#Chapter 149: Children’s Day

Iris The sun beats down mercilessly on my back as I stand on the very top rung of a rickety ladder. Sweat trickles down my back, making my yellow sundress stick to my skin. But the banner needs to go up, and I’m determined to get it done myself. “Just a little higher,” I mutter, stretching as far as I can. The colorful “Children’s Day for the Arts” banner refuses to cooperate, the breeze catching it just enough to keep it tantalizingly out of reach of the branch I’m aiming for. The ladder wobbles precariously beneath me, and I gasp. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. But we’re short on volunteers, and everyone else is busy setting up the activity stations around the park. I rise up on my tiptoes, still gripping the ladder with one hand while the other reaches for the branch. Almost there… “Iris! What the hell are you doing?” Arthur’s alarmed shout startles me, causing the ladder to wobble even more dangerously. I glance down to see him jogging toward m