Less to fight about

Less to fight about



Ellis stood by the lake, staring out on it with a mindful expression on his face. Letting out a sigh of relief as he was finally there, he lifted his arm and swept some locks out of his face with a few fingers. Upon doing this he seemed to be reminded of something, and looked at them to see that they were wet from his sweat, before he quickly swept them away with the sleeve of his jacket. It was a warm day, but the wind was cruel up here and the bugs crueller.

He hoisted the backpack off his shoulders and fumbled a bit before it turned into some mock form of a small fold able chair. Finding something that resembled flat ground, he bent back up and gave his lower back a push as a half-massage. He then rolled his shoulders to relieve the ache, before finally reaching for the sky in a stretch of his whole body. Relaxing his body he released a satisfied sigh and smiled out on the lake.

He sat down on his chair facing the lake. Looking out on the water slightly ruffled by the wind, so no clear reflection was given of anything. The lake seemed to be surrounded by trees of evergreen, making the scene stay the same most of the year. Ellis remembered this place vividly. They found this place while having a little swimming expedition with his friends in his childhood. No one else seem to know of it. Or they might have known, but did not bother, as it was either a rather strong hike or you had to swim out here. There was a beach around the bend on the left, close to where the river filled up the lake. The beach was by a nature made cauldron, giving the water a much warmer temperature. Ellis could see in the distance the line in the water, red and warningly. The lake was mostly still, but the river seemed to run most of its current right through it. The line was there to box the beach goers in the safe zone. Ellis shook his head smilingly at the remembrance of how often they ignored it and the shouts of their mothers.

The smile froze and started to fade away. Those were also the last years he saw colours. In the early years he missed them. Friends and colours in equal measure. But as time brew he realized that the friends were more true and returned, but colours stayed elusive and cruel. They were not a good thing on the world he started to muse. Always a nag about them. Fretting about one or the other, no matter if it was clothes, houses, cars or skin. He could still see the difference of skin as they were an argument of black and white from the start. «Doesn't matter any of it.» he mused with a whisper.

«Not any more at least» he chuckled, and as a sign of him saying it a large flash of every possible colour flashed across sky, originating behind his back. Far in the distant a huge pillar of light rose to the sky. More could be seen on the horizons. Brightly bathing everything with light and a touch of warmth. Silence fell on the entire forest as the world ground to a halt, staring at the time stopping event. The silence was broken by a thunderous roar filled with electricity, moving everything ever so slightly away from the pillars. Ellis straightened his hair again as sounds of the forest seemed to restart to its fullest.

He reached down and opened his backpack, fidgeting inside for something. He fished out a lunch box which he lay down on his lap and opened up with a hungry expression on his face. Inside was a corner cut sandwich and half an apple wrapped in plastic. He picked up one of the sandwich pieces and unwrapped it. Closing the lid and putting the box down on the grass, he chuckled a bit before taking a savouring bite of his lunch. Chewing slowly he started to watch the surroundings, knowing too well he wont see what's happening.

Far out on the lake the red line seemed to fade into the lake. On closer inspection it was still there but the red was what were fading. Slowly as if drained away the red slowly dissolved into grey. The world stopped for a moment as if a chill had brushed at everyone's soul. Slowly the mouth of the lake where the river falls in started to fade away in the same matter. Or rather the river seemed to start delivering grey water. As more grey water was pored into the lake, the blue was drained away. Like it was sinking into the bottom of the lake, it was slowly swapped for grey in a shade of yellow. The thought of joy seemed to sink with it and the world around went a little bit more silent. As if on cue the light from the sky went just a bit less warm. The trees lost their ever green, beginning at the base and climbing up their branches, like a colour eraser working its way up. As a last moment of truth arrived, the sun started to lose its brightness. But that wasn't true, it was just growing as clear as an old film. Like a sparkling white sun instead of the radiance of colour it used to be. Everything felt a bit colder, like the worlds warm blanket was taken away.

The forest was as silent as tomb. The entire forest and his inhabitants seemed to understand something happened. Ellis seemed to have noticed too, all though he should not be unable to see it. He got up and looked about himself. All around him its all grey, black and white. He turned around to watch the view and it was all grey as far as one could see. The bright pillars of light seemed to have just silently gone away. And the lack of anything more happening made the world stand there in utter silence, waiting for what might come next.


A low hum could be heard from somewhere. The sound slightly rose and it was coming from Ellis.
The hum could then clearly be heard to be a low chuckle. And as a man seeing a wonder he raised his arms to the world,
before the low chuckle turned into a roar of heartfelt laughter.
Looking out he screamed his laughter to the world.