"Keep tying Jess you'll get it." His father told him as he tried to start the fire. Jess was on a hunting trip with his pa and the matches had gotten wet. Jess was trying to start the fire with two sticks like his father had shown him but it wasn't working. Jess handed the sticks to his father. with a chuckle his father accepted them and started rubbing them together. Jess made sure to pay close attention so he would be able to do it. Within 10 minutes he had the sticks sparking. Jess watched in awe as his father was able to do it with such ease. Later when they got home from their trip Jess got 2 sticks and went behind the barn so his father couldn't see him. He started rubbing the sticks together and within 20 minutes got a spark. A small fire started going and Jess was very proud of himself, he started the fire and his pa was going to be proud of him to. What he didn't expect was for his father to see the fire and to come rushing behind the barn. when he was able to put the fire out he walked over to jess enraged. he picked Jess up and walked into the barn grabbing the leather strap off the hook as he went.

Jess turned in his father's grip when he heard footsteps. His mother was standing there with a concerned and angry look on her face. "Put that boy down right this minute you hear me!" she yelled. Jess inwardly cringed at his mother's tone knowing that it was only going to make his father more upset. Once his father had administered his punishment he ran into the house, to his room, and buried his head in his pillow. His older sister Francie came into the room to see what all the noise was about. Seeing Jess on his bed with rips in his shirt a small about of blood seeping through was not what she had in mind. She walked over to the bed and was heartbroken when she sat down and Jess flinched away. Jess told her to leave but she wasn't going to. His tears persisted even though she couldn't hear him sobbing anymore. She wanted to place a comforting hand on him to let him know she was there but she didn't want to hurt him. After a minute or two Jess sat up and flung himself in Francie's arms letting himself be coddled in her arms. He felt safe and soon he fell asleep from exhaustion. Francie laid Jess back on the bed carefully and went to go help her mother make dinner.

Jess awoke startled when two hands gripped his shoulders. Jess looked up into his mother's worried expression and plastered a cheesy smile on his face. "It's time for dinner." is all she said before she walked out of the room. Jess got up and walked out of the bedroom. He sat down at the dinner table and they all said grace. When dinner was over everyone did their last minute stuff and the went to their respective rooms for the night. Everyone except for Jess. He sat on the front porch wondering what he did earlier to deserve the beating he received. Yes, he burned the haystack. But did the punishment need to be that brutal. At that moment Francie walked out the door and sat next to Jess.

"Hey Buddy. How about we go inside and get some sleep?"

"You go. I didn't ask you to come out here after me."

"Hey, Watch the attitude." but after a longer glance Francie saw that something was bothering her brother. "Hey, What's wrong?" She asked putting her arm around his shoulders.

When Jess answered it was an almost inaudible whisper and she had to strain to hear him. "I just wanted to make him proud."

"Jess you burned down the winter feed. He is proud. It's just … its tight right now and Pa is trying to make ends meet."

"I know. I'll be in in a minute." Francie nodded and got up retreating into the house.

Jess knew it wasn't right. He needed to change something and he knew what it was.

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