Color Coded: The Series

A sample

I've never been married, and yet I find myself in an arranged fate?

When life and death embrace their unholy union, it can distort our purpose for we are beings placed in this world, provided only with a broken compass. And so our sense of direction is non-existent.

“We Liliens bloom every day.” I said. “We wither away every nightfall before resurrecting every sunrise or so our Qreator says.”

A subtle sigh broke my concentration.

“Again with that nonsense?” Cassie scoffed. That's just something the Eders of the World told us when we were little seedlings in rudamentry, just so we would be on our best behavior.”

Sometimes I wonder how you and I are the best of friends. Our ideals and perspective could live out their lives being sworn enemies.

“How could the Qreator's words be such drivel” I responded. “He designed it all: you, me, everything that our undressed eyes can see! Yet still you have reservations about him?”

“Oh, is that so? If your ‘Qreator’ is so benevolent, why does he keep this utopia you long to live in out of your reach? Doesn't he care for you? Or does your suffering bring him joy?”

“Neither,” I replied. Why must you add filler words like benevolent? I never said such a thing. I simply said he is ‘Qreator’ for all we know we could be characters in books and we would never know. Our reality would come to naught if he was to stop writing.”

Cassie stopped walking, dropping my hand to take the lead in this foot race to the festival.

“You're…you're really okay with that line of thinking. You're okay with knowing that someone, somewhere, is writing down every single word we say before we even get a chance to speak it to existence ourselves? Doesn't that notion scare you knowing we don't have agency over who we are? That we're nothing more than something written down?”

I waited in silence for her hand to return to mine to continue our foot race. I could not let her know this line of thinking shook me to my stem.

We continued our walk in silence until we made our way into the dome and were greeted by thunderous roars of a large crowd.

“Welcome one, welcome all to the 33rd Annual Festival of the Gods!”

The crowd howls even louder.

We make haste, locating our seats. They appear to us like sitting ducks amidst the chaos, empty and waiting.

The lights dim as the dome begins to close and the play of a God commences.

“I am the first sinner. I am the darkness that you will never evade. I am the nightmare that laughs at you when you're afraid. I regard our world with envious eyes. I am the flower that bloomed in the dark light. I am the lily that fell from grace but none the matter, for we are all sinners and this is our fate. Atone for your sins before it’s too late.”

The first of this play of Gods is unique, for he is the one who fell out of the garden. It was he who became corrupted by his divinity—he who turned his back on his fellow Gods, patrons and anybody who worships him.

The play goes on and on, recounting every sliver of detail. But then, to make an endless story short, all the other Gods join forces to put an end to Aurajin's onslaught…I mean the one who fell from the garden…the end of the beginning. Let us contin-

“Sadie you’re doing it again and this time in public!”

Cassie’s voice disrupted me boarding my train of thought.

“And at a play of all places.” Social awareness has left you yet again; luckily everyone is too glued to the play to notice the play it looks like you're having in your head.”

“I'm sorry.” I say. I just have a habit of talking to my-”

Cassie stopped me right then and there with a wave of her hand, a shake of her head.

“I already know what you’re going to say. We're best friends, and what friend would I be if I couldn't read your mind? You've drifted off into your mind's eye to la-la land which is perfectly fine with me, but don't act like that in public! What would they think if they saw you talking to yourself? We must keep this peace in the midst of chaos.”

There is beauty in the suffering that sleepwalks within the darkest light. His story mirrors our own reality: the one we try to mask, that we keep away from prying eyes to prevent them from seeing our true nature.

I played along and participated in reality, cheering for my favorite Gods to appease my friend and society.

The play was over, and before we headed home, we parked our stomachs at a diner.

“That play was amazing.” Cassie gushed. “I swear every year the performers out-do their performances from last year. Sadie, what was your favorite part of the play?”

Although I wanted to say something else, I remembered I must conform deep down in the depths of my core even though I believed we were made to be perfect.

“My favorite God of them all is Valu. His radiant beams of light putting an end to Aurajin's trannie was a kiss from the chef.”

It was a tale as old as time. The light always conquers the darkness the ideal outcome forevermore.

“I love that part, when no one can escape the Beams of Illustrious Light.”

Cassie carried on rambling about the play, while I sat in the back drop wishing I could be part of a utopia. Wishing I could be free of sin.