Paint Me

A Story by hello there

The world is filled with an abundance of colors. And yet, Axel can only see in black and white.

Axel is greeted by the slate-grey walls of his dull, uninteresting room. Having eaten a light breakfast, he is full enough to halt the grumble he hears every now and then echoing from his stomach. Sighing deeply, his eyes scan the room for his glasses. They are jet-black, much like every single item in his house. If only I could see color to distinguish all things apart, he thinks to himself, dismayed.

He can only see in different shades of grey, much like watching a show made from the 20th century, not a hint of color painting the screen. Axel deems this as a heinous curse; as if the forces of the universe had gathered together just to mock his existence, a lifeless spectacle that lacks the vibrancy of the sun and the warmth of the hot chocolate he likes to sip on every morning. The poor boy cannot experience the beauty of landscapes and glory of the setting sun . . . unless he is in the presence of a lie.

For some odd reason, the universe grants him a glimpse of the colorful world surrounding him when something dishonest marches his way. The deceit brings doom and delight, for he can see different hues taking over his vision, an intense feeling of joy flooding his senses-- but abruptly fading away into specks of grey until no color remains, dread replacing sheer happiness once again in the cold face of deception.

Axel touches everything he sees in his room, until he feels the curved slope of his glasses. He puts them on and finally, everything is clearer; though, sadly not colorful. Getting rid of the negative thoughts forming in his head, he decides to visit his little garden. Axel loves to plant flowers, without knowing their true colors; no one has ever lied to him within the vicinity of his lovely garden, after all. Although he cannot see the beauty of flowers, he plants them anyway in hopes of one day seeing all the colors for himself.

Humming along to the tune of some pop song he had heard on the radio a few days ago, his colorless vision guides him to his garden, excited to water his flowers and make them bloom, the sun helping his precious creations grow-- and suddenly, he stops in his tracks.

In front of his garden appears a young girl picking flowers, one by one, putting them in her woven basket. However, her presence is the very least of his concerns; the minute he steps outside, his world is flooded with every color found in the rainbow, wide array of hues painting every corner of his field of vision. Axel cannot believe his eyes, holding his breath in stunned silence. He sees his garden full of bright yellows, deep purples-- he knew roses were red based on poetry, but it is his first time seeing them with his very own eyes. And, much to his surprise, the color does not fade away.

Axel watches the woman gingerly choosing flowers, cheeks red from the warmth emitted by the glowing sun. Beams of sweat form on the sides of her face, hair dyed with a hue of brown, maybe hazel? Axel does not know. She smiles upon picking a sunflower, and drops it into her bag. The color bestowed upon him gives him the capacity to appreciate the girl’s beauty; Axel is put in a trance, gazing at the slight frown on her face while deciding which flower to pick next. Instead of feeling anger towards the girl for picking flowers without permission, his feet are glued to the ground. He does nothing but watch, appreciating the color of the flowers and the charm of the young lady. She flashes a smile, a sweet sweet smile-- it melts Axel’s heart more than the blistering heat. The mysterious girl hums in contentment and walks away, bringing all the color along with her, and Axel’s world is bleak once again.

To see such beauty with his own eyes, the brilliance of the sun and the different hues turning his bland world into an animated painting-- he is captivated by the deceit of the girl. Axel wonders, where is the lie?

The next day, Axel’s happiness shoots up as his black and white world turns into a harmonious blend of different colors, a fine symphony that molds into a single masterpiece. The young girl is, once again, picking flowers in his garden. Lured by her charms, his feet shuffle towards the girl.

Axel clears his throat. “Hello there,” he greets her with a nod, blank expression hiding the amount of excitement pulsating through him.

The girl looks up from the garden, eyes widening. “Oh, hello, I’m sorry, is this your garden?” she asks, her grey eyes looking into his. “I just never saw the owner around, so--”

He cuts her off. “It’s okay. I’m glad someone appreciates my garden,” Axel assures her. Reluctantly, the woman nods. Being face-to-face for the first time, he notices a mole at the tip of her nose, and one at the bottom of her chin. Axel stares at her for a moment, digesting every detail found on her face. He takes note of her beet-red cheeks and olive skin.

“I’ll take my leave now. Thank you so much, kind sir,” she says with a nod. Axel cannot help but feel sudden grief; he still wants to see in color, how could she go away so soon?

