A Fall

By Melissa

"Aw, Jonathan, can't I pleeeease??" I asked my brother, pleadingly.

"No, Melissa." he replied, "It's too dangerous."

It was the summer of 2002. We were 9.

I had been trying to get my brother to let me climb a tree that I had found, because I had wanted to see how far I could see from up there. The tree in question was probably only 20 feet high, though.

I brashly decided to ignore my brother, and climbed it anyway.

"Just in case you get killed," he said, "I want you to know that I warned you."

"Relax." I told him, "I'll be fine!"

After a few minutes, I reached the top.

The view was magnificent!

I could see around for miles!

Unfortunately, the height of the tree started affecting me. I started getting vertigo, and fainted.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in a hospital bed, aching all over.

I looked around at the room.

There was another bed next to mine, and a boy my age was sleeping in it.

At least, it looked like he was sleeping. Actually, he had a concussion, and had been unconscious for several hours. (He would still be for several more.)

I looked closer at the boy.

To my surprise, he looked familiar, as if I had seen him before.

And I had.

Many times, in fact.

He was my twin brother, Jonathan!

Later, I got him to tell me what had happened. According to Jonathan, as I fell, my body bounced off of the various branches, slowing my fall. I landed on top of him, knocking him out. If our parents hadn't been nearby, we probably would have just lay there forever, and died due to lack of treatment.

Okay, our injuries weren't that bad.

I did break my legs, though.

And I sort of... well... broke Jonathan's neck, too.

This had only been my 3rd time fainting, but I would soon start fainting almost once a week, sometimes more.

Ironically, Jonathan would later break my falls again and again, proving that he is, indeed, a brother worth having.

By the way, that tree was 57.3 feet tall.

The doctor told me.

Th3 3nd