The Forbidden Fruit

"The Forbidden Fruit"

         On the same night, two girls were born to two mothers in the same small town of Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1673. The first was born to a frail woman who was outcasted by the town for having her child out of wedlock. She lived on the edge of the town, just barely missing the tree line of the surrounding woods. She named her daughter Juniper, hoping the name would give her the protection she needed to live a happy life. Her daughter grew to be quite similar in looks to her mother, with a small frame and dark-as-night hair that she pulled into pigtailed braids. The most notable difference is their eyes; the mother had dark brown eyes that resembled the bark of the trees, while Juniper's eyes were the shade of the leaves of the plant she was named after. She was a quiet child, more interested in the beauty of nature than that of her peers.
         Now, the second girl. She was born into a wealthier, but unhappy family in the middle of the town. Born just as the last flicker of light dimmed from the blaze in the furnace, her mother named her Ember. The girl was born with a personality as striking as her features. Her bright red hair, tan skin, and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose reflect her bold and outspoken nature. She grew to learn simple tasks a wife should do with her mother, such as sewing, cooking, and baking. Ember was friendly, but not very liked by the other children in her town for her direct way of speaking and behaving. After a few stern talkings and incidents with the priest's daughters, she leaned towards a more introverted life.
         Despite being in the same town, the girls had never crossed paths. In the mornings, Juniper would go nurse her and her mother's plants along the edge of the wood, then wander a little farther to study the other plants. Ember's mornings began with her mother's cold words. She was tasked to do little things her mother asked of her. That morning it was to go collect berries for the family's breakfast. Walking along the edge of the wood, Ember began to pluck and toss berries into her wicker basket. She walked further in, grabbing a variety of colored fruits, until she heard a soft mutter coming from her right, behind the prickle bushes. Curious, she made her way through the thorned vines. There she was met with the sight of Juniper, collecting and treating plants. However, Ember noticed something strange about her methods, there seemed to be a light, green shimmering coming from her fingertips. The plants her hands were touching seemed to flourish under her care and even began to sprout new buds and leaves.
         Scared, but intrigued, Ember stayed silent, watching as Juniper continued her shimmering movements. She crept forward, stepping on a twig with a loud snap. Juniper whipped around with a terrified look on her face. Juniper frantically hid her hands, but a faint glow was still visible behind her. Ember had quickly reassured her that she wasn't going to cause her any harm, she was just interested in what her hands were doing. Juniper hesitantly showed her her hands again, holding a dead flower. Slowly as the glowing grew more intense, the flower began to bloom again, as if living for the first time. Fascinated, Ember inched closer so as not to startle the dark-haired girl from stopping her magic. Now they were closer, the girls were able to see each other's features. They stood there a while, taking each other in. Juniper thought she was the most beautiful thing she'd ever laid her eyes on. Ember thought the witch was equally, if not more magnificent than the magic coming from her fingers. Eventually, the glow died and the flower lived. Juniper bent down to dig a hole in the ground near another plot of land that contained a wide variety of wildflowers. She planted the newly revived flower, telling Ember about all of the plants she has been caring for, and the one she just planted was a Lilac.
         Over the next months, the two got closer. They met at least once a day and shared everything. By the time they reached the age of 16, the two had even shared a kiss. Juniper would show Ember all of the spells she was learning to master, and Ember would collect things from the town to give to Juniper. She would grow new plants for her to bring home to her family, and Ember would bring her the foods that her mother would create with the new fruits.
         One day, in the summer of 1670, the girls wandered further into the woods than they had before. They reached a clearing that led to a piece of the North River, Juniper immediately began to stirp to her undergarments and began to head into the water. Ember watched as she floated on her back, soaking in the sun. She watched, realizing her feelings have grown stronger for the twin-tailed witch. She watched, enamored with her love. She broke out of her trance when she heard Juniper calling for her to come in. Together the girls swam until the sun reached its highest point of the day. They dried and redressed, walking around to find some berries to eat for their snack. They quietly spoke and joked until they sat down again in comfortable silence. Juniper broke the silence, telling her she needed to speak to her about something important. She confessed her feelings had been growing stronger, just as Embers had. They spoke of their love for each other. They walked home, hand in hand, smiles never fading.
         A few months later, on the eve of their eighteenth birthday, they exchanged gifts in the moonlight. Juniper had progressed greatly with her magical abilities, moving from life and death with plants, to transfiguration and other elements. She had gone back to their river and taken a rock. She molded it into the shape of a pomegranate and tied a string of twine around it to make a necklace. Ember had brought a rare plant that was no longer native to their home. Both girls cherished their gifts, flaunting them off and showing their loved ones, without telling who they received them from. Of course, the people of the town were beginning to become suspicious of how Ember had come to receive her necklace; for how could a rock be so perfectly shaped into something new?
         Another year passed and the girls were both nineteen. Their love had grown even stronger and more passionate. They planned to leave their small town in the night in a fortnight. However, the night they planned to leave, Ember's mother saw them conversing about their trip and their departing kiss. Appalled and horrified, her mother went to the town's authorities and told them of her daughter's despicable actions. Just as she was to leave her home, Ember was taken by the townsfolk. She was tried and found guilty of her actions. Meanwhile, Juniper waited at their spot, unaware of her love's dilemma. That night, just as Juniper returned to find out why Ember hadn't shown up, Juniper walked into the town and watched as her beloved was tied up and burned for her "crimes."
         Overcome with formidable rage and grief, Juniper fled the town. She studied and researched every spell, incantation, and curse known to exist. She learned and grew more powerful to condemn those who took Ember from her. Half a year passes, and just as the leaves start to fall, Juniper returns to Salem. She finds Ember's mother and all those who have caused their families harm and cursed them for their deeds. Each of them experienced an agony ten times as painful as what they wrought. Their bodies, after hours of pain, gave out from the stress, leaving nothing but their corpses in their own homes. Feeling not even an ounce of relief, Juniper broke down in the square where her love was murdered. She was later found in the early hours of the morning by the remaining townsfolk. There, where her life ended and began, a new plant grew from her remaining magic, a bush containing berries as red as an ember's glow.