I realized that I'll probably be using some terms in this story that people may not know of so, I will

be posting the meanings to the phrases or terms used.

Terms Used:

Barber's Cat: Half-starved, sickly looking person.

I OWN NOTHING!

LYRICS FROM THE SONG BLOWN AWAY BY CARRIE UNDERWOOD

TENNESSEE KID COOPER BELONGS TO SUCKER PUNCH!

I OWN LIL BIT!

Tennessee's Little Bit

'There's not enough Rain in Oklahoma to wash the Sins out of THAT House

There's not enough wind in Oklahoma to Rip the nails out of the Past!

Shatter every window til it's all blown away!

Every brick

Every board

Every slammin door blown away!

Til there's nothin left standin

Nothin left of yesterday!

Every tear soaked whiskey memory blown away!'

It was a quiet day out in Arizona like any other, I was at the hide out kickin' back in a rockin' chair on the porch; when I suddenly felt movement in my money pouch, I lifted my hat a lil' and glanced down at what or who was diggin' in my pocket!

Turns out, it was a lil coon girl, must'a been at least a six-year kit, hair was a mangled curly mess! Poor lil' bit was smelly n dirty and on top of that she was skin and bones with her face all sunk in from not eatin! We just kept eye contact with each other, then as if she thought she could get away with it, she started to slowly back away from me then tried to take off; poor kid didn't stand a chance. I got up and jogged after her, well she was sickly it wasn't that hard to catch the little thing; "NAO! Lemme go! Lemme go! Please mister I NEED this money!" she pleaded with me, "Now looky here young'in, I'll give ya the money but first ya gotta tell me exactly why ya need it in the first place."

Poor little thing looked up at me with those big pitiful green sad eyes, "I heard you had a lot of money! On an account that you're a rich outlaw!" she said, well that would explain why she picked me but that don't explain why she needed the money, then she just sighed as if she'd just been beat.

"Can I just show you?" she asked me; I nodded and she led me away to a little hidden cave out in the desert, "Jack!" she hollered and crawled into the hole. "Jack c'mon! Get up I brought somebody here with me!" she said as she pulled out what appeared to be her brother, "I don't understand... why he won't wake up?" she said, somehow I think she knew but didn't want to admit to it; "Sweet heart why don't you... maybe get something to drink for your brother …" I said and she did just that, and while she was gone I checked his pulse n searched for a heart beat but... There wasn't no sign of life in the lil cowboy's body, the way I figure it he must've died a day or two back; his poor sister, when she got back she asked what I was doing … That's when I had to break it to her, "Sweetheart... I don't think you're little brother's with us anymore hun." I said, it pained to tell her that.

The look on her face made my heart drop and the cry she gave bout near killed me! "JJJJAAACCCCCKKK! NNNOOO! NO! NO NO NO! PLEASE! JACK! COME BACK!"

I grabbed her up n held her, holding her tight to me as she struggled to get away from me; "Jack please! I want my little brother!" she hollered

…

I carried her back to my little shot-gun house hide away, I was starting to wonder bout this strange little mistress; who was she and how did she get all the way out here to Arizona!?

I sat her down and got a fire going in the fireplace, I looked over at the little girl; her cloths ragged, smelly n sodden; and my only other thought was to get them washed and cleaned, though to be honest if I had some cloths for her I'd make her wear something else so I burn what she had on! "Sweetie why don't you take those cloths off and..."

I thought somebody had tried to shoot her! Her body stiffened up, eyes got as big a doe's and she dropped the cup she was sippin coco out of; then her ears drop and she whaled, "PLEASE! Please don't hurt me mister!" I watched as she fell to her knees and her body shook and trembled, gosh seeing that made me wonder even more bout her and it worried me! What on earth had happen to this child!?

"Look b.. Lil' bit I dunno what kind of life you had before now but... I just … want to let you know, I will NOT harm you! I promise! Now then, all I want to do is get your cloths washed, I mean goodness! Look at them! They're nasty n torn! Don't ya want somethin clean to wear?" I asked, but my only response was a shaken child that hugged herself. I gently put my hand out and began pushin' her hair outta her face which, resulted in her flinchin' at my touch; "Ssshh, I promise whatever's happen to you lil' bit, I will NOT do to you." I told her, I think it must've clicked 'cause she looked at me with a change in her eyes; she began to relax and calm down, she softened a bit.

"Okay..." she said, looking up at me with a smile; she backed up and started tuggin' her cloths off, "Here baby." I tried to help her but she lurched backwards, so I backed off respectfully.

…

I stood over the stove makin some pork n beans for us to eat, "Hey mister, what are you gonna do with my cloths?" came a little voice.

"Well I plan on washin them, and..." I sniffed the air and wwhhheeeww! Something smelled rotten in the Alamo! Then I turned to face the girl and realized the smell was coming from her!

"Little girl...when was the last you had a bath?"

"I … I don't know..." she said sheepishly

"Well the food's done, here I'll get you some warm water goin." as I headed outta the house and pumped some water for her bath, figured may as well bath her while the food cools off, I glanced back and saw the naked child with an un-nerved fear in her eyes as she bit her lower lip; it made me SICK to think of what she could've been through

"C'MON OUT LIL BIT!" and not but a few minutes later she came out, her fur matted and dirty ribs was showin', she had scrawny chicken legs 'n thin arms... She just looked as bad as a barber's cat!

"You comfortable with me pickin' you up?" I said my arms were ready to carry her, she looked uneasy at me huggin' her chest, in a shrunken position. "I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable 'kay?" poor baby, she started shakin so I did what any gentleman would do in that situation; I held my hand out for her, I figure, if she don't want me carryin' her the least I could do was help her get down the steps. She began to reach out for my hand shaking like a lil' leaf, "Trust me lil bit, I won't harm you... I promise." I said, hand in the air and the other over my heart, I held my arm out again and she grabbed my arm and I led her away and helped her into the warm bath, I knelt down and began scrubbin her; and most of the time she was stiff as an ol' board! "Relax, I already done told you I wasn't gonna harm you." but all that did was just result in her huggin her self n shuttin her eyes tight as she could, I guess she was bracin herself just in case she needed to be ready; but whatever she was waitin for never came as I lifted her out of the tub and began dryin her off, as I finished dryin her she blinked her eyes, still huggin herself in shock of had happened or... What may not have happened, and she looked at me a lil unsure of it all.

"Y..."

"Ssshh, now the food should be cool enough fer us ta eat." I said and wrapped a fresh towel around her body and lead her into the house.