“Rainbow?” I ask. I feel sort of foolish, talking to my imaginary friend. I haven't conversed to him in so long. Three years, in fact, since I was 9.
Elva! I sigh gently, he’s still there. But there is something amiss. I feel it.
“What’s wrong?” I murmur.
Nothing. It’s been a while. I am four. Old.
“That’s not old.” A woman frowns at me. I indicate to my ear as if I have a cool new tech that allows me to communicate with people. Her face morphs into a look of understanding, she nods and goes back to slumber.
It is, for me.
“Oh.”
Yeah. I have two months. Then…
“Anyway to prevent it?”
If I were to be real… If you were believed I am live, I could live a life of the same time period as you.
“But that's ridiculous.”
My fate is true. Two months is only eight weeks. Eight weeks is only fifty-eight days. Fifty-eight days is only one thousand, three hundred and ninety-two hours. Of life!
“Can you change your name? I feel silly saying it.”
Um ok? We have much more crushing concerns than my name but sure?
“Owen, Earl or Clifford.”
Clifford? Are you serious? That's a dog name.
I grin and get off the bus and start the small walk to school. “Owen or Earl”
Earl cause I’m a pearl.
“Earl the pearl it is,” I swear I hear him sigh. He materialises before me, just an outline, but enough to make me jump. “Rain - uh - Earl?”
Look!
“Yep, I can see.” I cross the road and nearly get run over.
Yes, your eyesight needs to be investigated.
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.” I enter the school and don’t talk to him until school ends.
“Elva!” I stop and turn around.
“Ashlee! Hi. Um sorry, I can’t come to your house today! Busy! Bye!” I turn and wave at the yellow bus. I normally take the purple to Ashlee’s apartment, but tonight I need to help Earl.
Thanks. You just wrecked your friendship with your best friend to help me.
“No, I didn’t!”
I’ll just let you think that. I smirk.
“So how do we fix it.”
I will tell you later.
At home, I wait impatiently for Earl to finish his ‘shower’. “Now you're finished how do we make you real.”
There is only one way.
“Yes”
If you die I will be born.
“Well, I’m not that selfless”
Well, you should be.
“Well, NO. I hereby banish thee foul spirit from my mind, once and for all.”
You really think that’s gonna work?
I concentrate hard. After a few seconds, my head starts to hurt and I give up.
Nope
“Well, there is no reason I would suddenly die right?”
He smirks over my shoulder. Possibly. He vanishes suddenly and my heart slows. Too slow…
ns 18.68.41.177da2
