What Lies Outside

Once upon a time, not long after we realized we’re too old to listen to fairy tales, there was a town. It was not an ordinary town, for it was locked away in a tight, little box, painted entirely in cold, dreary grays. This is what everyone saw, except one girl. She lived in an abandoned farm outside of town, and no one was certain from where she'd come. In her eyes, the town glistened with color. Vibrant scarlets, daring crimsons, blues to match the sky and sea, the deepest greens like Christmas pines, and white like new, crisp snow… but no one else could see. They feared her, for she was different, but her intentions were wholesome and pure.

She tried tirelessly to make them see, but it seemed as if they were blind. She was only made to feel alone. They insulted her and spat her name. Nobody would go near her anymore. She endured so much, soon surrendering sorrowfully to peace.

Even so, she was tantalized by wandering thoughts, contemplating often what most aroused her curiosity. In doing so, she asked the most important question she ever had and ever would: if the town was inside the box, could there be things outside of it, too?

One fateful summer night, as she laid wide awake in her bed of straw, pondering this idea with excitement, she decided to find an answer. With her things wrapped in a sheet and slung over her shoulder, she journeyed into the silent night, anticipation electrifying every inch of skin.

The road to the box's edge was abandoned long ago. Potholes speckled the path, threatening to twist her ankle with every step. Sick and dying animals skittered nearby, frightened by the most cautious tiptoe. The closer she got, the more treacherous a journey it felt. Doubt was tugging at her heart strings, beckoning back to the old bed of straw, safe and sound with what she'd known.

"What if there's nothing there? What if it's always been nothing, and I've been a fool again? What if it's an illusion made to cope with the dreariness of life? Is my color scheme a hopeless dream?"

Like a ravenous fire searing her soul, the call was enough to shatter hopes forced upon her, a stark reminder of the way she was cut to size and painted gray so she'd secede to misery more readily. The question that tore her to her feet kept them steadfastly marching forward. She couldn't turn back. No, she WOULDN'T. Not this time. Never again.

Upon arrival, she found a rusty ladder, and ascended with care. Each rung let out a sharp, metallic whine that warbled terribly through the sleepy dawn. She clung to it fearfully as she inched her way up.

Finally, she peeked over the edge. What she saw took her breath and every shadow of doubt she'd ever had away.

Outside was what she’d always seen, and so much more: not just the vibrant scarlets, daring crimsons, and blues to match the sky and sea, but the enchanting yellow of daffodils, purple like a swishing field of lavender blooms, subtle pinks like a baby’s cheeks, fuchsia like delicate rosebuds, and the ivory hue of wisteria blooms that ring like elegant bells in morning dew. Her eyes were opened to new ideas. The roaring flame became a hearty glow that burned deliciously in her soul. For once, she felt at home. lt was monumentally clear: she could never return to the life she’d known.

As the sun began to rise, bathing her zealous and valiant heart in brilliant and unfamiliar vermillion, she climbed over the edge, and, without so much as a backwards glance, started her life outside.