Chapter 1

It was Ellison Hatfield who found me, a confused four year old wandering the Tug. I was crying and clutching a bloodied teddy bear in my hands. He was with his own son, as well as some of his nephews.

"Hey!" A boy yelled, looking down the hill at the river. "Uncle Ellison!"

"What is it Johnsy?" Another voice yelled back.

"It's a little girl, Uncle! I think you need to come!" He yelled, running down the slope to lay eyes on me. I whimpered and backed away from the boy.

"Jesus Christ," a man with red hair and a red beard appeared. There were two other boys with him. "William you go and get your pa, ya hear me? Cotton, go with him." Both boys took off and the man knelt down in front of me.

"Hey, honey. Come here." He soothed, trying to get me to come to him. I startled and started sobbing. "Shh. I ain't gonna hurt you."

"Mama! Mama!" I cried, and the other boy looked at his uncle.

"Uncle Ellison, what do we do?" He asked.

"Quiet down Johnsy. Hey, darling, come here." All of a sudden a whole slew of people came. I looked up to see them all and backed further away. "Honey, don't go no further." He said in a sharper voice. My eyes went wide and I looked at him confused for a moment before I took another step back and almost ended up in the Tug. But he grabbed a hold of my arm and pulled me gently into his arms. "It's gonna be alright. You're safe now, darlin'." I wrapped my arms around his neck as he picked me up off the ground.

"Ellison, what on earth?" A man with a beard and a pipe asked as we walked nearer to them.

"I dunno, Anse. Johnsy found her." The man admitted. I hid my face in his neck and held on while he talked. I didn't want to see the eyes of everyone staring back at me.

"Hey, angel, can you tell me your name?" Anse asked me, in a gentle voice. I looked up at him shocked.

"Liza. Liza Wentwowth." I lisped, clinging to the man who had saved me.

"Well, Liza Wentworth, where's your mama?" He asked again. I shook my head and looked at him.

"Mama. Mama, mama, mama!" I yelled.

"Yes, child. Where is your mama?"

"Cold. Cold, cold, cold." I muttered. "Wawm mama?"

"Oh, the poor child." The man holding me said. I cried again.

"Jesus." Anse swore. "Let's go to Wall."

I was placed in the back of the wagon near the boy named Cotton. He was a couple of years older than me, but he held me and petted my hair. Finally we pulled up in a small town and I looked at everything with dull eyes.

"C'mon darlin'," The man who held me before pulled me out of the wagon. I smiled at him and clung to him like a bear. He laughed. "Run along boys." He said kindly to the boys who took off to play. He carried me into the jailhouse.

"Anse, Ellison, what's going on?" The kindly judge asked, taking a look at me.

"Wall we found her on the edge of the Tug." Anse answered, looking at the judge.

"Oh my." The older judge said, standing up and walking over to us. He looked at me. "Hey darlin'."

"Hello." I said with a smile. "Who're you?"

"I am Judge Wall. Who might you be?"

"I am Liza Wentwowth." I said proudly.

"Hello Liza Wentworth." He gave me a kindly smile. "What's that you got there?"

"Teddy." I said, going to cram a bloody paw into my mouth. Wall gently prevented that.

"We'll clean teddy for you." He said with a smile. "So what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Is there anything we can do?" Ellison asked, cradling me to his body. Wall looked thoughtful.

"Do you know what's happened of her parents?"

"She said her mama was cold, Wall," Anse said with a look. Wall gave him a sad look back and tweaked my nose.

"Well then, we have to see if she has any living relatives. But for now, I'd say you keep her Ellison. Take care of the poor child." Wall told his younger brother. "And if we get nothing back, then I'll draw up the paperwork for you to keep her permanently."

"Thanks Wall." Ellison said with a smile. Wall gave him another look.

"Here's some money. Get her some things." Ellison made to protest but Wall held up his hand. "From her Uncle Wall of course." I clapped my hands.

"Mama?" I asked, wondering where she was.

"Shh. Darlin' it's alright." Ellison said with a sad smile. "You'll be comin' to live with my son Cotton and I."

Three months later

We were back at Uncle Wall's office where he made up the paperwork so that I might be a permanent member of the Hatfield family. There was none of my own kin left. I was given the Hatfield name, unlike Cotton, and sent off to live with my daddy.