Rosland had been expecting that something was terribly wrong for a long time. Redwood was different now. The buildings and routines were all familiar, but there was a cold, dark, dense smell that roamed in every alley and street. Redwood wasn’t the town that Rosland used to know, she wasn’t sure what was, people didn’t know what home was anymore. She’d seen a vision that life before the war was full of beautiful color, and deep in her memory she remembered a lake, a sparkling, shining beautiful, lake. But of course these were all forbidden thoughts, illegal memories. Nobody knew the truth about the past. But Rosland now knew war wasn’t over and she couldn’t trust the society anymore to fix it.

“Hey Carter!” smiled Rosland as she was on the way to free hour.
“How was the Testing, did you pass?”
Carter was one of Roselands close friends from childhood and today was his day of testing.
“I’m not so sure I didn’t study well enough, I hope I’m not doomed to an unworthy job like light monitoring.”
Rosland knew he was teasing but she still shuttered, light monitoring was when you had to expel the light and good of other people’s abilities if they got too powerful. It was a painful job to perform because people’s personalities were wiped away, and something important was always lost. Rosland hated light monitors. She had always felt that a piece of her memories before the war had been wiped away like a light monitor wipes away personality. Carter interrupted her thoughts,
“Rosland,” He said, stepping forward suddenly. Carter did something unexpected: he pulled her into the alley and cupped his hand around her ear.
“Rosland ” he whispered. Rosland blushed as she felt his soft whisper on her ear. “I feel like I should tell you this. That you will understand. I really like you Rosland and I’m willing to risk telling you this.”
Rosland flushed nervously smiling up at him. She had always liked Carter a lot, maybe even as more than a friend, but something about how he was acting was making her nervous.
“I failed the test on purpose.”
The blood ran from Roselands face. What! Why would Carter do that he was so smart?! If he failed the test he’d have lower privileges and they would be forbidden to be together.
“And I want you to fail with me,” Carter said, taking her hand. “I know this sounds crazy. There are so many things I need to tell you I know this is all so fast”
“Carter, you’re crazy,” Rosland interrupted, taking a step back .
“Rosland,there was no war.”
Rosland gasped for a breath of air,
“You know somethings been off Rosland, you know it, I know you do.”
How had Carter knew she doubted? Was it possible that he knew that shed recovered a memory of a lake shining, “blue,” and beautiful. Her forbidden memory? People weren’t even supposed to remember color in the society, she wondered what other colors were out there. What color would Carter’s eyes would have been if there was color in the world? She only knew one color “blue” she envisioned Carter’s eyes, a sparkling shining beautiful blue. At least that’s what she wanted them to be. But she couldn’t fail the test. Rosland suddenly emerged from her daydream and weight pulled on her heart as Carter rested his hand lightly on her shoulder.
“Rosland, are you okay? There’s more I need to tell you but I can give you time?”
She suddenly realized that her eyes were watering. She wondered what color the tears were. Probably the dark, cold color like the deep of the ocean.
“I’m sorry.” Rosland said, swiping the tears.
“I want color back in the world too.”
Roland’s mouth fell open. He knew!
“Rosland I have so much to tell you,”
“I was with you at the beach that day, I gave you that memory. It’s hard to explain Rosland but here the society wipes out all the color and life from our lives and somehow the society convinces us that it’s all normal but it’s not. That’s why we have to have light monitors to fix everything. Rosland I will explain everything later but please fail your testing, we will be sorted together. It’s the only way we can do this, It’s not only about color and happiness. Rosland our town is in grave danger and you… hold the memories.”
So many different thoughts and emotions filled Rosland. Carter could uncover the secrets of her past that she didn’t even know were missing. He had given her a memory as a gift. Carter was trying to bring back real life, color, freedom, he could never do all this on his own. And if they waited any longer something was going to happen, nothing is good in a society that shuts out light and truth. She looked at the thick evil smoke of the alley way. They had to show others the truth.
He winded his fingers through hers.
“I know it’s a lot and happening so fast I wanted to tell you later but I had to tell you now the darkness created by the society will soon try to take over. I found that in a memory. I need you.”
The society could take away color, and memories of her old life, and threaten to use darkness and evil to control but they couldn’t take the light and color inside of her and they couldn’t take away love.
Rosland squeezed his hand back with a nod. “We have to show the people the truth, no matter what it takes.”
With their hands entwined they held a promise, a trust. She didn’t need all the answers. And while it was all happening so fast deep in her heart she’d always known. This truth was all she needed. She and Carter would find the truth, and it would set them free. Nothing could hold them back.