Colorless Chapter 2

“Wake up, boy. What’s your name?”

I cough up smoke that smelled of rotting meat. Gross. I stick my tongue out to gag, but a sweet lemon scent rushes into my lungs before I can show my distaste. Trying to move reveals ropes digging into my wrists and a dress shirt clinging to where my cape was. Looking about, there was only fog- a thick, yellow fog.

“Name. Now.”

In a bluster of words, I somehow throw it out there. “Heartfelt.” I search for their thoughts.

“Last name?” Lyon was a strong, mannish woman with yellow eyes. Her coat was getting uncomfortable and her girlfriend was trying to use her powers to fix it. Lyon wasn’t a positive nor calm person, something Amelia’s powers required her to be.

“Oh, Hize and Rate.”

I could sense unnerve in Lyon’s voice. “I meant your last name. We’re interviewing you.” Amelia’s powers had no effect anymore and Lyon’s coat felt hotter than it was before. I stared a hole into the fog, right where Lyon should be.

“What do you want with my eyes? Please tell me. I’ll find out either way.”

She sighed, and the fog released. Lyon was holding her hand to her forehead, her short blonde hair waving in anger with her nodding head. She was taller than I thought, and dressed in yellow, black, and pink. Amelia stood behind her, toying with the golden vest-jacket with half a tail going down her right leg, a light pink streak on that tail. Additionally, Lyon wore two pink belts, gold boots, and matching black pants and a long-sleeve shirt. She gave off a lion’s attitude, fierce but strictly quiet until she decides to roar.

Amelia popped out behind her, hair dripping like ink. Her purple eyes peered at me, then back to Lyon. She didn’t care for me. She wore less of a shirt and more of a sports bra and vest combo, leaving much out to “breathe”. Iron boots with an amethyst seemed to weigh her down, but the yoga pants seemed light.

“Your eyes aren’t worth anything for now.” She moved her hand, revealing a vibrant pink shade. “We came due to a disturbance. You seemed to be a runaway, so we took you in until we could determine where you’re from. However,” she struts toward me like a lion preparing to dine, “perhaps we can’t find your parents. Perhaps, if you joined us, we’ll settle on never finding an answer.”

I glare at her. “You don’t know where to start. I won’t be found on a missing kid poster.”

“Join Thorn or get thrown into a children’s home. That’s my offer.” She brushes off her shoulder and closes her eyes. I can hear someone else’s thoughts nearby.

“Maybe. You have a daughter?” She twitches at my question. “Vex. Is she nice? Do I have to deal with her often?”

“We’ll see.” I see a girl, a little younger than me, drinking the rest of the milk and putting an empty pack of cookies back in the cupboard. She then runs off to her room to eat it. At the time, Lyon was at the kitchen table and drinking a coffee. It was one in the morning on a Sunday.

“Selfish loner?”

“She’s twelve. Of course she is.” Sighing, she goes behind me to untie my ropes. “Your choice is clear. Pick it.”

“Guess I have to stay.”

“Correct.” She whips off the thick rope and tosses it to Amelia. “Honey, will you get cookies and iced coffee? Get Vex, too.” She looks to me, something uneasy to her. The pink was extreme, far from the usual light pink I see in my own irises.

“You have yellow eyes.”

She winks, “Yes, I do.” She rubbed her left eye. “One pink, like you.”

I wanted to stare into her to find a reason to not like her, but I’m stuck here. I read her mind, and I can know if she’s lying or telling the truth. I can know exactly how she feels about her lies and truths. But, in doing so, I’d have to pretend I didn’t know. I can’t pretend. With a puff of air, I sit down and close my eyes.

“I understand this wasn’t where you wanted to be. But, we’re here now, and you’ll be a hopeful sight in Thorn. As you know,” she sits down beside me, “almost every revolution was led by someone with pink eyes.”

“I know.”

She sorrowfully smiles down on me. Amelia walks in holding a clear teapot, and a girl with long, straight hair ending in clouds followed her with teacups. Ah, that’s Vex. She was clearly younger, happier, and less educated than me, smiling cheerfully with no focus on balancing the cup. She spilled the cups out on the table, letting Amelia deal with it so she could run over and sit next to me.

Practically yelling in my ear, Vex says, “Hi! I have green eyes, and that means I have power over problems! Specifically, I cause problems!”

Leaning towards Lyon in an attempt to both distance myself and ask a question, I murmur, “Is that a power, or-”

Amelia cuts me off, “Yes and no.” She pats Vex’s head and elaborates. “She’s able to curse people with a long string of misfortune until she either releases it or the original curse runs out. Her shortest lasted seven seconds and her longest lasted 72 hours. However, before she even learned about her power,” she covers Vex’s mouth to keep her from interjecting, causing her to wriggle, “she got kidnapped and got returned within fifteen minutes. Apparently, the to-be extorters got tired of her. In all, she broke three windows, two ropes, two knives, a gun, the wallpaper, and the flooring.” She hugs her and picks her up, purring, “We love our little problem.” I got the feeling that Amelia loved to tell that story.

I sigh and ask, “Amelia Rate, and you’re able to… make things better? But only if it’s calm.”

“Yes.” She nods. “How do you know that?”

Lyon nudges her and exclaims, “It’s because he has pink eyes, like me!”

“Mom,” Vex whispers, “Your eye looks pretty rough. Why don’t you grab a nap, and we’ll take care of-”

“No, no, no, I’m the leader. I have to welcome the new members. I didn’t hand Embal Colquy off, did I?” She points to a billboard outside. It had a strong, shirtless man holding a man-shaped mirror, his red hair blocking off the head. His blue and red eyes seemed welcoming, his smile soft, and “PERFECT YOU”, which was pasted on the chest, seemed to allude to… something. I’m fifteen and a guy, I don’t need to know what shirtless dudes make women feel. I assume he’s a part of their weird group that’s still a mystery to me.

“Hold on,” I detest. The three look on at me.

“You’ve already agreed to join.” Lyon glared, smiling as if superior.

“Yes, but I want something out of this deal.”

Lyon stood in front of her girlfriend and daughter, crossing her arms and tilting her head upwards. She sneered at me, likely evaluating the value of keeping me there. “I’ve made you a deal.”

“I want to be something other than kidnapped- which, I mean, I technically am. This should be easy for you, so I’m not asking much.” I point to my eyes, widening them in example. “You have a pink eye. I’ve never met anyone else with pink eyes, or even one. Most people get to learn from people with eyes like theirs, and I never got that. I want that.”

She gets in a non-defensive pose, squinting her right eye. She goes upright, hands to her sides, grabbing a cigarette from her pocket. She lights it with a matching set of rings, one flint and one steel. Smiling, she bites down on the cloth tube and nods her head.

“Thank you. For now, what do you want me to do?”

Lyon pats her daughter forward and waves off.

“I have people to call. Amelia, could you write? Liv needs a response.” She hands off fifty dollars to Vex, abruptly ending anything resembling a respectable conversation. “Have a sleepover.”

Amelia sighs and pours herself a cup of coffee. I feel back at home, amongst a liar and a servant. I could only wish to be as innocent and stupid as Vex about it.