The Maeflower

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Dark Floods My Eyes As My Senses Come Alive

Juniper Mae was woken by a rainstorm on the fifth of May, two days after her birthday. She hadn't gotten much, only a small antique necklace from her grandfather. It was little, but it was more than enough. Her parents had not sent her anything, as per usual. She groaned as she sat up, the identical scars on her wrists tingling as they brushed against her comforter. Her hands instinctively fluttered to her back, to the raised, uneven skin there. She sighed and stood up.

Her room was decorated with plants and other curios, her desk a mess under half drawn sketches and poems scribbled on backs of homework papers. She had lots of plants in her room, to fuel her unhealthy obsession with greenery. Hanging beside her cheerful yellow curtains were homemade dream catchers, woven from her hand. Hanging on her wall was a clothesline that she had hung herbs on which were in the process of drying; (her miniature garden was thriving.) Her shelves contained a mixture of her colorful rock collection, bottles of dried plants, handmade soaps, scented oils, and pictures of her and her grandfather, where in most of them he was laughing while she looked on at him fondly. She glanced at her clock, where the sleepy red letters blinked out 5:30, and decided to get ready for the day.

She shuffled into her bathroom, with glazed eyes and muffled yawns as rain beat a steady rhythm on the windows. She quickly washed her face, and combed her hair. Juniper didn't wear makeup, that was one of her rules.

Once she was done, she moved to the kitchen, setting a pot of water on the stove for her and her grandfathers early morning tea. She popped a whole grain bagel in the toaster and traipsed to the living room to find her grandfather. He was already wide awake, watching the news with the volume turned down low. She sat by him as the television before them droned on.

In other news, a chain of local robberies has continued, this time hitting the family home of the Sawyers on Twenty Third Street. The group responsible for these robberies has not identified themselves yet, instead hiding behind black masks and what appear to be cloaks, as the security cameras clearly reveal. Speculation of who could be behind it is widely spread, including anything from a cult to local teenagers. It is still undetermined yet why exactly-

The woman's voice suddenly cut off as the television faded to black. Juniper turned to her grandfather and rolled her eyes.

"Jadd, you should know by now I am old enough to watch the news. It won't scare me as much as you think; I am not a little girl." She laughed slightly. Although she was not Arabic, the grandfather was, and so had taught her the language when she was small. She took comfort in the words, knowing that whatever happened she would always have a piece of her grandfather with her. She herself had had a Cuban mother and a Mexican father.

She stood up as to check the water. As she prepared her drink she thought back to when she was little. Her grandfather raised her on loose tea leaves and rosemary incense. She knew she had grown up in a very spiritual home, which made her smile. Her life with Jadd had many memories she treasured.

She brought the tea to her lips, almost spitting it out as she tasted the shockingly cold liquid. That was strange; she could have sworn she had turned on the stove. She ignored this and ate her bagel.

Once she was done she moved quickly to her room, where she deftly gathered up her things. She stowed away many homemade tea bags and soaps and carefully crafted jewelry, along with the other stuff she always sold. Once her bag was full she dressed in a short long sleeved black dress and paired it with sheer leggings and ankle boots. As a final touch she added a black hat. Today was a black day, because when she wore black she felt like a poem. She carefully grabbed the golden ring off of her desk and slipped it on, where it rested gently on her middle finger. She looked at it, consumed in thoughts. She called out a goodbye to her grandfather as she made her way out the door with her backpack slung over her shoulders.