8. He Ain't Heavy Direct

An old man, sheltering under a lean-to made of cedar boughs, watched them struggle past. He saw Elias’s knees buckling, his breath coming in ragged, white plumes in the cold air.

"Son," the man called out, his voice raspy but kind. "That’s a mighty long way to go with such a burden. You look like you’re about to break." 8. He Ain't Heavy

"He’s not a burden, sir," Elias said. "He’s my brother." An old man, sheltering under a lean-to made