Arrowheads and Quicksand

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to go looking for arrowheads in the field behind my grandpa's house. It was spring, and we were itching to get out there and see what the winter and spring rains had pulled up. But the fields were still muddy and the area used to be a bog so pockets of quicksand were still an issue during wet springs.

Our mother told us on the drive to grandpa's house, that we were not to go into the fields and ruin our new shoes. So, we looked at the edge of the field for a while but didn't see anything interesting.

Then my brother yells out that he thinks he sees an arrowhead! So, he steps out into the field to get a closer look. Two steps in, he says he can't move his feet. He was stuck in the mud and getting deeper. I reached a hand out for him to grab and tried pulling him back toward the grass. But I couldn't pull hard enough. My hand slipped, and I fell into the mud. I was up to my wrist in mud that seemed as if it was doing everything it could to suck me in deeper.  I managed to free my arm, but my feet took its place. I could reach my brother easily now being closer. I pulled and pulled and as my brother's feet popped out, I threw him onto the grass.

He tried to reach me to pull me out but couldn't reach far enough without stepping back into the field. I told him to run to get Mom and Grandpa. He was worried that Mom would be mad about our now, less-than-brand-new shoes. Still he ran as fast as his mud-cakes shoes would allow. I watched him disappear as he ran toward the house. About ten minutes later, my grandpa showed up with a rope and was able to pull me out.  My brand new shoes were sacrificed in exchange for my freedom.

Later, after the fields dried and the farmer tilled it up, my grandpa retrieved my, now, very dirty and worn pair of shoes. I washed them up with the hose outside behind the house.  Inside of the left shoe, I found the tip of an arrowhead.