Grayscale

-Chapter 6-

Sierra pops her head into Ryan's office. "I need Marley. Oh good, you were just leaving." She walks out the room, not even looking back to see if I'm following, which I am. "Look." She points at the window.

"It's a window," I say. "What's so interesting, you switched the glass pane?"

Sierra rolls her eyes. "It's raining, like I said. Do you know what this means?"

"Should I be afraid?"

"Very funny. This means it's time to go outside."

"Um, it's raining out," I remind her.

"Exactly!" Sierra says urgently.

"But you threw my shoes away!"

Sierra sends me an exasperated look. "You don't need shoes where we are going. Are you coming or are you going to keep complaining?"

I follow her out the door. Sweeping the leaves off the damp pavement, the wind blows gently, ruffling tree branches. Raindrops swirl down in a rhythm to their own silent tune, the gray skies the face of a cloudy, stubborn child. Sierra runs out into the rain, her feet slapping against the hard concrete, her ankles splashed with puddle water. She turns around to look at me. "Come on, come out!"

"No thanks," I say. "It's cold, and I don't want to get wet or dirty. Besides, I would really like my shoes back."

Sierra laughs. "Your shoes are long gone by now, Marley." She drags me by the wrist, and I resist, my feet pushing against the ground, trying to stay rooted in the doorway. But Sierra's vise-like grip on me is one of unforgiving steel.

Her eyes glint with amusement. "Coward," she teases.

"I don't like this storm."

"It's hardly a storm. Besides, even if it was a storm, always remember, after a storm comes a rainbow," Sierra sings tilting her head back. She pauses for a moment, her tongue flicking out to catch some raindrops. Laughing, she continues talking to me. "Wash yourself anew, clean your slate, start all over. This is your new start, Marley. You may feel invisible now, but let the rain erase all your feelings, all your thoughts. This is Marley two point-zero. This Marley will feel like she's a part of the world, sometimes smaller than an atom in comparison, sometimes bigger than a star. This is our world, Marley."

I take a deep breath, compiling all my thoughts into a pile. "Marley two-point zero, here we go." I run into the rain, grabbing Sierra's hand, running away, away from her home, away from my thoughts. Rain falls onto our face, the sorrowful weeping tears of the clouds, the sky. They slide down my cheeks like my own tears, fat and rich, rolling down like a roller coaster.

"WE. ARE. FREE." Sierra screams, her voice carried by the wind, drifting away. She runs backwards, not even looking back, slowing down. Delight is evident on her face. Her laughter sounds over the rain, chingling like chimes whispering a sweet melody. She turns around again. "Tree! Sprint!" She takes off, feet flying.

Without hesitation, I race after her, my eyes glued to the rough texture of the trunk that is our destination. I almost slip, catching myself, my breath hitched in my throat. My heart pounds with fear and joy and exhilaration. My lungs fight to breathe in more oxygen, my legs failing to work, barely supporting me. But even as I struggle to run, my arms and legs pump endlessly like the tireless heart in my body, running like a well oiled machine. The tree looms into view, just a couple feet before me, majestic in its great height and new role, our "checkpoint". I stagger to a stop, first catching my breath before turning to see where Sierra is. "I wo..." The sentence dries on my lips when I see Sierra not far behind me, crumpled on the ground.