summer of 2036

     The sun was blazing on the bare skin of the towns people, the kids who were normally out running around were sitting under the shade of the apple trees. It was the hottest day they’ve had in months, years even. A girl walked out from the field and saw the kids loitering, “Hey! Don’t hang around the fields, you know better” she scolded them. The kids scampered away, shoving each other and laughing the whole way. The girl shaded her eyes as she looked up at the sky, her sunhat slipping down her head. “Isabel!” A voice called down the rows of trees, she wavered, still staring at the sky before turning around.
      As she made her way into the clearing, the towns people were gathered around a tree. “What are y'all up too?” she asked curiously. One of the older members turned to look at her with relief filled eyes. “Isabel! This tree is looking funky, mind taking a look at it?” As Isabel walked towards the tree she wondered what was plaguing them this time, but as she neared she became worried. The tree was not shaped like a normal apple tree, nor a normal tree. It’s branches reached up towards the blazing sun as if it were desperately trying to call for help. There were no leaves on this tree, despite it being the prime season for these trees. At first, she wondered if maybe it was a kind of rot, or perhaps a bacteria. But she had never seen such an unnatural shape, what was odder was that this tree was the size of a 5 year old tree. There was no way that such a tree could have grown without anyone realizing for so many years. 
     She got nearer to inspect the branches, there were only two branching from the short trunk. She peeled off a piece of the bark to bring back to her hut, “I’m not sure what is causing this, but for now please quarantine this tree but do not disturb it from the soil”. Everyone who gathered around nodded and went to grab the necessary items to properly quarantine the tree from the others.
Isabel reached her home and tossed her stuff onto the messy kitchen table, already full of research papers for various kinds of plants. She walked into her study room, which was also full of various items. She picked up some books off the table by the microscope and test tubes to make room. She sat down and put on her goggles, which were incredibly hot a stuffy. She grabbed the wood sample and broke it into pieces, each one going into a separate vial witch various liquids. As they diluted the wood, she took off her goggles and pinched her nose bridge. Just her luck, a record breaking heat, and now an infected tree with something she hasn’t a clue about.
     At that moment, a knock came from her door and she pushed back her chair back, put on her glasses, and went to the door. “Yes?” she asked opening the door, only to reveal two kids. “Odette,” she looked at the first kid, “Vernon” she said to the second one. The only twins in the small town, whom were affectionately called the double trouble. They had recently turned 9, and were convinced that they were basically adults now. She had babysat them when they were 5 at 13 years old and they had grown an attachment to her, and often visited her home to help with ‘experiments’. Although the two always made a mess, she never had the heart to turn them down and once again she opened the door. “We heard about the tree!” Odette yelled, “Yeah the screaming tree!” Vernon screamed. Isabell covered her ears, “ok you two I’m right here, pease don’t scream. And why are you calling it the screaming tree?”. The two looked at each other quizzically, “You haven’t heard Izzy?” “We know you’re a shut in but come on.” Isabell rolled her eyes, “Alright I don’t want to hear this from some 9 year olds, now hurry up and come inside, it’s hot out.”
       The two came in and sat themselves at the table, grabbing some of her papers and studied them ‘skillfully’. “What’ve I told you guys about touching the papers,” She hollered at them from the kitchen while she prepared them some snacks. After settling them with juice and sandwiches, she went into her study to check on the samples. To her surprise the samples had turned the liquids purple, Isabell examined the samples carefully and murmured “Are these flower-” but her sentence was interrupted by aggressive banging at the door. The twins yelped in surprised and Isabell called “I’’m coming, I’m coming, Jesus keep your socks on”.
      When opening the door she was met with a pale faced town folk, sweating and gasping. “Flow- flowers!” he gasped grasping the door frame. “Jesus mate,” Isabell gasped, grabbing onto his arm before he fell over. “Get ahold of yourself, what is happening?” “The tree, the screaming tree is flowering” he gasped. Isabell let go of his arm and stood still, “It- it’s flowering..” She thought back to her samples, and grabbed her bag. “Odette, Vernon, take care of this man, and do not follow me you hear me?” The scared twins nodded their heads, and Isabell took off running towards the infected tree.
     As she arrived to the clearing several of the townspeople were surrounding the tree, and they all turned to look at her with pleading eyes. Around the original tree were several other trees that had formed the same shape it previously had. The original tree was now emitting a purple glow from the wrap that surrounded it, when she realized what it was she called to the people. “Hurry up and go home! Wear masks and stay away from the trees!”
     She stopped three of the towns people and asked them to grab a mask and to help her wrap up the other infected trees. She didn’t know what exactly was plaguing these trees, nor did she know what the spores would do to the people. However she did know about poisonous mushroom spores and was not about to risk it. As she and the others were finishing up wrapping the final tree, she heard screaming. She whipped around to find Odette and Vernon, faces red and covered in snot. They seemed absolutely terrified and Isabell quickly knelt down as the ran into her arms. “Isabell, Isabell,” they wailed at the top of their lungs. As Isabell was about to comfort them she heard a blood curdling scream; coming from her home. She grabbed both of the twins by their shoulders and calmly asked, “Odette, Vernon, this is very important. You can stop crying now its ok, but what happened to the man in the house?” The two sniffled and shook, Odette finally spoke up. “Well, we-we took the man inside like you said, and-and,” she sniffled, her lip quivering “When we went to grab he went into your study. We told him not to go in there, that it was your private study! He saw your purple vials, and he went to grab one. We yelled no! But he dropped it. A weird purple mist spread around him and we got scared so we hid, when we saw him again, he-he, he was a tree man!” She wailed, not able to stop crying.
     Isabell’s face dropped, “theres no way…” she mumbled, “Odette, you did so good, you to Vernon. Promise me you won’t go near these trees and go back home, your mom should have masks ready for you ok? I’ll take care of the man, just.. Just go home.” “Will you be ok Isabell?” Vernon sniffled. Isabell looked at him with a grim look “I’ll be ok Vernon”.
They day no longer felt as hot, instead she felt cold as ever. Running too her home took way longer than she ever remembered it taking. Luckily she lived at the end of town, no where near the other homes. When she arrived, her home was enveloped in purple mist. It emitted an aura of uneasiness and she put on a second mask, ready to make her way through. She entered through the front door and was met with a painful groaning, “please..” called a weak voice, as she looked for the man, she eventually found him. He was no longer what you could call human, he was a twisted tree of pain. His face was slowly encrusting in wood, and tears silently streamed down his face. A sad truth dawned on her, he was becoming a tree similar to the trees in the orchard.
     She approached the tree man slowly, and placed her hand on his gnarly face. The tears on his face were starting to decreasing and he was no longer groaning in pain. He opened his eyes one last time to look at her with an almost peaceful look. “Join the trees, inhale the pollen, friend. Become eternally happy”. A single tear streamed down Isabells face, how sad, to die no longer human. To promote something that caused you so much pain, he had been infected. She pressed her face against the wood mans forehead, “rest please friend, I’m sorry”. His eyes closed and a single tear streamed down his face, now completely encapsulated the man was no longer in pain. All that was left was the imprint of a smiling man, with one tear streaming down his cheek.