Purity's Prison

Florence splattered the white walls with paint. She ran across the alley, splashing the walls with color. She worked quickly to create her masterpiece: a stunning meadow dotted with flowers. Roses, daisies, marigolds, lilacs and tulips filled the scene. She painted every flower she could think of.

Filled with adrenaline, Florence brought her vision to life. She honed in on the little details, bringing each flower to life. The blend of colors was like nothing anyone had ever seen before. She painted with grace.

The artwork jumped out compared to the blank white streets. People walking by stared in shock. One man ran into a pole. A mother shielded her daughter’s eyes. An elderly woman screamed.

“Don’t… look…”

An alarm shrieked. Within seconds, dozens of enforcers began descending from flying vehicles above. They wore suits of white. A spherical helmet shielded their faces. They closed a circle around Florence.

“STOP. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR THE SPREAD OF COLOR. DO NOT MOVE,” one firmly stated.

The other enforcers began to spray the wall Florence had been painting. The water pressure instantly erased her art. Her beautiful scene melted away and drained into the nearby gutters.

Florence did not move. She laughed at the enforcers, eyes calm with craze. She put her hands up, dropping the brushes she was holding. Florence offered no resistance when the enforcers cuffed her hands.

“YOU WILL STAND FOR TRIAL IMMEDIATELY.”

“Take me away,” she uttered with a smile on her face. She had been waiting for this moment.

…

Luna sat laughing with her friend Kourtneigh in their apartment. They lived in one of the tallest skyscrapers in City 19.4.3. Hard work in the tile design industry had earned Luna a luxurious life. Every single item she owned was perfectly white and pure. There were no grey, beige, or brown tones to be seen in their apartment. Even black was sparse. Everything was arranged perfectly. Not even a speck of dust escaped her eagle eyes.

“Oh my goodness, Luna, did you hear about Florence?” Kourtneigh said dramatically.

“No, what about her?” Luna responded, slightly worried.

“I heard she got caught creating art!”

Luna gasped. “What?!”

“And it was so bad that they held an immediate trial!”

“AND?”

“Purity Court decided to banish her with no chance of return.”

“NO?!”

“YES! And they prohibited all communication. She can’t talk to anyone via any method. Looks like she’s gone for good.”

Luna’s stomach dropped. “Oh…”

“Horrible, right?”

Luna did not respond. She stared out at the streets below. Florence had been a close friend. She always brightened the room with her smiling face. Then again, she did tend to have some strange ideas about the system by which all were governed. Luna wasn’t sure if she felt sorrow, pitiful, or even angry. Everything felt turned upside down. She’s turned to the art side.

…

Luna walked the empty streets. She glanced at the surrounding buildings, all perfectly arranged in a giant grid. Every building was a perfect square arranged for different purposes. The system had achieved perfection. It was all very satisfying.

Finally, she arrived at her destination. She knocked on the door. Her grandmother opened the door and welcomed her in with a smile. Great Granny Shelbie was always full of wisdom. Luna always felt she could turn to her in her times of frustration. Luna and Granny Shelbie went to sit together in the living room.

“Hey granny. Can we talk?”

“Of course, darling. Tell me anything.”

Luna cut right to the chase. “My friend Florence got banished by the Purity Court..”

Granny Shelbie frowned and put her hand on Luna’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?”

“They caught her making art.” Granny Shelbie’s shoulders dropped. Luna continued, voice cracking. “I don’t understand how I feel, Granny. Should I be angry at her? For betraying us with such a crime? She seemed so good. She was a true friend, showing me love and care where no one else would. Why do I feel sad?”

Granny Shelbie did not say anything for a while. She stared deeply into Luna’s eyes.

“Granny?”

“Yes, dear. I am thinking… Luna, I think I need to tell you how life was when I was a child. I think it will help you understand and give you the clarity you are seeking.”

