technicolor dreams • a modern fairy tale

• 004 •

Okay, Tiana thought after about fifteen minutes, this isn't really all that interesting. At first, rainbow-gazing had sounded just as relaxing and magical as star-gazing did, but she wasn't so sure anymore.
The busy street she was in at the moment didn't really provide the right atmosphere to take her mind off things, and so she decided to search a better place.

Tiana drifted off the main streets, strolled down some alleyways until she reached a point in the city where she had never been before. At first, she marvelled at the old brick buildings and their tiled roofs, at the muted sound of the usually bustling town, and at the people who didn't crowd her and only eyed her warily when she passed them. At first, all that was a welcome change to the usual pace of the city.

Then, she paid closer attention to the condition some of the buildings and people were in, and realised just why exactly she had never been here before. Tiana looked around, tried to make out what the street signs said, only to remember that she had forgotten to put in her contact lenses this morning. Therefore, she stopped and clutched her Prada purse tighter to herself as she tried to figure out if she rather wanted to go back or go on, unsure of what would be the safer option.

Staying where she was, at least, wasn't one of them. Tiana usually didn't get spooked that easily but as she looked up, the rainbow disappeared from sight and she couldn't help but feel as if it were a bad omen.

This part of the city was much larger and darker than what she was used to, and the stares of passers-by sent cold shivers down her spine instead of filling her with the usual satisfaction she felt upon receiving attention. Tiana felt her heart begin to beat faster as she struggled to keep her confidence, her breathing became laboured.

She looked around once again, searched for another clue as to where she was and why these people all looked like they wanted to eat her alive, but it had no use. Her sense of orientation had never been good to begin with, and the beginnings of panic she felt creeping up on her certainly didn't make it any easier.

Realising that she had her phone with her and that Google maps actually knew where she was, Tiana dug it out of her purse, and consulted the app with trembling fingers. She leaned against a lamppost and tried to hide the fact that she didn't belong there. Needless to say that she didn't really succeed.