The Names of Follia

Chapter One

It's simple, the colors black and white. They've always been one in the same. They say that Black is all colors and White is none. Follia wonders if Black and White hate each other. They are so obviously different, one is everything while the other is nothing.

She thinks they would love each other. Throwing themselves at each other in a terrible embrace that neither can quite bring themselves to leave. She knows they would hate each other. They say the strongest form of love is hate, and Follia knows that no color could love another the way that Black loves White.

Like keys on a piano that slowly eats away the delicate touch of a genius.

They say that Van Gogh only sold one piece in his entire career. Follia has sold four hundred sixty seven. Four hundred sixty seven works of Black notes that rest on White pages the way that Black keys touch White keys on a piano that eats the touch of a genius.

They say that Van Gogh was insane. That he cut off his ear in a fit of madness. Follia often wonders if Van Gogh liked the colors Black and White.

Follia thinks that Black and White hate each other. One is everything while the other is nothing. She thinks that when they crash together the way that notes in a melody do they both meld into Grey. Follia's favorite color is Grey.

Grey doesn't exist. How can a color be nothing and everything at the same time? Follia is Grey.

As she thinks about Van Gogh, and stares at a White ceiling that is melting into the walls and coming to consume her. She's wearing Black, so when it's done melting she'll be Grey.

They say that Van Gogh only sold one piece in his entire life, but Van Gogh died young. Didn't all the geniuses die young? Because God wrote poetry in Black ink on a White piece of paper and he never finished the story, so all geniuses die young, but Follia is young and still breathing.

Follia is Grey. Follia is everything and nothing and Follia wants to consume everything around her. They say that Van Gogh only sold one piece before he died but Follia has sold four hundred sixty seven works and is still alive. They say that Van Gogh was insane and cut off his ear in a fit of madness.

Follia believes that Black and White hate each other. Because people say that hate is the strongest form of love, and Black is something and looks like nothing, and White is nothing and looks like something.

And Grey doesn't exist.

Follia once read that love is like a page in your favorite book and that all of her musical pieces sound like heartbreak. Follia is Grey because Grey has no color that matches with it. Follia has never been in love. They say that love is full like Black and losing love is empty like White, and Follia's works sound like gaining and losing love all at once so they must be Grey too.

Follia is Grey and Grey plays piano keys that are Black and White. Black and White hate each other because people say that hate is the strongest form of love. White is nothing while Black is everything and Grey doesn't exist because nothing can be everything and nothing and-

They say that Van Gogh was insane. They say that he cut his ear off in a fit of madness. Follia thinks she's insane, because she's Grey, and Grey doesn't exist. How could someone be everything and nothing and not be insane?

It's like Black keys and White keys on a piano that's played by the color Grey because the only colors that Grey will ever match are Black and White, but Black and White hate each other, and hate is the strongest form of love and has no room for the thing it created.

They say that Van Gough was insane and he only sold one work in his entire life. Follia is named the Italian word for insane and has sold four hundred sixty seven works and is still alive.

Follia is Grey and Grey doesn't exist and the ceiling is melting into the walls but Follia is wearing black, so it'll all be Grey soon. Follia once read that falling in love is the best feeling in the world. She also read that Heartbreak feels empty like White, and Follia is Grey, and Love is Black. Follia is Grey and Grey is alone because Black and White hate each other.

Love is Black and Heartbreak is White and Grey doesn't exist because nothing can be everything and nothing at the same time. God wrote poetry on a White paper with Black ink and never finished so all geniuses die young, but Follia is still alive and she's sold four hundred sixty seven works.

They say that hate is the strongest form of love and Follia thinks that Grey doesn't exist.