Loose

He was tired, as he sat on the porch. The days seemed longer - it seemed forever since the sun rose, and it was only just starting to set. His legs hurt and he was covered in dust and dirt. He was thirsty, but momma said that he had to stay sat on the porch until nightfall. She'd brought him a drink round midday, but she'd been off doing something else - something he figured was important, but he couldn't say, because momma told him that good little boys stayed on the porch and looked out for critters.

He knew it was wrong to wish he had a stick. Momma and daddy and his big sister Carla had all explained it to him until he couldn't deny that he knew. He wouldn't any more hurt a critter than he would his best friend - no way on purpose, not at all. It was wrong to hurt things. Everything and everybody had the right to live in peace.

And, really, he'd be just a-okay with that if them critters would just leave them alone, much like they did - if they'd just return the favour. But they didn't - well, not such as much. They were forever sneaking into the yard and stealing everything that was being grown there. Momma and Carla had put up nets, but they bit right through them. So momma had given him the job of watching out. Dawn til nightfall, he was out on the porch, and if he saw anything, he had to chase it away. Just shoo it out the vegetable patch, gentle-like. But there were lots of them, and though he was a young buy with lots of energy, running round after things smaller and faster than him that could turn on a dime - well, it got tiring. And it was thirsty work, but momma and daddy had decided that they should only be drawing water from the well these days. They'd tried to explain that too - something about nasty things and side effects and big words that he didn't really understand. But, he knew now that all the water came from the well. It was Carla's job to haul it, and he didn't like the taste - it tasted different, and it looked funny, but momma and daddy said it was good water. that it was better because nothing got hurt, getting the water.

He didn't want anything to get hurt, because of him or his.

He just wished them critters would stay out the yard, without him having to chase them. It only seemed fair.