Colours

The Assignment: Write an exercise in which you repeatedly use two different primary colours.  Describe these colours without naming them too often -- and try to find effective synonyms for the colours without being too obvious about this disguise.  Repetition of anything alien to the human elements of a story is bound to influence the way the story sinks into the reader's mind.  How would red and yellow, appearing over and over again in drapes, carpets, clothes, handmade ashtrays, or toilet bowls, affect you as a reader? If you know anything about the meaning or symbolism of colours, choose your pair of hues well to play off emotions against each other (red for anger; blue for passivity).  Apply this exercise to a situation with which you're already frustrated.  500 words.

My Response:

“I have a surprise for you.” My mother said as soon as I walked in the door.

I had been gone for a couple of weeks. My parents had felt that I could use a break from school, and had sent me to my aunts house to ‘work out the stress’. Actually, my psychiatrist had said that after I told him that sometimes I got a little stressed out by tests. I hadn’t wanted to go, but I hadn’t had any say in the matter. My parents had insisted that they knew what was best for me.

Because spending weeks away from school was going to help with my test anxiety.

“A surprise?” I asked cautiously, putting down the cerulean bag that I had picked out just before leaving. My mother hadn’t approved. She kept making noise about the yellow set that was so pretty. I had stood firm, though, and ended up with the luggage I had wanted.

“Come with me.” She said cryptically, heading toward my bedroom.

There were knots in my stomach long before we reached the door. I knew my mother. When she thought that people were upset, she did everything in her power to cheer them up. Except that she didn’t know how to cheer a person up at all.

“Alright, here we go.” She said, standing in front of my door, her face a mask of excitement. I braced myself for what was to come.

The door swung open, and I was instantly blinded.

Yellow covered every surface. The wood desk that I had loved so much had been replaced with a plastic one covered with sunflowers. My bed now featured a golden cover that seemed to reflect the light coming in through the saffron bordered windows. A single mustard lamp sat on the small table beside my bed, and the closet that was partially opened revealed even more amber surprises inside.

I stepped slowly through the door, gaping around the room and wondering how the hell I was supposed to live there.

“Yellow is supposed to make you happy.” My mother informed me from the door. It took all of my control to not turn and shout at her when I glimpsed the lemon backpack hanging off the back of my brand new yellow chair.

“Mom, I hate yellow.”

“Nonsense. It’s yellow! Who hates yellow?”

I bit my tongue and turned toward her. “Mom…”

“Don’t argue with me! I know what’s best for you, and this is it. Now, I had one of your friends bring over your homework.” She pointed to a large stack of papers piled beside my thankfully unchanged computer. The shiny blue of it looked odd on my new desk, but I took comfort in it. “You’d better get to work.”

She stormed out of the room, leaving me in the headache waiting to happen that was my room, and I sighed as I sat down in the chair. That would teach me to ever talk to my psychiatrist ever again.

My Response: This one was interesting.  I was only supposed to put the colours in, but I couldn't help but build the story around it.  So, I ended up with an overbearing mother and a daughter that doesn't quite know how to stand up for herself.  It was fun, for sure.

I would love to know what you thought of my response.  And if you've come up with anything yourself, please share!  Post in the comments section below.

All exercised come from The 3 A.M. Epiphany by Brian Kiteley