Trapped. Aaaaaggggghhhhh! I let out a piercing cry for help. I had fallen down the well about 29 feet and was stuck, with nothing between me and the rock-bottom of the well but a minute ledge of rock.

Trapped

This is a story of my ensnarement. My name is Jessica Clark. It occurred 18 and a half years ago; I was only seven and a half years old. It’s set in Texas, America, 1982. It all happened due to a small mistake, which led to a near fatality. This has taught me, and especially my mother, to always pay attention to your duties and priorities.

I was playing in the back of the garden, alone, while my mother was at the front of the garden, reading a book. Right behind me, was an old, small and abandoned well. As everyone had decided it was too small for anyone to fall through it, no one had bothered to conceal the discarded hole in the ground. Just as my mum decided to return to the empty house, I realised how boring the stones and sandy mud was. I wanted something new to play with. The first thing that caught attention, was the old, grey and forsaken well. I slowly put my new skills in to action; walking. As I peered through the dark aperture, I saw a glossy thing; I sought after it. As I stretched my arm down through the diminutive opening, I had reached the item that grasped my interest. It was stuck, so I started pulling. I felt movement; I pulled further, not comprehending that I was indeed hauling myself in to the trap. Not noticing this fatal mistake, I persisted with my lugging…

“Aaaaaggggghhhhh!” I let out a piercing cry for help. I had fallen down the well about 29 feet and was stuck, with nothing between me and the rock-bottom of the well but a minute ledge of rock. “Aaaaaggggghhhhh!!” I released another shriek in order to receive some assistance. At this point, my mother had perceived my verbal siren and came charging out. She ran to where I was previously playing. I wasn’t there. “Jessica!” My mother was now attempting to isolate my echoing call. She never would have thought that I was confined in a tiny desolate orifice in the ground. “Mum!” I shouted. “Jessie, are you down there?” She had recognised why my voice was echoing; her head covering the end of the pipe, she gently, but loudly, posed the question. I started crying, so did she. She just stood up helplessly and paused for a few seconds due to the shock. Then, she darted across the barren land, in to the cabin. I thought she had just left me, again. She was probably on the phone. I was alone, again. She had just deserted me.

Unexpectedly, I heard a screeching noise. The clamour increased in volume. It stopped, abruptly. More and more voices arrived at the scene. My mother’s voice flew out of the back of the cabin. I heard another deafening distress signal, ringing constantly. I had no idea what was occurring. Footsteps approached the water well. Voices called my name; “Jessie, Jessica. Are you O.K? Listen, we’re here to help you. We’re going to get you out of there. Just wait for a little bit.” I heard a whole selection of concerned voices.

A few minutes later, I heard a man’s ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

A few minutes later, I heard a man’s voice reverberating down the well. “Jessie? I’m a policeman. We’re going to get you out of there. Until then, me and my policeman friend will stay here and talk to you.” Then, more silence. Just the hurried footsteps could be noticed. Again, the policeman called down. They thought that the operation would be simple. I perceived this as they both kept repeating how instantaneous the rescue would be. They obviously hadn’t thought things through.

More waiting. I wanted to escape. The pipe was thin. The walls were slippery and jagged. There was no light, except the yellow slice of afternoon sunlight. I hadn’t realised how much time had passed. I was cornered forever. I wasn’t getting out. Minutes, which seemed like hours, swiftly disappeared. I had no idea of what was going to happen, more so, what was happening to me.

The policeman, accompanied by my mother, called down, hoping for a reply, “Jessica! Jessica! Mummy’s going to get you out soon. Then we’ll go to the park with Daddy. It’s all going to be O.K.” Most people would realise that that meant, you’re not getting out soon, if ever. I was only three and a half old…

All of a sudden, the ground started vibrating vigorously; I thought that it was an earthquake. Providentially, I was told it was borer (an extremely outsized drill, used to make gaping holes in the ground, quickly). Hours passed by. Still trapped. This time, with more voices, more footsteps. My mother had to stay in the house to avoid the press and any more anxiety from them or the situation. The borer started grinding. I stopped. I started thinking; “Have they given up? Was it an earthquake?” I thought so. “Just wait a little longer, honey. We’ll get you out of there. Hold on. Mummy’s here. “I couldn’t stand to be separated from my parents. I wailed, stridently, hoping someone would get me out. “Hi honey. Daddy’s here now. I’m going to get you out of there. Just you wait.” I thought for an instant. Mum was being honest. We were going to the park. I smiled. Only momentarily though. About two hours later, the pulsating continued. It wasn’t an earthquake. It was the drill boring a hole two or three feet directly to my left. About 20 minutes later, the assignment of the boring was complete. I, however, was still trapped.

Then, more vibrations occurred. Fast, loud and very close to me. Another hole was being drilled. This time, towards me, but under my feet; according to the plans of the people in charge of the procedure. Another dilemma transpired; the rock was too hard for the hole to made on time. As I had been in the well for about 10 hours now, I was getting cold, hungry and thirsty. The next predicament was that I could have died from pneumonia, malnutrition or dehydration. Time was of the essence; life or death. All I could hear now was the screaming of excited reporters from international T.V.A channels and newspapers, all trying to get the latest news with all of the scoops. As day turned to night, some reporters accommodated themselves in local motels. Most, however, stayed on site, behind the garden fence. Builders, miners, carpenters and even ordinary men and women were helping in any way possible to get me out. 10 hours transformed in to 18 hours, all without notice. I was slowly dying. The rock was too thick to rupture with the tools available. I couldn’t get out. No one could get in.

To everyone’s elation, a foreign miner had brought in a new tool. This meant faster and more efficient rescue. The new tool, however, wasn’t adequate. I was becoming weak; no food, no water, no sleep.

I had fallen asleep. No on was calling me; the only thing keeping me awake. After a much-required rest, I had awoken. Most feared the worst, as I wasn’t making a sound or replying to the hollers made. Abruptly, a metal rod poked through underneath my feet, escorted by an avalanche of rock. The rock plummeted to the bottom of the well. It took a while to reach the substructure; that could have been me. Was I to fall to my death, or was someone going to liberate me and return me to my parents.

“Jessica. I’m here to get you out. Wait a minute.” A male had come to my salvage. His arm emerged from behind the pile of rubble. He grabbed on to my leg and tried to pull me. I was stuck. In fact, I was the splits position. My leg had broken and dislocated from my hip. “I CAN’T GET HER OUT, SHE’S STUCK!” He bellowed out to the other people on ground level. “Pull. Break her bones if you have to. Just get her out. Her bones can be fixed afterwards, but we need her out alive!” a doctor advised him…

“Aaaaaggggghhhhh!” I screamed and cried in pain as the man pulled me through the small outlet. I knew that I had been saved, but everyone else lingered apprehensively. “Jessie!” My mother dashed towards me and seized me from my saviours arms. Paramedics rushed to the scene. I was taken again from my mother. She pursued the professionals accompanied by my father. We all boarded the ambulance, having absconded from danger. No longer trapped.