The Trees

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses the use of racial slurs, racial violence, racial hatred, lynchings, and other forms of racist behavior.

Small Change is a suburb outside of Money, Mississippi. Wheat Bryant and his wife Charlene host a small family gathering at their home. Charlene doesn’t like her mother-in-law, Granny C, but puts up with her. Charlene and Wheat have four young children. Wheat lost his job as a truck driver after crashing one of his trucks. The family gathering includes Wheat’s cousin Junior Junior. Granny C gets lost in thought. When she’s asked what she’s thinking about, she brings up a young Black boy she lied about many years ago.

Deputy Sheriff Delroy Digby receives a call to report to Junior Junior Milam’s house in Small Change. Junior Junior’s wife Daisy is outside with her four young children and informs Digby is dead, along with a mysterious Black man. Delroy calls for back-up and searches the house. He finds a gruesome scene. Junior Junior’s head has been bashed in, with barbed wire wrapped around his neck. Laying near Junior Junior’s body is the dead body of a Black man who looks beaten.