THE FIERY COLOUR OF VERISIMILITUDEReggie Graham

PROLOGUE It is said that the valley used to be an amicable place. It was green, and the inhabitants were

also green. The entirety of the valley was, in fact, green. A peaceful colour for a peaceful area. It was perfect.

Then, everything changed when the red fire entered from beyond the mountains. It blew over the entire green vastness of the jungle in one swift attack. They say that even though the forest fire only lasted one day, it manipulated that perfect essence that the valley used to have. It is said that if you dare to enter the valley there is a chance you will come into contact with the Red Beast, a shape shifting monster born from the wretched flames of long ago. They also said that no one survived an encounter.

This is the story of how I ventured into the valley to find the beast and conquer it. This is a story of red and blue.

THE VALLEYStanding on the top of a mountain, I was overlooking a valley of lush, verdant jungles. The sun

blazed an orange light on the string of the blue sky. I stood alone, with a lasso in my hand, a backpack on my shoulder, and the world behind me.

The scent of the valley was flavourful as I respired. When I exhaled I could see my foggy breath. I guess I was still cold.

“HELLOOOOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!!” I yelled. My voice echoed across the valley, through groves and marshes, rivers and lakes, mountains and volcanoes, until it became a whimper. The birds began to sing in reply. The trees rocked back and forth in a fervid manner with a whoosh of sounds. Suddenly, an explosion of leaves burst from the ceiling of the forest, hundreds of birds protruding in a fury of colours. A roar came from the skirmish of the trees. That was my cue. The chase was on.

I dived over the rocks and into the heavy stream of the waterfall. Descending fast, I sped through the white and blue pellets of water, slanting slightly into a curve of flight. I spread my arms out wide and smacked into the drink.

“Ow.”

…

“Ow.”

It stung for a while, but then I gave up on failure and crawled onto the sand. Clawing my fingers into the grains of yellow, I struggled to drag myself to the green shade. The rays burned my now naked backside, and I could feel my skin turning red. That was not a colour I wanted to give in to.

I took a swig of blue water from my bottle that was in my tattered backpack, and stood up silently. Everything went blurry and I was too dizzy to stay on my two feet. I let my body fall into the bushes once I got to the outskirts of the jungle. The leaves I fell into were massive and enveloped me in darkness. At least this time it was a comfortable calignosity. You could see many little creatures scurrying around in the leaves and branches. Their frenetic energy, producing a somewhat entrancing vibe. I was enamoured by the red and black circular patterns of a creeping caterpillar.

Then I remembered my mission. My head darted up out of the dark green. The chase was still going on. I hopped up out of the giant, moist, leaves and ran with my lasso at the ready. My runners pounded the fallen leaves, wet streams, dark grass, murky dirt, and vibrant mushrooms.

I heard a laugh in the distance. I was catching up to the target.

Arms swinging, I pushed myself harder than ever before, and I could see the shadowy haze of red.

Bam!

I tripped on a knot and landed face first on the hard ground. Blood splattered the rocks that jutted out from the blades of grass.

“Crap…”

The red creature halted and leaned over my cold body in a sympathetic manner.I opened my eyes and, without thinking, jumped up at the creature, startling it into screaming. It burst from its position and attempted to run from the area.

This was my last chance. I grabbed my lasso from the ground and began to swoosh it around. It was at that moment that I realized I had made a mistake.

How do you even use a lasso?

THE MOUNTAINSSweat dripped down my blue face. I tore at the vines as I ran to the scent of loveliness. I broke

from the last of the creepers and rushed out into the blazing sun. Up above, I spotted the creature. The mass of fur on its back exploded as it changed from a great bear-like creature to a phoenix. It flew up to the top of the mountains and over the edge of my vision.

I got to the cliffside and jumped from boulder to boulder. Every vault was fun, but I didn’t have time for fun. I tossed my rope at a branch breaking out of a crack in the rocky wall. Using my newfound skills to wrap the lariat around the branch, I proceeded to swing to a higher precipice. The rocks looked adequate at this area, so I began the climb.

As I ascended I noticed a number of other people climbing the wall as well. We all wanted the glory, some more than others.

We made it to the top of the mountain pass after a number of harsh hours. I thought I had seen all of the mountains before, but this spot seemed new.

It was a cozy little area. Fruit littered the ground and the formations of the rock faces zig-zagged and coiled around in strange patterns. We feasted and partied all night under the starless sky until the break of day.

A wisp of fiery wind blew into my face from the right side. We turned to see a vast desert of dirt and mud on the horizon. It looked extremely uninviting, but everyone knew that they would have to make that trek sometime in their lives.

I don’t know how long we waited until we left the mountains, but the herd of people finally made it to the chained fence at the edge of the brown desert. Someone found a gate, and we all entered together.

“Here’s to the future.” Somebody said.

THE MUDThis is what can happen when I give up. I fall behind. Right on my knees in the mud, I stared off

in the distance. My eyes squinted; it was too blurry to see. The others were still ahead, although a few had collapsed in the wet dirt or had run back to the gate. Most of them kept trudging to my astonishment. They were walking towards the golden city of the future, some were even running.

The wind was terrible and the terrain was as rough as a battlefield. So when it got too difficult to go on I slunked my shoulders and began to sag. A few friends gave me a pat on the back or a nudge, but they kept on going, leaving me in the dust.

The distant light looked so far away. What was the point of making the trek to the end anyways?

