Of Solar And Dark (2018)

6 [S]

Sebestian Knight

I have never much liked colours. In fact, whenever I have to describe a certain pigment for workers to achieve a shade for their works, I would simply tell them 'daylight'. It's a name that I came up with myself- to describe all the colours that are too bright, that manifest my soul with their intensity and glow.

All brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow and then the slightly cooler splash of blue, green and purple. All of them give me a headache and none of them deserve their own name.

Right now, the colour of daylight starts to thread into the seams of the sky, slowly weaving their way in and inking the canvass with their respective shades. Turning my eyes away from the scene with disguist, I reach for a canteen of water in my bag and take a sip. The refreshing droplets eases a sigh from me as I place the cap back, reluctant to see it disappear from my line of view but also reminding myself that I need to preserve it.

I don't know how long the journey will be and the compass that I managed to find that guides travellers according to how light plays out against the ground is making me doubtful. In any other situation, I would have ditched the compass instantly but I am left with little choice under the hot son and solar energy that radiates along Atlanta's surface.

The intricacy of the lines on the compass directs me towards the edge of my shadow, following the ray of the sun that is middle in length. The glow is blinding and the heat has started to take its toll on me. Beads of sweat lace the collar of my shirt and my only relief stems from the curtain of a shadow tugged across my body whenever I find cover under a few trees.

I don't know how long it is when I start to hear voices. They waft through the air, slowly floating and I come to a stop, unsure if it's safe for me to venture on.

"Did you find anything?"

The blood in my body turns cold as my muscles go still. The people speaking are conversing in the langauge that Solars use and not Darks. It's light and lisping, filled with emotion and curosity. Each word is soaked with a desire to want more and the tone is accentuated with a flippancy that I can only associate with colour, with light.

"Most of the equipment we used were unfit to run tests on the sediments but we collected a couple of samples and made some notes."

Their voices sound as if they're drawing further from me. If I want to go or stay, I need to make the decision now. Following them would allow me to at least have a guide as to where I'm headed but it would also throw me in a dangerous position.

Staying here is no better. Both options seem bleak but I know one of them gives me a better chance of reaching my citizens in time. Despite the way my heart itches for me to stay put, I force myself to keep moving forward, towards the direction of the noise.

I can't let any of them know who I am. I need to put up a front and pretend that I have lost my way. I need to get rid of the tone, the rise and fall in my voice that labels me as a Dark and speak their language.

As I approach a murky shadow of a group, I feel a rush of anxiety and fear, the miscible emotions embracing my windpipe and squeezing a gasp of hesitance when I am finally in the group's line of view.

There are seven of them, standing around with heavy equipment and discussing. As I clear my throat, I notice that the sky overhead is a spread of darkness. Have I really walked for that long? Or maybe this is already part of Atlanta inhabited by the Solars.

"Dude, stop." The Solars instantly fall silent as they note my presence. Hoping that the darkness will be able to hide the flush slowly looming across my features, I force the words out.