire the magnificent view that slowly revealed itself the higher they climbed.  “This is the bees knees”, she thought to herself.  “This is the cat’s meow, the cow’s moo, and the grasshoppers’ elbows all in one!”   She squeezed the hand of the man beside her – too breathless with excitement to be able to comment aloud on how much fun she knew they were about to have.  She felt the pressure of his hand in return signifying agreement.  She glanced at his profile and noted his raised eyebrows and grinning mouth.  He was as excited as she was.  She laughed out loud as the coaster topped the first hill.  She let go of his hand so she could raise both her arms in the air and thrill in the moment of their companionship, her beating heart, and the ride!

HIM

“Don’t throw up, don’t throw up” he thought to himself as they began to climb the mountain of… of… TERROR.  He squeezed his eyes shut to close out the dizzying heights that the devil ride was taking them to then quickly opened them again.  Ack! That was far worse.   His crazed imagination had instantly flashed to him all the many gruesome ways one could die on a rollercoaster during the two seconds that his eyes had been shut. Gah!! How could he have let himself be talked into taking this ride into insanity and beyond.  What had possessed him to partake in this potentially painful and preposterous parade towards purgatory??  He felt a movement beside him and almost screamed aloud in horrible fright until he realized it was just Her taking hold of his hand.  “Poor thing.  She must be even more terrified than I am.”  The thought helped to steady him. His eyes might be the size of scared saucers, and his mouth frozen in a freakishly fearful grimace but the thought of being strong for Her helped calm him enough to believe he could possibly endure this hell-ride without losing his lunch.   He heard her laugh....wait, LAUGH?  Suddenly there was no more time for thinking, or fear, or hand holdin... “eeeeeaaaarrrrRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”