❀| Town of Salem

Blossom's Homestead

i need to practice writing ViViD dEsCrIpTiOnS for english

also i'm sorry if it's short please forgive me, final exams are a pain-

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Jamie loved the spring.

She remembered the days when her parents were still well and alive. Every spring they'd spare a whole week to let little, red-headed Jamie visit her dearest uncle, Mr. Thomasin. He was a bachelor who surprisingly managed to fare for himself very well; the pots and pans were kept clean, the kitchen floor scrubbed enough to appear mildly polished, the house itself whitewashed to give the quaint, small homestead a satisfactory appearance.

Jamie enjoyed Mr. Thomasin's company very much. She always brought plum jam, cherry preserves, and fairy cakes in a wooden basket for the man whenever she visited, the delicacies specially baked by her mother for the occasion. Mr. Thomasin may have fared well for himself when it came to the stereotypical bachelor, but he was a terrible baker and a merely okay cook. Jamie pitied the poor guy, for she knew well he loved sweet things with all his heart. After her first ever visit there, she decided that there was no way she'd let her favorite uncle be without his satisfaction of sweet treats, and thus began the tradition of Jamie bringing a basket of goodies for her uncle every time she would visit him.

Mr. Thomasin's homestead was nicknamed "Blossom's Homestead" as a result of the collection of pastel pink nipped blossom trees blooming merrily in the backyard of the place. No house nearby had such a collection of ornamental trees; some deemed it as far too much to worry about, others simply had tried once to plant these beautiful trees for themselves to enjoy (and for bragging rights) but had failed. Mr. Thomasin's backyard was the only place where the blossoms seemed to thrive.

Jamie loved the rare visits she had to Blossom's Homestead. Whenever she arrived, it was always a cheerful spring day. Plots of geraniums planted by the local "Aragnog Improvement Society" placed in front of the homey homestead would be relishing the buttery, bright sunshine as songbirds joyously chirped sweet lullabies. At the front were trees with barks as dark as the night sky and as a thick as an elephant's trunk, their glossy, dark green leaves slowly cascading down onto the bright green grass as if they themselves were petals of a flower rather than leaves. Clouds were always dotting the candy blue sky, like white patches of material against a bright blue, silky background.

Those were what the mornings there were like. At sunset, the bright yellow sun would dim into a beautiful, orange-red background like egg yolks mixing into egg whites. The clouds would seemingly disappear, blending into the colorful backdrop. Jamie would be on the back porch of the house, admiring the mesmerizing scenery which surprisingly complimented the brightly colored cherry trees. Mr. Thomasin would be in his chair, chuckling at the girl's infatuation with the sunset, setting down his newspaper on a nearby coffee table to watch the sunset with her. For him, sunsets as magnificent as such were commonplace in the town, and he felt only a young child like Jamie would find ever find them extremely fascinating.

Mr. Thomasin found Jamie's seemingly whiny and enthusiastic nature a refreshing breath of youth. Sure, she could be an absolute pain to the man like all children with their elders, but her childish innocence and bright smile were nostalgic for him. It reminded him of the days when he was just a wee lad like her, always excited about the smallest things in life and the curiosity to know more about the seemingly happy world, which in his later years he would find was much more sinister and depressing.

Jamie loved it there. The sprawling and enchanting vegetation, the calming and interesting conversations with Mr. Thomasin, and the friendly and chatty townsfolk made her feel as if she were drinking a nice cup of fragrant tea, the warmth exploding inside of her and spreading out to tingle out of her toes and fingers. After every single last visit, she would always get more and more excited for the next, forever eager to see the little house once again after yet another year of separation.

Then the tragedy struck.

Jamie was only twelve. Her parents died, scorched from the burning flames which had sprouted and spread around her house when she had been in school. When the news reached her, she had burst into tears. She couldn't help it - the two very people who she loved and cared for the most were gone from her life in a sudden flash. There would be no more mom and dad whenever she returned from school. There would be no more mom and dad to be there for her when she needed them the most. There would be no more mom and dad to greet when she came down for breakfast; heck, would she even get to eat breakfast anymore now?

They were gone. Forever. Just because of some stupid little flame that had gone out of hand.

"There's a woman from Salem who's willing to adopt you," the man across her said daftly. He felt uncomfortable talking to the young girl in front of him; he wasn't used to breaking sad news to a small kid. He was used to grown adults, not little 12-year-old girls. He had no idea what he would have to say if the girl went out of control with her sobbing.

She looked up at him with a sad expression, desperately trying to choke back a sob, yet her face clearly being laced with confusion. "I-I have an uncle. Mr. Thomasin." Then, with a hint of hopelessness, she added,"Mr. Thomasin of Aragnog. H-he can take care of me."

The man raised an eyebrow at her, his expression a puzzling mix of worry and confusion. Realization dawned on him: this kid definitely did not know what had happened. He bit his lip nervously, unsure of the reaction he would get from her. He knew well he had to tell her, for it was unfair if the kid was tangled in a web of lies. Even if it would break her even more, she had a right to know the truth.

"Mr. Thomasin was burnt in his house some time ago. Look, I'm really sorry, kid, but he's dead."

And then Jamie's world fell apart completely.