EDUARDO GOMEZ
10th GRADE
SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
I am Rex, but nearly the entire human population and
some parrots refer to me as “The Animal.” I am the
man that no one wants as an opponent on the field.
Much of my competition begins to fake injuries when
they see me walk on to the field. I am idolized as a
rugby player. Many refer to my presence as holy, like
the rosary is to the Catholic religion. The moment
that I am spotted, everyone makes sure that their
mouthpiece is in between those two sets of teeth that
help them consume food everyday. They double-check
that their laces are knotted tightly so that they won’t
fly out of their cleats when they are hit. When I’m
on the field, everyone is at the risk of being hit.
As a child I suffered from many concussions
and brain injuries. Brain cells by the dozen hopping
out of my noggin, a pool in the summer compact with
hundreds of people slowly getting ready for closing time.
I am currently playing Division 1 Men’s Rugby at Penn
State. I was able to solve my brain issue in a matter of
months. On my knees I spend my nights, thanking the
Lord for this gift. I constructed an indestructible plate
where my scalp once lay. All of my hair and scalp replaced
by a clear steel that easily made my brain visible to the
world. The transparent steel made me intimidating. The
vastly complex organ frightened many and made their
skin sallow. The new body part that had been implanted
in me gave me a divine feeling. My previous goals have
been superseded by greater ones. I am now able to play
rugby without the constant fear of receiving a brain injury.
I can now run as fast as I can go, ram into people like a
bull trying to annihilate a matador. I became a predator,
prepared to defend my team as a lioness cares for her cub.
Breaking bones has become a regularity and ]\