The Indigo Child

Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky.

A haze would descend upon the fields as tiny purple seeds planted themselves gently. Each seed carried a love; a love of sky and water entwined to give life. And life grew. Luscious flora bloomed releasing sweet scents, and wildlife twittered and skittered around a blossoming world. Harmony reached its roots deep into the land and caressed its matter, “You matter, land”.

When the sun rose from its nightly rest, it smiled upon the fruitful earth and fed it with warm rays. The lush flora reached towards the sky from which it came from and waved; gratitude carried in the effortless breeze. Songbirds cheered and chirped melodies, and the animals worked together to keep everything at peace. Rabbit knew it fed wolf, and wolf knew that when the time would come, it too would return to the earth to feed the soil. There was balance.

But then the people came.

And with them, they brought song and dance, but also screams and battles.

They littered the once heavenly land with their scraps and sorrows, and then tried to build atop of it all. Skyscrapers shot out to the sky, a masked greeting to the pure blue, while metal poles poked holes deep in the ground. With each stab, roots split apart and seeds were squashed. All except one.

This seed burrowed unharmed below a wooden flooring, which lay as a starting foundation for a weary fella’ and an infatuated gal.

~

My momma always said that, just because you’re a little different, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve respect.

Daniel Greeves didn’t seem to care much about what my momma said though. He just straight up punched me square in the schnoz and laughed at my bloody tears. Him and his goon of a buddy then proceeded to dump my bag out in the mud and yanked off my shoes. Then they were gone.

“They were a ratty ol’ pair anyhow,” I tried to convince myself as I gathered my damp belongings together. “It’s not like I wanted to do my homework anyhow,” I mumbled as I threw out my unfinished assignment in the trash, knowing the incomplete mark probably wouldn’t matter. I was flunking school regardless. And it wasn’t because I was some dummy, I was rather bright actually, or so my momma always said.

But the truth was, was that not even the teachers cared about me or wanted me here.

Nobody did; except my momma.

She would tell me every night how special and important I was. She’d tell me how everything about me was magical and unique, and that I should always embrace my differences. Easier said than done though.

She didn’t have purple-y eyes and faded purple freckles.

And at first, with the purple hair, we thought I’d be cooler. Those were easy to say were dyed. But the rest… it just freaked out some and creeped out the others.

But momma always said, just because you’re a little different, it doesn’t mean you don’t matter.

As much as I tried to believe her, and as much as I probably knew deep down inside that there was truth somewhere in those words, I still wished we never had to move away. I wished dad never had to get hurt down in the dark smoky mines. And I wished we didn’t have to lose everything after that terrible Thursday in May.

I hate Thursdays now. And I hate my dumb purple genes.

What I wouldn’t do to be rid of these stupid freckles that littered my skin. What I wouldn't do...