I was so excited to be awake this morning. In twenty-three short minutes I will be eight-teen. I watched the clock as my mother set the table with every food she could possibly buy. I looked at it all with great anticipation.

“Now remember son, you can’t eat everything. Just a bite from each, okay?”

She was so worried I would be in pain, whatever that is. I hear it’s miserable, but I’ve never felt pain, or smelled, or tasted!

“I know mom, don’t worry.”

She chuckled never once looking up from the table as she arranged the food. Some of it looked beautiful, while others not so much. There was this one fluffy white bowl, I think she called it whipped cream? I don’t know, just looked weird.

“Mom, do you think I’ll like my senses?”

I was a little nervous about the whole thing, life as I knew it was about to change. I wanted them, sure, but what if I didn’t like them? My older brother walked into the room and smacked my back as hard as he could, I laughed because he always did this.

“Just wait ten minutes, you won’t find that funny anymore.”

He started laughing as he went to help our mom bring stuff out. I looked on curious, but then my eyes returned to the table piled high with food.

The minutes finally ticked down to one, everyone was counting, 50… 45… 32… 21… 13… 5… 3… 2… 1…

“ARGH!!!”

I screamed, my brother had hit me harder than it had sounded, the first sense I felt was pain. Instantly I wanted to go back to nothing. I shot him a look that he would be dead, but he only laughed harder. This is not how I wanted to start things.