Rainbow Snake
Rainbow Snake (first published on Blue Monster)
Rainbow Snake sat in a box in a dark cupboard all forlorn and forgotten, his beautiful colours hidden. Of course they weren’t as bright as they used to be and the seam at the end of his tail was coming undone but he was still a good Rainbow Snake. Annabelle had played with him everyday, she had even taken him on holiday and dragged him through the sand.
The amount of times he had had to go around and around in the washing machine was nobody’s business. But the dizziness and sogginess and being pegged up by the tongue had all been worth it for the cuddles and being arranged around the other toys and into hearts and circles and all sorts.
Even when Annabelle had become too old to play, Rainbow Snake had slept on her bed and had helped with maths homework. Then they had moved away to university and Rainbow Snake had been used to keep the text books warm on a shelf.
Drunken students had draped Rainbow Snake round their necks whilst singing karaoke and again he’d had to go through the washing machine.
But then Annabelle had moved in with Ted and when they moved Rainbow Snake was packed into the dark box and never unpacked. It broke his heart that Annabelle didn’t want him anymore.
He’d been in here for what two – three years? There was a strange noise; it had started a few days ago, it sounded like a baby crying but Rainbow Snake couldn’t tell through the box and cupboard. The door opened and Rainbow Snake saw light and wondered if he was going to be thrown away as Ted pulled him out of the dusty box.
But Ted sat down and repaired his seam and then once more Rainbow Snake was consigned to the washing machine. Once that ordeal was over he wasn’t hung up by his tongue but put in another machine that blasted him with hot air whilst throwing him over and over so that he ended up in a knot. Ted then extracted him and untangled him and to Rainbows Snake’s joy he was given to Annabelle.
Annabelle smiled and hugged him; she looked tired but Rainbow Snake vowed he would look after her. But before he could say so he was lowered into a cot and there was a little wrinkly baby who reached out little fingers to him.
“Jeany this is Rainbow Snake; he was mummy’s special friend. I hope he will be yours now.” Rainbow Snake was very happy again.
Posted: Thursday, January 27th, 2011 @ 8:08 am
Categories: Flash Fiction.
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