2022/2023
Collection 18

Buried Alive

1960; near Greeley, Nebraska, USA

One humid summer day in 1960 my grandpa Gerald was out on the farm finishing his chores. He was only five years old, and he had just gotten a new dog. His new companion had gone missing while Gerald was doing his chores. Scared that his new friend was lost, Gerald went to look for him.

When Gerald found his dog roaming around, he followed him under their rusty old shack. Gerald shimmied under the nails and found that his new dog had just had three beautiful puppies! Gerald played with them for hours, until dark.

Suddenly he heard his dad calling for him. He shouted back, but his soft voice wasn’t strong enough to reach his dad. Knowing that he needed to go home, Gerald tried to crawl out. That’s when he noticed that he was trapped. If he tried to crawl out, he would have a back full of nails. He sat there trembling in the dark for two hours, wondering what to do.

That’s when a grain sack fell over and the grain quickly started falling through a small crack in the floor above him. The grain was flooding down on his frightened little body. When Gerald jolted up, gasping for air, a sharp rusty nail slit his back. Fortunately, the nail broke, and he was able to use the sharp end to dig a hole just deep enough for him to inch his way out.

Gerald darted home with his frightened dog behind him. His parents had been losing their minds wondering where he was. When he told them the story, they were astonished.

To this day, my grandpa is frightful of small spaces, but he still works on the same farm, making great memories every single day.

Drexon Dugan; Nebraska, USA

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