The Unmarked Grave Behind Hawthorn Elementary

In 1989, the patch of dead earth behind Hawthorn Elementary wouldn’t let grass or weeds grow-just bare, sunken ground along the fence line. Every recess, we’d dare each other to poke at it, and the teachers told us not to. The spot stayed muddy through droughts and froze solid in the sun. When they started construction in ‘95, the digger’s blade hit something that echoed. It was a child-sized wooden box, the wood warped and lid sealed with bent nails. Inside, curled up in a faded uniform, was a school photo dated September 14, 1947-the same face staring back from the wall of the principal’s office since forever.