Axel musters a smile. “All right. You’re always welcome to pick flowers here.”

During the following days and weeks, Axel’s daily routine has changed; before watering his garden, he waits for the girl to appear and pick flowers. Sometimes he would engage and talk, but on most days, he would only watch her, peering behind the window as to not intrude. Axel always feels like he only interrupts her momentum; she always considers the next flower to pick with so much thought and deliberation after all. Expecting the girl’s daily return, he always peeks through his bedroom window waiting for her arrival. Axel aches to see the beautiful colors life can offer; the curse broken for just a few moments.

Aside from the rush of joy, he cannot help but wonder once again. Where is the lie? he asks himself. What is it about her existence that brings vibrancy and all things good? Axel cannot piece things together. The more he asks, the more his mind is flooded with bewilderment. Beneath his cheery smile, there is an underlying chaos bubbling in his stomach, unsettling him to his very core. At this point, Axel knows that she brings both doom and delight into his life-- wickedly painting his world with color and lies.

One fine morning, Axel spots the young lady picking a daisy, humming to a peaceful melody as she eyes the garden. He feels a pang of sadness shoot his heart, hands clutching his chest; the girl’s hazel locks cascade down her shoulders, her pink lips forming a thin smile. God, is she beautiful, Axel marvels. But how is she a liar? He decides to disregard these thoughts for now.

“Hello,” Axel greets her with a smile as opposed to the usual nod, emerging from the front door of his humble home.

She looks up, beauty and grace attacking his field of vision. “Oh, hi,” she utters, soft voice music to his ears.

A comforting silence spreads throughout the garden, and Axel cannot help ask a question that has been irking him for so long. “What’s your name?” he finally asks the young lady.

She holds up a flower to her nose, smelling the wonderful scent of the poppy. Her eyes close for a brief moment, and then steadily look into Axel’s. “Well, who do you want me to be?”

Puzzled, Axel is frozen in his tracks. Suddenly, the girl’s words are not dripping in honey; instead, a sinister force is breaking through the cracks of her smile, her sweet grin replaced by a menacing laugh. “Why are you so shocked? You didn’t know?” her voice is no longer soft, a bitter sensation overwhelming him. The colors are bright and the day is brimming with life; and yet, the saturated hues become too intense, his field of vision almost white.

The woman brings her face inches away from Axel’s. He can feel his heart beating against his chest, pumping blood in a frenzy. Her piercing grey eyes spark a muted fear in his chest, slowly building up with every passing second. His breath hitches, hands slightly trembling with fright. She is no longer the innocent beauty that brings color; she is also the devilish entity that leaves him in agony with her dishonesty. The girl touches his face, finger landing on the bridge of his nose, laughing. “Honey, I am a lie!” her guffaws ring across the garden, making the flowers retreat in terror. Axel steps back in horror. For a fleeting moment, Axel wishes for her to go away, the girl’s insanity too much to bear.

And, just like that, all the color is sucked out of Axel’s life. The young girl disappears into thin air along with the passing wind, and his world becomes black and white with different hues of grey-- an irreversible curse. Axel stands in the middle of his garden, not a single thing registering in his mind, eyes flickering between the flowers and where the girl had been standing; how could he feel so lost in his own home?

There are no remnants of the woman’s existence. Her woven basket is gone, flowers dropped to the soil. Axel, whose confusion creates a storm within, paces back and forth, jaw slightly parted. She is his little secret-- and he accepts every lie she feeds him, embracing the comforting deception that masks the drab nature of Axel’s life. He is caught in a lie; flowery words luring him in with promises of vivid colors. He closes his eyes, channeling inner peace-- all he wants is his vision to be filled with the abundance of hues in the vast universe after all. Axel hopes for color to paint his world once again, trying to sound his desperate pleas into the higher-ups of the world, maybe God or some creature-- anything, anyone who could make the pain go away.

Axel gently opens his eyes, hoping his vision is not clouded with specks of black, white, and hues in between. He hopes and prays like a madman. All he wants is to see color!

In front of his garden, the woman stands carrying her woven basket. An eruption of color oozes in every part of the canvas, Axel’s universe vivid and bright. The radiance of it all hides the dull, bleak fashion of his troublesome life, fully tangling himself within the web of her lies-- hoping the ugly truth never comes his way.

She is a lie, and Axel welcomes her with open arms.