Little Me

It was another cold winter in the mountains and the Pontipee family is off to work again. The
eldest Adam, is out chopping wood as it snows. Since their father died after his youngest son,
Gideon, was born he cut down a tree on himself. They never found out why, but it had just
happened. Their mother was inside, tending to supper while the boys were out. Little Gideon was only five, and was out feeding the chickens. He stoped, his bright blue eyes traveling over to where his older brother Adam was at. He always admired him, for he had strength and courage. He smiled. He wanted to be just like Adam when he grew up. Just then hay fell on his head.

"Sorry Giddy! Didn't see you!"shouted Benjamin trying not to laugh from the hay loft. Gideon
looked down and shook the hay from his red hair. He walked into the barn now looking for eggs for his mother. He shooed the chickens away from their coops and looked through them. Gideon was always a sweet and caring child, never careing really about anything. He loved everything. He loved nature, and animals. He sometimes got sad when he looked at the dead animals his older brothers brought home. He was sad yes, but knew it was the only way to survive in the mountains.

Gideon took the eggs from the chicken's nests. In the spring he always left one egg so they would have baby chicks, but it was winter, and he always took them all. As he breathed, small white puffy clouds came from his mouth. He shivered a little and rubbed his arms. He had a coat on yes, but it wasn't a very thick one at all. He got the bucket full of eggs and waddled back to the house. He noticed Adam chopping the last peice of wood and began to stock the wood into piles. Adam looked at Gideon and waved, when Gideon waved back. Just then a snowball hit Gideon in the back of the head and he turned around. He noticed his brothe Caleb threw it and he shook his head and went inside to give the eggs to his mother.

At dinner the table was filled with biscuts, bread, fried chicken, eggs, and beans. Adam now sat at the head of the table, and his mother on the other end. On Adam's left was Benjamin, Caleb, and Daniel. On his right was Ephraim, Frank, and Gideon. Their mother had light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a red dress with a red shaw. She smiled at the boys.

"Ephraim, please pass the bread."said his mother.

"Yes Ma."said Ephraim, passing the biscuts to her.

"Please pass the beans Gideon."said Ephraim. Gideon took the beans and began to pass them over to Ephraim, but he lost his grip and they fell into Frank's lap.

"AH! Why you little!"shouted Frank, getting up throwing his napkin down. "You klutz!! You always mess everything up!"shouted Frank at his little brother. Gideon heard mumbles of agreement among his other brothers.

"I..I..I try not too."he said quietly.

"It isnt enough!"shouted Frank, taking his napkin and began to wipe off his pants. Gideon began to help but Frank stopped him.

"I think you've done enough."he said. Gideon looked at his family. He looked down, his eyes
getting glossy.

"Excuse me.."he said, getting up. He ran and put his coat and gloves on and ran outside.
"Frank!"exclaimed Adam.

"What? Gosh, okay, I'm sorry. The little squirt will come back."said Frank sitting down. Ma just looked at her sons, and closed her eyes.

Gideon ran through the forest of the mountains. In the last couple hours, about three inches of snow had fallen, and it was snowing for a little bit, but it soon stopped. He wiped his runny
nose on his jacket sleeve. He began to walk, but he tripped and tumbled down the hill. As he
landed at the bottem, his foot had been bent a wrong way and now hurt really bad. Freash tears sprung to Gideon's eyes. He currled up and just laied there in the snow, shivering and trying to forget the pain.

"Help.."he mumbled.

Adam got up early in the morning and looked at the bed where Gideon usually slept at. He still wasn't back. Adam pulled his clothes on and walked down the steps. He noticed Ma sitting on the couch nitting. He smiled at her. She smiled back. Adam could tell something was wrong with Ma, for her smile wasn't as bright as it usually was. He shrugged and went on outside, off to find Gideon.

He found footsteps, obviously Gideon's since they were small. Shep, their boarder collie,
followed Adam as he followed the tracks. Soon he came appon the hill and noticed slide marks down the hill. He looked down and noticed a small figure down at the bottem of the hill. Adam ran down but slid most of the way down the hill till he got to Gideon. He kneeled beside his youngest brother and shook him. The small boy's eyes opened slowly and he smiled weakly at Adam. Those eyes was the color of their mothers. Gideon was the only son with his mother's blue eyes while the rest had hazleish greenish eyes like their father.

"Adam.."mumbled Gideon, before he passed out.

"Giddy? Giddy!"exclaimed Adam, but hushed. He could tell the boy was tired. He picked him up and walked back to the house with the little guy in his arms.

About two months later, Gideon's foot was all better from the sprain and was now working around the farm again. Gideon was fixing supper, or trying to, while his mother laied down for a rest on the couch. Gideon put down the potato and went to check on his ma. He smiled as he saw her sleeping form. He walked over to her and brushed some hair from her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked at Gideon.

"Giddy.."she spoke softly.

"Yes ma?"he asked.

"Tell the others...I love them."she said.

"Alright ma."he said.

"Giddy..I love you..and I need to go.."she said softly. Puzzlement hit Gideon's face.

"Go..?"he asked, not understanding since he was only five years old. Ma nodded, and shut her eyes and took one last breath, one last exhale. She never took another breath. Gideon looked at his mother.

"Mom..momma..mommy!"he shouted, shaking his poor mother, hoping she would wake up. She never did. Gideon gave a scream and the door opened.

It is now spring. The trees were all lush and green, and the hillside was covered in a wilderness smell. Next to a big lake was a medow, and a willow tree. You didn't see many Willow trees around the area, but this one was here. There was a young boy, with messy red hair and bright blue eyes. He looked at the small cross with flowers laied on the grass infront of it. That was where Gideon's mother was barried. A hand claimed a spot on the young boy's shoulder and he looked up to see Adam.

"Why did she have to go?"asked Gideon.

"Because it was her time Giddy. Come on, lets go round up the cattle."said Adam, getting up.
Gideon nodded and got up. Gideon took one last look at the grave. He never knew his father, and now just lost his mother. Gideon signed and followed Adam back to the farm.

The End

A/N: I do not own 7 Brides For 7 Brothers, just a fanfiction by me!