The Color of Knowledge

Chapter Two (pt. 3)

The children walked in a single file line through the open door. They had no emotion on their diverse faces. Ivy tried her best to smile at them as they passed her to take their seats, but they brought a cloud of depression in their wake. They weren't children, but, in fact, well-trained human beings.

"Hello, children," said Yani, "this is Ivy. It's her first day, so behave yourselves."

Ivy looked out at them. A sea of blank faces stared back. One little boy caught her attention, however. He was the only one not gazing at her. Instead, he stared at the wall behind her. Ivy whirled around to see what was so interesting to him.

She squinted at the blank, white wall she was faced with, not noticing anything peculiar until her eyes adjusted and her brain began to perceive a small, black dot in the middle of the expanse. Ivy turned back to the boy.

"What do they do all day?" she whispered to Yani. The room was not decorated in any way, and, more importantly, there was not a toy in sight.

"You will see," Yani whispered back. "Attention, children!" The children sat up even straighter in their chairs when they were addressed. "We all have love for this wonderful room for teaching, but isn't it a bit hot?" The children nodded.

Ivy, on the other hand, looked at Yani as if the old lady were crazy, her eyes narrowed in confusion. It was a good sixty-five degrees in the room, not too hot or too cold. However, one look at the children's faces told Ivy they were accustomed to this observation. They began to stir in their seats with anticipation.

"Well it's a good thing there is a cool place over there," Yani continued, pointing to the far corner of the room.

The children filed towards the corner without objection.

"Watch this," Yani said to Ivy. She touched the corner where the two walls met and a door appeared. Yani pushed the door open further and color splashed upon all their faces. Not just any color, but all the colors that reminded Ivy of before The End. Her eyes widened as she took in all the forbidden colors, and it was wonderful.

The chamber was a little smaller than the room they had previously been in, but gave the impression of being much larger. There were colors Ivy had forgotten even existed. She ran her hands along one of the walls painted a bright orange with red flowers. Toys were strewn everywhere, each having their own distinct color.

"Just one more thing," said Yani before she closed the door behind them. She reached out into the plain room and pressed the play button on an old boom box. 'Today, children, we will learn about the different jobs within The Society,' her recorded voice said.

"That's for the people listening," she explained. "The camera's vision doesn't reach this corner we're in. It's the perfect spot."

As soon as the door was fully shut, the children lost their heads. It was as if a heavy load had been lifted off their shoulders and they could be what they truly were: children.

"What is this place?" asked Ivy.

"It's a safe place," Yani replied. "My sister helped me create it before she passed away. No one knows about it except the children and myself—and now you, too."

"It's absolutely amazing." Ivy surveyed the vibrant room. A small hand pulled at her green pant leg. She looked down and took in a boy—the same one who had spotted the camera.

"I have to talk to you," he said. A curly bush grew out of his small head, making Ivy think of before The End, when there were some who did not have time to keep their lawns neat. The boy had a sort of gleam in his eye, giving an impression of someone wiser than his years. He pulled her into a corner far from the others.