March 31st

      “Daddy, please tell me a story.”

      “What kind of story do you want me to tell you baby?”

       Rebecca sat up in her bed and looked at her father with a wide-eyed expression. “I want you to tell me the one about the man that saves the little girl from the monsters.”

       Michael crossed his arms and stood up from the bed. “I don’t know if I should tell that one to you anymore. The last time I told you that story mommy yelled at me, because you had nightmares and had to sleep in our bed for a week. I don’t know if you can handle that one anymore.”

      Rebecca began to tug on Michael’s shirt as she pleaded her case, “C’mon Daddy, I am a big girl now. That was over a year ago. I am six years old. I can handle that story. Please Daddy; please…please…please tell me that story.”

      Michael sat back down on the bed, looked at his daughter and smiled. “You do now that your mother is going to strangle the both of us right? Ok Rebecca, you have to promise me that one, you will under no circumstances tell your mother that I told you this story again, and two, you will not get scared and come to sleep in our bed. Do we have a deal?”

      Rebecca wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and gave him a great big hug. “Yes we have a deal.”

      “Ok, now get comfortable under the covers, and I will turn out the lights.”

      Michael tucked his daughter into bed then walked around the room and proceeded to turn out all of the lights and close the blinds to the windows. He stepped back over to his daughter’s bed and sat down beside her. “Baby, I am going to tell you a different type of story. This is a fairy-tale that I learned as a kid and it still scares me to this day.”

      “What is the name of this story?”

      “It is titled “The Juniper Tree.”

      “I never heard of that one. Ok am ready to listen to the story Daddy.”

      “Ok honey, close your eyes and I will begin.”

      Rebecca closed her eyes and held her pillow tight, ready to receive the words of the fairy-tale.

      Michael took a deep breath and began to tell the tale.

      “Once upon a time there was a woman that everyday wished for a child as red as blood and as white as the snow. She knew that she was about to die, so she requested that she be buried under a juniper tree that her family had outside, as that is where she wished for the child.

       After a few months she gave birth to a son, and died a few days later. She was buried underneath the Juniper tree. Her husband was sad for a very long time. Eventually the husband married again. His second wife gave birth to a daughter, Marjory, but hated the son because he would be the one to inherit all the family's money, and she wished it to be her daughter. One day, the second wife offered Marjory an apple and she gladly accepted it. Then she had an evil thought and cruelly offered an apple to the boy.

       As he reached in a box to get it, she slammed the box's heavy lid on him, cutting his head off.  The second wife panicked. She took a bandage and tied his head back to his body. She then told Marjory to ask him for the apple, and if he doesn't give it, to give him a good slap on the ear. Marjory kindly asked for the apple, and then slapped him on the ear, causing the boy's head to fall off. Marjory ran to her mother and told her that she killed her brother. The second wife and Marjory both agreed not to tell the father.

       When the father returned, his wife told him that the boy has “gone to stay with his uncle”. The father was very upset that the boy did not say goodbye and told Marjory that he will be home soon. The stepmother then chopped up the dead son, and turned the boy's body into a stew without anyone knowing except for her and Marjory. The father ate the stew, suspected nothing, and declared it to be delicious. Marjory, however, kept the bones left over from the meal and buried them beneath the Juniper tree.

      A beautiful bird flew out of the tree. It goes and sings a song to a goldsmith about its cruel death at the hands of its mother and how caring his sister was. The goldsmith gave the bird a golden chain because the song was so beautiful. The bird also sang the same song to a shoemaker, who gave it a pair of red shoes, and to millers, who gave it a great millstone. The bird then flew back home and sang its song.

      The father went out to see what was singing such a beautiful song and the golden chain fell around his neck. The father told everyone that a beautiful bird gave him a chain. The bird sang again and Marjory went out to see if this was true , and the red shoes fall to her hands. She came in giggling happily and told everyone how happy she was with what the bird had given her. All this time the stepmother was complaining of heat, claiming she has a horrid fire burning in her veins. The beautiful bird sang its song for a third time. The stepmother went outside hoping for relief, and the bird dropped the great millstone on her, crushing and killing her. The father and Marjory went out to see what caused the loud crash, but found nothing but a swirl of smoke and a big stone. The brother was standing there, looking happy, and they all went inside for dinner.”

      Michael glanced down at his daughter who was now sound asleep. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Good night my love, I will see you in the morning.”

      He walked slowly out of the room and quietly closed the door behind hm. Michael stretched and yawned, and walked into his bedroom. On his nightstand, sat his cellular phone and a picture of his wife, he smiled and picked up his phone. Michael cycled through his contact until he found his wife’s number. He pressed call and placed the phone to his ear. After four rings the sweetest voice he had ever heard said hello.

      “Hello my darling. How is work?

      “Work is fine,” she answered with a sigh.

      “What did you say it like that? What is wrong baby?

      “Oh nothing is wrong. I guess I am just tired and I want to come home. I miss you guys.”

      “We miss you too dear. When are you coming home?”

      I have a few more days out here, and then I should be on my way home. The firm just has to iron out a few more details, and the account should be closed.”

