Chapter 2
The day came. He was gone. Mandie fell onto the dirt, sobbing. "Amanda Shaw, you're gonna ruin your dress." Etta Shaw called. Mandie gave her mother a cold glance. John, despite his sadness, felt his temper rise. Why the hell would she mention the fact the her dress being ruined at a time like this? She had just lost her father for heaven's sake! He took a deep breath and walked over to his niece, putting a loving arm around her small, trembling body. Mandie sobbed even harder then. "T-Take me with you, p-please!" she managed. It took all of her will power not to jump in to the grave. John's tears soaked her hand and the dry grass. Mandie, feeling the drops, didn't look up at him. She couldn't take her eyes off of the coffin as dirt was being thrown on top of it.
The next day was just bitter. When Mandie found out she was to leave with John and leave the woman that wasn't even her mother in her father's house, she ran out of the house, John running after her. She ran quite a distance, making John exert himself to catch up with her. He was getting older, but even though he was in great shape for his age , (40) he still had a hard time catching up to his niece. She ran into the woods, jumping successfully over a creek and eventually stopping at a cliff side. She collapsed, exhausted, with tears in her beautiful clear blue eyes. John approached her, breathing heavily. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned, launching herself into his arms and burying her face into his heaving chest. John was taken by surprise for a minute. Then, sighing, he put his strong arms around his sobbing little niece. She nestled her blonde head between the crook of his neck and shoulder as he nuzzled her hair gently. They stayed like this for sometime until Mandie fell asleep in his arms. John held her like this for sometime, then stood and walked back to Jim's home to get his buggy and take his niece home.
