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

any real benefits from including children as Keepers.
The main influence comes from their parents and other adults – we
do not fit in well as children.”
    What was she talking
about? Scarlett’s words to her father confused me. She said:
“we do not fit in as children,” as if she wasn’t a child herself.
Their conversation was the least of my worries, though. The fact
that Scarlett was walking and talking – at all – after I’d seen her
fall to her death was what I was really interested in. What I was
seeing was impossible.
    How could Scarlett have
gotten back? How was she even alive ?
    The same questions rushed
through my head for the thousandth time in a minute.
    As her name ran silently
through my mind, Scarlett turned to look at me as if she had heard
my voice. I froze mid-step, frightened by the coincidence. Her eyes
caught mine. In that instant it was as though everything else
around me stopped: there was no other movement, no sound, no one
else in the plaza. All I saw were Scarlett’s eyes…and then I heard
her voice.
    “ There is more to life here
than we’re told, Balik. You will find the truth of what is
happening – I know you will – and you will need Cassie to do
it.”
    The moment ended. Scarlett was
walking away from me, as I remained locked in place. It was as
though nothing had happened. Was it possible I was
hallucinating? First what happened in the park, and now this…?
Was I in shock? I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion and
fog from my mind. I could still hear Scarlett’s voice, but it was
inside my head: her lips hadn’t moved.
    Blinking ferociously, I tried
to focus. If it was my imagination, something was still happening,
because I could see Scarlett and her father ahead of me. I had to
find out what was going on!
    They were nearly at the edge of
the plaza by the time I stirred my feet to follow. There was a
narrow space between two buildings and I watched them turn into the
dark passage. I was moving again – running now – and raced across
the square, determined to speak with Scarlett and find out what was
happening.
    As I reached the corner of the
building I slowed to a walk and turned down the same path Scarlett
had taken a few moments earlier. Ahead of me was a tall grey wall,
with a door cut into the base. A member of The Council stood beside
the entrance – I recognised him by the silver coloured day-suit he
wore, even though I’d never seen a member of The Council in real
life before, only onscreen.
    “Can I help you, young man?”
The Councillor asked as I approached.
    I tried to look behind him at
the doorway. There was nothing else there and nowhere else to go on
the narrow path. Scarlett must have gone through the door.
    “I was looking for my friend.
She came down this passage.” I replied, glancing behind me, then
nervously back at the Councillor.
    “You must be mistaken,” he
smiled kindly. “No children are allowed through here, it is one of
the entrances to the Married Quarter.”
    “I saw her come down here. It
was only a moment ago – with her father – they must have come by
you!”
    The Councillor merely shook his
head, despite my raised voice.
    “But I saw her! I saw Scarlett
from the Green Zone walk down this way. You must have seen
her!”
    Without warning the Councillor
reached forward and placed his hand on my shoulder. He didn’t hurt
me, but I found myself forced to look up into his face. “You saw
nothing. Now go home.”
    I closed my eyes tightly as a
sudden pain burst inside my head. I’d never felt such a bad
headache before.
    “Are you unwell?”
    As if from a distance, I heard
the man’s voice once again. I didn’t open my eyes just yet; the
pain was still sharp in my head.
    “Yes, a sudden headache.” I
replied. “I want to go home.”
    “That’s a good idea,” he
agreed. “I’ll have an adult from the Green Zone escort you home, so
you get back safely.”
     
    * * *
     
    It had been a long time since I
had let