Creative Writing

True Story

Prompt: Write a true story about an unexpected event.

I was sitting in my room listening to music on my laptop one perfectly normal afternoon. I was procrastinating on my homework for a little longer and planning on what I would do when my parents would find out I had gotten less than the appropriate amount of sleep the night before. As the playlist went on to the next song I heard a scream outside of my bedroom door. I only had one earbud in, so when the ear splitting screech had finally reached me I was up in a matter of seconds.

When I was halfway to the kitchen, I saw my younger brother running in circles around the living room; truly giving an acceptable meaning to a chicken with its head cut off. One of his hands was cradling the other as I watched blood stains form on the tiled floor. Two washrags were wrapped hastily around the top of his fingers on his left hand. My grandfather was on the phone with my dad, saying things like, "I broke him," and "we're going to the hospital right now."

Fifteen  minutes into the car ride I still didn't know the whole story. Everyone was shouting at no one in particular, and we were are all afraid. Finally I asked what had occurred outside only minutes before. My brothers and my grandfather were cutting firewood by the carport in the front yard with a wood splitter. Nathan, the one who was injured, had decided it would be a great time to stick his hand in front of the huge hunk of metal ax coming towards him. Repeatedly he was told beforehand to not mess around the equipment in a dangerous manner, and repeatedly he ignored the requests (even though at fourteen I think he should know better, but whatever). Two of his fingers were smashed in the impact and one almost taken off completely.

We had an hour drive ahead of us because of how far my grandparents like to live away from civilization, which I think is one of the worst decisions they could make based on how old they are.

The time in the car was short lived as we arrived at the hospital in only 45 minutes. The blood loss was a tremendous amount, and I couldn't believe he hadn't passed out yet. In the crowded waiting room we sat there for what felt like forever, and soon my dad showed up. Light conversation was made and then my brother was called back. My dad went back with him and came back without him. He informed us that instead of two there were three fingers that were severed.

After a while my brother walked to a chair in the waiting room aisle across from me. As we waited for discharge papers, a woman with a man  whom was in a wheelchair made idle conversation with one another. The woman was talking to her partner about what she would make for dinner that evening.

"I think I'll make some ground up hamburger," she said.

My brother shuddered, thinking about his fingers that resembled ground up hamburger. My father and I laughed at his expression, but the lady didn't notice the effect of her words.

The End.

P.S. My brother said he was never going to make a stupid mistake like that again, but we all know that's not entirely true. He was also quoted from my father while they were with the doctor. Nathan had said, "I really messed up dad." My father replied, "Yep, you sure did."