After seeing a man vanish into quicksand on TV, young John becomes convinced Iowa is riddled with deadly pits. A simple summer picnic turns into a comic showdown between childhood terror, sibling mischief, and questionable science.
A tender, humorous childhood vignette from John Carenen’s Gunpowder & Peonies, capturing a five‑year‑old’s earnest proposal and the wonder of small‑town Iowa.
