I remember it as if it were yesterday rather than a year ago. My best friend, Cici, and I were hanging out at her house five miles north of Decorah, IA in the summer of 2002. Cici was acting like a dork and running around the house screaming. When she finally came up with something for us to do, we were going into the middle of the corn field north of her house and were going to play hide-n-seek corn tag. We didn’t realize that was a bad idea at the time.
As Cici was gathering corn from the edge of the cornfield to start playing the game, we heard a faint noise from somewhere in the distance. It sounded like a small canine, so we decided to investigate. Cici brought the corn with, so if it was something bad, she could pelt the corn at it in attempt to scare it away.
“Are you sure we should go in?” I asked being deeply worried, but I admit that was not something unusual for me.

Cici, being the brave one, answered, “Yes! I am 100% positive that nothing bad will happen!” We slowly entered the field keeping our small fears to ourselves.

“Sophia, I bet I can beat you to the source of the sound!” Cici exclaimed.

“Bet’s on, but let's make it more interesting, we have to tie both legs together. Deal?” I suggested knowing I wasn’t that coordinated enough to actually win, but I knew life was too short to be living with regrets.

“Deal.” she said grinning wildly.

After tying our legs together with the nearest cornstalk, we went off expecting to win. Well, Cici was, but I wasn’t.

Cici jumped straight into the field without looking back. She was very energetic looking, and had very quick hopping.

I slowly hopped in the corn field thinking, “We both have our phones, just in case, right?”

Cici was in the lead, but not for long. She stumbled over a cornstalk-she’s very clumsy-and fell right on her face into a monstrous pile of mud. She screamed with laughter as she tried to wipe herself off.

I jumped past her giggling the word, “Sucker.” We both exploded into a laughing fit as I helped her back up, and we set off again.

After triumphantly jumping for a few more minutes, Cici was in the lead once more. She squealed with excitement as the sound of the animal grew closer and closer. She rounded a corner and was suddenly out of sight.

Within the next ten minutes of me losing sight of Cici I got a text message from her. It read, “Hey, I win u lose. It is a …” I kept jumping because not knowing what it was kept me in suspense, and it was killing me.

A few minutes later I found Cici.She was sitting cross-legged in a small stomped down part in the corn, with a small chihuahua. She was stroking its head softly, and it was sitting with much tolerance, almost as it had been expecting something.

I could not believe that the noise we had heard was from a chihuahua. It had seemed too loud to be coming from that small little Chihuahua. “Wow, she is so darn cute, wonder where she came from. Too dainty to be all alone. Come here Squabbles.” I cooed.

“Really Sophia, Squabbles?” she looked annoyed, but I could see a hint of a smile on her face.

“Yes really Cici, Squabbles. It sounds awesome! And it’s my favorite word.” I replied with a weird look.

“Whatever you say, but she’s staying at my house!” she uttered so quickly and quietly that I could barely hear her. She tried standing up, but lost her balance on the uneven land of the field and fell on her butt again. We both exploded into a laughing fit.

Cici, it’s starting to rain we better get out of here!” I screamed when small droplets of rain started to splatter on my face.
Cici asked, “What do we do with the dog?”

“Oh, the dog, well I didn’t think about that. My guess is she will follow us. Let’s just get out of here before we get soaked.” I waited to see her nod in agreement and then ran off looking back every couple of seconds to see if the dog and Cici were following. They were, so I kept running towards her house with a few more rain drops falling on my head.

Cici was running about three rows over when she heard my scream. I felt excruciating pain in my head. I found I was on the dirt floor of the muddy corn stalk path. Cici slowly wandered over to find me, because she sensed I was faking it. She lightly kicked me in the side to see if I would move; I didn’t. I guess by that time I was already knocked out.

Cici whispered, “Sophia, why are you doing this? You are so childish!” Then she started to step away. Soon, she heard the dog yelping in a plead for help. Cici soon realized what was really going on and rushed back over. She checked my pulse. It was very slow and steady. She bolted out of the corn field looking for her mom.

*****

I woke up and was surrounded by many people. Then I noticed I was in a hospital. The room smelled horribly of old people. I assumed it was from all the ones that had died there. I spotted the dog that Cici and I found in the field. She was holding it and it was looking like it was very excited. Everyone was smiling happily at me. My mother asked me, “Are you awake? You’ve been in a coma for a month now!”

