The Juniper Trees

I walked into the warehouse reluctantly, holding tight to Shem’s hand. This was a horrible idea. We weren’t supposed to be out this late, or go into the forest, lest alone and weird buildings we found there. Shem was unfaltering, walking further and further into the warehouse, and the darkness. All too soon the darkness had enveloped us. We had gone so far. Way too far for a simple warehouse.

“Can we please go back home?” I asked, looking at where I assumed Shem’s face would be.

“We need to keep going Juniper,” she said, her hand becoming even tighter over mine.

“But why?”

No reply. I asked again. No reply. I tried to take my hand back. Shem was too strong. I stopped walking, but Shem was too strong and pulled me along. I was stuck.

“Shem I want to go home!” I yelled.

“No, you don’t,” Shem replied, “There’s nothing for us there.”

“What do you mean?” I screamed.

There was so much back home for us. Shem was guaranteed a place in the best wizard academy, the best of her class. And I was learning to be the best gardener. The Juniper trees in the garden were flourishing.

All of a sudden Shem asked, “June, can you do something for me?”

I froze. Shem never called me June. It was always Juniper. Sometimes I was her little Juniper tree. But never June. She always said such a pretty name should never be shortened.

“Who are you?”

All of a sudden I realized I could see again, just in time to see the monster that had been masquerading around as Shem transform. Her long hair fell off in clumps, her skin turned grey, her teeth grew to become canines. I screamed and clawed at my hand but the monster held tight. I screamed and screamed as I was brought closer and closer to the light against my will. All too soon I was blinded and could only see white. When the light dimmed enough for me to make anything out I knew where we were. It was our garden.

“Frog did job!” the monster exclaimed from behind me.

I wanted to turn around and scream that Shem would find me here. Yet I was frozen. The only thing that I could move were my eyes. Up, down, all around. The garden where I’d spent so much time. The Juniper that had comforted me so. Then I saw Shem coming closer and closer, until she was right in front of me.

“What are you doing behind that tree Frog?” she asked, putting a hand on my trunk, the seventh Juniper in her garden.