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

back through the main
entrance, alongside three others, I allowed myself a small smile
when the scanning system met my presence with silence. The
wristband did its job and I was free to go wherever I wanted. I
could do whatever I wanted – safe in the knowledge that I was truly
invisible.
    My earlier conversation with
Cassie was still distracting me, and I knew I needed some time to
get distance and perspective. Instinctively, I headed in the
direction of my second home.
    The busier streets fell behind
me as I made my way deeper into the residential avenues of the Red
Zone. Taking the path between the edge of the zone and the full
height wall that divided the Family Quarter from the Married
Quarter, I saw no one. I couldn’t imagine anyone using this pathway
to get home as I was walking past the back of the apartment blocks.
The solitude was familiar. Being alone again felt natural…normal.
Almost normal, I corrected myself. I could not ignore the odd
niggling sensation that I’d felt since leaving Cassie in Park 17.
This time I didn’t bother with my list of reasons as to why I
shouldn’t feel this way. It was pointless telling myself lies.
    The entrance to Park 42 was
shaded from the bright light of the overhead mirrors by large trees
that grew closely together around the periphery of the recreational
area. Their thick, leaf-laden branches reached high enough that at
pavement level they hid from view the expanse of rocky, rough
terrain that stretched out beyond the secluded entrance. Crossing
the boundary into the park I broke into a gentle jog, and turned
along the familiar path that would lead me to the outlook.
    Pumping my arms and legs
rhythmically as I ran, I felt the comforting glow of warmth
spreading through my body, that exercise brought. I concentrated on
my breathing, slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth.
It wasn’t laboured or difficult; each breath brought a new wave of
cooling energy into my body that my mobile limbs transformed into
fuel to keep powering themselves along. The release and freedom of
running made me feel real – human even – just as it always
did. What was odd – for me – was that it wasn’t the first time
today that I’d felt this way.
    Was Cassie really different to everyone else – or was that just what I wanted to
see?
    The question began to turn over
in my mind as I continued running. The effect she had on me was
certainly unlike anyone else, but that fact didn’t necessarily make
her special in any way. Special? No – Attractive? Yes. I was
beginning to recall why I always tried to stay away from other
people: they only made things confusing for me.
    My feet pounded onwards and my
breathing sped up as I ascended the hilly path that would lead me
to the outlook. For now I focused only on moving my arms and legs
and pushed every other distraction away. I was already good at
this, having had a lot of practice at keeping my thoughts to
myself. By the time the path became very steep, and I had to slow
to a halting climb, my brain was comfortably numb and blank.
     

Chapter 4
     
    I sat atop a rocky outcrop; it
had taken me twenty minutes to climb up to this point and it was
worth it. The blank peace I’d been enjoying was fading away now and
my brain was waking up once more. Slowly, conscious thought pushed
its way back into my head forcing me to acknowledge the niggling
questions I had shut out on my climb. But the thoughts were not
overpowering just yet, and I was able to let my mind wander a
little longer.
    As I waited I brushed my hands
lightly over the small tufts of grass beside me, prickling my skin
slightly as the blades stabbed upwards at my fingers. It was a
coarse, dry grass that existed here on the rock, unlike the lush
and tended lawns of the other parks. It was the reason I loved this
place. It was one of the things that made it real.
    This grass was a natural
occurrence in the formulaic and manufactured world I existed in and
distrusted so