The Day the Rainbow Ended

By Eric Scott

When the world is drained of all colours David the Snake Dragon comes alive once more and takes Kellie and Gregory on a journey to the Land above the Clouds where the evil gnome known as The Painter has stolen the rainbow and broken it into separate colours so they can’t mix and create real colours. The trio battle their way through the different colour zones in a quest to find true colours so they can repair the damage, but there are many pitfalls and dangers between them and the end of the rainbow. This is the second book that features David, Kellie, and Gregory. The first was The Island of Lost Dolls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Acorn Books
• Release date: Nov 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781783334049

Eric Scott

Eric Scott is a published novelist with adult, teenage and primary school books to his name as well as two editions of one-act Plays for teenagers. Most of his plays have been performed in amateur and professional venues. He does a regular theatre review and preview spot on the Spectrum arts program on radio 4EB, 98.1 FM, at noon each Friday and runs his own entertainment web page at www.absolutetheatre.com.au He is also an actor and director with more than 50 productions under his belt.

Book preview

coincidental.

Chapter One

Nine-year-old Kellie Scott stood in the back garden of the house that stood on the edge of a large, tree-covered paddock with a horrified expression in her face. While she had been out riding her bike someone had covered Bernard the Garden Gnome in paint.

Normally Bernard was a cheerful little fellow with a friendly smile and little grey beard, but that day he didn’t look happy at all. His bright yellow hat, red coat, and blue trousers were hidden beneath a dripping coat of dull white paint.

Kellie sniffed the air. There was a dreadful smell of paint that came from her house. She hurried inside and saw that the parlour furniture was covered in paint-spotted sheets and the walls, which had always been a warm yellow colour, had been painted stark white.

Then a man came into the room. He wore paint covered overalls, his hands were white with paint, and he even had paint on his nose. He had a beard too, just like Bernard, but he had a mean look on his face. And when he spoke his voice wasn’t pleasant either.

Be careful, he snapped. Don’t put touch the walls, I don’t want them getting dirty before they’re dry.

Kellie backed off and almost stood in a tray of paint.

Watch where you’re going, said the man sharply.

Kellie didn’t like the man one bit, so she edged carefully out of the parlour and ran to her own bedroom where she always felt safe, but even there she received a shock. Her bed was covered in a grey blanket and her pictures and posters had gone. The walls were drab and bare. There was not a splash of colour anywhere.

Horrified she ran to her Mum who was covering furniture up the television room.

Mum, Mum, she called. Someone’s wrecked my room and stolen all my pictures and posters and my toy boxes have gone.

No, said her mother with a smile. They’re all safe. I have just prepared your room for redecorating, said mother.

Kellie’s mouth dropped open in horror. Redecorating, she gasped. Nobody told me. What colour will my room be?

Her Mum sighed her ‘don’t bother me with silly questions sigh’ and said: I don’t have time to discuss that now. The decorator has created the interior design scheme and that’s that.

The decorator! Kellie said. Her lips set into a grim smile. I expect he’s the man who covered Bernard in paint and ruined him.

Her Mum sighed again and Kellie quickly understood that she was pushing the limits and that Mum would soon lose her temper.

Its only acrylic, said her Mum sharply. It will wash off quite easily. Now go out and play and let me get on with the work.

Kellie loft the house into the garden and, with sad look at the forlorn looking Bernard, she ran across the lawn into the paddock to her favourite spot, which happened to be under a tree where David the Dragon lived.

Oh David, Kellie said. What am I going to do?

David didn’t answer her. He couldn’t because he was really a dead tree branch that had fallen down in a storm. Kellie and her Dad had painted the branch with a shiny white background which was covered in diamonds, love hearts, squares, and circles in vivid colours. Kellie loved him as much as she loved Bernard.

He was extremely handsome and Kellie especially loved his bright red tail and the red, blue, and yellow stripes down the middle of his back. He also had bright, almond shaped eyes with long black lashes. He had also been known to come to life.

Kellie looked up and saw her friend Gregory walking across the paddock in his oversized gumboots. The boy saw the cross look on her face and the sadness in her eyes.

What’s up? he asked. He thought she was going to cry so he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, and as he did out came a pencil sharpener, a wooden clothes peg, a tube of super glue, two fluffy sweets, and half a dozen peanuts. Gregory was known to be a hoarder so Kellie didn’t even notice.

She shook her head when he offered her the handkerchief. Gregory shrugged and out the rubbish back into his pocket. So why are you sad? he asked.

Kellie told him what had happened.

Grown-ups think they can do just what they like, said Gregory. They don’t care about what kids want. I’ve never heard of a house without any colour in it.

The screech of a brightly plumaged lorikeet caught Kellie’s attention and she saw a flock of the birds flying through the green leaves of the trees which were bright with the pink and white blossoms that the birds loved. She saw he sun reflect off the dam and break into golden ripples.

She was glad there was colour outside the house because colour made her feel better. Let’s go and make a cubby house in the gully, she said. We can put anything we like on the walls then and nobody will be able to redecorate unless they ask us first.

Good idea, said Gregory.

They ran down into the gully just as David opened one eye, wondering why he had woken up.

Chapter Two

By the time Kellie and Gregory had dragged enough fallen branches to make the cubby house the work had made them very sleepy. They flopped down on the grassy floor of the house and looked at the soothing shadows the sunlight made as it filtered through the branches that formed the roof. It wasn’t long before the drowsy pair dropped off to sleep.

What seemed a very short time later Kellie woke up with a start. It had suddenly become very dark. She shook Gregory awake.

What’s up? he asked, yawning.