“What are you doing?!” Richie screams at me. He yanks on my arm and I almost lose my balance.
“What? I’m getting your ball. Isn’t that what you wanted?” What’s the matter with him? He releases me, and drops his head.
“Yeah, just....just don’t hurt yourself.” I’m taken aback. I’ve never climbed out of this tree before, but I’m not worried about falling. He’s worried for me, and that’s what I don’t understand. I just met this kid. I shake the thought out of my mind. He just wants his ball back, and he’s too scared to get it himself.
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” I say, carefully lowering myself onto my roof. It’s a little slippery. I stagger, and Richie reaches out, ready to grab me if I fall. When I’m balanced, I give him a thumbs up. Slowly, I walk across the roof, leaning on the wood of my house for support. Richie’s ball teeters on the corner of the house, right next to our aspen tree. It will be easy to grab it, and that upsets me. I want to show off a little. I turn to look at the boy leaning out of the window.
“What are you doing? It’s right there!”
“Watch this!” I say, scooting closer to the tree.
“Are you sure about this?” Richie calls from the window. I roll my eyes.
“Yeah! It’s totally fine! Just be quiet or I’ll fall!” He shuts up. I stretch to the tree branch, and try to find a good handling on the bark. It’s a little slick, but I think I’ll be okay. I step off the roof and grasp the tree. When all I feel is air, I know I made a huge mistake.
The world goes whooshing by me and then next think I know I’m on the ground, and there’s a huge snap! My arm really hurts. I can’t breathe. Why can’t I breathe?! Everything goes dark.
*******
I hear my surroundings before I see them. There is a low beeping sound, and murmuring voices that I can’t make out. I feel a throbbing in both my head and my arm. What happened to me? Everything is so dark. Why won’t my eyes open? Claustrophobia creeps in. I need to get out before I suffocate. Where am I? Where was I? What happened? Finally, a voice calls me out of my nightmare.
“Mackenna? Mackenna? Can you hear me? Mackenna Clark, hello?” I do not recognize this voice. I will my eyes to open. They won’t. I will my mouth to open. Thankfully, it cooperates.
“Where am I?” I manage to whisper. I cough to clear my throat. I hear a sigh of relief from the right of me.
“Mackenna, are you okay? Can you open your eyes?” I grunt. Doesn’t this person realize that’s what I’ve been trying to do?
“I wish. Who are you?” Before my companion answers, more people enter the room.
“Is she conscious?” A deep voice asks.
“Barely. She says she can’t open her eyes. Why can’t she open her eyes?” The voice of my companion is that of a young boy. This is weird because I don’t know any young boys. Honestly, I don’t know anyone. School hasn’t started yet, and I just moved here, so I haven’t gotten the chance to meet anyone. That is, anyone except Penny Jackson. I like Penny. We need to have a sleepover. It seems like forever since I’ve seen...
Then it hits me. Penny’s in Paris. I haven’t seen her in two weeks. Since she left, I’ve spent the summer locked in my room, crying my eyes out.
“She’s alright,son, it’s just the sedatives wearing off. She should be able to get her eyes open soon enough.” Sedatives? What happened to me? Then I remember my tree at home, it was wet, and...I was trying to get something...and then falling, falling, falling...
The pain of remembering shocks my eyes open and I jerk upright. I gasp as I’m thrown back on the bed. A searing pain in my left arm brings tears to my eyes. But that doesn’t matter- I can see! Hovering above my face are two giant cloudy gray eyes. Great. Now I can’t breathe. The eyes dart away and the boy’s face is gone. A new face enters my vision and I’m staring at an old man. Well, he’s not really old-he’s maybe in his forties. His eyes are kind.
“Hello Mackenna.” He says warmly.
“Hello,” I answer. “If you don’t mind me asking, am I in a hospital?” The man smiles at me.
“As a matter of fact, you are. I’m Doctor Franklin. Your parents are on their way.” Oh boy.
“What exactly is wrong with me?” I ask softy. Doctor Franklin looks at me funny.
“Well, from what your friend said, you took a rather nasty fall. Since you’ve been here, we have found you shattered your elbow and you have a minor concussion. It may be a tad difficult to remember some things.” Well, that explains why my head hurts.
“Is it really bad? Can I get up?” I ask. He nods, but cautions me to be careful. I sit up, slower than last time, and look around.
The room is all white and hospital looking. I’m the only patient in my room. Doctor Franklin stands next to my bed, looking at a clipboard he’s holding in his hand. The boy sits on a plastic chair on the other side of my bed. He looks at me nervously until he realizes I’m watching him watch me. His face flushes and he looks down. For some strange reason, my heart skips a beat. I look back at the doctor.
“Do you remember anything from before you came?” He asks me gently. I nod.
“I remember...a roof. My roof. And there was a reason I was up there, and then falling...that’s all.” Franklin nods.
“Do you remember this young man?” He asks, gesturing to my companion. Something is familiar, yes, but I’m not sure how. He obviously has something to do with it, I mean, he’s here, isn’t he?
“Did you push me off the roof?” His eyes are startled as he shakes his head no. “What are you doing here anyway?” He looks at the Doc before answering.
“I’m Richie. R-Richie Jacobs. I was j-just playing soccer, I p-promise!” He stammers. I cock my head, struggling to remember. Richie Jacobs? Soccer? I stare at him, and our eyes meet. I’m distracted by those eyes. Cloudy grey and just...enchanting. I’m sure I have seen them before, but where?
“OH!” I gasp. Richie Jacobs. I remember! The doctor looks at me anxiously.
“Are you alright, Mackenna?” I nod as I smile at Richie.
“I remember everything. You see, sir, my friend here misplaced his ball on my roof. As it was on my house, I felt it was my responsibility to retrieve it for him, but I slipped.” I look back at the doctor. assuming that Richie called 911 or I wouldn’t be here right now.” I sneak another glance at Richie, who’s flushing at the cool hospital tile.
