(I'm sorry this is taking me so long guys! Umm I think I'm gonna try to finish this up in the next chapter... So next chapter will HOPEFULLY be the last :P
I'm not exactly a 100% sure ya know? But I'm gonna have to end this story soon, I really don't wanna just drop this story and never get it finished because I'm so close, anyway I apologize for the wait and I hope you enjoy the story! c: )
It was another lazy Sunday afternoon, me n Howard were on the porch shootin the breeze while Grace laid in lil ball of fluff havin a nap. "Yep, sure don't get no better than this." I said lookin out on the horizon, honestly this was actually the first time I had been happy to actually be here! Maybe I should I just come back here instead of going into the deep south. Aahh who cares, so long as it a place where nobody knows my name or my face, we'll be okay. I tipped my hat over my head, picked up my baby girl and decided to take a nap.
...
THUD...THUD...THUD..
Came the sounds of heavy bootsteps onto porch steps, my ear whirled around at the sound and tilted up my head to see who it was. It was the same shady character I'd seen from the train station not a day or two ago...What's this clown want now?! I gripped Grace tight and held her close as I watched him, he lifted up his head and there it was, scars across his face from many a fight and his dark brown eyes so black you couldn't tell where the eye was and where the pupil was ... "I want my niece." he said, boy the second he said that Howard's face flew up and eyes opened and he was barrelin for a fight! He was quick to grab a garden hoe and hold it ready to beat the daylights outta this fella! Could somebody please explain what was goin on here!? Cause I sure don't know!
"Dan you better get your yella belly self off'a porch! I done told ya hundreds of times, I AINT GOT YOUR NIECE! Or any of your other family members!" he said, but Dan just glanced at Gracie. "So then why's my niece in that man's lap... I aint never know her to trust a stranger before... much less a man!" he said as he knelt down and flashed a toothy nasty yella grin at her! I ripped my gun outta my holster and held in his face, "LOOKIE HERE! .. I dunno who you are... Or what you done, but every time you come around my daughter we both get sick! Now get outta here!" I told him, he just kept lookin at her. "I done heard the law was lookin fer ya, so if ya'll wanna avoid the clink I suggest ya'll gimme back my niece..." he said, my ears fell flat and looked at'em scared... Take my baby girl... Or go to jail. Then the fire in my belly blew into an inferno!... I cocked my pistol ready to shoot, he finally got the hint and glared up at me with hate; I felt like I was lookin the devil his-self in the eyes... "Fine... Ya'll get to keep 'er... Fer now, But I WILL be back! And I WILL get my niece!" He said as he walked away glancing back at us... I knew something was wrong; and I knew I'd be in for a fight here soon...
It was late in the evenin and I was home alone, Howard had taken Bit to church with him. I hope she's good for him, I know most lil kids can get a might bit squarely durin those kinda things, I know darn well I did; I sat alone with my thoughts at this point, and a lot was on my mind.
Was she really... molested? Should I really take her in? Is taking her back be the right thing or..is it the wrong thing?
I laid my head back on the chair I felt like I was drowning and being suffocated by my own thoughts, I sucked in a deep breath and walked outside; I couldn't take it! I sucked in some more of that cold autumn air and let it back out again, I couldn't take it anymore! 'I need a drink.' I said to myself and headed down into the cellar where I knew my brother kept the wheat and barley, I scoured the shelves to see what all he had but all I could find was ale and some rum. "C'mon lil brother, don't ya have any whisky!?" I muttered to myself, I knew that a shot of whisky would be great right about now! And then, I found it! "YES! Tennessee Whisky! Now you're talkin!" and I quickly grabbed the bottle and headed upstairs and plopped back down into the chair and started guzzlin down that whisky bottle, I need to escape my thoughts and so at the time that is, I thought this was a pretty good idea. Get drunk and have a good time! Unfortunately what I didn't realize was HOW bad of an idea that was!
...
