Dried Up Blood (Yaoi)

-Tranquil 5-

December 8, 1928

At Unknown

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"Have you ever heard of the story, The Juniper Tree? Its about this wealthy man and his wife. They had everything they could wanted. But they had yet to bear a child."

"Really? But why would they want a child?" Rwain looked up at me, his big eyes full of curiosity and wonder

"Listen to this story Rwain." I felt a smile come onto my lips as he nodded, he sat close to me

"In the yard grew a tall Juniper tree, which the wife would spend most of her days under. One day the wife cut her finger while eating an apple, her red blood fell onto the snow. She sighed and said, 'if only I had a child as red as blood and as white as snow.' As if a spell was casted upon her mood lightened and she felt like a child was on the way"

"Whatttttt? How? Why?" the small child questioned

I chuckled, "Well they don't answer a lot of questions the readers might have"

"....ok, go on! What's next?"

"Months pass and she is pregnant with a child. The juniper berries grow and the ignorant woman gobbles up the berries and becomes ill. Those berries were sometimes used to cook or for medicine, but some juniper berries are poisoning. She dies, but bears a beautiful baby boy as red as blood and as white as snow."

"The father mourns but marries again. He and his new wife bring a baby girl into this sad story. The mother loves her daughter, but only sees the son as a hinderance to the daughter's inheritance. She even makes the boy's life torture. One day when the boy is at school the daughter asks the wicked mother for an apple."

"The mother then goes into her heavy-lidded chest, one with an razor-sharp iron lock and pulls out an apple. 'Is brother not to have one too?' The girl asks-which sparks anger in the woman. Right then she sees the son walking outside the window. She demands the apple back and tells the girl she wont get an apple before her brother. She then sends the girl away and waits for the boy to come inside."

"My son do you want an apple? She asks him, looking fierce and feral. 'Mother, how angry you look, yes give me an apple,' the boy said cautiously. 'Come with me' she said and opens the lid of the chest. 'Get one' she tells the boy. The boy reaches for an apple sticking his head into the chest. She slams the lid of the chest down onto his neck and off flies the boy's head."

"She comes up with a plan to get out of this and gets a scarf. She sits the body up in the chair and grabs the head putting it back on the body and tying a scarf keeping the head upright. Then she put an apple in his hand. The girl comes back and tells the mother that brother won't give her the apple and that he won't answer her. So she tells the child to go to him and ask again, and if he does not answer she shall box his ears. the girl does as she's told and when he won't answer she hits him. His head rolls of his shoulders."

"What have you done!? The mother says to the hysterical child. Thinking she killed her brother the child could not stop crying. She told the daughter no one must know of this and so she cooks the body in vinegar. She cuts him up and turns this once a beautiful boy into stew. She even makes the daughter help her every step of the way. At dinner the father asks where his son went and the mother tells him that he went to visit family, the father was upset that he didn't say goodbye."

"The father begins to eat the stew and the girl cries once more. Which to the the father says to her, 'don't worry your brother will be back soon' and says to the wife, 'Wife! This food is delicious! Give me more!' he eats and eats not knowing that his it was his son. Throwing the bones under the table he says, 'somehow I feel like this is all mine.' The sister not able to bear this gets her silken scarf and places in bones in it. She buries the bones under the juniper tree she lays him to rest crying and sobbing tears of blood. Then a light comes from the tree and a bird flies out with the most heartbreakingly beautiful voice. The silk and bones have disappeared."