Then she noticed it. There was something in the water. A trail of green, probably some sort of underwater weeds, but the more Liv stared at it, the more it seemed to glow in the reflection of the city above. It was hypnotic. It looked like the northern lights, revealing life in the water beneath her. She leant over further, craning her neck as far as she could to get a proper look. Suddenly, she began to slide towards the water’s edge, the damp ground beneath her providing no grip, and then her hip gave way from under her, propelling her forward so she fell further and further down the embankment. It felt like slow motion, as if the trail of green below were pulling her in. Liv heard herself laugh. A strange tinkling sound, as if she were a child, tickled at some funny story, or maybe playing a game that held her tight so her nerves made her react with a sound that was neither happiness nor excitement, but instead fear coiling up inside her as if it might snap at any moment. It was obscure but not unwelcome.

She thought she heard the woman from the bridge laugh. It was just a sound in the darkness, but it echoed within her, as if perhaps it had come from her own lips. Liv looked up. She had an odd feeling that it was like looking in a mirror. There was something about the woman, something that made her stop and stare for a moment, but it was no good; she couldn’t make out anything properly from down here.

Overhead another shot. A long trail of green lights flooded up higher and higher, arching far above the city, before setting off on a trail, from north to south. Liv felt herself moving, her head craned, back as far as she could manage it. They were almost over her, directly above her. She forgot about holding on, forgot about the icy patches that could be treacherous on the path, never mind down here at the water’s edge.

All she could see was a long trail of green lights – like the ring she’d believed was hers. Like shooting stars, flooding across the night sky. They filled up everything with green, even the canal. Her eyes were drawn now to what had just been an inky ribbon before. From here, on the bank, it seemed she could see within the water’s depths, strangely lit by shooting stars. The reflection of the fireworks above worked themselves into a mesmerising display in the water. They were like emeralds trailing down to its very deepest parts.