      “That is fantastic. Rebecca told me to tell you that she misses you. All she keeps asking is when is mommy coming home? I am starting to feel like she doesn’t want me anymore.”

      Michael can hear his wife laughing on the other end of the phone.

      “Oh stop it Michael. That little girl worships the ground that you walk on. Look honey, I have to go. We are about to head out to dinner with the clients. Kiss Rebecca for me. I love you Michael.”

      “I love you too Karen. Have a good night.”

      “You have a good night too Michael. Get some sleep. I love you. Goodbye”

      “Bye baby.”

      Michael pressed end on his cellular phone and sat it back down on the nightstand. He walked over to his closet and grabbed a pair of silk pajamas and his bathrobe. He turned off the lights and went into the bathroom. Michael neatly folded his pajamas and laid them carefully on the counter. He then turned and hanged his robe up on the hook on the back of the bathroom door. He pushed the door closed and locked it. Michael then turned slightly to his right and started the hot water running mixed with a touch of cold water. After a few minutes, the bathtub was full enough for him to sit in comfortable. Michael climbed inside, leisurely closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Three hours later

      Michael was awakened by a loud bang and a crash that sounded like it came from downstairs in his house. He frantically jumped up out of the bathtub and threw on his robe. He swung the bathroom door open and ran to his daughter’s room. To his horror, he saw that her bedroom door was open.

      “REBECCA! REBECCA!” he screamed out to her, but to his disappointment, there was no answer. Michael ran to his bedroom, threw on a pair of sweatpants, and grabbed his gun. His mind was racing a million miles per hour. He flew from his bedroom, and raced down the stairs. “Rebecca he called once more as he looked around the room. He noticed that the front door was forced open, and his windows were shattered. He tried to turn on the lights, but that was to no avail.

      “Nooooooooooooo!”

      “REBECCA, I’M COMING!”

      Michael sprinted to the kitchen, following the sound of his daughters cry. He was stopped dead in his tracks by the vision of terror his eyes beheld. There were three corpses shuffling about in each corner of the room, and one was feeding on his daughter’s leg.

      “Get the hell away from her!” shouted Michael as he fired his weapon into the air.

      All at once the corpses turned to look at him.

      “Don’t move. Don’t you fucking move or I will shot you dead here you stand!”

      The forth corpse slowly rose to his feet and pointed at Michael. They began to walk towards him. Michael fired wildly, hitting each monster in the chest, causing them to fall to the floor one by one. He quickly grabbed his daughter, and ran back upstairs to his bedroom and locked the door. He put her down on the bed and went to grab something to clean and wrap her leg.

      “Rebecca, Rebecca,” he cried trying to get her to wake up. She must be in shock, but she is still breathing. What the hell is happening? What is going on? God, please help us. Please save my daughter.

      Michael walked over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. He dialed his wife’s number wildly, pressing almost every number until he got it right. The phone rang for what seemed like minutes until he heard is answer.

      “KAREN, KAREN, YOU HAVE TO HELP US. YOU HAVE TO CALL THE POLICE. KAREN DO YOU HEAR ME?”

      Realizing that his wife was not responding, Michael became quiet and listened to what was going on the other end of the phone. He heard a man’s voice, and moaning from a woman that sounded like his wife.

      “Mmmm Mmmm Karen, I am so glad that we are finally alone. You feel so good to me. I love you so much.”

      “I love you too Travis,” his wife responded with a feint whisper.

      “Do you love me more than Michael my darling?”

      “Yes, Travis, yes I do.”

      Michael hurled the phone across the room, sending it crashing into the wall. He fell to his knees and buried his face in the palm of his hands, and cried out, “why God why?”

      There was a banging on his door. It grew louder and more intense. The walls of the room began to shake. He ran to the window, and saw that dozens of those things were pouring into his house. He could hear them coming up the stairs in droves. Michael acted quickly and pushed his dresser in front of the door in an effort to keep them out.

      “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?”

      “We do not want you,” they answered, “We want heeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr.”

      Michael looked back at Rebecca’s motionless body. Tears filled his eyes. “You will never have her, NEVER!”

      He opened his pistol, and saw that he only had one bullet left. He checked the shoe box where he kept his bullets and saw that there were none left. The force of the pounding on the door grew evermore intense, causing the dresser to fall forward. Michael walked over and laid down next his daughter. He held her body close to his, laid her on top of him, and placed the gun to the side of her head. The door was forced open, and the demons slowly started to enter the room. “Daddy loves you Rebecca, I will be with you again real soon. Goodnight.”

      Bang!

      Michael fired the last single shot into his daughters head, taking her precious life instantly. All at once, the creatures stopped. They stood frozen as if they were in a state of awe. Michael looked over to them bewildered. One of the creatures stepped forward and held out his had to Michael, showing him a cheaply made cellphone. Still not aware of what was happening; Michael grabbed the phone and placed it to his ear. He could hear his wife crying on the other end of the phone.

      “MCHAEL, WHAT DID YOU DO? WHAT DID YOU DO MICHAEL? It was a joke Michael. Rebecca wanted to act out that stupid fucking story that you always tell her as an April fool’s joke. Tell me what did you do?

      Michael dropped the phone and just stared silently into the darkness.