Rainbow's End - Wizard by Corrie Mitchell Read Free Book Online Page A

down, and he struggled and swallowed water before finding his feet. He stood and then turned in a circle, looking at his surrounds in wonder; the water came to just below his buttocks and the sun was shining and warm on his face. There were mountains in the background; and a cliff and a waterfall and a rainbow, and he was obviously dreaming again…
    A few grown-ups and a lot of children stood on the pool’s one rocky bank. Tessie was with them; she’d just gotten out of the pool and was shaking and spraying everybody around her with water. Using the last of his strength, Thomas waded towards them.
    A woman reached down and with surprising strength, grasped his hand and pulled him from the water. She wore a wide yellow summer’s dress and an apron, and her eyes were beautiful blue and kind. She hugged Thomas’ dripping-wet body to hers and said, ‘Oh, you poor thing…’ A screech interrupted her, and she looked back to the water, still holding Thomas. She watched for a few seconds, and then murmured, ‘Oh my, he’s really outdoing himself this time.’
    Thomas turned back to the pool. Orson stood in the middle of it, his black coat floating around him like an oil-slick. His face was puce and his bushy grey hair wet and plastered to his scalp. He was holding one of his boots and pouring water from it, and screaming - at the water it seemed…
    ‘… the last time, Ariana! Do you hear me?! The last time! Look at my boots!! Ruined!’ He violently hurled the boot at the water, then began hopping up and down, whilst, with both hands, he attempted pulling the other off his foot.
    He fell then: toppling slowly backwards and going under with only a small splash; and resurfacing: spluttering and cursing and triumphantly holding the other badly scuffed boot. ‘Ruined!’ he screamed, and hurled it at the water as well.
    Next came the cap: he delved it out of one deep pocket and held it by its tassel, swung it, and hit the water with a resounding “WOP”, before also throwing it from him in disgust. ‘Ruined!’ he screamed.
    And then the coat , and while the old man struggled and fought and swore his way out of the heavy, wet thing, Thomas heard some giggles and a chuckle or two from the spellbound audience. The fur had become waterlogged, and once out of it, without even trying to lift it, Orson merely, violently, pushed it under the water. And the dance started. Small pockets of air were trapped in its lining and pieces of the coat refused to stay submerged, simply reappearing after being pushed under. Thus slighted, Orson began jumping around and using his fists to push the offending parts under again, and his language was a terrible thing to hear. Small bits kept popping back up as soon as others went under, but finally, and after many hilarious minutes for the people watching, the coat stayed drowned.
    When a p anting and obviously exhausted, but not finished yet Orson, began wriggling his way out of the soaked and by-now-knee-length orange jersey, the woman mussed Thomas’ hair and said in a soft voice, ‘I think we’ve seen enough, don’t you?’
    It hurt to even nod, and with her arm still around his shoulders, the two started away from the pool and its frenzied occupant. Thomas gave only a few steps before losing consciousness and Annie caught him as he fell.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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    There were children playing somewhere. A soft warm breeze carried their screams and laughter through the open window. The same breeze played lightly on the skin of Thomas’ back and made him burrow deeper under the sheet, seeking a return to the dreamless neverland he had just come from.
    He heard talking - the voices muted and female, and somehow conveying a wonderful sense of security.
    ‘… and there he was. Right down to his long johns , sopping wet and totally exhausted… But still shouting at Ariana.’ Two voices laughed softly and the first continued: ‘Big John eventually fetched