I wasn't sure of what time it was when I woke up, I just knew I heard heavy bootsteps cladding on floor as my ear twitched and jerked my head up all drunk and dizzy... Uuuggg, I must have lurched forward too fast cause the world started spinnin... "Who... mmm Who's t-there?!" I hollered out lookin around, then something caught my eye, I squinted my eyes and peered into the darkness. But the only thing I could see was a largely built figure standing by the door but I was so drunk I barely stay awake and I quickly passed out and heard the footsteps walk away upstairs...
~Howard's P.O.V~
It was probably eight'o clock when me and Grace had gotten home, I found my big brother passed out in the chair in the livin' room with some whisky in his hand and I just shook my head chucklin. "Somebody must'a had good time." I said covering him up with a blanket, "Uncle Howard?" Gracie asked but all I did was just motion my head in the direction of the stairs and she darted up the steps and went to the bathroom. I just smiled happy to have a niece and hoping she'd stay around for a long time and keep him straight! Granted, I understand that thieving was in our blood but honestly, I was never one for it. Not only was I not good at it but I had too big of a heart and good conscious on me so it never really worked out for me, but with Ten it was always different he could get away with anything and it wouldn't make no difference to him! He was a good kid though, but on the few occasions I had gone to visit with him he'd always be out all night on a heist and by the next day he'd sleep til the evenin time! But with Gracie around it was different, he'd never hardly leave and when he did it was usually just to go into town to pick up something; funny how such a little girl has such a big change on a fella, but I was glad for it!
And with that, I had headed up the stairs to bath the girl and put her to bed.
...
It must'a been pretty late when I heard those heavy footsteps come into my house; I got up outta bed and light a lamp to go investigate what was going on out there, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my guts that something bad was about to happen... I just wish I had known what it was ... I walked out into the hallway and found a big burly built figure standing at the top of my stairs! I held the lamp out just enough to get a better look and loan behold if I'll be damned! It was Daniel! What in tarnation does that skunk want now?! AND WHY WAS HE IN MY HOUSE! "What do you want?!" I hollered, but all I got was a shovel to the head and got knocked out last thing I remember hearing was screaming and hollerin from Gracie's bedroom and I went out cold after that ...
"GRACE! GRACIE?!" I heard Tennessee hollering the next morning as he darted around the house, I slowly pushed myself up and saw what ruckus he'd made! end tables in the hallway knocked over sheets n blankets from every bedroom in the house flying down the hallways, lamps and other objects having been knocked over and broken... This was not good... I slowly go to my feet and walked into Gracie's bedroom, "She aint here..." I told him, Ten flew around at me with blaze in his eyes, the look on his face almost looked demonic, eyes wide nearly black with anger his face a ragged scruffy lookin mess from bein hung over... "WHERE IS SHE THEN!?" he screamed, "Daniel's got her... Look partner..." but before I could finish my sentence he was gone n off down the stairs gatherin supplies and loading pistols n other guns, I staggered down after him havin to cling to the railing, I don't get him; my head was poundin from the beatin with shovel I had gotten last night and I'm barely able to walk, but he's hung over and moving like a twister! I guess when your kid's in trouble that'll do that to ya. "Tennessee you don't even know where..."
"That don't matter! I'll go bashin every house in Oklahoma til I find her! NOBODY'S GETTIN AWAY WITH TAKIN GRACIE FROM ME!" he screamed again and after that he fell to the floor clutchin his head from bein so hung over! That bonehead's gonna get himself killed! "Look pinhead! You need to go lay down, now I'll go out and talk to some of the locals and see what I can figure out okay? I promise... I won't let her get away and I won't let you down..." I said, I helped to his knees and he just looked at me, we both knew he was in bad shape and he sure couldn't even handle a lil trip to the store much less a long trip down to Oklahoma... "Go lay down, and..."
"What happen to your head... You got a big ol' gash on the side of your head!" he said trying to inspect my wounds, after a few minutes I guess he figured out that neither of us were in a good shape do to much, "Howard... Just go see if you can't find a doc... I'll go lay down..." he said becoming disheartened I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Look big brother... we're gonna find her okay? ... I promise." I said and pulled him into a hug
One or another we're gonna get this figured out...
