Eric, now a quiet teenage KENTUCKY BOY, matures as a young adult and still has a problem of handling hurts directed at him because of an early age slight speech impediment. His speech has greatly improved, but he copes with the perceived hurts the same way: silence, withdrawal, and isolation. Because of Eric's simple rural lifestyle, he used nature's splendid beauty to console his emotions. Eric learned to respect and love nature from an early age and continued to roam the countryside with two close friends, Ron Milford, and Eugene West. Their friendship grew into a unique devotion to each other. Follow this narrative on their adventurous, exciting and sometimes dangerous exploration of caves and overgrown timberland along a small stream, known as Barney's Branch. Eric's wise and thoughtful parents sought help from the trio's school bus driver, Junior Brooks, to carefully provide guidance directing him away from a very dangerous venture. Junior's fun-loving personality prepared him to offer gentle and mature advice, but it also gives him plenty of sneaky opportunities to surprise, enjoy, and show his affection for these teenagers. Eric and Eugene were Christians, and they also wanted Ron to become one. Eric's struggles to keep the disappointments from turning into anger, anger into resentment, and resentment into a grudge. He became deeply committed in asking forgiveness for his behavior and adolescent thoughts.