Descriptive Essay: Manna-Symone Middlebrooks

 Even I cannot begin to understand how and why I ended up here. Honestly, it makes absolutely no sense. I acted on pure impulse, not even thinking.  The voice of an actor on my favorite television show quick flashes through my mind, “No repercussions! No repercussions!”. In a way those words comforted me. I was here now; there was now way of getting out until the end. What happens happens. It is as simple as that.

I had gotten into large storage bin. The lid was sealed with duck tape to relieve me of any hopes of getting out. Inside the container, it was darker than the oubliette under a castle. My surrounding air was hot, heavy, and scarce. Could this be the end of me? The container was dragged to the middle of a very large outdoor trampoline. Snickers of my surrounding siblings echoed through the empty yard. “Are you ready?” he said.  Ready for what, I thought. At that very moment, someone on the outside of the container jumped. As the two feet that were once in the air landed back on the trampoline, the container and I went flying.Maybe this was not such a good idea.

I never fail to find myself in the middle of a situation that could have been completely prevented. My better judgment and common sense always seem to show their faces in the midst of my latest mishap.  It almost seems like the direct intention of my common sense and better judgment is to teach me a lesson. By waiting until I am in the middle of a situation to show up, they allow me to experience my mistake and visualize how it could have been better handled or even prevented.

“Just get in. Stop being so chicken. You are such a scaredy cat,” he said. “ Yeah Manna, stop being such a chicken. Just do it.” she echoed. Their voices bounced around in my empty mind for a moment. My brief moment of considering what they wanted me to do only came from my fear of their request. In that brief moment, never did the thought of how this would affect me, cross my mind. I simply heard them mocking me, telling me that I was too scared and a chicken. They began to beg. I gave in.

Their request was simple. All I had to do was climb into the seventy-four gallon storage container waiting for me in the backyard on the trampoline. Our backyard was about half an acre large. In the yard there were oak trees that stretched so high, their branches tickled the sky in the wind. The ground was carpeted with sporadic patches of grass, fallen acorns, and beautiful leaves in all the colors of autumn. At the rear of the yard sat our do and his house. He sat and watched our every move, curiously trying to figure out what was going on. Right in the center of the yard was the largest outdoor trampoline money could buy.

One foot at a time, I stepped into the prepared container. It was laced with small blankets and stuffed animals for cushion. Once I was in the container the lid was slapped on and sealed with and immensely thick wrap of duck tape. Any hope of second thought was now gone. “I can not breath!” I screamed. “Oh, I almost forgot.” With in five seconds a small silver point pierced the lid of the container stopping before it reached my face. Why had I let the talk me into doing this?

On any given day it is clear that I can speak for myself and make my own decisions, for some reason this day turned out to be no ordinary day. My decision-making skills were null and void to the begging and mockery of my siblings. I knew that I would be putting myself some sort of direct danger, and yet I succumb to their pleas. The simplest definition for this would be peer pressure.  Yes, it is true that I did succumb to the begging of my siblings, but this event is the effect of my poor decision-making and judgment. In fact no one is to blame but myself. I chose to do what I did and must accept the consequences, whether they are good or bad. Out our mishaps and choices come the lessons that shape who we are.

“Let’s all jump at the same time,” he suggested. “Alright let’s do it!” they responded. “ 1, 2, 3, jump!”  As all six feet that were once in the air landed back on the trampoline, the container and I were catapulted off. Our land in was not soft. We hit the ground with the force of and asteroid impact on earth. We lied there on our sides, waiting to see what was to come next.

Squ-eak. Squeak. Squ-eak. They were off he trampoline.  Vibrations from a blend of soft and heavy footsteps could be felt approaching us. Small snickers turned in to an uproar of laughter. It really is not that funny, I thought. The tape used to prevent my escape was cut. Cautiously, I opened the container, unaware of what was to meet me at my exit. That first breath of fresh air, felt like I was a newborn taking my first breath of life. Yet, my now surrounding air was being sucked up by the laughter of my siblings. I stared at them in contemplation, attempting to figure out what was so funny about what had just happened. Immediately, I burst out laughing. I realized that laughing was the best medicine for what happened. This had become a lesson learned. Besides, if I were on the other side of the container I would be laughing too.