Juniper Creek

Chapter 1

The sounds of bodies clapping together, and loud moans sent a shiver of disgust down June's spine.

She got up and moved away from the log of wood she sat on, half a yard away from the shabby cabin she, Georgie and their mother called home.

She kicked pebbles in her path as she pulled tighter, the fraying old rangers jacket that hung from her narrow shoulders. It wasn't this old when she had inherited it six years ago.

June had worn its worth and had no plan to retire it anytime soon. She had the habit of digging her fingers, one at a time into the hole that had formed in its left pocket.

The sound of twigs snapping caught her attention. She shivered as she paused and slowly looked around.

Nothing, except for the uncanny feeling of being watched. She shook her head, burying her unease. It was a silly thought. After all, she had lived and grown up here. The woods didn't and shouldn't scare her.

She continued walking, weaving her way through trees, and down a sloping mound of earth until she broke into a clearing holding another cabin similar to theirs.

Old-Doherty–as she and everyone who knew him called him–sat in an old rocking chair on the porch, a gray and sorry looking blanket covering his shoulders. His peppered gray hair moved gently with the soft wind.

He smiled as soon as his round glasses focused on her. June smiled back, kicking the earth off her boots before climbing the small stairs leading to him.

"Hey old man."

"Junie." He called excitedly with his raspy cracked voice.

"What're you doing sitting out? You look cold." June said with a mocking stern look on her face. She stopped before him, hands akimbo.

"Watch the tone, old lady." He huffed. "Can't a young man enjoy the weather unbothered?"

That made her laugh so hard, her sides ached. Old Doherty joined in too. He stopped, his face suddenly going serious. It made June immediately self conscious.

"What? Have I got lettuce stuck in my teeth?"

"Your face...She hit you again didn't she?" He asked.

June grimaced, as if his reminder awakened the smarting pain on the corner of her left cheek.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, like she was as surprised as he was. "It's nothing, I ran into the wall while putting together the shed yesterday." She continued, plastering a smile on her face.

Old Doherty didn't look like he believed her. He had reason not to. After all, this wasn't the first time her mother had put hands on her.

The man before her sighed, but didn't push further. His mood had turned pensive.

"Georgie could spend the week here if Emma wouldn't mind." He said.

June's brow lifted, of course their mother wouldn't mind she'd be happy to be rid of any of them.

"But wouldn't that inconvenience you? We would hate to burden you." She said, looking down at her boot.

"It's not much, but this is your second home, Junie. You already look after me like I hired you. You sleep over whenever. Of course it's nothing." Old-Doherty said.

A warm smile coloured June's face. She bent over and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Don't slobber over me now." He teased.

June chuckled, "Shh, you're too old to be mean. You're what? Eighty?"

"Hey! I'm seventy-three." He complained.

"Seventy-three, eighty. Potato-Potatoe." She replied, grinning satisfied.

Old-Doherty shook his head with an exaggerated sigh and a small smile on his face.

"Lemme go heat us up a pot of coffee. Hopefully you didn't gobble up all the last batch of scones I baked." June said, quirking an eyebrow.

Old-Doherty gave a wry smile like he had been naughty.

"Most of it is gone. Didn't make any promises. They were absolutely delicious as always." He said.

June shook her head as she made her way inside the cabin.

"Junie!"

Georgie exclaimed, waving her over from where he sat in front of the TV.

She settled in beside him and threw an arm over his shoulder.

She noticed the difference in his weight. He had lost some. Her guts tightened.

"Good morning, little chap. Slept well?" She said, trying her best to hide that she was disturbed.

"I'm not little and I did sleep well." He said, his eyes still on the TV.

"Actually, you're very little. You're eleven." She replied, lifting her hand to ruffle his hair.

He turned to face her, frowning. He gingerly pulled her arm off him. June wiggled her brow causing him to laugh. He patted his hair down, turning back to face the TV.

"Adventure Time is on." Georgie pointed at the TV.

June's attention moved to the screen as the Yellow dog prattled on about something to Finn.

It was both their favourite show at the moment. But she didn't have the time to join him.

"I have to prepare breakfast and go begin to prep for school." June said, sorry to disappoint both of them.

She'd very much like to while away the morning chatting over episodes of the show.

"Forgot about that. College took a lot of your time last semester." His face betrayed his disappointment. "Why don't you just stay on campus? I bet that would be easier. Paul said his sister does, the hostel."

"And leave you here alone with mom? No way."

"I can take care of myself, you know?" He said, looking back at me.

"I know, you're a brave boy...it's her I'm worried about."

At that, they both stared into space, each to their own thought of their mother. The TV droned on in the foreground.

"Do you hate her?" Georgie asked.

The question surprised her, her head whipped to face her brother. His violet eyes were unblinking as he awaited her answer. June stared back, turning the question over in her mind, she realized arriving at an answer was harder than she anticipated.

