I was skateboarding down the street not paying attention to my surroundings when suddenly, a big black, coppery-orange and white Pit Bull jumped out at me in a fury of snapping, barking and yelping. The dog lunged and tore into my leg. I fell down backward off my skateboard not even knowing what had happened. I instinctively acted as if I was dead. The dog sniffed my stomach and for no apparent reason licked my face.

I half opened one of my eyes and looked right into the dog's fierce jaws. 

His ivory-white teeth seemed like a shark's and he growled loudly and ferociously.

  I began to tremble like an earthquake as the dog lowered his head and bit down hard on my nose. I heard a sound like a something from a horror movie. With a toss of his head somewhat like an alligator tearing the flesh off his victim I felt an excruciating pain as my nose began to detach from my face. When I opened both my eyes and realized he was gone I slowly attempted to turn over so I could get to my feet.

I stood up and began sluggishly walking toward home. I felt a throbbing in my face like no other I ever felt before. There was a warm liquid like substance dribbling down my face into my mouth. I could sense a rusty taste.

I touched my nose and I screamed in horror, "My nose is gone, my nose is gone!" I felt half of my nose flopping against my cheek. I could feel the bone that held my nose cartilage to my face.

I quickly hobbled to the first house on my right. The dwelling was a dingy gray with black trim. I flung open the screen and frantically began to bang on the pale gray metal door.

A young blonde girl came to answer the desperate pounding. She moved the shades and peaked through the glass and fainted. Her dad or someone came to the door and stared at me with solemn brown eyes for a
few seconds.

The whole scene reminded me of the show, "Rescue 911", as he told the lady who was sitting on the couch to call for help. Within three or four minutes I heard the ambulance. The last thing I remember seeing was the door being shut and people in my face. I had blacked out and fallen backward down the steps I was standing on. 
 
 

When I woke a really cute volunteer was in my room fixing the sheets I was resting on.

He said, "Hi my name is Manuel. Manuel Goldstein! My friends call me Serial. What is your name?"
 

"My name is Logan, Logan Nortrup," I said quietly with a smile.

"That's a cool name," he said with an out stretched arm. I took his hand and shook it. 
"I'm going to be your official aide," said Manuel. I smiled. He told me the doctors were going to do another re-constructive surgery on my nose tomorrow. I nodded and smiled a half-scared, half-happy smile. He said not to worry and that everything would be fine. I felt a little bit better. "But you have to stay here for about two weeks after the surgery," he said.

"That’s okay with me," I said. I was in too much pain to worry about things like that anyway and I also wanted to chill with Manuel because he was pretty fly. He asked me how old I was. I told him 16 but I was only 15. He said he was 17 but I found out later that he was only 16. The next day the doctors came in and took me to the surgical room. Manuel came by to wish me well and he gave me a kiss.

He said it was for luck and he would see me later. I said thanks. I thought of Manuel as they put me to sleep. I woke up the next day feeling very sore and my face, what I could see of it, was all puffy. I stayed at the hospital for one and a half weeks and was visited by Manuel everyday. The day came when I had to go home (unfortunately). I said goodbye to Manuel and gave him a hug and a big kiss. I told him I would visit when I could. I visited Manuel on Monday and Friday at work.

On the weekend before I got sick he had two days off. We went to the movies Friday. Saturday we went out to have an expensive dinner. Sunday we chilled at the beach and I began to feel ill. I told Manuel I was sick so he drove me home.

He gave me a kiss goodbye and drove away. I walked in the door and my mom asked me why I was home so early. I told her I wasn't feeling well and I was going upstairs to take a nap. I had to stay in bed so I wrote Manuel everyday. I got sicker and sicker. I began to drool at the mouth, my head ached and my stomach hurt. I was very ill on the fifth day and my drool was becoming fluffy and white. I was becoming violent and loud. I began to thrash wildly in my bed. Cuss words began to flow out of my mouth like slime from a sewer. My parents could not figure out what was wrong. Eventually they bound me with rope and placed me on my side in the back seat of the car. They took me back to the hospital again. The orderlies took me to a dark nice smelling room. It was padded and I had a straight jacket on. When my Dad went to get a cup of coffee, he saw Manuel and told him I was back in the hospital. Manual immediately came to check on me. He slowly opened the door and I could feel the warm air come down on me like the warming sun on a

90 degree day. Manuel began to cry. I looked up at him and told him everything was going to be all right. I also had tears in my eyes.
 

The last thing I heard was my parent crying in the background as Manuel sobbed goodbye. I had Rabies!

L THE ENDL

copyright 1998

By: Lexie

If You Liked This Story Email Lexie and use her name in the subject. She was thirteen when she wrote this.Email

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