Set In Colorless Stones

Why is the sky grey?

The sky shouldn’t be grey.

It should be pretty, so why is it grey?

The ringing tumult, barely audible, had appeared. That piercing sound that lacked a single drop of context, one that lacked the simple explanation many longed for. My body aroused, my vision slowly cleared as I analyzed my surroundings. I was soon led to the conclusion that I was outside my house, though the house itself was not found in my line of sight. Perhaps a familiar smell, or maybe it was the way the sun hit my skin reminded me of home.

I’m not sure.

A bare grassy field, one in which lacked a home.

Such a place seemed to be afraid.

If you were to picture my position, you would believe monsters roam every pathway and eerie forests crowd the distance of your vision.

However, this isn’t the case. 

There are no animals, nor were there any humans. Occasional buildings appeared randomly in the field as I walked. They were not abandoned, no, that's not it. They were lonely, though I am not sure how pieces of cement could understand such emotion. 

The wind pushed against my back urging me to move swifter, however I felt no desire to do so. I felt the need to observe my surroundings.

Gray, pollen filled dandelions danced in the meadow welcoming me with their colorless pedals. The long ended grass waved a greeting with its bleached tips. The houses said “hello" without a sound. They nodded as I passed, without moving a muscle. 

I found myself running, though I am not sure why. Perhaps my mind has finally compromised with the wind, allowing it to take full control of my actions. It seems I have been running for days but that’s alright because I didn’t have any desired destination in mind anyway.

I eventually approached a forest, probably the most boring one I have ever seen in my life. Moss and vines hanged from the large oak branches. They were fully aware of my presence. 

They wanted me to continue.

That's what they told me without saying a word.

“What are you looking for, my dear?” The tall pine tree asked.

“You sure are an odd creature.” The daffodil stated.

“Can you hear me Orion?” The large bush asked me sternly.

The voices overcrowded my mind, but I didn’t mind. A boy like me, now so lonely, didn’t mind talking to someone once in a while. Most of what my surroundings told me were pointless statements, but after weeks passed I started to have normal conversations with them. 

The mushrooms were oddly talkative, often they would rant to me for hours. I enjoyed dancing with the wind. On Saturdays I would play hopscotch with the rocks. Not once did I question their playful personality. 

The colorless became the normal, and sooner or later I didn’t feel all so lonely anymore. My surroundings seemed to become less afraid unlike their first impression during my arrival weeks back. I became more comfortable the longer I spent in such an odd place. 

The more time I have spent in this grey world, the more I learned to cope with the loneliness.

Not once have I thought about leaving. Not once until today. Not until the pine tree questioned me. 

“Do you want to leave, my dear?” She asked me.

“Do you want to see another of your kind?” She urged for my response.

“Yes I do” I told her calmly.

“If I were to tell you a way to escape, would you?” The pine tree spoke slowly.

“Is there a way?” I wondered as I spoke to confirm.

“Of course there is dear, you just have to find it.” The rigid tree finished.

The time passed as I continued to walk the rock filled pathway. My mind had not stopped racing for a second after I was informed of such an escape. Peaceful strolls became frantic sprints through the boring forest. I longed desperately for some bit of reality, or maybe I longed for a dream if this was now considered normal. 

I stopped playing the weekly hopscotch with the rocks and I now refused to stay in one place long enough to withstand the mushrooms’ long rants. My mind rested on the exit despite my uncertainty of its location. The trees didn’t talk to me anymore, all they did was insult my efforts. 

“Why are you leaving Orion?” The vine commanded for an answer.

“You're such an idiot.” The marigold stated.

“If you want to leave so badly, just die.” The stump exclaimed. 

Then suddenly, for the first time in a while I had stopped in my tracks to listen to him. 

“If I die, can I leave?” I questioned the stump once more.

He nodded in repose, not once did he move his bark-like skin. 

“It takes a brave man to do such actions. You are just a boy, my dear.” The Pine Tree informed me with a small sigh.

“If you really want, I can help you!” Giggled the amaranth.

“Oh silly, if you wish!” The Belladonna said with an uncomfortable amount of enthusiasm.

The pollen had escaped from the stamen of the achromatic flowers. The lifeless pollen danced around my body, filling the air I had no choice but to inhale. The grey particles of dust entered my body, contracting my lungs. After a few gasps, I had no fight left in me. I fell to the ground as my bleached surroundings waved goodbye to me. 

Why was the sky white?

The sky shouldn’t be white.

It should be grey, so why is it white?

I could not sit up, it felt as if I was tied in my current position. 

“You're awake!” A voice shouted. Immediately after I felt motion close by. A girl leaned over my face, she had brown hair and brown eyes. 

“Where am I?” I wanted to know.

“The hospital? Orion don’t you remember? You got into an accident.” The girl informed me.

I truly didn’t remember a single bit of the past occurrences. 

“Who are you?” 

“I’m Maralin, don’t you remember?” 

“No, no I do not.”

Based on her expression, I could tell she wasn’t very happy to hear the truth.