Free The Rainbow Maker's Tale by Mel Cusick-Jones

turn to look
downwards at the same time. Scarlett had twisted around as she fell
and was looking right at me when her back and head crunched
sickeningly into the ledge we’d been sat on a few minutes before.
The sound was grotesque, surely nothing natural should ever sound
like that? My hand reached out pointlessly towards her, as though I
could still stop her falling. I was helpless.
    It felt like an hour had passed
by the time I forced my shaking body to move. My fingers slipped
several times during the descent and I almost fell myself. But I
didn’t fall. Scarlett did. Scarlett had fallen. Scarlett
was… I couldn’t finish that thought. One halting step at a time I
got closer to the bottom until I could jump the rest of the
way.
    Landing flat on my feet, it
felt as though my shins jarred straight into my ankles as I hit the
ledge. I ignored the burning in my joints and lunged across the
ground, falling to my knees beside Scarlett’s silent body.
    Scarlett didn’t move. She
didn’t cry, she didn’t breathe.
    I reached out with trembling
fingers to feel for a pulse beneath her jaw and it was only then
that I realised that her neck was twisted at an odd angle compared
to her body. My hand brushed over her soft skin as I searched for
her pulse, but as I pressed on her throat there was nothing. Unlike
my own thin skin, covering the flesh and bones of my body,
Scarlett’s did not yield to pressure: it was hard and firm more
like a muscle. I reached behind her head to feel for blood, but my
fingers came away oddly dry.
    “Scarlett,” I whispered to her.
Then I began to shout: over and over again I yelled her name, but
there was nothing. Even though she looked completely normal, I knew
that Scarlett was dead.
    What I did after that is
unclear. One minute I was there on the hillside and the next I
found myself sat at home in my bedroom, the picnic bag placed
neatly beside me, fully stocked with the things I’d taken to the
park. I was gazing steadily at the blank wall when Mother popped in
to check on me.
    “How was the park?” she asked
from the doorway.
    “Not bad,” I shrugged, my voice
a monotone.
    “Did Scarlett enjoy herself?”
Mother asked, not appearing disturbed by my lacklustre
response.
    My heart froze in my chest. What could I say?
    “I’ve just seen her coming past
the Green Zone junction with her father. I thought you might have
stayed out later than you have.”
    I swallowed thickly, my tongue
filling my mouth uncomfortably. “What?” I managed to croak in
disbelief. It wasn’t possible – I’d seen Scarlett fall, seen her
body. There was no way she could have been pretending. And why
would she play such an awful prank? We were friends. “Where did you
see her?” I managed to ask, speaking more coherently now.
    Mother appraised me with
curious eyes. “She was with her father heading towards the central
area, just a few moments ago.”
    “Thanks Mother.” I called over
my shoulder, already running to the front door of our apartment. “I
forgot to ask her something today, I’ll be right back.” Perhaps
Mother called out for me to stop – she didn’t like running indoors
– but I didn’t really hear properly and I certainly didn’t
stop.
    Pumping my legs as fast as I
could, I raced towards the Green Zone junction. There was no one
there. Passing straight through the intersection, I carried on
running, heading to the central area. After a few minutes I saw
Scarlett’s small figure ahead of me, walking beside her father. I
sucked a deep breath into my lungs – chilled a little by the sight
of her – but continued after them.
    When I found myself only a few
paces away, I slowed to a walk and tried to match my speed with
theirs. I wanted to shout out to her: make Scarlett speak to me and
tell me what had happened, but I didn’t. I could tell from the tilt
of their heads and hushed voices they were having a serious
discussion. I crept closer.
    “From my time spent here, I
cannot see