Howard sank to his knees and then sat down on the thick steel plate that comprised the floor of the merry-go-round. He closed his eyes and bit his lip as the centrifugal force created by the device’s spin pulled the skin taut over the small bones of his face. The irrational terror fed on itself, forcing cold rivulets of sweat to spring from his forehead. “What’s happening to me? This is only a damn merry-go-round! There’s nothing to be afraid of!”
Nevertheless, the growing sense of panic mounted until he shivered in fear on the hard metal floor of the merry-go-round. Howard felt his control of his emotions spiral away under the relentless pressure of centrifugal force. The mortification of being shown up as a weak-kneed sissy in front of a playground full of kindergartners caused tears to run down his cheeks and fly off into the wind.