Alan Cockrell

The Restless Earth Alan Cockrell

Inspired by actual events in the 1950s rural South.



The moneymen turned him away, laughing, sneering, saying his science was bad; saying he was too far away from oil, calling him a fool, a dupe, a hopelss loser. His peers, smelling the stnech of failure, distanced themselves from him. His lender - the few he had - fidgeted, fearing he was unlucky. His bills and worries mounted. His drilling rig, "Lucky Lucy," true to the auntitheses of her name, broke down almost daily. His crew, tired of working for nothing, threatened to walk away.

Crafty, whispering voices, from figures wathing from teh shadows, schemed to get at that which he sought, if he were lucky enough to find it. Eager, desperate faces of farmers, merchants and townspeople stood aside watching, waiting, praying his good luch would be theirs, as well.

Few believed him, and as his bit twisted it's way into the Earth's mysterious belly, one who did, a woman he wondered if he could trust, told him what he couldn't seem to fathom - that his real discovery would likely not be at the bottom of his hole.