Oklahoma 1934, George Anderson and his friend, Adam Smith work together to dig out the feeding area for the cows. Its three feet beneath the sand covering the Oklahoma farm land. George stops suddenly, putting down his shovel, he stares out looking over the flat desolate land with his back to the farm. All there was to see is sand, bright orange colored sand that stretches as far as the eye can see. It's a calm day so he can see for miles. Looks up at George, Adam becomes curious, “George, what's got your attention?”. George turns to Adam and says, “this place is so empty.” Adam replied, “yeah it is, but hey, we'll be leaving as soon as we turn seventeen. So put up with it for three more months, well four for you.” George just nodded in agreement.


Sand storms have been burying America at that time. It's the Dust Bowl. People who live in the affected areas such as George and his family are struggling to survive and keep above the sand and not below. George's family has lost 6 parts of his 8 part farm to the sand. Including a secondary house for another farming family, the Smiths. The Smith house was built poorly and fast so on the 3rd storm of the bowl in 1931, the Smith house crumbled, killing Adam's mom, dad, and sister. Adam was only injured. Nobody knows how he even survived, but he did.


George lives with his father, and Adam. Just the three of them run the farm. They used to supply a nearby town with milk, but now the road to the farm cannot be driven on, and walking is the only way to travel on it. Georges family is starving and having to walk 15 miles is very tiring for the boys. Life in their position is very depressing and isolated. Spending all this time together made the three of them become close, and all they needed was each other.


It was July 23rd and a massive dust storm was on it's way to the center of Oklahoma. The three were behind the house shoveling dirt out of the farm. They have 3 cows left, and they plan on keeping it that way. A brown cloud that starts on the ground and stretches as high as they can see. It also spans a width as wide as the sea. The massive cloud is coming straight for them at a very fast pace. But they stay outside making sure the cows don't get completely covered. They wait until its already on top of them. They make sure the cows are together and next to the house then they go inside.


4 hours later...


The storm is still roaring outside but Adam is worried about the cows. The sand has already covered what they've shoveled. Adam can't wait any longer, he has to check on the cows. Without ny warning he bolts from the living room past the kitchen where George and his father are and shoots straight out the back door. George and his father run after him screaming his name, “Adam!”. Adam doesn't stop he's outside. George and his dad stop at the door. His dad closes it and they wait. Adam can't find the cows, he walks out further, he cant see and he can barely breath, but he doesn't car he has to find the cows. He gets 100 feet from the house, and realizes he's suffocating. So he turns around and runs back, but he can't see. He starts to scream for George but George can't hear. Adam keeps running.


George can't wait now. He goes to open the door, and his father jumps in front and holds the door closed. “George, you can't. He's gone.” “No!” screamed George, he tries again, but his dad won't move. He just falls to the floor crying, “Adam! No!” he sobs. He lost his best friend, his brother.

George didn't get an ounce of sleep that night. He sat at the window waiting, waiting for Adam, waiting for the storm to dissipate.


As the sun stems through the window, George wakes. It has ended, and the ground is covered with the sunset sand once again. The second George's dad said its safe, they both run outside looking. It must have pushed 2 feet of sand over everything. Far out to the right is George's dad. He steps on something in the sand. “oh no.” he said. He brushes out the sand. It's a cow. His cow. They are all together right there, lifeless.


George is out to the far left. He see's something in the sand about 200 feet from him, its something red. He runs towards it and the closer he gets the clearer the object is. He gets to it. It's Adam's favorite jacket. Adam is still wearing it. Adam is buried a foot in the sand. The jacket is Adam, the jacket is still.


George grew terribly depressed with the passing of Adam. He now had nobody. Everything changed. He didn't know what to do with his life anymore


Three months passed and it's Adam's birthday. While standing next to Adam's grave George can see another storm coming. He felt like Adam was right there with him watching the brown clouds roll in. George did not move.


George was wearing Adam's favorite red jacket, watching the storm hit him, he doesn't move an inch. He's getting battered by the wind and the tiny pellets of sand. Finally he falls to his knees, he can't breath. It still feels like Adam is next to him, waiting. George falls on his back, he's thinking about how everything is over, he has nothing, and can't be anything. He just doesn't wanna live like this anymore.


“I have a present for you Adam, see you soon.” George smiles, not a big smile just a little one, as a tear rolls down his face, as the darkness rolls in his single tear turns to dust. George and Adam are finally together again.








The End