I saw the silver point sharp like a beast’s claws close into my hand, the point gleaming into the light. My heart was racing as my conscience repeatedly told me not to do it. But by then, it was too late. I saw the first trickle of red drip down my hand and I panicked, the world seemed to go in slow motion as my instincts took over and I dropped the knife. “Ouch!” I shrieked. This is how it all started...

My uncle retrieved the daily mail and struggled while opening an envelope, “Can you guys go get the envelope knife?” my uncle asked me and my cousins as he tried wedging his fingers to try and open the tight envelope seal. We rushed to the basement, hopping down the steps two by two. We like calling the basement the laboratory because we used to do crazy science experiments with my older cousin’s science kit.

My oldest cousin is two years older than me; she’s bigger and stronger than me and she resembles her dad. Her little sister is a one of a kind person, she’s two years younger than me but she’s quite the chatterbox.

I jumped the last few steps, off the white crusty carpet and reached the ice cold tile floor. As usual there was the playroom the wall ahead of us and the laundry machine to the left. The treadmill and bicycle were on the floor ready to use and the little TV was mounted on the wall. My older cousin opened the white drawer where we would used to do our chemistry experiments and found the envelope knife. We looked at it interestingly as if it was new animal specie. My older cousin moved the knife towards me and I backed away afraid to touch it.

“Don’t be scared!” My older cousin teased. “No one else is scared.” My younger cousin smirked and exchanged glances with my other cousin, as if they were having a telepathic conversation. I've always hated it when they had their naughty mind conversations and I just couldn't take it anymore.

That was when my fury unleashed, I could feel my blood pulsing and my temperature rising. “I’m not scared!” I roared, so loud that the neighbors down the street must have heard.

They completely ignored me which made me even angrier. They were handing the knife to each other so both of them had time to examine the envelope cutter. I grabbed the knife from the sharp end, (which was a very bad idea) and snatched it from my younger cousin’s hand and I gripped it so hard I thought the knife would go through my hand. I had just realized that I had gone out of control when I saw dark red blood seep out of my pinkie. A bell rang in my head that it was time to stop.

“Ouch!” I shrieked seeing the blood. At the time I was afraid of blood so I did what any seven-year-old would've done, I started bawling. Jasmine rushed upstairs to get some ice; and I slowly went up the stairs my vision suddenly blurred with water. My pinkie had a large gash and was bleeding badly. Once I reached the top of the stairs everyone rushed over to me anxious of what had happened. My cousins’ mom dabbed alcohol on my finger with a cotton ball and that stung but after a few minutes I felt fine. I could see that my older cousin was feeling guilty.

“Are you okay?” she said sympathetically.

“Yeah I’m fine.” I said trembling after I had stopped crying. As a seven-year-old I also quickly forgave her and smiled. We resumed playing our childish games as if nothing had happened.

I learned that sometimes people who are just in a higher position can tease you or hurt you but you just have to control your temper because there might be a result of consequences. Also you shouldn't take everything they say so seriously because that will just make you hold a grudge against them for a longer period of time after the incident. You should be able to let go like little children although they’re not forgetful they are forgiving. Seven years since then I still have a slight bump and a scar where the skin healed on my pinkie which I will never forget.