PINK

9

'It's like a mask

every room is the same but different.'

Iara settles into her new room and closes the door behind her. She wanders around the cube shaped room, inspecting each intricate ornament that sits on old wooden shelves. Standing closer to the shelf, she can see the white paint peeling off, revealing the natural surface of the wood.

Probably the only thing that is not pink.

All of the knick-knacks are of porcelain, every single one. She makes a mental note to be cautions when treading around the room. Most of them depict angels or houses. It's not her style at all. She wonders if she can hang her posters up, something to make this room more of her own.

She steps over to the curtain which hangs dreadfully low, so low, that the ends bunch up on the peach carpet. It's nice actually. She wraps her fingers around the edge of the thin material, pulling it back to see the outside. Instead of the sun, she is greeted with a white screen. It startles her. Furrowing her eyebrows in disbelief, she laughs.

This can't be true. How? Most importantly, why?

She presses her hand against the surface and feels the solid smoothness, it was almost like reality was setting in, it was real, she felt it.

She chucks her black bag onto the bed and she watches how the sheets do not move as the bag hits them. Iara slowly rests her behind onto the bed but does not sink, not even the slightest dip. The bed does not cradle her, yet it solidifies her position. It's hard. Shaking her head she pushes down on the surface with her hands, but her strength is no match for the uncomfortably hard surface.

"This isn't right." She mutters. Iara opens the door and finds the family sitting at the table, intricate red patterns are printed on the back of the cards in their hands. The father spots Iara and tilts his head, following it with a smile.

"Come to join us?" He laughs.

"Uh, no, I just have something to say about my room." She says. Iara hopes that she doesn't come across as ungrateful and high maintenance. Dante just stares at the cards he has held in his hands.

The father purses his lips together and his eyes narrow, irises turning towards Addy and Sanny sitting to the left of him. Iara feels a pang of guilt. She should appreciate the room she was given, not question his generosity.

"What possibly could be wrong with your room?" He speaks, carefully pronouncing each word sharply.

Iara decides to change her opinion.

"No, not wrong, it's just beautiful. Thank you sir." She splutters nervously, not knowing how to address him. Dante does not move an inch but his eyes seem to be starting at the cards with such intensity.

"Ha, Iara, call me Stephen." He chuckles, shuffling the cards in his hands.

"And I'm glad you love the room." He adds before beckoning her to have a seat at the table. Iara does as she is told. She lightly curls her fingers around the chair's back and pulls it out. It makes a horrid sound as it scrapes across the white tiles. The corners of her lips curl down in embarrassment and shame.

"Sorry." She whispers before quickly setting herself on the chair. Stephen grabs ten cards from the large pile of the spare cards and hands them to her.

"So what are you playing?" She asks cheerfully, in hopes of coaxing herself out of the slump of confusion and guilt she feels.

"Um, snap." Addy adds. Iara nods her head, a signal that she is familiar with the card game. What she finds unusual is that there is no previous pile of stacked cards, and everyone still has ten cards, even though they have been playing for more than 10 minutes.

Iara turns her cards around, making the backing pattern face the family. Her eyes widen and her eyebrows crunch together. She lets out a nervous laugh.

"Um..." She turns to Dante who is still eyeing his cards.

"My cards are blank... all of them." She laughs nervously. Stephen, Addy and Sanny all stare at her blankly. She doesn't understand how they can't fathom what she said, but she twists her cards around so they can see for themselves. Their eyes look at her cards and they quickly turn away.

"Don't show me your cards Iara." Sanny pleas, laughing at the same time.

Iara thinks they are joking, they have to be. She turns to Dante who hasn't moved since she got here. He rotates his wrist ever so slightly, enough to show Iara his cards are blank too.