When most people think of rainbows, they think of a fantastical world full of magical creatures, not me, well, not anymore. As a child I spent my summers with my grandparents in the country. I loved the fresh air and the open fields; I would spend entire days just wandering around alone. Living in Ireland It rained a lot even in summer and that’s probably where I got my fascination with rainbows. Like most kids I believed if you were fast enough you could catch one and be granted three wishes. So, every time I saw one, I ran miles through the fields in hopes of catching it, but of course it was always just out of reach.

When I found out the science of how rainbows are formed, I was devastated. It was the end of my child-like innocence, since then I concentrated on sports and real-life activities. Now, all grown up, I had forgotten about those magical days back in the country until recently. My granddad got sick, and I went to visit, it wasn’t serious, but I decided to stay for a few days to help out anyway. The first morning after breakfast, I walked the same path I did as a child. I was halfway through my hike when I saw it, I never saw one that close. I don’t know why I was drawn to it, maybe it was because of being back where it all began or maybe something else, something darker.

By the time I got to the end of that first field I could see it in all its glory, the colors were so bright I felt like I could touch them, it was amazing. I climbed the fence and made my way over, waiting for it to fade into the distance but it never did. At first, I just walked around it, too afraid to touch it, but eventually my curiosity got the better of me. That first touch was like a drug, rushing through my veins, I was overcome with pure pleasure, but like all drugs it never lasts.

upon entering the rainbow, it showed its true colors, no pun intended, and I was in a world absent from color, I could feel the darkness feeding on my soul, this place is not meant for the living. The smell of dead was overpowering, I was sure nothing could survive there but I was wrong. Walking towards me was a man at least that’s what I thought, until he dropped down on all four and charged at me at full speed. I turned and ran toward the now black rainbow, I could feel his ice breath on the back of my neck before suddenly falling, the last thing I heard was its ungodly screech, which will forever haunt me. When I woke up, I was back in my world. Since then, every time I close my eyes, I see it, smell it, and when I see a rainbow, I hide.