Leave Me Under the Willow Tree

I grew up out in the country in what my brother Jace and I like to call Saule which is willow in French, because of the giant willow tree in the middle of our land. Papa never lets us go to the willow tree, but Jace says papa don't know where it is. I say papa don't know anything cause he drinks. "Sienna!" papa yelled my name so loud I almost fell out my bed. "Yes papa" I had to respond quickly if I didn't he'd come hit me. "Get your ass out here!" I ran as fast a I could to the front of our shanty house. "Sienna did you knock the clothes of the clothesline?" "No papa, it must've been a critter" I responded. He grabbed my hair and threw me on the ground. " I know you did it, you little bitch!"

Jace ran out and punched papa "Don't touch her!" Jace yelled. " Run Sienna!" he yelled. I ran as fast as I could to the willow tree. That's where Mama always told us to go when we needed to be safe. I looked behind me Jace was right on my tail, but so was papa. He would find our sacred place!, I thought. Jace pulled me into a bush, and papa ran right past us, " I know where you are, you bastards!" He yelled as he continued forward stumbling as he went.

"Jace, how will we get to the willow tree now?" I asked him "We aren't" he said "What! why not?" Jace is three years older than me he's supposed to be the smart one around here. "Were going home packing and leaving this son of a bitch." He said it with so much confidence I almost forgot the repercussions "Jace where are we gonna go? we have no money," I mentioned. "Momma left us with some when she left, told us she hopes we can get out like she did." He explained we could stay at the town motel ten miles from the Saule. We hurried back to the shanty house and quickly packed our bags. I left a note for papa, but I doubt he'll read it. We ran out the door, and out of the corner of my eye I saw papa sneaking up the house steps.

He opened the door and screamed into nothingness. Jace and I were hiding in the bush shivering in fear. Not being able to see anything when we heard the gunshot we knew "He's...…. gone" Jace said almost sounding sympathetic. "Good after what he did to mama and Lance, he deserved it." I said we never spoke about Lance "That was Lance's choice to jump in front of a bullet," Jace whispered "You can't be mad at him forever Jace he's gone, it was papa's fault not his." Papa got so mad and drunk one night at Mama for not cleaning up some rat's poop on the deck he got a shotgun. He pointed it at Mama, but Lance stepped in front of her and got hit instead. We buried him underneath the Willow tree, because he was the one that found that sacred tree in the first place. Jace blames Lance, believes if he didn't step in front of the damn gun he would still be alive. Although if he didn't Mama would be gone, but she left anyway just had her life with her.

We wandered back to the house weary from the days events. Jace went to bed, but I stared in the night sky decided that I was gonna visit the willow tree tomorrow. I woke up early to go to the willow tree, Jace of course was still asleep. I ran to the tree, the tiny bit of sunlight guiding my way. I reached the tree out of breath but once I looked up at the tree its as if the air was immediately restored to my lungs. I stood up and walked slowly to the tree, moss covering around the base of the trunk. I heard footsteps I hid behind the tree, "Sienna, I know you're behind the tree." I started to breathe properly again, it was only Jace. "Sorry I thought you were the Child Hunters," I stated. The Child Hunters are people who get paid a lot for bringing lost, wandering kids to Wellsworth. The main city that is about 150 miles from the Saule, they put the kids to work in factories and seperate them from their families. They work until they hit 18 years old, unless there's a rebellion.

"The Child Hunters aren't going to get us, why would they travel 150 miles to the Saule to collect kids?" Jace said. "You're right, I just don't wanna lose you," I cried. I started to cry, and Jace comforted me said everything will be ok. We heard rustling, and fast footsteps, " I hear them!" someone yelled. "Sienna get in the tree right now." Jace said panicked I started to climb Jace helping me up. The moment I was high enough Jace started after me, but they emerged from the woods. They grabbed Jace and he fell hard, but he recovered quickly. "Jace!" I yelled "There's one in the tree!" The tall guy said.He was tall but scrawny, "Yea no shit dumbass" The other one said. He was bigger and just as tall, but I ain't afraid of them. I jumped down and started to fight the scrawnier one, but Jace was struggling with the bigger guy. I tried to go toward Jace to help him, but I was caught from behind. Jace cried out my name, but I was knocked out shortly after.