Forest

Forest walked away from the purple building with his paws in the pockets of his black pants, whistling.

“It was good to be free,” he thought to himself. And the look on Indigo’s face when she saw him was one he would never forget. 

Forest had known Indigo since she was a little pup. He actually remembers the day she was born. He was five years older than her, and their families had been friends for a very long time.

Forest couldn’t remember a specific thing that had happened that caused him and Indigo to stop being friends. It happened gradually, over time.

Forest had known that when Indigo saw him, she would feel unsettled and might even lose control a bit. And she had done exactly that. That was what he had hoped for. He needed Indigo to understand that he was pulling the strings. At least for right now. He also knew Indigo and her friends would be hot on his tail, trying to figure out how and why he was back in Citrine.

Indigo had thwarted his plans in the past, but this time he would not let that happen.

Forest found himself in the “old city.” This was the oldest part of Citrine. The colors surrounding him were beautiful, but faded. The buildings, sidewalks, and streets were magnificent in this part of the city. The buildings were tall, with intricate brick detailing. The sidewalks were made of stone, and each stone was a different color of the rainbow.

This was the only part of Citrine that had multi-colored stone sidewalks. In the newer parts of the city, the sidewalks were smoothly paved and a single color.

For most residents of Citrine, the color of their street dictated the color of clothing they were to wear. It made choosing outfits easy, and most of the animals didn’t mind this rule. 

Forest wore black. It was his favorite color. He was supposed to wear yellow clothing, as he lived on a yellow street, but Forest liked to be different and break the rules. 

As he stood in the old city, it began to come alive. Shops were opening, and animals were going to work or running errands. The morning air was still crisp and chilly, and Forest found himself shivering. 

As he turned to leave this part of the city, Forest bumped into an elderly gorilla wearing an orange suit. 

“Excuse me,” Forest said. The gorilla just looked at him with a blank stare and then continued walking. 

“That was weird,” Forest thought to himself. He continued down the multi-colored stone street, humming to himself. 

After walking a few blocks, Forest arrived at home. His bright yellow home. Once inside, he grabbed an apple and a slice of cheese. He was starving. 

Forest was only 13 years old, and he lived with his parents. His parents were often gone, so he was at home by himself more than he wished.

As he sat at the kitchen table, eating, he thought about what he needed to do next.