James H. Barrett Jr.

A Summer to Be Treasured James H. Barrett Jr.

For forty-five-year-old Josh "Rusty" O'Brien, it seems only a few years ago he was a young boy growing up in Oakwood Acres, Pennsylvania, a quiet suburb where everyone knew everyone. That thought takes him back to the summer of 1973, when he and his buddies were fifteen years old. Josh, Jake Thompson, Joey Flynn, and Walt McDonald were virtually inseparable; it was a summer to be treasured. Their favorite pastimes were hanging out together and riding their dirt bikes in and around their small suburb, especially after Josh buys his 1969 Suzuki 250 Trail Bike. Bored with the same old track in town, the four plan a riding excursion that takes them farther from town into the rural area, past old man Simmons' place, and out to the abandoned mine. While checking things out, the four unexpectedly tumble into a twenty-foot hole. They spend the night in the hole, hoping and praying their parents will find them. But what happens during their eighteen-hour ordeal changes their lives.