{"id":7226,"date":"2023-12-14T15:52:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T23:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/?p=7226"},"modified":"2023-12-14T16:39:35","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T00:39:35","slug":"because-of-the-fleeting-rainbow-by-sarai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2023\/because-of-the-fleeting-rainbow-by-sarai\/","title":{"rendered":"“Because of the Fleeting Rainbow” by Sarai"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWHAT\u2019S YOUR STORY\u201d
\nExcerpt from writing workshops facilitated by youth intern Skye Slattery.
\nAccompanying story provided by the workshop participants.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Because of the Fleeting Rainbow”<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Sari<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you asked Flora what her favorite weather was, she wouldn\u2019t be able to answer right away. She\u2019s not a girl who has an immediate answer to a question such as, “Do you prefer cats or dogs?” It was always queer to her whenever she thought about it. Maybe if someone did ask her what her favorite weather was, she could answer, “The kind that has a beautiful yet unexpected outcome.”
\nRaindrops were hitting hard on the window sill outside. The streets practically gleamed from all the water. Flora stopped painting with her watercolors as her eyes tracked a raindrop\u2019s small journey down her window. It slightly reminded Flora of herself. One moment she was running, accelerating as she crossed the street that led to her school. The next, it all went dark and ominous around her. Then she found herself in a hospital bed, listening to the monotone beeps of the devices that seemed to be connected to her. To this day, she still can\u2019t remember what truly happened that was the cause of her not being able to move her legs anymore.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMaybe if she could still walk, she could go out into the world to find the answers to the seemingly impossible. Flora was always the type of kid who would jump into action without thinking first. Even if she couldn\u2019t figure out what to do next. Thankfully, she could still see outside her window. That large piece of glass was like an opening into the world. It was built quite wide, and her bed was positioned at the perfect angle to see outside.
\nFlora went back to her watercolors to try and draw the clouds in the sky, but when she tried to look through the window, she noticed that they had parted in a section, revealing rays of multicolored sunbeams. Was it sunlight? No, it was a rainbow, with all the colors reaching out endlessly through that small gap in the clouds. Or was it endless? Using her arms to shift her body towards the front of her bed, which was the closest point to the window, Flora could have a better look as she strained her eyes to find the end. Maybe if her bushy curls hadn\u2019t been in the way, she\u2019d be able to see it. Sadly, while Flora tried to brush her curls away, the rainbow completely dissolved, revealing the buildings that were there before.
\nFlora made a grunt as she reached for her small tablet on the bedside table and started her investigation. Where was the end? Was there an end? Sure, Flora couldn\u2019t find out on her own, but she could rely on other resources to find her answer (and this excluded silly theories on the internet about being able to walk on a rainbow). Flora wasn\u2019t that gullible.
\nAll the answers seemed to lead to nothing. “There was no end,” people said. “It\u2019s just a trick of the light.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nFlora powered off the device and laid down on her mattress. Maybe what she was doing was stupid and childish. It was, after all, something she\u2019d never be able to come near anyway, with the state she was eternally in. For some silly reason, she had gotten herself all riled up when she should have been resting, just like her doctors strongly recommended.
\nHer vision got blurry as silent tears cut through her face. Just like the raindrops on the window earlier that day. Momentarily, the dark oak door squeaked open as her aunt Edie came in to give Flora her prescriptions. Aunt Edie didn\u2019t fuss over Flora\u2019s tears or ask her if she was alright because she knew that her silent presence was good enough. She only gave Flora a knowing smile as she handed her a book.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n“I\u2019m back from the library. Look what I found! It has folktales and legends in it. Sounds pretty exciting, right?” Aunt Edie looked Flora in the eyes as she waited for an answer. Flora nodded in approval and started flipping through the pages. It was interesting, she had to admit. It was almost as if her aunt knew that she needed something to help ease her mind.
\nOne of the stories included something about a “bloody Mary.” Quite thrilling, yet Flora wasn\u2019t into horror or spooky tales. The illustrations, however, were captivating and offered the feeling of being in another time. Flora paused in front of an image of a rainbow and a pot filled to the brim with shiny golden coins. A small figure of a man in a green suit was standing near it as if guarding the treasure.
\n“Do you like that picture?” Aunt Edie asked.
\nFlora didn\u2019t make a single comment. She was still looking at the image.
\nAunt Edie only laughed to herself silently.
\n“It\u2019s so magical, isn\u2019t it? I\u2019ll read it to you if you\u2019d like.” At this response, Flora perked up as she handed the book to her aunt.
