The Pogue Life || JJ Maybank

That bitch is possessed

We get John B set up, ready to lower him into the well and as he gets into position he makes a request that we don't drop him. So of course, JJ pretends to drop him. JB does not find it funny. I, on the other hand, have a little giggle as he tries to pretend it didn't startle him.

"You're gonna die first, for sure," John B says to a laughing JJ before we start to lower him down.

"All right, just keep paying it out nice and slow, like that," Pope tells JJ and I as we begin to lower John B.

He tells us from inside the well to keep going while we all struggle with the rope. JJ asks Pope and I to wait a second so he can 'get situated.' Just as Pope asks if he's okay, his feet go out from under him. He knocks my good leg, taking me down as well and the rope slips away from both of us and straight through Pope's hands, sending John B plummeting toward the bottom of the well. JJ and I are instantly fumbling to get ahold of the rope and both end up grabbing a piece and putting everything we have into stopping it, since Pope can't do it on his own. Once we have it stopped we call out to John B, albeit a little hesitantly in case we killed him.

"I told you not to drop me!"

"Well at least he's alive," I say, "ungrateful bastard."

"You good man?" JJ asks, panting as he tries to stand without dropping the rope.

"What the hell was that?"

"Little technical difficulties," Pope answers.

"Keep going. SLOW," John B instructs.

We do so, each of us keeping as tight a grip as possible on the rope. The tension in the air rises with every inch that we lower John B. JJ's face is plastered with guilt and I can feel his eyes on me, probably worried about my leg.

"I'm hanging over some sewage-water-looking shit," John B tells us.

"Descriptive," I note.

"You want back up?" Pope asks.

"Keep going, I guess," is his response.

So, of course, we do until he tells us that he's at the bottom. He tells us it's worse than he expected down there and that he hasn't found any gold yet. The three of us now stand around staring into the well, just waiting while John B searches.

Suddenly, John B is tugging on the rope, yelling frantically to pull him up, repeating it over and over, begging to get out. We jump back on the rope moving as fast as possible, grunting and groaning at the struggle. Man sure does weigh a lot when he's suspended mid-air.

"Think... he... found... gold?" I ask through grunts.

"Dunno," JJ responds as he struggles, "shoulda sent... you... though. Woulda been... ugh... lighter."

Suddenly the frantic begging to come up turns into repeated instruction to wait. We halt our efforts, straining to hold him in place now that he's not at the bottom. At the same time, I'm cursing him out in my mind and wishing he'd make up his damn mind.

"Hey, I think I found something."

We wait with baited breath for him to elaborate and any annoyance dissipates. We shout questions down at him to find out something, anything, but he's gone silent. Nothing but radio silence from our self-elected leader now. Very much not appreciated radio silence. There's that annoyance again. The rope suddenly gets lighter and we all look at each other with complete panic and start calling out to him more and more. And yet, nothing.

"John B if you're alive, I'm gonna kill you," I yell, "let us know if you're okay!"

Still nothing. My hand finds JJ's as the three of us hang over the entrance to the well. I tangle our fingers together and he squeezes my hand in a comforting way. We all go silent, waiting and praying he's okay.