In one moment the world you know can change o'so drastically. When I had just turned 13 years old my world changed. It was a few days after my birthday in the month of June my friend and I decided to go swimming at a local spot in the area. The spot was called the number 10. The number 10 was a swimming hole with three ledges you can jump off each at about 20 feet high. I had swam there plenty of times prior. I could jump off all the ledges and always feel safe. As we were swimming other people showed up to swim.

As people started to come I had told my friend I was ready to leave. We swam out of the water, and proceeded to dry off. The other people who came started a small fire in which I stood around to get dry. While drying, I heard small whispers from a man, his girlfriend and their friend. I thought nothing of it. Just as I was about to change my clothes, the man had grabbed me, and lifted me up off the ground. I was facing him, screaming for him to let me down as he walked towards the edge of the ledge. As he got closer I got more frantic and panicked more. Everyone was looking at me as I was screaming in terror. The man said something to me but just as we approached the edge I could not hear it because my senses were crowded with fear. Just after that moment I felt my body leave his arms, I grabbed onto the collar of his shirt. After grabbing his shirt, my life and everything in it turned black.

I saw what looked like a long hallway of darkness that never seemed to end. Moment’s later images of me in the water flashed before my eyes. It was like something out of a movie, I saw bubbles from the current and from me, as this was happening I was going in and out of consciousness being hurled around in the water. The blackness and images settled, it was just black... Chatter from all around was going on but I could not comprehend the noise. As I opened my eyes there were quads and people. I started going in and out of consciousness. As I was going in and out I remember a man strapping me to himself with his shirt, he also asked me questions and my responses were just slurred words as I was lifelessly attached to him. When I finally regained total consciousness I was crying on the porch at my house.

My own mother even questioned if I was her son because I was so mangled. Shortly after an ambulance arrived, I was put into it. I could only feel pain and numbness. I watched the EMS treat my wounds and give me a few shots I could not feel it. As the ambulance dropped me off at the hospital I was in shock physically and mentally. I had been placed on a table, doctors and nurses started working on and around me, it was like clockwork. As I watched all of them do their jobs a million questions circled around my like what happened? How did I get here? Why am I being worked on? All the while I just lay there quiet.

Out of a door came my parents I looked at them and they looked at me. I had never seen my parents so distressed and worried especially my dad, he looked like he had seen a ghost. Just as they got there I then had to get checked by machines. I was placed in the multiple machines that night, as results came back I found my leg got 6 stitches, my arms were cut up and bruised my hip was bruised, and to top it all off there is a bleed spot in the back of my brain. To help stop the bleeding, doctors gave me pills and had me stay the night at the hospital. I never wanted to go home more in my life than that night, but what was I going to do I can hardly hold myself up.

The next morning came I was so incredibly sore. I had wanted to go home, I asked my parents to take me home, and my parents asked a nurse if I could leave. The nurse told us if I wanted to leave the hospital I must do three things I must eat, walk by myself, and get cleared by the doctor. The nurse brought me food, I wasn’t hungry but I ate what I could, the food looked so fake. I had stood up from the hospital bed. My bones and muscles in my body ached but I was determined to go home, After 2 hours of waiting for a doctor to see me no doctor had seen me but, a doctor that read my charts sent clearance papers and other papers saying how I should take care of myself. I finally got the doctor's approval to leave!

I was on my way home, family and friends started to call and visit. I felt so loved, I never knew how many people really cared about me. In fact prior to all of this, the morning of the incident I had been telling myself no one cares about me, I don't matter, all negative thoughts. It took a horrible accident to realize so. If I had the chance to change time so this incident never happened I don’t think I would. I wouldn’t because it showed me that I do matter , I am loved, I would be missed if I was gone so I’m going to be there not just for me but for the people who care about me!