Georgie waited patiently. After a moment of thought she sighed.

"I try not to." She finally said. It was an honest answer.

"I don't hate her. She has her faults and demons...but she was different with Dad." He replied.

His eyes had turned sad. As he seemed lost in a time that had long gone and ceased to be. June knew because she thought about it too.

"Talking like Old-Doherty now. He's influencing you isn't he." She said, an attempt to lighten the heavy air which had settled on them.

It worked, a smile replaced the downcast look on her brother's face. He shrugged.

"Look at you talking about demons, like some hippie oldie." She mocked, nudging him with her shoulders.

He giggled and flicked her arm softly. She unburied his streak of lock of silver hair which she had earlier buried in his curls.

As she got up to move to the kitchen, her mind thought about demons. Her mother's demons. Her hand subconsciously lifted to her still stinging face, her memory dug up fresh what had transpired between them the night before–

She had returned from her shift at Lukeman to find Georgie seated on the same log of wood which she sat on this morning, loud and typically disgusting sounds of their mother and one of her customer coming from their cabin.

Georgie's attention had been buried in the forest animals book spread open on his lap. He hadn't even noticed her arrival, until she tousled his hair and sat beside him.

He smiled and threw his scrawny arms around her, squeezing with what little strength he had. She in turn kissed his head.

"What animal are we on this time?" She asked when he released her.

"Wolves." He said excitedly, baring his teeth.

He peered up at her with his kind, unnatural violet eyes, ones that mirrored hers. A similarity they both shared along with the gleaming streak of silver hair against the darkness of their curls. No one really knew or understood why they had these features since none of their parents had it. They had settled on it being a returning dormant attribute.

"That sounds interesting..." she said, as her attention was drawn back to the noise coming from inside the cabin.

"It's dark and getting cold. Why didn't you go to Old-Doherty's place?" She asked, her eyes on the house.

"I went over earlier, he wasn't home." Georgie replied, bowing his head back to the book.

She sighed, getting annoyed now. Every time she had to battle not hating the woman who was supposed to be their mother, the woman in question found new ways to get to her.

"Wait here." June said.

She got up and trudged to the door of the cabin. The unbothered noise got louder as she approached, and she–angrier. She banged on the door incessantly with her fist.

It went quiet inside. She heard some shuffling, then the door unlatched and swung open.

June's mother, Emma, leaned an elbow on the door frame, a bedsheet wrapped around her chest and falling to her bare feet. She was an otherwise beautiful woman of average height and build. Her face only hardened and marred now by all the self sullying she engaged in.

A knot formed in the pit of June's stomach, her anger mixing with self pity for their situation and hurt which she now felt as she looked her mother in the eyes.

"You kept him out in the cold again! We had an agreement." June spat, swinging her hand in Georgie's direction.

"He's fine." Emma replied, annoyed at being disengaged from her business.

"He can hear you, while you and whatever is in there go at it like starved dogs!"

It was at the delivery of the last line that her mother swung her folded fist at her face. June stumbled back from the force of the hit. She could hear Georgie screaming at their mother to stop.

"That's no way to talk to your mother, you disrespectful brat!" Emma screamed, stepping out the door.

Tears stung June's face as she found her balance again. Georgie ran up to her, tears streaming down his face. She pulled him behind her.

"Then act like it, mother!" She spat, as tears burned the bottom lid of her eyes.

Emma's flaming eyes was a miracle away from scorching June. She heaved a breath and backed her way to the door.

"What's going on out there? You're taking too long." A disgruntled and muffled voice called from inside the cabin.

Both women's eyes moved towards the door. Then back at each other.

"Coming." Emma returned.

The older woman turned to her kids giving them a once over before shutting the door in their faces.

June's heart ached, the tears which had fought back escaped down her cheeks. She could feel Georgie sniffling and still crying behind her.

She wiped her eyes before she turned to face him. She squatted to his level and took her thumb to the edge of his eyes, wiping tears.

Georgie lifted his hand to her cheek. It hovered briefly before lightly brushing where their mother had hit. She winced.

"I'm sorry Junie." He muttered through his tears.

"Hey, it's nothing." She squeezed out a smile.

"Doesn't look bad does it?"

He looked skeptical like he couldn't make up his mind about what answer to give.

"It looks like it'll darken by tomorrow." He said as he settled on a diagnosis.

"Can we keep this away from the old man? Please?" She asked, her eyes pleading too.

It wasn't as if Georgie didn't know how to keep secrets. It just bothered her how much an eleven year old child had to cover and hide on behalf of his dysfunctional family.

He nodded, agreeing immediately.

The grunts from inside began again. June got up leading her brother away from the sound.

"Old-Doherty should be back by now. You'll spend the night at his place." She had said.

That got him grinning.

"No staying up late though." She added, patting him fondly on the head.