As I dangled there from the harness, I looked beneath me, against the advice of others. What awaited me beneath was more than frightening.

I was most likely about eleven years old at the time. Going on a trip to St. Augustine was not quite as exciting as something like Walt Disney World or Universal Studios, but I can always appreciate a vacation. The trip was an enjoyable one. My family and I went to a fort there and visited the beach. I do not remember much from said trip, but there was one experience that I can recall nearly every detail of.

At the end of the trip, we decided to go to an alligator farm near St. Augustine.

The alligator farm was a fun time, until we went on the ropes course.

From the moment I saw the ropes course, I was hesitant to go on it. My brother was eager to ride across the zip-lines and traverse through obstacles. My parents were able to convince me to join them. I enjoyed myself at the beginning. The obstacles were not too bad, but the zip-lines made things a bit more complicated.

About halfway through the course, we came across the longest zip-line up to this point, an intimidating sight. I was the first person to cross the gap.

Midway through the zip-line, I slowed myself down to a stop.

I did this way too early. Once I had reached a complete stop, I realized that I screwed up. A large distance still laid between myself and the platform at the end of the line. I could hear my family and workers yelling over to me. I was being told to try to pull myself across.

My hands grasped the metal wire and I begin hoisting my body towards the platform. After what felt like a lifetime of pulling, I could not do it.

When my eyes moved down to behold what was waiting beneath me, my fear built even further. Alligators were on the ground, a few dozen feet under me.

A worker came to my rescue after awhile.

I knew that if my harness were to give out and I fell from this zip-line, I would be lunch for some very happy alligators. Luckily, one of the workers that was trained on these courses was able to come out and help me over to the platform.

Never did I finish that ropes course. I waited on the ground as the rest of my family enjoyed themselves in the trees.

I now have a fear of zip-lines and have not been on one ever since.