It was summer. A time for excellence… I thought. My Mom would always make me hang out with my sister and her friends. We were both not happy to say the least. It was a tradition that each of the 6 parents would take turns picking  us up from camp each day to do a fun activity after. Today we went swimming. Swimming was always a favorite of mine, the cold water against my sunburnt back, the dream. 

It was my sister's friend, Emily’s parents' day to pick us up from camp. Being the grown 4th grader that I was, I thought that it was an excellent idea for us to be at the pool by ourselves when her parents had to pick up her brother from another day camp. Rarely ever did it cross our minds to do anything out of the ordinary. Today was different. The extremely challenging and life threatening game of swimming through each others legs without touching them. It was my turn…

Excitedly I jumped under the water and go blind instantly, I forgot my goggles. I jump back up immediately, wipe the condensation off of my goggles about to glue them to my face, until I feel a gut wrenching pain in my head, almost like a migraine. Everyone started screaming. Time pauses in a sudden panic. I look at the water and immediately start screaming and running through the water dragging my legs along. She bit my head. The monster with the buck teeth. In a panic, my sister grabs onto me, screaming words at me that sounded like a different language. In a fear of the unknown, my eyes fill up with water and a tear falls down my face. All of a sudden I realized that this mysterious creature that was in the water was following me. My sister, unafraid of this monster in the water, takes me to land to find me help. The taste of metal filled my mouth. The 16 year old lifeguard knew nothing other than to blow his whistle. 

Everyone immediately starts running out of the first aid hut, all the managers, parents, kids, maintenance and workers stop and stare at me, the shyest fourth grader that could possibly exist. In an instant, I was surrounded. 6 strangers that were talking to me asking me questions that I had no Idea on how to answer.  My sister took the reins, as she always does, and spoke for me. As I took the long journey from the orange slide to the first aid room, everyone did not stop staring. My face, bright red with embarrassment. I looked down once again and found that the monster in the water was now all over my bathing suit, hands, face, and hair. While sitting in the first aid room, also known as the guard room, I was surrounded by people interested in what happened and eager to help me. I was not thinking about pain or anything, I was thinking about immediately getting this nasty red liquid off of my brand new favorite bathing suit. However, my attempt to do so failed. 

I have still not said a word since I have gotten out of the water. My sister spoke and spoke until the questions were all answered.  I sat patiently waiting for the moment in which I was able to clean my new bathing suit. My head. My head was ripped open by the angry spikes of ones chewing machines. With no parents around, there was nothing but me and my sister against the world, shocked people that would not let me wash my bathing suit. After what felt like an eternity of stinging peroxide and piles and piles of white gauze pads dyed red, my parents showed up. Freaked out and anxious, they allowed me to wash my bathing suit then rushed me the the black minivan in which I was transported to the hospital. This ride was a constant, “Grace, how do you feel?”, “Grace, do you need more gauze?”, “Grace, we’re almost there sweety!” 

I wanted this moment to be done, the attention, the directions, the pain. I wanted it to be over. 

We have arrived, the place where, supposedly, everyone goes to get immediate help. However, this help does not come for at least an hour, if you're being lucky. Once I get admitted into the hospital room, many doctors come in examining all different aspects, except my head. 

“Open your mouth wide” the doctor demanded in a child’s voice and continued to stick her tongue out at me. “Now follow my finger the best that you can” and she stuck her finger in my face, expecting me to follow her finger without moving my head. I didn’t know how this was humanly possible to do.

After another hour, it is then suggested that I get stitches. My mom and sister were not too happy about this. The lady took out the shaver and started at my head, the buzzing vibrated my head but I mysteriously felt no pain. I was numbed. While I was playing dinosaur games on  the doctor's phone, I saw my sister and my mom bent over the trash can, trying not to make me freak out. When I looked up from her phone, I saw that my mom and my sister were gone. My dad was staring at my head examining the doctors, making sure that they didn't make a mistake.  I now have 3 new stitches in my head and a blanket that the hospital gave me, and headed home. 

A few days later, when I was brushing my hair, I noticed a black string in my hair. I decided it would be a good idea to pull it. I yanked on it, and it was stiff. I brought the string to my dad nervously and asked him what it was and how it got there. My dad was upset, brought me back to the hospital and the process began again. The numbing. The shaving. The continuous monster games. And another prize.