Irhaboggle Pride (2019) Spectrum

Yellow

Carmilla had always preferred dark colors to light ones. She liked the somber and down-to-earth mystery and intrigue that darker colors held. They weren't as obnoxious or frivolous as light ones. Dark colors filled her with a sense of power, but every once in a while, a brighter and more cheery one managed to catch her dark, shadowy eyes. One such color was a rather sickeningly bright yellow. The first time Carmilla saw it was in the golden hair of her much-loathed roommate.

"Who the hell are you?" the roommate had demanded the first time Carmilla ever laid eyes on her.

"Carmilla, I'm your new roommate, sweetheart," she had replied smugly before making herself right at home in dorm 307. The girl's name was Laura Hollis, but for a time, Carmilla only ever referred to her with nicknames. Aside from "sweetheart", some of the most popular included food items like cupcakes and creampuffs. But the one that Carmilla considered the most apt was "sunshine" or "sundance". She only used those names occasionally, but they certainly seemed to fit Laura.

Aside from her hair, Laura owned several other things that were all painfully yellow. She had several pieces of yellow clothing, all of which Carmilla considered ghastly. And she had a yellow notebook that she was always scribbling journalist stuff into. She had some yellow jewelry, but she hardly ever wore it. There were also yellow flower designs on her lunchbox, it was cringeworthy and childish, to say the least. And then last, but certainly not least, was her big, bright, yellow pillow.

That yellow pillow was always on Laura's bed or in her arms. Carmilla often caught her cuddling with it when she was asleep, or resting against it if she was awake. Even though there were other pillows (university-supplied), that yellow one was the only one Laura ever seemed to really use. Carmilla couldn't deny intrigue with why Laura seemed so fond of her big yellow pillow, but stubborn pride refused to ever let her ask. Did she dare risk showing her feelings by asking the little sundance? Hell no.

So Carmilla could only continue to watch her very out-of-place roommate snuggling that very out-of-place pillow. The irony of how well-matched they were because of how out of place were was not lost on her. She really couldn't help but wonder about the story behind the yellow pillow... Laura was very fond of it, so it was likely a gift from someone she loved. And Carmilla could tell by the look of it that it was relatively old. Carmilla was indeed paying attention, even though she'd never admit it.

In fact, sometimes, there were days when Laura would be off at class and Carmilla would carefully root through all of Laura's things. She was genuinely interested in the bright yellow girl and all of her bright yellow things, but only the bright yellow pillow received repeated scrutiny from the vampire. It smelled like her and was a little frayed around the edges. It also seemed to have a permanent indent in the shape of Laura's head. There were also a few faded stains and some crumbs, which indicated how often Laura would dine with/on her pillow.

It was amazing all the details Carmilla could pull up just from one pillow. And the more she thought about it, the more fitting the pillow seemed for Laura. Aside from all of her yellow things, Laura's very soul seemed to be yellow, too. She was bright and cheerful, but she was also brave, bold and protective. She was a shining beacon of hope, sunny and youthful and energetic. She was an idiot, yes, but a determined one at that.

She was so desperate to be a hero that she was always throwing herself into danger, just to create her own "Harry Potter" adventure. She was a lively, peppy, ever-hopeful girl. She was yellow all over. Her smile, her eyes, they always shined with a yellow aura. Carmilla didn't even realize it, but she soon found herself saturated with, and intoxicated by, the color, the very last thing she ever thought she would fall victim to.

But yellow also symbolized life and sunlight, two things that were rather... distasteful to a vampire. Even if real vampires didn't sparkle in the sun, real vampires did suffer varying degrees of discomfort in it, so Carmilla tried to tell herself that tangling with Laura would lead to no good.

"There is a reason vampires do not like the color yellow," she told herself, but she was sitting on Laura's bed with that infuriating and intoxicating yellow pillow in her lap. "Vampires do not like yellow because it is too bright, demanding and garish. No sensible creature of the night would ever like such an overwhelming color."

But try as she did to disparage Laura, the vampire still remained firmly seated on her bed, caressing the pillow (albeit absentmindedly). It was only the sound of Laura's approaching footsteps that got Carmilla to let go of the big yellow pillow and retreat to her own bed.

"Well, creampuff, you've seen better days," Carmilla drawled as Laura entered the dorm. She was covered in food and garbage.

"My attempt at a rally for the missing students could've gone better," came the tired and bitter reply. Laura sank onto her bed with a groan.

"I told you they weren't worth the effort," Carmilla snickered.

"Of course they were!" Laura, despite her discouragement, was quick to defend the missing girls, sitting right back up to glare at Carmilla. Carmilla secretly reveled in Laura's passion. Even if she didn't give a crap about the missing girls, she couldn't deny that Laura's intensity was deeply attractive. And the passionate speech that followed that passionate glare was even better!

As she ranted about the missing girls, yellow seemed to radiate out her as if she was a sun. Carmilla was charmed before she even realized it. Laura held fast to the belief that the girls deserved to be searched for and brought home. They did not deserve to lie forgotten, even if they were already dead. They deserved to see the light again, the bright yellow. They did not deserve to be lost to darkness and mystery.

"Hell, even you deserve better!" Laura finally said, but for once, the Carmilla had no rebuttal. Even though the remark was supposed to be an insult, of sorts, it felt like something much more complicated...

Even after Laura went to bed, Carmilla lay awake. It was as if the sun itself was glaring down at her, forbidding her from sleeping. She rolled over and peered through the dark. Even if Laura's outline was lost to shadow, she could still see that stupid, cursed yellow pillow, wrapped tightly in Laura's arms.

But then, just for a moment, Carmilla felt something begin to stir deep inside of her. She was taken back to Laura's rant earlier. Carmilla was charmed before she even realized it. Laura's anger was infectious, and for the first time in centuries, Carmilla felt herself growing angry and passionate too. She felt hurt and betrayed that a world as cruel as theirs could exist unchallenged. How could so many people go missing and so few people care?! The injustice welled up in Carmilla's chest, a foreign feeling, but powerful, nonetheless. And Laura had believed that even she, loathsome and despicable Carmilla, deserved better.

That desire and drive to be the light in a very dark world was spreading from Laura to Carmilla. Now, she wanted to see the girls safely returned as well. Nobody deserved to be left behind. Not even Carmilla. Laura had taught her that, and for the first time in centuries, Carmilla believed. Some of Laura's yellow was starting to rub off on her, but for once, Carmilla didn't hate it. And the very last thing she saw before finally drifting off to sleep was the old yellow pillow, and the yellow girl sleeping upon it.