Though confused, Luna leaned in, giving Granny Shelbie all of her attention. Granny Shelbie spoke calmly.

“I remember when the world was full of color. Mountain ranges once covered the face of this land, full of beautiful creatures and plants. The grass was green and lush.

“Nobody questioned when the government began terraforming. They made quick work of the land and covered up their cunning scheme on technicalities. The law couldn’t stop them. The people didn’t know. In the span of 10 years, they leveled the Rocky Mountains. They set out to flatten the whole continent. People were outraged. But they were too late.

“The next thing to go were the farms. They were already on a decline when I was born. When the farms were gone, the people turned within. The government effectively took control of all infrastructure. Prices sky-rocketed. Millions of people lost their jobs. Livestock disappeared from the outside world, creating an insane rise in the amount of processed foods. The country crumbled. Our economy was destroyed, and we were all forced to live in the Square.

“To reduce the costs of living, companies were required to begin producing only white clothing. Black was reserved for our leaders. That way, everyone could be equal. With white clothing came white shoes, white bags, and white furniture. Even the food. After the clothing came the streets. A law passed ruling art illegal because it was controversial and wasteful. Nobody had agreed to this vote, but nobody spoke up because they feared everyone else was on board with it. Art was washed away and covered with white to match our clothing. Artists were banished and sometimes executed.

“With that, every last drop of color was erased from society. The young generation can’t fathom colors because they’ve never seen one before. Including you, my poor great granddaughter. Ironically, white light is a combination of all colors of light. Now we live like robots. The Purity Court has spies amongst us all. Our government has become a tyranny. But who is the tyrant leading us? Nobody knows, darling. Nobody knows…

“I miss the rivers. The calm flow of the water rushing against my feet. I miss the blue skies. I miss being able to see the stars at night. I sometimes imagine the rain when I can’t sleep. I miss watching the sunset with grandpa on warm summer evenings. I remember how horrible we thought our society was. I remember when I bought my first car. It was red and I was over the moon. I worked hard for years and years and years. I worked in an office, helping to design some of the first artificial intelligence models. But I regret those years… Look what we’ve done to our earth, dear Luna. This is not progression. And you’ve never known any different. I think…It’s time to show you something. You are ready to see it.”

Granny Shelbie retreated into another room. Luna sat in silence as she tried to process everything her grandmother had said. She had heard of something called a color wheel once. But she thought it was a legend. Is there really anything outside the Square? Why would anyone miss the old ways of life?

Granny Shelbie returned with a small photograph and handed it to Luna. It was a photo of Granny Shelbie on her wedding day. Luna recoiled in shock as she took in the details.

It was so colorful. Luna could not comprehend what she was seeing. Are these “plants?” Is this a “sunset?" She sat frozen for several minutes, revelling in the vibrant imagery. Luna could not move. She could not speak. She began to tremble. What am I looking at? Tears pricked her eyes.

Granny Shelbie smiled sadly. Without saying a word, she embraced Luna. They stayed locked in a hug for a while, sharing unspoken words and feelings.

…

Maybe Florence was right. I think it’s time I see the truth for myself. Luna wanted to find out what was really beyond. She could not so easily forget the beauty of color.

Travel outside the Square was prohibited. Even traveling between cities was a hassle–the paperwork alone took three hours to complete on average. However, the borders were not well guarded because no one in their right mind would ever want to leave.

Luna dashed through the lifeless streets, suddenly seeing everything in a different light. The perfect streets no longer brought her satisfaction. The once seemingly ideal arrangement of buildings now bothered Luna. The hairs on her arms rose as she bolted toward the border. Why is it like this? She did not care if she was seen. They would not stop her.

Finally, she reached a gate. She stared up at the walls that stretched far into the sky. The gate seemed so trivial compared to the magnitude of the Square. She opened the tiny gate door. “For Florence,” she whispered.

Luna took one last look at the perfect haven of white and slipped outside the gate.

THE END