PROJECT: COLOR - TXT

Green

        Kai watched from his upstairs window as the leaf-colored people of his town ran around frantically. Yesterday the purple district showed us someone who ran away from the blue district and this morning there was a radio announcement of a runaway from the yellow district. Now everyone is either scared of a revolution or were hoping to find the boy and collect the prize money.

"Well running around like that won't work," Kai scoffed to himself as he laid back down in his bed, "Other than the purple district, we're the superior district so there's no reason to be acting like a bunch of lunatics. You'd think they'd be smarter than that."

Kai wasn't even sure what yellow looked like and wondered how anyone would be able to know it was the boy if they ever found him. He's heard rumors that yellow is the same color of the sun, which other than the sky is the only thing in the green district that isn't, well, green. Yesterday they saw someone wearing the color of the sky so that hypothesis isn't too crazy. Kai laid back down in his bed and closed his eyes trying to distract himself from the mess that was going on outside. It wasn't even a few minutes later when a loud banging on his door accompanied with a grunt, "Wake up," snapped him out of his daydreaming.

"A please wouldn't kill you every once in a while," Kai hissed as he opened his door to see a large figure standing there.

"You better watch it," his father warned him as he led his son down the long clover-like hallway. Even since his dad won some competition by the purple district called 'Dolphin Tank,' he thinks he's above everyone else. He treats others like garbage, including his own family. Kai used to wish his father would start to act like his old self. Before he went on the show he was the best dad Kai would ever ask for. That was so long ago now so Kai had lost all hope. It doesn't matter anyways.

"Kai!"

Kai blinked a few times before looking back up. He hadn't noticed how far behind he was. He must have gotten lost in thought. He does that a lot.

"What is wrong with you son?" his father asked as he marched back to where the boy was standing. Kai took a few steps back but stopped once his father grabbed his wrist and pulled his forward, "Spacing out like that is going to get you nowhere! What district are we in?"

"The g-green district," Kai cleared his throat.

"And why were we put in here?" The man's glare seemed to get more intimidating by the second.

"Because we're smart," Kai answered, a bit softer this time.

"Because we're intelligent! At least most of us are," his father scoffed, "Some of us were just lucky enough to be born into it. Most kids adapt to the district they're in but in the rare case they don't belong they get transferred to the gray zone. You know what that is right?"

Kai quickly nodded, "It's a small area in the purple district where they hold misfits and prisoners."

"That's right," Kai's father released his grip just a little, "Once you turn eighteen, they can take you away. I better not be one of the only people in our district whose kid has to be transferred because they aren't smart enough. You will not embarrass me or our family name. Do you understand?"

"You won't have to worry about that," Kai looked up to make eye contact with his father, "I'm going to surpass you one day."

"Right, right, with that little clock you've been tweaking with?" the man laughed and completely let go of Kai's arm, "Come on, someone's waiting for you in the living room."

Kai slowly walked behind his father as he rubbed his arm, which was now sore, "Who is it?"

"Beats me, I've never seen the kid around before," his father admitted. The rest of the walk was quiet as they made their way into the front room.