A boy. Red-haired, with a tint of amber. Had more freckles than face. Eyes: a vast ocean of teal and sapphire. Dressed in a crimson flannel, jet black jeans, clearly picked out by his mother. His flannel tucked perfectly into his denims. Waiting. Hands in pockets, but occasionally in his hair. Leather boots, with a beautiful hickory finish, sprinkled with specks of the cedar-colored dirt, enriched with nutrients from the enormous redwood trees above. He grew impatient. She was supposed to be there by now, his Juliet, his son amour, his one and only.

     They always met by the biggest redwood in the forest. She was never late. Curiosity sparked within him, wondering where she could've gone. He questioned the forest, “Juniper?”
No reply. The forest stayed quiet. Its silence just reminded him of his loneliness. Worry spread through his veins, his body. He truly did care for her, and not having her by his side concerned him.
     The sun had started to dip back into the horizon. What once was an arctic tinted sky, was now drenched in periwinkle, rouge, marmalade, and an undertone of indigo. By now he had moved on. He had to return home. Clearly she wasn't coming. Maybe she had forgotten. Or something worse.
     Her sunflower, golden locks and innocent pearly smile were no match for what lurked within the forest. The wind started to pick up. Forty degrees of harsh wind relentlessly attacked his face. Each breath resembled a puff of smoke. His body started to tremble. He called out her name one more time, but this time louder. All he heard was a low noise in the distance. It was at this time that he wished he had a flashlight. The only objects illuminating his night were the moon and countless fireflies. He kept going, searching for his lover. The leaves crunched underneath him.
      A girl. Hair the color of the sun, with gold flakes scattered within her hair. Her face fairer than that of Snow White. Beautiful hazel eyes with wonderfully arched eyebrows were a strong characteristic most people remembered her by. Her attire consisted of a plain white, cotton V-neck T-shirt tucked into her favorite pair of navy overalls. Her only pair of white converse completed her look.
     Moving at a rapid pace and in a swift manner, she was on her way to meet up with Carson. Carson was unlike any other boy she had met, and she truly believed that she was in love with him. They were to meet up by the most enormous redwood in the forest, usually just to talk or watch the sun go down. Unfortunately, the sun had already started to dip back into the horizon, leaving streaks of multi-colored delight dance above the clouds.
     A rustling of leaves followed her. She felt as if she was being watched. A dark figure would sometimes appear out of the corner of her eye, however, when she turned around, nothing seemed to be there. It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her, she thought. Her thoughts were proven wrong when she felt a soft tap on her right shoulder. Immediately her right hand reached into her pocket, pulling out a small bottle of pepper spray. She turned around and sprayed her attacker in their face. The hooded figure was shocked by this action, making it take a step back.
          “You’re going to regret that,” grumbled the figure. Swiftly, the dark figure pulled off its sweatshirt hood, revealing a man with stubble on his chin, dark hair on his head, and chocolate eyes. He took out a Colt M1877 handgun and pointed it at Juniper. Before he shot it, a familiar voice was heard. It called out her name. She was about to answer, but got interrupted when the guy shot her right in the stomach. She collapsed onto the ground, her left arm clutched her abdomen. He ran off but she could still feel his eyes grazing upon her. If only Carson was there...

     It wasn't long until he found her. Hidden behind the redwoods, her body lay still amongst the earth, chest barely rising with each breath. Her golden curls entwined in leaves and branches scattered across the dirt. He kneelt down for a closer look. “Juniper?” he whispered. Tears escaped his eyes, streamed down his cheeks. Her eyelids fluttered, breath labored.
     A shivering hand extended to touch his face. He gently grabbed her palm and pressed it against his face. Fireflies surrounded them as the lemon-like glow radiated around them. Chartreuse light bathed them. Her hands were on the verge of frostbite. In her right hand, a small bottle was held tightly. It was pepper spray. He knew that she always carried pepper spray, just in case. Her left arm though, was wrapped around her stomach. Her white v-neck t-shirt soaked in blood. Fresh, sangria blood.
          “Who did this? Who did this!” he cried. Who could've done this to his sweet Juniper? He stroked her pale cheek. Her complexion resembled that of ivory. He held her close, crying softly into her hair. Smelled her lavender-scented locks one last time.
     “Carson…” she whispered. Her hazel eyes shined in the moonlight. He waited for her to say something else. But it was too late. She left him, her soul escaped her body. She died in his arms. He collapsed onto her and cried into her lifeless body. The silence was filled with his sobs. Yet it was still too quiet. There was a click, followed by a deep voice. Carson raised his head, just to come face to face with a Colt M1877.