Free Haints Stay by Colin Winnette

John. He came up behind Bird and reached to
     his plate with a spoon in order to break the biscuit in half. He then sat in the
     seat beside his daughter and lifted her braid with one hand. “You think we’re any
     closer to cutting this ?”
    She shook it free from her father’s casual grip.
    â€œThank you,” said Bird.
    â€œDid you see any fighting ?” she asked.
    â€œSome,” said Bird.
    â€œDid you see any men die ?”
    â€œIf he did,” said John, “is it something he would want to talk about
     immediately after waking up as he did ? Let him breathe a little. Let him eat. His
     stories will come out with time.”
    â€œI… I don’t have any stories,” said Bird. “I grew up on a very normal
     farm and my parents were very casual people who did not bother much with towns or
     neighbors.”
    â€œWell there’s no company like kin,” said John, “although I’m sure your
     folks did a lot more than you knew at the time. It’s the way of parents and
     children. You’ll understand it when you’re older.”
    Bird nodded.
    â€œIt’s about as unpleasant a segue as I could have mustered,but I do wonder some about how you wound up in the cave and what might have
     happened to your parents. Can we take you to them ? Can you guide us from the main
     road ?”
    â€œThey’re dead,” said Bird, finally accepting a bit of the warm biscuit
     into his mouth.
    â€œOh, no,” said Mary.
    â€œOh,” said John, “how ? Martha, can you stop for a second ?”
    Martha nodded without turning, shut up the piano, and rose to join them
     at the table.
    â€œBird’s got some heavy news and I couldn’t make light of it with your
     lovely playing,” said John. “You were excellent, my dear.”
    â€œWhat’s the heavy news ?” said Martha. She loaded her plate with slop
     from the pot, then she loaded Mary’s. John served himself, then offered a full ladle
     out to Bird.
    â€œYou were saying, Bud ?”
    â€œBird,” said Bird.
    â€œYou were saying, Bird ?”
    â€œThey died, my parents. They were killed. Two men killed them. For money.
     They were killers, the men. They stabbed me and left me for dead and I wandered
     until I wound up here.”
    Martha shook her head. She closed her eyes.
    â€œThe evils in this world abound,” she said.
    She tilted her chin toward her lap. When she opened her eyes, there was a
     softness to them that hadn’t been there before. She reached across the table and
     took Bird’s hand. He flinched at first, then accepted the gesture. “Child, you’ll
     live with us until they find and punish the men who did this.”
    John nodded.
    â€œDo you know anything about them ? Their names ? Why theyhurt your family ? What they looked like ? Where they were from or where they were
     headed ?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” said Mary.
    â€œOne of them had a handkerchief, I guess. He was slightly round about the
     waist. Soft features. A hanging chin. He was the younger of the two.”
    â€œThe other ?” said John.
    â€œHe was much bigger. Muscular. He had… a rough look to him.”
    â€œOh,” said Mary.
    â€œHe had stubble, like you,” Bird pointed to John.
    â€œIt’s been a long weekend,” said John.
    â€œAnd they carried knives in their boots.”
    â€œYou said they did it for money ?” said John.
    Bird nodded.
    â€œHow did you know ?”
    â€œThey… brought parts back. They were planning to make some sort of trade,
     I guess. I heard them. They… they put my mom’s head in a gunny sack and my dad’s
     hung from the side of the saddle.”
    â€œWhoa,” said Mary.
    â€œNow Bird,” said Martha, “I know you’ve been through some kind of hell,
     but you’ve