The piercing of my alarm drags me from my dreams. Time to get up, Alyson that tiny inner voice yells at me. Grudingly, I sit up and push the button to stop the accursed beeping. I yawn and throw my legs over the side of the bed onto the ice cold floor. All I can think of as I take my shower and fight my sister awake is how much I loathe Sunday mornings. All I want to do is go back to sleep. Instead, I force myself awake with thoughts of McDonalds and church and get dressed in a black dress and my knee high, black, wedge boots. My open window lets in the birdsong and chilly early spring air.

Nana arrives and we jump into her car. I breathe in the smell of her coffee and the unhealthy McDonalds breakfast and smile. Yes, this is what I dragged myself out of bed for. Ten minutes and one bacon biscuit and hashbrown later, we arrive at church.

I climb out of the car, take a deep breath of the crisp morning air as a blanket of peace settle on me. As I walk towards the door, I can feel my right boot wobble but I think nothing of it.

A warm family welcomes me inside. The warmth that lets me get through a week filled with fighting parents and annoying siblings seeps into me. I bask in that warmth, filling up my inner container. I roam around, burning off the caffeine from my coke. This is worth getting up at seven for. Angie and I go outside to thaw out before church and spot Mrs. Eunice. Now my day is complete.

Mrs. Eunice, my old sunday school teacher, strolls toward us, a brilliant smile on her face. Joy fills my soul and I run toward her. Then I feel my ankle twist . All I can hear as the ground rushes toward me is that tiny inner voice,"Great Alyson, you did it again. Another scar to add to the many other falls." Scenes of past falls flash in my head with that voice. The time I had fallen up the stairs at my cousin's. The fall at Luke"s. Sliding down the stairs by Mrs. Edding's room. Slipping in the bathroom into the cabinet. All of them flash like shooting stars through my mind.

Then contact. Pain blossoms in my elbow. I cry out and clutch at my elbow. I feel hands on me and stiffen. Just leave me alone I scream inside. Don't touch me. All I can do is lay there and wail as pain slices through my arm.

"Alyson, sweetie, are you ok?"

"Alyson, let us see." Mrs. Eunice" and Angie's voices register slightly through the pain. Its beginning to go numb, thank God.

I open my eyes which I hadn't realized were squeezed shut. Through a teary film I can see their concerned faces.

"Alyson, honey, you need to get up. We have to get inside and clean that up." she pulls me to my feet. Then I notice the blood running down my arm. Never have I been so bloody from a fall.. Oh yea, that's definitely going to scar.

Sniffleing, I shuffle inside, gripping my elbow to try and stop the bleeding. Angie is sent off or maybe she just knows to go get my nana and Mrs. Gina, the pastor's wife. Mrs. Eunice goes into the bathroom, coming back with a wet paper towel. I cover my elbow and sigh in relief. The numbness has fled, leaving a fire that eats at the wound.

I look up as a woman from the church comes out of the bathroom. She glances at the red paper towel and tells Mrs. Eunice she'll go get her first aid kit. As she leaves, Nana and Mrs. Gina come out of the sanctuary.

"Alyson, what happened?" Nana kneels down in front of me. I feel tears rise in my eyes as I stare at her beloved, wrinkled face. Her brown eyes are filled with concern as she looks me in the face.

"I fell."

That simple staement brings a small smile to her face.

" I can tell. Are you ok?" she starts to remove the paper towel and I wince.

"It burns." the woman walks in the door with a white box. Small but it's contents are a blessing to me. I snap my head around as Nana gets a look at the wound and gasps.

I was right in thinking it would scar. Its and inch and a half in length. Deep. Closer to the elbow you can see a tiny bit of muscle. Nana looks back at me as Mrs. Gina applies some of those jumbo Band-Aids.

"Well Alyson, I hope you learned your lesson with this one."

"I sure did, Nana. No more running in two inch high wedge boots."