A-Z Challenge. Day eighteen.

Here it is, day 18.

R is for Rainbow

Glenn Karasik stood in front of the stained glass window of the church that stood atop a hill and overlooked the small town of Falconbourne. Behind the church stretched the cemetery, surrounded by the only trees in and around the town. Below where Glenn stood was the path that led up to the church from the town. It was empty, as usual; everyone believing the Gods had abandoned them.

Glenn cast his deep emerald eyes over the dry and dead grass of the town, the empty farms where farmers still tried to grow crops to feed the town; another dry spell. This one going on eight months now. Glenn couldn’t understand what it was they did to anger the Gods.

“Father?”

He turned, not hearing the door open, and watched as eight-year-old Raine walked into the church, her hands twisting together as if she were nervous. Glenn put on a smile. “Yes dear?”

“Forgive me,” she said before dropping to her knees just before the stained glass, head down and hands in prayer above them.

“What is it that you think you’ve done, child?”

“I caused the dry spell.” Tears choked her voice. “I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way.”

Glenn stepped forward and crouched down in front of her. “You didn’t cause the dry spell.”

“Yes I did,” she argued.

“What makes you think this?”

“I did a spell,” she started, curling her hands into her hair and keeping her head down. “It wasn’t supposed to do this.”

He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “What was it supposed to do?”

“Make rainbows,” she whispered.

He laughed and patted her head. “Rainbows are supposed to be a gift from Alear.”

Raine sniffled.

“I’m sure if you told her just how sorry you are she’ll bring them back.”

Raine took her hands off her head and looked up at him, eyes wide and rimmed with tears. “Really?”

Glenn nodded and gestured over him to the altar.

Raine stood up, a serious look on her young face, and walked to the altar, getting back down on her knees before it, hands in prayer in front of her face.

Glenn stood up, knees creaking as he did, and watched her for a moment with a smile before he looked back out the window. His eyes widened as he watched dark clouds roll across the sky, rain coming down in sheets and heading to their town. He turned back to see Raine still before the altar on her knees, hands in prayer and eyes closed.

He turned back to the window as he heard cheers come from the town and he watched as farmers pulled their wives into a dance, laughter filling the town once again.

“Thank you, father,” Raine said and he looked down to see her standing beside him.

He smiled. “No, dear, thank you and Alear. You are truly blessed.”

Raine looked up with a smile. “I’ll be good from now on, and I’ll remember rainbows are Alear’s gifts to us.”

Glenn nodded and patted her shoulder before turning back to the town. Rain continued to pour and as it did he watched the grass turn green before his eyes and he knew Alear had not given up on them and never would, so long as Raine was here.

“Let’s go play,” Raine said and tugged on his hand.

Glenn laughed and shook his head. “I need to stay here, protect the church.”

“Alear will watch it for us,” Raine said and her eyes glowed a light pink as she said this.

Glenn let her pull him outside and he tilted his head to the sky, letting the rain kiss his face.

“Look, father, look!” Raine tugged on his hand and he looked down at her, following the finger she was pointing across the town to see a rainbow painted against the dark clouds shining brighter than normal. “I told mother I’d behave,” Raine whispered. “But she said I need to keep practicing; I’m still learning.”

Glenn studied her face, watching her eyes glow pink again, before she smiled up at him. “Don’t forget to be a kid every now and then,” he said and she laughed, letting go of his hand.

“I’ll never forget that,” she said before running into the trees around the church, kicking off her shoes behind her and jumping into the mucky soil underneath a tree blooming with pink flowers. Her head tilted back and he swore in that moment he would protect her with his life.