Hidden in black and white (a flash fiction)

She trailed behind the others as they walked. No longer did they try and coax words out of her, encourage her to join in with the group. They had long since given up getting any kind of interaction. They had decided something had happened to make her this way, that was why she was alone and needed a family to take her in.

She would nod and smile, and help where needed but that was all. The man looked back, checked she was still by and gave her a sad smile. She smiled back, willing him to move his focus away. They carried on moving around the ruins, old chunks of wall that had long ago decayed to rubble. The other children were climbing over them and playing hide and seek. She kept her distance. It was hard to make out where the walls ended. People thought she was clumsy but it was just hard when everything was in black and white. The whole world appeared to her in various shades of grey.

With a sigh, she carried on trailing the family. Drifting along with her thoughts, another ten minutes went by before she looked up properly. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the wall to her right. There was a square in the brickwork with plants growing up and around it, as if there should be an opening there. The ivy crept upwards, glowing a dazzling emerald, even to her eyes. It was almost overwhelming compared to the grayscale around her. Only a few times had she encountered things like this, always where you would least expect them. A dress in a vintage shop had oozed blood red as the velvet cascaded over her fingers. A pool of water on a beach in Devon had shone the purest of blues. It had been difficult putting names to the colours having never seen them before but she was sure the others had always said plants were green.

She reached out and touched the nearest leaves. A stream of sensations streamed through her. She heard a myriad of noises, she almost choked on the smoke and her skin prickled at the sudden heat. The noises grew more clear and she could hear a voice coalescing in the background, one she thought she knew. ‘Come home.’

A hand gripped her wrist and pulled back. The man. ‘Careful, some of these plants can give you a nasty rash.’ She stared at him, annoyance at the disturbance flaring through her mind but she remained placid. She gave a simple nod and he released her hand. When she looked back again, the colour had gone. But she had more pieces of the puzzle at least. And wherever it may be, she had a home to go to.

Written in response to Mid-Week Flash Challenge week 230 from https://purplequeennl.blogspot.com/