World of Color | Skephalo

I

Before I begin the story, I want to explain a bit. In this story, you are born seeing only black and white. In order to be able to see colors, you must meet and touch your soulmate in some way, whether it's a handshake or a shoulder brushing theirs. That is the only way anyone in this story can see colors. If your soulmate passes after you've met, you go back to seeing black and white. If your soulmate passes before you've met, someone in the same situation will become your new soulmate. Don't ask about the logistics, it's not physically possible but it's a story. Also in this story, Zak's parents have split but his dad hasn't died, so don't ask. I won't be mentioning his father at all since I don't want to complicate a side plot.

Anyway, enjoy!

It was another cloudy day, just like most others. The sky was a light grey today, with a lighter grey where the clouds were covering the sun. The trees were swaying in a light breeze, their dark grey leaves rustling softly. Cars passed by the window, different shades of grey and black zooming in a blur as the boy peered out behind dark grey curtains. He rested his chin in one of his hands, propping his elbow up on the windowsill as he gazed upon the birds flying above the heads of people walking along the sidewalk.

"Another grey morning," the boy thought as he sighed deeply. He turned on his heel and walked towards his closet, where his mother had color-coded every item of clothing in order to not have his outfits clash. Although he was 19 and an adult, she didn't want him out in public in clashing colors.

He picked out a "blue" sweatshirt and "black" jeans, according to the labels she had put on the hangers. Black was easy enough for him to pinpoint, since it was about as dark as any shade could get. Still, he sometimes ended up with a dark brown or a dark purple instead.

While he got ready for his day, the boy wondered if today would be any different than the last 19 years. He had no idea.

Once dressed and ready for the day, he made his way out to the kitchen where his mother and younger sister were eating breakfast, a plate sitting at the table waiting for him.

"Good morning, Zak. Good outfit choice today." His mother greeted him with a smile.

"Morning," he mumbled a reply, still somewhat groggy from sleep. He sat beside his sister and began to pick at his plate of food.

"Are you heading to work today? I forgot your schedule." His mother asked as she stood up to clean up the kitchen. He nodded in response. His sister silently ate her food, occasionally bumping into Zak on purpose to make him angry.

"Could you stop? I just woke up," Zak grumbled. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

She giggled in response, finishing up her food and standing to put her plate in the sink. "What kind of day would it be if I didn't start it off by messing with you?"

She ruffled his hair, to which he groaned and pulled his hood up.

"Mom, I'm working late tonight so I can get extra pay," He spoke between bites. "I need to save up to move out soon, you know."

His mother nodded, washing the dishes that remained from making breakfast. Although he had just woken up, he knew she was bothered by the topic. They had discussed it before, and she didn't seem very happy about his wanting to move out. Still, he needed to be an adult.

Zak stood up and made his way over to the sink where his mother was and set his plate on the side. He kissed her on the cheek and bid both of them farewell before he headed out the front door. He needed to take the subway to his job at a local video game store downtown, so he exited his house and started his daily walk toward the station.

Along the way, he took in the grey surroundings, from the mid-toned grey grass to the array of gray houses in many shades. People in grey outfits walked by him, and he ignored them all. He put in his grey headphones and tuned out the world with music on his phone. He stared down at the grey sidewalk as he walked, watching his feet hit the ground.

The walk took about 20 minutes, and the subway train was right on time. He went down the stairs and passed through the turnstiles, waiting on the platform for the people to file out of the subway cars. Once everyone was out that needed to be, he made his way into the grey subway car, taking a seat in one of the only empty spots near him. The train was pretty full this morning, which wasn't unusual for the time of day. Sometimes, Zak worked a midday shift and didn't need to take the subway until noon, which was usually less crowded.

Today, he would be working a full shift, from the store opening to close. It would be about 12 hours, but he needed the money.

The car was full of different shades of grey and black, but they were all a blur to Zak. He focused on his music and rested his head back against the window of the subway car.

Once he reached the station he needed to get off at, he shoved between the grey people standing in order to get off before the doors closed. Once off, he made his way up the stairs to the street above. From this point, the store he worked at was only a few blocks away. The streets were busy today, with shades of black and grey passed by him in every direction.

He sighed and began his walk toward the store, keeping his head down and his music loud. Again, he focused on the grey pavement beneath his feet.

Soon, he made it to the storefront and peered inside. All the lights were off, since he was the only one opening the store this morning. He dug out the store's key from his pocket and unlocked the front door. Once inside, he locked it again to make sure no one came in before they were open. He switched on the lights, and the dark black space turned into lighter grey and white shades. He made his way to the counter and unlocked the register, counting the grey bills to make sure they had the correct amount for the start of the day.

Once he made sure everything was in order, Zak went to the front window and flipped on the neon signs that said "We are Open", and flipped the sign on the door from closed to open. He unlocked the door and sat behind the counter, waiting for the first customers to come trickling in. Usually, the morning was pretty slow, so he had time to sit and do whatever he wanted.

This morning, like all the rest, he spent his time imagining the colors of each individual poster on the walls, wondering when he'd finally know what they look like.