Busted

by Brian F. McNabb

The novella Busted tells the story of a mischievous 12 year-old that jumps out of a tree into a pile of leaves and cracks two vertebrae. It chronicles his struggle back to 7th grade and back to playing ice hockey.Here is an “I’m first.” I grab a limb, pull myself up, climb, and reach the launch pad. I stand on the thick tree branch and look up. “I’m Superman!” I yell. “Indestructible.” The empty branches above remind me of the rib cage of a dinosaur that I saw at the Boston Museum of Science. I look out and see the bus stop, the woods, the stone walls, and the tractor cutting down a field of cow corn . . . I’ve got in trouble before and got out of it. I’ll just act all sorry for this latest stuff and say I won’t do it again. I can do what I want. Nothing can stop me. I’m invincible. I’m going to have some fun. “Tony, it’s show time.”I press my weight down. This limb springs back like a diving board. I spring up and leap out. For a few seconds, I seem to float in the air. I hit the pile and the leaves crunch and crackle. Wham! My head slams into the ground. I am buried in black. My body feels tingly, and then it feels numb. It’s quiet. Suddenly, my body aches and feels smashed. Then, it goes away. I get up, take a few steps forward, and fall flat. The back of my head throbs like when I bang my funny bone. My fingers are numb, and I can’t seem to hear anything.

106 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2017

About the author

Brian F. McNabb is a writer and an educator. McNabb, a 2002 fellow of the National Writing Project, was awarded the 2004 Treat Award for Excellence in the Teaching of the Humanities from the New Hampshire Humanities Council. He is the author of the regionally popular On Thin Ice.

McNabb grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in New Hampshire. He has always had an interest in monsters, undiscovered creatures, UFOs, and the supernatural. He also is a big fan of classic rock from The Beatles to Black Sabbath. Beyond that, McNabb is a New England sports fan and happily spoiled by the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots championships over the last twenty years.
More at www.brianmcnabb.com