The Rainbow Garden

A young girl sits alone in a garden. Blooms of every color of the rainbow surround her. Wildflowers, tulips, daisies, roses, all sorts of flowers sprout from the earth. Each petal is silky, like a beautiful dress, and the green stems stretch up, reaching towards the gleaming sun. The dirt beneath her is as soft and moist as a birthday cake.

The girl looks out upon a vast valley of life. Birds soar through the bright sky, spreading their wings wide, letting the wind carry them wherever it wishes. Occasionally, they land on a flower, causing the blossom to droop a little, but when they take off, it bounces back, as glorious as ever. Butterflies also land on the blooms, their gentle wings proudly open, displaying breathtaking hues and patterns. Ants scurry across the soil, carrying pieces of grass or small rocks, hoping they will survive the trip to their anthill, their home.

She raises her head towards the sky, and feels a drop of rain fall upon her nose. Dark, gray clouds hastily fill the sky, and the sun becomes concealed. The birds, butterflies, and ants alike scramble to find shelter in the grasses, trees, and dirt. The beads of water continue to fall, gradually tumbling faster and faster from the sky, until it comes down in sheets. Still, the girl sits in the garden, not even daring to lift herself up. If she does, perhaps this beautiful place will disappear, and she’ll never find it again. The sky, the flowers, the life, what if it all vanishes? What if it all goes away? What would she do?

Would she go back to her house, where people are watching her every move? Where, if she makes the slightest mistake, everyone knows? No. She can never go back, not while this place still exists.

Suddenly, the rain stops coming down, and the clouds part, descending towards the horizon. The sun is as dazzling as before, and all the wildlife returns to the field. The flowers are now glistening, little droplets of water shining on their petals and leaves.

The girl gazes at the sky, just as a rainbow comes out. All the colors of the beautiful flowers are reflected in the rainbow. She just stares at it, still not wanting to leave, not wanting to go back to her house. It isn’t her home anymore, no. She can’t call it that anymore. For now, this valley, this garden is her home, and will be for as long as she sits. So she just stays there, in the garden, watching the rainbow.