Ash stretched his right hand forward brushing against the rim of the bowl as he slowly dipped his fingers in the cool water.
He pressed down till his fingertips touched the bottom of the bowl and his knuckles immersed.
We waited, holding our breaths of excitement as suspense pulled tight among us.
Each tick of clock echoed loudly in my ears as the drumming in my heart grew louder, the excitement fading from the air as the water remained clear, not a hint of any colour.
Our smiles grew tense as I swiped a gaze across the hall.
Ash's brows knitted together, his smile curving into a frown as he pulled his hand back, creating ripples in the clear liquid.
" Did I put in the wrong hand?" he mumbled quietly and mom answered with a maybe.
Everyone knew that was not true.
The hand does not matter and it doesn't change anything.
But still, I painted an encouraging smile on my face for Ash, everyone did.
He pushed his left hand in the water.
Still nothing.
Not even a strand of colour.
Minutes passed but still nothing.
We all looked, concentrated on the water in the bowl. Expectant as if any second it is going to shimmer with colour.
Only it didn't.
" Colorless" Dad whispered in the air, afraid that if the tense silence is broken then it may as well be real. At that moment it felt as if the gravity was weighing me down, the deafening silence too much for me to bear. My heart roared in sorrow, thankfully muting the haunting tick of the clock.
Tears strung at my eyes as they welled up, begging to fall down as my heart broke for the gullible ten-year-old standing with his hands still in the water. His eyes refusing to lose hope.
And I was reminded of my ceremony.
I was standing where Ash is, two pigtails keeping the hairs from my face as I dipped my hands in the cool water. A dazzling smile splitting across my face as I tried to keep still and not jump up and down.
As soon as my fingers had touched the smooth bottom a vine red colour had bloomed from my fingers. Reaching out in thin threads, swirling in beautiful designs as it spread further.
I had been so excited that I had immediately pulled my hands out to clap and hop on my feet. Before regretting it and again putting both of my hands in the water, eager to see my colour.
And it bloomed again, though I was hoping for a shade of purple for creation I was just as happy for the wine red for offence.
Designs started swirling again. But a tiny, barely-there thread of blue pushed from my fingers, circling forward as both red and blue created a mesmerizing pattern.
I was engrossed, enthralled by the colours, the pattern, and the marvel of it that I failed to bother with the sudden quietness of the room.
My eyes widened as a third colour, a pale shade of purple spilt next to the electric blue. Mixing in the pattern but somehow remaining separated from each other.
I blinked away from the memory as more tried to resurface. It was easy to slip into the memory lane in the suffocating silence.
" But.., but-..how can it be" mom gasped out, swallowing a sob audibly as Kayden held her in his arm. Leading her to sit on the sofa, least she breaks down on the floor and hurt herself.
" How-, why-, why with my baby" she choked out her words as the tears spilt from her eyes.
Dad slumped on the sofa in defeat. Skye placed a hand on Ash's shoulders pulling him to his side as he exhaled a shuddering breath. The only sign of his distress, but enough to encourage my traitorous tears to stain my pale cheeks.
I remained standing. Glaring at the hideous bowl of water as I tortured myself with every possible future. Each one drawing more tears to my eyes replacing the ones dripping down my chin.
It is unheard of,
no one is colourless,
neither does anyone have three colours,
but here I stand and there Ash stands,
both facing the other anomaly.