Colorless Harlquin

It would be so easy to fall asleep in this silent world and forget all the terrible events that happened there. Sleep had been ready to take Harlequin for several hours, but the little boy could not yet afford to dive into the world of his imagination. As soon as the sun came up, he could go to bed.

"Don't fall asleep, Harl," Florise murmured.

Even in the darkness, he could make out her silhouette clinging to the branch just below his. The position was cozy, with a thick layer of moss covering the bark and the knots of the wood that perfectly adopted the shape of his little body. Harlequin stayed awake because he was used to spending his nights watching for the arrival of the Monsters. This responsibility inflated his pride and he did not intend to disappoint the Elders. 

"Do I look asleep, Flo?" he growled back. 

A chuckle escaped the little girl's lips, infuriating Harlequin. Their mission was of the utmost importance and here he was with "the village clown". They were not friends, friendship did not reign on the plateau. He felt a stronger feeling, like brotherhood, which bound him to all the children.

A sinister cracking sound made them jump. Harlequin's heart pounded in his chest so hard that he feared the sound would echo around him and betray his position. The procedure was clear and had been developed after several dramatic episodes. Before sounding the alarm, Harlequin had to be sure that it was a Monster climbing the tree-lined cliff, the chances of attacking an animal were too high.

A second rustling sounded below. Harlequin scanned the night but could only make out a dark shape with a blurred outline. So it was his partner who warned the Elders, letting out an owl's hoot. The sound relaxed Harlequin: the Elders would arrive and send the beast back to the underworld it had created. 

The Monsters were coming more and more regularly, equipped to force their way onto the plateau. According to the Elders, the world was now a vast, dusty expanse of smoke. From his perch, Harlequin had an unobstructed view of the valley's desert. That was why the Monsters were trying to join them on the plateau: to enjoy a world that was still alive, no matter how small. 

A terrible roar was then heard in the darkness, he immediately recognized Bao, the Captain's bear: the leader of the Elders. In a few seconds, he would be there, chasing once again the Monster who had come to take what did not belong to him. 

"The Captain is going to slaughter him," Florise gasped. 

The Monster raised its head in their direction, the moonlight reflecting off its plastic face. Harlequin's breath caught in his chest at the terrifying snout. A bear emerged from the forest, the Captain proudly on its back. Nearly an adult, he was the oldest of the Elders and the first child to decide to defend the little forest they had left. His movement had quickly grown and now newborns were often dropped off at the foot of the cliff. 

Harlequin watched in awe as the Captain grabbed an arrow, slowly notched it, and then shot it accurately into the Monster's neck. The plastic skin of its face fell away, revealing a human head struggling to breathe without assistance. The Monster finally let go of the cliff and crashed into the sharp rocks. A hoot sounded a little further along the border, and the Captain went off to rescue more Youngers from the Monsters. 

The sky was clearing overhead, the relief team would be coming soon. Florise slid down the trunk and landed skillfully among the ferns. Arlequin imitated her, the reassuring contact of the wood against his skin reminding him that he was not alone.

The little girl was already leaning over the cliff, her gaze lost in the brightening sky. The Captain had often explained to them that the Monsters may look like them, but they no longer belonged to the same world. The Elders had decided to fight against the inevitable, while the others accepted their fate without hope of living again.

"Are you coming, Florise?" he asked gently. 

She turned to him, a smile on her face, and took his little hand in hers. The two children looked at each other for a few seconds, sharing their thoughts without needing to formulate them. Florise was more than Harlequin's sister, they shared the same soul eager for justice and adventure. 

"One day, their masks will no longer protect them from their discolored world and we will save what can be saved," she affirmed before dragging him after her into the forest.

Birds were waking up in the highest branches of the trees and rabbits were gaily frolicking between Harlequin's legs, nearly knocking him over several times. It was for these moments of peace that he stood guard every night, for the plateau.

As soon as they arrived at the camp, one of the big men, the Captain, ran towards them. Bao was lying by the fire, several Youngers playing in his fur. 

"Come on, Harl, I have to show you something! Florise, you can go rest in the third clearing, your breakfast is waiting for you there."

Harlequin smiled at the Captain as he took him in his arms. The Elder smelled of sweat, the pungent odor tickled the little boy's nostrils. It was the scent of safety. They finally reached the other side of the plateau and a clear expanse stretched as far as the eye could see. The Captain set Harlequin down on the edge of the cliff and sat down beside him.

"Do you see Harl, this azure sky, this turquoise sea, these green trees, these multicolored birds that are always singing? The Monsters, they make the world gray, sick and sad. They kill the animals that live there in peace and ignore the consequences of their actions. Nature has already taken its revenge on them by drowning their cities, depriving them of oxygen and food. Some want our plateau to be destroyed because they are greedy for territory, but we will not turn our backs on the colors," he declared.

Harlequin felt his tears welling up as he confessed his secret to the Captain.

"For me the sky is clear, the sea is darker and the birds' feathers are all alike. I don't see the colors you speak of. Yet I will fight with you to save our plateau and our forest. I will fight for the hope that one day the world will regain its lost beauty."

Harlequin did not wait for the Captain to stand up. He walked back to the clearing, the morning sun illuminating his steps.