About four years ago when I was nine: I was at my Church Retreat. My Family and I go every year. But this year brought unexpected surprises. It started the first day, we unpacked after a long stuffy car ride and then: the Fresh Air of mount pleasant it always sends goose bumps up my arms when ever I smell that wonderful smell of the mountain forest. Then After we un packed I said to my mom
“hey I’m going to go see who else is here.” She said ‘Okay’ but that I had to be back by 6:00 For dinner. I thought to my self as I buckled my helmet: it’s about 3:40 now so I have about 3 hours and 20 minutes. I Just enough time to find Emma and Zoë my two best friends. I Rode down the gravely road and reached the nicely paved main Avenue. I looked all around for Emma and Zoë, But the first person I found was not Emma or Zoë. It Was Jonathan the Older Brother of a friend of mine. Jonathan was about 6 years older than me.
“Hey Jonathan!” I shouted to him
“Hey EllanVannin. What’s up?” Jonathan slowed so that I could keep up with him and his shinny bike.
“not much, we just got here. Do you know if Emma or Zoë is here?” Jonathan shook his head and said no, but that he’d keep an eye out for them
“Thanks! See you latter” I sped off trying to go as fast as I could down the wide lane. Past the Dinning Hall Past the Play ground then I slower peddled up “Break neck Hill” witch is the steepest hill at the Retreat center. Then about ten feet up I decided that I would walk the rest of the way. About five minutes later I reached The Meeting House witch Is where the adults have there meetings while the younger kids get to go to the Game Gym, but the Older kids like Jonathan and my brother get to go to The Lodge and Listen to cool Music. When I reached the top I saw Jonathan’s younger brothers unpacking stuff to go into the meeting house, there’s Jacob and Jarod I don’t know or care where Joel is. Then I have a thought wouldn’t it be so cool to go down “break neck hill”? Like the older kids in 6th and 7th grade. I would most likely be admired for taking the risk that only the 6th and 7th graders dare to take. I turned my bike around so that it was facing down hill. Then, I flew down the hill. The wind rushed past me I went 30, 40 miles an hour then I turned and raced past the dining hall. Jonathan is still at the bottom
“ill Race you” he shouts to me.
“sure!” I slowed and turned. Then we walked up the hill Jonathan a few feet ahead of me, I keep trying to catch up but I keep falling behind. Then we reach the top and turn our bikes
“first one to the pot hole wins?” Jonathan nods and tightens his helmet buckle.
“ready?” I nod
“GO!” We flew both pedaling ferociously then I see him speed ahead of me, he looks back and smiles. Now before I go on, let me tell you. At the bottom of this enormously steep hill there is the play ground and to keep vans from ruining the nice green grass there are nice large boulders that reach about two-three feet above the ground. And they make kids who are ridding down the hill have to make very sharp turns so that they don’t run into the rocks. Well Jonathan turned, and you can probly guess who didn’t I turned but not enough. I Flew, Literally. Now everyone said that I should have let go of the bike at this point, but being a nine year old girl who had just gotten her sisters old bike I was not about to let go of this prized two wheeler. I Flew and I took the bike with me. Then the bike fell onto my arm and I heard a sharp crack then Jonathan ran over; he had skidded his bike to a stop when he saw what had happened.
“are you ok? EllanVannin?” I looked up blearily at him
“what happ…. OW!” Jonathan had attempted to help me to my feet by pulling on my arm. He let go very quickly
“Ill go get my mom” Jonathan Ran up “break neck hill” up to his mom and had her drive down and pick me and my bike up. By then my are was hurting really bad and I had started to cry.
“EllanVannin? Can you get in to the van so that we can drive you to your mom?” Jonathan was by my side again. I shook my head
“no” Jonathan spoke again
“do you want me to go get her?” I nodded. Jonathan ran again down the lane down the gravely road and to the cabin. Then he returned with my mom. By then Jonathans mom and Jacob had gotten me to stop crying. My mom tried to hug me but she caught my arm while she tried to hug me.
“OW!” was all I said
“I think she may have sprained it” Jonathan added helpfully
“ill take her to Dr. Hall” Dr. Hall is the main Doctor guy at our church. But for Mine and my mom’s disappointment Dr. Hall was not due to arrive on the retreat until tomorrow. So after about an hour of walking around trying to find out if there was a doctor there we found Mrs. Warrenburger. She is also a doctor but that was the first time id heard of it. Then she did a thing that I never thought such a nice person would do: she had me ball my hand into a fist and hold it straight out, I did so and then she punched my knuckles. I Yelled so loud that I think all of the birds must have been scared to death.
“its broken” Mrs./Dr. Warrenburger said “it’ll have to be X-rayed before I can be sure but I’m almost 100 percent sure” I refused point blank to go to the hospital to get it X-rayed I would not leave the most fun weekend in the year just because my bike fell on me. Having a broken bike had its advantages and its disadvantages. A disadvantages was that I couldn’t ride my bike all weekend but the advantage was that EVERYONE who could drive offered to drive me anywhere I needed to be. But just smiling I shook my head and walked with Emma and Zoë.

Two weeks latter we found out that I had in fact Fractured my wrist and my elbow. I wore a cast for about 6 months and Never Ever went down “Break Neck hill” On my bike Again.