\nThere was a pause as Aunt Edie adjusted herself on Flora\u2019s bed and began to read. Through every sentence and place where Aunt Edie imitated a character\u2019s voice, Flora felt as if she was a part of the story. Sure, it might not have been true, but it sure was something interesting. She didn\u2019t need to have it proven by scientists or by her own eyes\u2014just having someone read it to her was good enough.
\nWhen Aunt Edie finished reading the tale, it almost seemed as if only five minutes had passed. It was twenty after two o’clock, signaling that in ten minutes, Aunt Edie had to attend a meeting that always happened around that time.
\nFlora was left alone in her room once again. The soft sound of the pitter-pattering rain outside came to an end. Although the form of the rainbow outside had materialized into nothing and left Flora feeling disappointed. The story her aunt had read gave her a new perspective.
\nAlthough you may not be able to prove something yourself, you could still experience the feeling through other people around you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the author:
\nSarai was just short of fourteen years old when the idea for this story sparked. Sarai enjoys drawing, reading, karaoke, video games, playing violin, and spending time with friends and family. The inspiration for this story came when she was reading a story out loud. The story featured a character with cerebral palsy who still found ways to engage with the world. Sarai is a frequent library user, often checking out dozens of books.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWHAT\u2019S YOUR STORY\u201d Excerpt from writing workshops facilitated by youth intern Skye Slattery. Accompanying story provided by the workshop participants.   “Because of the Fleeting Rainbow” by Sari If you asked Flora what her favorite weather was, she wouldn\u2019t be able to answer right away. She\u2019s not a girl who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ZwbD-1Sy","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6604,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2021\/witches-steeped-in-gold-teen-book-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":7226,"position":0},"title":"Witches Steeped in Gold — Teen Book Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"August 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Review by Amber Elias, 15 Witches Steeped in Gold\u00a0By Ciannon Smart On an island previously torn by war and conflict, elite Alumbrar witch Judiar Cariot serves a bloody rule over the Empire of Xaymaca. Though she has brought peace to isles as doyenne, many speculate whether or not the orders\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/71j5xu-DaSL-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/71j5xu-DaSL-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/71j5xu-DaSL-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/71j5xu-DaSL-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/71j5xu-DaSL-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/71j5xu-DaSL-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":737,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2014\/flash-fiction\/","url_meta":{"origin":7226,"position":1},"title":"Slam! Contact! Get out! — Flash Fiction Workshop","author":"Jane Gov","date":"May 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, the we worked on flash fiction--the shortest of the short story forms. Flash fiction is simply a term used for very short fiction; this could be less than 100 words, or 1000 words. \u00a0There is no formal definition of a maximum word count, however, it is generally understood as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FlashFiction3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2014\/05\/FlashFiction3-248x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3981,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/the-best-possible-answer-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":7226,"position":2},"title":"The Best Possible Answer — Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"July 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Review by Hadley Willman, age 17 The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras Summary: AP exams\u2014check SAT test\u2014check College application\u2014check Date the wrong guy and ruin everything you\u2019ve spent your whole life working for\u2014check Super-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has never had room to be anything less than perfect. But her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Teen Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Teen Reviews","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/07\/28220719.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2774,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2016\/astronaut-story-by-brianna-granados\/","url_meta":{"origin":7226,"position":3},"title":"“Astronaut” — story by Brianna Granados","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"March 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"One City One Story 2016 Writing Contest: \u201cA Vivid Memory\u201d Honorable mention Category 2: Grades 6-8 \u00a0 \u201cAstronaut\u201d by Brianna Granados Grade 8 Southmore Intermediate School \u00a0 Alfred wanted to be an astronaut. When he was a kid, his parents would smile warmly and encouraged his dream. They bought him\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":854,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2014\/the-mystery-flash-fiction-by-teens\/","url_meta":{"origin":7226,"position":4},"title":"The Mystery — Flash Fiction by teens","author":"Jane Gov","date":"June 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Mystery flash fiction by Ysabel Torres (teen) \u00a0 I have been watching them quarrel through the window. Most of the time on my way home, I say hello to Sadie, pretend to walk towards my house, then sit there watching her argue with her mom over something. I can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3010,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2016\/emerge-teen-review-and-author-interview\/","url_meta":{"origin":7226,"position":5},"title":"Emerge — teen review and author interview","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"August 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Review and author interview by Jane Lee, grade 11 Emerge by Tobie Easton Ever since the Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the seven seas. Lia Nautilus is part of a secret community of land dwelling Mer that has taken refuge along\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"plya_easton","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2016\/07\/plya_easton.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7226"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7452,"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7226\/revisions\/7452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}