Still, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I kept going. I didn’t talk, since talking is too hard to do, so I locked my thoughts in my mind. No one would understand. Who could ever understand but me? Who would even care to understand? People are selfish, just like I am.

The steps got fainter and my arms started to sag again. Some more people fell down beside me. I made a little glance and resolved that it would be better for me to just keep going. After a few more steps I decided it would be easier to lie down and watch the strange colours in the sky. My head felt comfortable in the soft mud and the sights were definitely worth it. An ecstasy of colours obliterated the sky; I could stay there staring forever.

Time passed and I decided I wanted a change. I tried to get up, but the ground kept me cemented. I cried out in desperation.

The shadows passed me one by one, either ignoring me or laughing at my downfall. “Please!” I screamed. I turned my head to look at the survivors. A friend in the distance was being helped up by someone else, and another person was being carried. People are lucky. Maybe I could be lucky too?

I struggled to raise my arm, but finally the pain succumbed and my hand detached from the mud. “Anyone.” I whispered. Someone briefly took my hand, but released it after a few seconds.

My eyes darted from one figure to the next. Could no one help me?

I caught sight of a blurry figure and my voice cried out. “You! You there! Can you help me out?” The person turned and looked me in the eye. Their eyes were red and full of life, whereas mine were blue and devoid of excitement. This sudden joy, however, sparked a mass of strength. I lifted the top of my body until I was sitting up, and then I reached out even further. I was so close, just a little more. My hand trembled and I shivered. “Just a bit of warmth? I’m freezing.”

……

Was there an answer? I still feel cold.

THE OCEAN“It’s so bright, but why is there still darkness?” I said aloud. I wondered if anyone was still

around to hear me talk. I didn’t care either way, but it would be nice for someone to listen.

The sky began to open up again, and a white light plunged into my soul. I felt a tug and a push and a twirl as I ascended from the hardened mud.

“Am I dying?” No, it wasn’t death, it was redemption.

Everything was blank and blurry. The limbo of confusion sent me on a roller coaster ride of twists and turns, until it was altered into a blue water slide. The rapid stream of water under my back

was freezing cold as the slide spiraled down and around, though it began to warm as the line got straighter.

As soon as I began to get comfortable, the slide dipped and went straight down, sending me into a plummet of speed and insecurity until I slammed into the ocean. This was just like the waterfall all over again. This time though, the pounding didn’t hurt as much.

Bubbles of an immeasurable amount were everywhere, consuming me and pulling me down. The waves of the ocean flew me in every direction until I grabbed onto a stray piece of seaweed. The world stopped.

I gazed at the darkness around me and wondered why I was still breathing? Every breath produced blue, bright bubbles. They shone in the black and hovered up to the surface, though the top of the water wasn’t to be seen from the depths where I was adrift.

I clung to the plant with fear, but a twinge of hope seemed to dominate. If I let go, would I float up or sink to the bottom? Before I could finish thinking about it, a red shark swam up and snapped the seaweed in half with its razor-sharp teeth.

I sunk down.

Despite what they say, the further down I went, the more colourful the ocean became. Black turned to green, green to blue, blue to purple, and then the coral expanse of the floor lit up with a variegation of colour. It was my kind of heaven. The colours of my journey before were nothing compared to this.

I wandered the halls of this underwater palace in utter amazement. The spiraling pillars covered in coral extended their reach to the magnificent works of art of the awkward-placed ceiling, if you could call it that. It wasn’t so much of a ceiling because it opened up to the drop-off like the bell of a Tuba and twisted and turned in various directions. The structures of this city were definitely not man made. There was no symmetry to be seen, and giant tunnels of purple rock jutted out and around the main portion of the formation.

Creatures I could only dream of were swimming around, and welcomed me with jubilant smiles and eyes of wonder. One of them waved me over to an open entrance at the top of a large flight of stairs.

Before I got a chance to walk up to him there was an enormous BOOM!!

I spun around to look back at the darkness of the surface, and saw a vibrational wave of sound echoing through the expanse of the sea.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

There was screaming, and horror, and chaos around my city. I attempted to run back and help, but I was grabbed by a shadowy red hand and hauled back up to the surface.

I struggled to loosen the monstrous grip of the enormous hand, and only succeeded enough to spin my body around and grab a quick glimpse of the aquatic metropolis.

Was this the last time I would bask in its glory? It couldn’t be.

Everything went dark.

EPILOGUEI could hear the familiar chirps from the birds of the valley, the wisps of wind on the mountain

tops, and the torturous shrieks of the fallen beings in the mud.

I struggled to open my eyes. I was too tired to get up, but I got up anyways. I looked around the rocky terrain and picked up a large strawberry that was on the ground. I tossed it up in the air and caught it with a swoosh of my hand.

I turned to look back at the rising sun and held my gaze, contesting my eyes with the bright glare of the golden glow. Above the bloom, I noticed a whisper of the ocean.

“I shall return. I promise.”

I spun around to leave and began walking, taking a bite of my strawberry. This venture had been a failure, though I felt at peace with myself. I had no idea what became of the fiery creature of red once I got out of the ocean. I’m sure it will turn up eventually.

All of a sudden, a bird darted past my head in a blur of chirping. I didn’t get a chance to catch what colour it was, though I think it was either red or blue. The moment was too abrupt to know for sure.

I turned my head to see where it went. All I perceived, however, was the sky, endless, angelic, and purple.