Today was Fancy Dress Day at the theme park. Mark and his elder brother, Paul, both had birthdays recently. So to celebrate, their father bought tickets to the theme park for the whole family. Actually, their dad worked there. Mark didn’t know for sure what their dad’s job was, but he knew he had to wear a costume. Somehow, their father never wanted to reveal his costume to them!
The boys prepared their outfits. Paul wore a pirate’s hat and an eyepatch. It was too cold outside for him to wear a striped t-shirt, so instead he put on a striped coat. Now he was a pirate! Mark wore a long blue cloak and a matching eye mask, to look like a superhero. He wanted to be a superhero in real life, but his brother always says that one cannot be a superhero if they go to school.
Their dad promised he would spend at least an hour with the boys at the theme park, and then he would go back to work. He first pointed-out the best roller coasters and other cool activities. He knew them all: the water slide, the racing circuit, and the stands holding competitions for kids. At one of the stands, Paul tried throwing the ball into the tin tower and managed to win a toy water gun. After that, they rode on the carousel and then went to see the large pirate ship. It swayed ominously from side to side, like it was being tossed about by huge waves.
“Can we try it?” Paul couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Only if you’re brave enough,” his father replied. “C’mon, let’s go!”
As Mark stared at the enormous ship, his legs started trembling. He was a bit afraid, but he didn't want…