Next moment, a young looking doctor walked in. “Hello Sophia, my name is Dr. Higgles and I have been doing many tests on you while you were in that coma.” He handed my a small hand-mirror after telling me his information.

“Wha--, I ain’t giving you any permission! But, why was I in a coma, why are you all staring at me, why-- why am I in a room that smells like old people?” I questioned feeling intruded. I felt I was trapped in a cage at the zoo. I looked into the mirror and saw a small scar on my forehead. “It must be from my fall,” I thought.

“Sophia, I didn’t mean to intrude. I, I was simply trying to see if any brain cells were damaged. I am sorry for barging in, but on the bright side, your brain has not been damaged at all.” Dr. Higgles tried to reassure me. He tried to patch up what he had done.

“Dr. Higgles. Just stop! When am I allowed to leave? That is all I want to know.” I screamed. I found out that I shouldn’t do that because when I screamed it made my head pound.

Cici tried calming me down by saying, “Sophia, Sophia calm down! Everything will be just fine as long as you don’t do anything more to your head!”

Cici, I’m fine. See? I am out of the coma. I can even walk too.” I declared while trying to stand up quick and show her. I about fell down; luckily Cici was there and caught me. I soon started to calm myself down as I laid back down on the lumpy hospital bed, still breathing quite heavily because I was still a little shaken by my small fall.

It was difficult, but I managed to gather my thoughts and stopped freaking out, which was really quite hard, because the next thing I knew, the doctor was telling me I would have to stay in the hospital for another few weeks to recover. Everyone began to leave. I called out to Cici, Cici? Will you stay here for about 10 more minutes if it is okay with your parents?”

She told rather than asked her parents, “ I’ll be out in a few hours. I’m going to stay and talk to Sophia.”
“Hours?” Rita, Cici’ mom, asked being a little confused.
“Of course not mom, minutes. Use your common sense here!” Cici snapped. I could tell that this was not a good day for them. Cici later told me that they had been up since 5:00 AM bickering and getting ready for work.
“Thanks Cici. I, I need someone to talk to. This place is too dull and plain, and too bright and white. I hate it!” I exclaimed after everyone had left.
“Don’t worry Sophia! I have already packed a whole bunch of posters and pictures of us to bring to you! I wanted to bring them earlier, but your mom said I should wait.” she exclaimed.
“Okay thanks Cici,” I replied.
After she left, I fell back asleep, knowing I just had to play it day by day.

Doctor Higgles kept taking more tests, and found out I will be leaving right on time. He didn’t tell me though, he told my family, and my family told the Montgomery’s. The next day Cici had brought the posters and pictures just like she said she would.
Cici, this place, I hate it. It’s still boring even with all these pictures.” I told her.
“Oh. Well, Sophia guess what?” Cici began with much excitement in her voice.
“Oh, what?” I asked, practically screaming, making my head pound again.
“Never mind, I can’t tell you, yet, anyways.” Cici replied.

I couldn’t believe it. I was in the hospital, and she was taunting me! “Unbelievable!” I thought.

*****

After being in the hospital for the 2 weeks of recovering, Cici came to visit me one day and had a very straight face. I was nervous at first, but then she told me that I could come home! I was so excited, partly because I was sick of the nasty hospital food, and because I could go back to my summer vacation.

After packing up my things, including a picture of Cici and I when we went to Kansas, my cell phone, and a duffel bag full of my clothes, Cici and I began walking out to the parking lot where my mother was waiting for us. I could see Squabbles in the back seat.

“Why is Squabbles in the car?” I asked.

“I was going to tell you later, but I guess I’ll tell you now,” she responded. “I am giving you-”

I interrupted before she could finish, “Oh my goodness! Thank you so much! You’re the best!”

She reacted with a simple, “You’re welcome.”

I could not believe she was giving me Squabbles. I was extremely elated because Squabbles was the most adorable stubby creature anyone would ever see.

On that very sad and tragic day when we found Squabbles, I learned that not only should I not accept a bet from Cici ever again, but also that I should really pay attention to where I’m running. I wish I could forget that day, but every day I am reminded of it by the small scar on my forehead where the rock cut my face.